“You can’t deny yourself that kind of pleasure because of one asshole, Nicky. You deserve to be happy.”
The sincerity in his voice caught me by surprise, as if he genuinely cared aboutme, not just about getting me to fuck him. That couldn’t be true. Men said all kinds of bullshit, lied through their asses, and faked anything and everything just to have their way with women.
“If you’re mine, I’ll make you happy. You have my word,” he said with the same intent gaze that never faltered, same firm, masculine tone that oozed with dominance and certainty to fog my mind.
“My father didn’t just touch me. He raped me. Many times.” I didn’t know why I said that, why I opened up to him so bluntly all of a sudden. I convinced myself it was only to shock him so he’d drop the act. Or to push him away if there was any honesty in his intentions. These men honored their traditions, and I wasn’t the right woman for that. My virgin blood had been spilled over a different man’s sheets years ago, if man was the right word to call Frank Baldi.
The menacing fury that jumped on Domenico’s face as he listened to my past confused me. Why would he fake that? He had no reason to pretend he was angry. It wasn’t like he could do anything about it. My father was already dead. That meant his rage was real. Why?
And why did I enjoy it so much?
The last part confused me the most, so I pushed further, for my sake before his. “For me, sex, men, are synonymous with monstrous violations, and if by some miracle I no longer feel that way, whomever I’m gonna allow myself to share that kind of intimacy with won’t be a Lanza or a Bellomo or any—”
The party noise boomed into the pool area, interrupting me, as if the French doors had been opened. We both looked to the side, footsteps approaching, my heart pounding as I realized I was still sitting on Domenico’s lap.
“Nicky?” Lina stopped in her tracks, and I allowed myself to breathe. If it were Tino or any of his men, Domenico would be in serious trouble. For some inexplicable reason, I didn’t want him to get hurt. Not like that.
Her eyes darted between me and Domenico. Then she raised a brow. “What the hell is going on here?”
CHAPTER 5
Nicky
“Nicky?” Lina glared at Domenico, and I felt like I was the younger sister here.
I pressed my lips, stifling a laugh as Domenico’s throat bobbed with a swallow. “Nothing, Sis.”
He shook his head at Lina. “It’s not nothing…Signora.”
“Shut the fuck up,” I told him, and then I glanced at her. “Really, it’s nothing. He was just getting back inside.”
“Then can you please make way for him to do so?” she taunted.
I looked down and blinked, as if I’d just become aware of my hot, firm, scandalous seat. Seriously, what the fuck was I still doing on his lap?
Hesitantly, he took his hands off my arms, and I got off him. He grabbed his vape, shoved it in his pocket and walked toward Lina. “Signora, I’ve never hidden my intentions, and with the Bellomos’ permission I—”
“Your request was denied ten months ago. Nothing has changed since then. If something does, we’ll let you know, but if I were you, I wouldn’t keep my hopes up,” she said so seriously I wanted to crack up with laughter.
“Perdona, but I think everything has changed tonight.”
“Not that I know of, and, Domenico…you’re lucky it wasn’t my husband that walked in on you.”
He twisted his lips, glancing at me. “Mi dispiace.”
She gestured for him to get back inside, and he chanced another glance at me. I just nodded at him to leave.
When Lina and I were alone, I couldn’t hold the giggles. “Wow. You’ve become so scary, Signora Bellomo.”
She dropped the act and gaped at me, throwing her hands in the air, practically bouncing. I snorted more giggles and might have peed a little.
“Oh my God, Nicky! What have I just seen? Is it real? Please tell me it’s real.”
“It’s not real. You’ve seen nothing. It was just…some silly… It was nothing.”
She smiled and linked arms with me. “It’s okay if it’s something.”
“No, it’s not.” I wasn’t like my sister. I would never allow myself to turn into another Angel.
