Page 18 of Obsessed with His Bride

“But I’ll warn you,” he said softly. “It won’t be entirely safe. There will be risks. You’d be better off hiding here in this house.”

“Or maybe running away on my own,” I whispered.

He laughed and tightened his grip in my hair. “Maybe. But I don’t think you’re going to do that. No, I don’t think you want to go anywhere.”

I stared at him and felt the anger that had been rolling through me since he killed my father, but it was dulled somehow, no longer that white-hot flame that threatened to consume me. Instead, a big part of that anger was replaced by something else.

It made my hands clammy, my back sweat. It made my heart beat faster as my eyes roamed across his muscular frame before they stopped on his lips, full and slightly parted, yet rough and masculine. I knew what it was that drove me to stay close to him, but I refused to name it, refused to make it real.

“What do you say?” he whispered. “I’ll show you the ropes. Introduce you to the boys. You’ll like it.”

I nodded once and his grip tightened in my hair again, pulling my chin up. I let out a little gasp as he moved closer, and I swear my heart almost stopped.

“Okay,” I managed to choke out.

“Good girl.” He lingered for a moment, a little smile on his lips before he kissed me.

I stayed in that kiss, my body flooded with desire, that desire I’d been trying to ignore. I leaned closer, pressed my body tighter, felt his powerful frame and knew I couldn’t pull away.

His taste was like leather and candy, both hard and soft. I pressed my hands against his hard chest and let out a soft moan as his tongue pressed against mine. I let him kiss me like that, let him take me, his fist hard in my hair, before I managed to wriggle myself free.

I stared at him and took a step back. A smile came to his lips as he tilted his head to the side.

“Don’t look surprised,” he said. “I told you what I wanted. I’m not going to lie to you, little Aida.”

“I just—”

He pushed himself off the counter. “Be ready tomorrow morning,” he said. “Bright and early. We’re going to help open the bakery.”

“Wait,” I said as he moved past me toward the hallway. “How early?”

“Five should be good,” he said. “Actually, make it four thirty.”

“Four… thirty?” I gagged. “That’s so early.”

“It’s a bakery. Or do you want to be here alone all day again? I could tell Gino to play cards with you, I bet that’d be fun.”

I glared at him and crossed my arms over my chest. “I’ll be ready,” I said.

“Good.” He looked at me for a moment longer before disappearing from the kitchen and down the hallway.

I collapsed back against the counter and touched my fingers to my lips. The hard granite on my back felt good, but not as good as his arms, his lips, his tongue.

Shit.

That man’s a killer. I knew it, couldn’t deny it. I saw it with my own eyes.

And yet I felt myself falling deeper into something I wasn’t sure I wanted to understand. He killed my father, but he also freed me from that same prison. He locked me up in this house, but he also gave me safety and protection.

I hated him. And I wanted him just as much.

I knew I’d be ready, bright and early.5DanteI stood at the base of the steps, the front door still open, the morning still halfway night. The sun hadn’t risen yet, and the world remained still.

I barely slept the night before. Then again, I barely ever slept.

“Aida,” I called out. “Little Aida. Time to come down.”

She appeared at the top of the steps, her hair pulled back in a messy bun, her eyes puffy, a frown on her lips. She stomped down the steps in light black jeans and a button-down black top. She wore heavy brown boots and an annoyed look on her face. I loved it, she looked like she was ready for combat, except her soft body was built for better things than fighting.

“This is cruel,” she grunted. “This is just cruel.”

“Come on. You’re going to love it.”

“No. I don’t think I can love anything this early. What are we doing awake?”

I laughed and turned away. I stepped out into the morning and took a deep breath, grinning up at the stars. The sun would start rising soon enough, but for now, it was still the night.

She came out behind me and shut the door. “You’re a monster,” she grumbled.

“More than you even know,” I said and headed down the steps. I felt light and happy, which was strange. I expected to be afraid of this, to feel anxious for her safety. It was a bad idea to take her into the city, but I knew I couldn’t expect her to wait around in my house for much longer.

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