“Yes. I’d kill anyone who hurts you, threatens you, or even thinks of harming you. That’s who I am, Aria. I won’t hesitate to take a life to protect you. And that’s not on you. That’s on me. Don’t you dare feel guilty for that sick fuck’s death.”
“I don’t,” she whispered, surprised by her own admission. I smiled, relaxing a little. “But… I still don’t understand why me? You barely know me.”
“I know enough about you to know you’re the woman I’ve been waiting for.MyBella Ribelle.You are part of my world, whether you like it or not. But one thing you never have to be afraid of is me. I will never hurt you. I would hurt anyone else, but never you. Do you understand?”
She didn’t. How could she? She wasn’t from my world. Death and violence shocked her, and the idea that I would end anyone who harmed her? She was struggling with that. But she wasn’t screaming. And she wasn’t running. I’d take a win when I could get one.
“Earlier…” She bit her bottom lip, her cheeks flushing, and she avoided my gaze.
I stilled, feeling the blood rush back to my dick again because I knew that look. It was my good girl thinking of bad things. The fact that she was thinking of naughty things after what I’d just confessed, shit, she really was made for me.
“What?” I grabbed her chin and forced her to meet my gaze. “Ask it.”
Her blue eyes sparkled with desire mixed with fear as she kept biting her plump lip.
“Aria?”
“Earlier at the reception… you said… no, you threatened…”
I frowned, not knowing where she was going with this.
“If I carried on ignoring you, you’d enjoy punishing me very much.”
A slow, seductive smile curved my lips as her cheeks turned crimson. I ran my thumb across my lower lip to hide how wide my smile was as I watched her squirm.
“How’s that not hurting me?”
“Because the kind of punishment I’d give, you’d enjoy.”
Her pupils dilated. Her breathing was erratic. I could almost feel her body vibrating with need.
“I wouldn’t enjoy it. Who enjoys being punished, unless you’re a masochist?”
“Maybe that’s exactly what you are. Because why else would you keep testing me?”
Standing in the tub, I peered down at her, pulled off my bowtie, and unfastened my shirt buttons, one by one. She stared up at me, her lips parting and her blue eyes mesmerised as more of my chest came into view.
“What are you doing?” she husked, her voice laced with so much arousal she couldn’t hide it even if she tried.
I loosened my cufflinks, peeled my shirt down my arms, and dropped it to the floor. Stepping out of the bath, I unbuckled my belt while holding her gaze. “Taking a shower.”
When I unzipped my trousers and yanked them down with my boxers, she gasped, and her head snapped in the opposite direction. I walked into the two-person shower, turned on the hot water, and kept my back to her, feeling her heated gaze slide down my body.
“I think you knew exactly what you were doing. Reporting me to the police but not going through with a restraining order. Agreeing to marry another man while confessing you wanted me only minutes before you walked down the aisle. Ignoring me throughout our wedding dinner. You like provoking me.” I turned to face her, giving her a full frontal view of my nakedness, and smirked when I caught her already staring. “Admit it, you’re practically begging me to punish you for living up to your nickname.”
“As if I asked for any of this! You are unbelievable!” She jumped up from the bath, standing in her stunning dress, looking every inch my beautiful, livid bride.
“I know, I’ve been told. Multiple times, usually in bed. Lucky you, huh?”
Her anger flared. I was really pushing my luck, but there was something about seeing her beside herself with passion that really did it for me. And without realising it, she was proving me right. She wasn’t afraid of me. She knew I would never hurt her, no matter how hard she pushed. But she was curious about what a punishment from me meant.
“Fuck you,” she breathed, her chest rising and falling as her eyes devoured my body. I ran my hands through my wet hair and chuckled.
“I dare you,Bella Ribelle.”
“What?”
“To come in here and fuck me.”
