Hell, from the way she’s glaring at me, she's practicallybeggingme to do it.
Which is all the more reason why Ishouldn’t.
Reluctantly, I peel myself away from her inviting warmth, and pull her up by her arms from the ground. In that same motion, I undo my belt, and quickly bind her hands behind her back.
My fingers close around the nape of her neck and I march her back to the mansion.
There’s mud on both of us. Her blouse has come further loose at the shoulder, and I can see a streak of dark earth smeared near her collarbone. My thumb moves to brush it away.
Heat immediately moves up my arms from the point of contact, and she clenches her jaws at the same time as me.
When the mansion is within sight, she finds her voice again. "I won't marry you."
"Unfortunately for you, you never had a choice."
She stops and turns, green eyes flashing with anger in the dim light. "You're just like your father."
Anger flares in my throat at the comparison. "If I were like my father, I would've killed you with him."
"Maybe you should have."
I tighten my grip on the back of her neck, and my cock is already stirring in my pants. "Maybe, but then where’s the fun in that?"
By the time we arrive at the back entrance steps, my body is practically on fire and I have a hard-on that nobody could miss. My chest is burning and I’m just a little bit relieved that neither Giorgia nor Anastasio is here to see me like this.
This time, I march Lydia back up the stairs by her side. I don’t need to start staring at her ass again. I clench my jaw in annoyance as I walk her back into her room.
Giorgia has already laid out brand new bedsheets, and the window is now closed and bolted shut.
After I bring her over the threshold, I undo the belt at her wrists, and turn her by the shoulders so that she looks at me.
"Don't ever go running off into the dark again,piccola.” My voice drops to a tone that’s softer than I ever intend it to be as I wipe at the trace of mud on her collarbone. “There are worse monsters than me lurking out there."
6
LYDIA
Morning comesin through the gap in the curtains and I haven’t slept at all.
I spent most of the night awake, lying on the mattress with a single pillow pressed over my face and staring at the dark behind my own eyelids. Every time I came close to sleep, my body would jolt itself back to consciousness like it was afraid of what I might dream.
I sit up and look out the bolted window. Beyond the glass, the grounds stretch out in full daylight. For the first time, I can finally get a sense for just where I am. My stomach bottoms out when I see it. The lawn fades into a tree line that goes on and on until it becomes a single dark and unbroken wall. The sea glints silver beyond that.
I ran into that darkness last night thinking it would take me to freedom.
What would’ve happened if I actually reached the edge? Swim to Connecticut?
I press my forehead against the cold glass and let a resigned giggle out at the absurdity of it.
The door opens behind me, and I don’t bother turning around.
“Good morning, dear,” Giorgia’s voice greets me cheerily. “Mr. D’Ambrosio had this brought in for you.”
Slowly, I turn towards her and freeze when I see the garment bag draped over her arm. Even before she unzips it, I know what’s inside.
I continue staring as she reveals the simple wedding dress. It's a clean ivory silk with a low back and thin straps. There’s no train and no beading. Elaborate enough to be considered more than just a white dress, but not so elaborate as to suggest that it’s anything other than a formality.
Somehow, when Nico told me that we were getting married, I was under the assumption that I’d at least have a few days to figure things out. I thought that maybe we might have to do the full song and dance where we might preview a venue, go try on a few dresses, and maybe even throw an engagement party.
