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“Did he punish you?”
His smile was infectious, lighting up the late morning sky. “You have no idea. That happened later after we got home, but what he did before that had allowed me to see a side of him that up to that point, I hadn’t seen before. You know what’s funny? I couldn’t remember the last conversation I’d had with my father before that. His disinterest in being a father had crossed over into his everyday behavior with business. I was so used to him being powerful and dominant that the moment he walked into the diner, I almost wet my pants.”
He eased off the horse, helping me to do the same. When he shoved his hands into his pockets, I could tell he was very happy being on the ranch, maybe the only place he felt like himself. “What did he do?”
“First, he bought me food, lots of food. All my favorites and he sat there with me as I ate every bite like the starving kid I was. He asked me why I’d attacked his enemy’s soldiers, so I told him. After I was finished, he told me how horribly worried my mother had been the entire time, unable to eat or sleep given her misery. He’d told me he’d been concerned too, especially since the leader of the rival syndicate had been breathing down his neck.”
“Did they retaliate?”
“No, because the mafia leader never learned what happened to his men. Strangely enough, my father clapped me on the back telling me how proud of me he was. I’d longed for that my entire life, but when he said it after what I’d done, I’d remained sick for weeks. It was also the only time in his life that he told me he loved me. The entire incident was something I never forgot.”
“That changed you.”
“It did. He earned my respect to a point. However, I realized I didn’t want to be like my brother or my father. Where I’d felt ashamed before, I felt vindicated in knowing I wasn’t the boy I’d hoped to be. I’d just craved the attention. So I went back to school and never looked back. I graduated from high school early, then went onto college with my father’s encouragement. I even earned a master’s degree.”
Why was he telling me this—in hopes I wouldn’t see him as the monster I’d believed him to be?
“Then why not live your life the way you wanted instead of being molded into your father’s shadow like your brother?”
“Because the truth is ugly. I am like my father, Maria. His blood runs through me. My desire for power is the same. Make no mistake about that. Your early assumptions of me were spot on. I’m a savage and there’s no getting around it.” He turned to face me, slowly walking in my direction. I’d never seen a man look at with such passion in his eyes, such need furrowing in his brow. He backed me toward one of the larger trees, his upper lip curling as he did so.
“No, you’re not.” From what I’d seen of his father at the wedding, I could easily disagree. He’d done nothing but bark orders at the people at the reception and his soldiers who’d flanked the location, constantly walking the perimeter.
He planted one hand on the tree, crowding my space even more. “I’m surprised you seem to think so given all you’ve said before. I do have a business to run, an empire to continue building.”
“Then you don’t know me at all, but you’ll learn.”
The sound of his voice was also driving me crazy.
I wasn’t certain if he was trying to rile me or was teasing me all over again. “I think I do. But now you’re telling me nothing else matters in your life. So it’s nothing more than all business all the time. Why do you even want a family?” I searched his eyes for a few seconds. “Because it’s required of you?”
“You say that like family requirements are a bad thing.”
“Creating a family is about falling in love. If the relationship is forced in any way, then it will never be anything special. No matter what you think. While chemistry is important, the kind of burning desire that stills your heart and steals your breath, without trust and respect… and love, what does it even matter?” Maybe I was daydreaming about a fairytale and nothing more.
“Marriage is a product of building a good life.”
I rolled my eyes, purposely looking away but he was having none of it, gripping my chin and forcing me to look at him once again. “Maybe you’re right but money means absolutely nothing to me. You can’t impress me with diamonds or furs, expensive cars, or even by the number of horses you own. The truth is, you have everything, yet you have nothing.”
“I have you.” He lowered his head, his chest rising and falling.
There was something so powerful about our connection that I was momentarily at a loss for words. I found myself gripping his shirt, curling the material with my fingers. “Not really. I will never fall in love with you, not that you want that.”
“You really don’t know me at all and I assure you that you will fall in love with me.”
“Then you don’t know me very well. I am curious about something.” I was now whispering given the closeness of his face, the heated breath skipping across my face. “Do you even enjoy anything? Let me rephrase that. Do you enjoy the simple pleasures in life?”
“What are those to you?”
“Look around you, Daniel. This is one of the most gorgeous places on the face of this earth. The ranch and the horses, the beautiful home you own. The greenery. It’s spectacular, but I bet you never spend time looking at it. When was the last time you had a glass of wine while sitting in front of a fire or took a picnic basket out with you when you went riding with someone special? I always see you drink whiskey. I bet you haven’t walked on the beach, kicking seashells, or become delighted finding the perfect frozen drink on a hot summer’s day. How about a movie or a concert? Or just curling up on the couch reading a book. Do any of those things sound pleasurable to you?”
He continued to lower his head, making the moment enticing and uncomfortable.
“I haven’t invited any of the few women I’ve dated to my home so there haven’t been any picnics. Wine is something to be enjoyed with someone else while whiskey is a man’s drink when he’s contemplating his future. I adore walking on the beach, but you’ll learn that when we’re finally allowed to go on our honeymoon. As far as reading a book, I admit that I’m far too busy. What I’m not too busy for is indulging in fulfilling your greatest fantasies and my darkest needs. I have a feeling you’re the kind of woman who can handle that.”
As he crushed his mouth over mine, I swooned even more than I’d done the night before. He had a way of making me feel completely giddy inside. Everything about him was indeed a surprise, from his vicious attitude towards his enemies to the passion for animals that was in total contradiction.
Then there was the level of passion and dominance he exuded, a truly sensual trait. As he pressed the weight of his body against mine, pushing his throbbing cock between my legs, I was more lightheaded than I’d ever been. Maybe it was the light breeze or the scent of his testosterone or that fact I could feel myself falling for someone that didn’t belong to me.
