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Married. I was married to Luca Vitale.
This brute of a man who’d spanked me and stolen a ruthless kiss was now my husband. Only an hour ago, I’d been engaged to Dante Torrio, a notoriously sadistic capo who’d strangled a man right in front of me.
Which fate would be worse? Which man was more of a monster?
It didn’t matter now. I no longer had a choice. I never had. I’d always been destined to marry someone who was chosen for me. Love had been a foolish fantasy that I’d allowed myself to indulge, and the loss of that dream knifed through my chest.
The paperwork was signed, the ceremony complete. It was done.
Before I could draw in a shuddering breath, Luca’s strong arms closed around me, lifting me up to cradle me against his chest. I stiffened and squirmed, some of my defiance resurfacing; an instinctive, involuntary reaction to being carried off by a brute.
His arms firmed around me. “Calm down, kitten. I’m not going to hurt you.”
“Where are you taking me?” I hated the way my voice hitched on the question.
His ochre eyes pinned me deeper into his hold. “You know where we’re going, Elenora. Don’t worry,” he said before I could fully process the implications of his words. “I’ll make sure you enjoy it.”
I crossed my arms over my chest, as though that would be enough to shield me from the horror of his plans for me. “You’re going to force yourself on me.” The accusation was sharp, and I hoped it was needles on his soul. I wanted him to hurt for what he was about to do to me.
His jaw ticked. “You will submit, Elenora. And you will love every second of it. You’ll come to crave my touch. You’re my wife, and I’ll make you feel so much pleasure that you’ll never want to leave my bed.”
“You’re delusional,” I hissed, tightening my arms over my chest to protect my heart. It would be impossible for me to enjoy anything he did to me.
The awful memory of my traitorous arousal when he’d spanked me snaked through my mind. My stomach turned, and I swallowed against the sudden burn at the back of my throat. Fear fluttered in my chest as he locked me in his dark, unyielding stare and carried me up the stairs with steady, sure strides.
I wasn’t afraid that he would beat me; I was afraid that I would enjoy it, just as he promised. I didn’t think my pride could bear it. I’d managed to maintain some dignity during the forced wedding ceremony, but I didn’t think my spirit would survive this.
“No, kitten,” he refuted calmly. “I’m not delusional. You can try to fight me if that makes you feel better, but I have no intention of allowing my bride to remain a virgin. We will sharea life together now, and that will include sharing a bed. You’ll come to crave my cock.” He brushed his thumb up and down my arm, soothing. “I understand if you’re afraid. But I’ll take care of you. There will be pain the first time, but I’ll make sure you feel pleasure too.”
My cheeks burned at the mention of my virginity. Of course, he would know that as Giuseppe Ricci’s daughter, I’d been sheltered from men. Had he been able to tell that our kiss to seal our union had been my first?
A tremor raced through my bones. Luca would be my first everything. As my husband, he would claim me in every way, and there was nothing I could do to stop him. He was so much stronger than I was, and I knew it would hurt far more if I refused to allow him to claim me as he wished.
I dreaded the shame of experiencing pleasure when he didn’t intend to give me a choice, but I would get through this with as much dignity as I could muster. Just like I’d done in the car, I could choose to endure. I wouldn’t let him break me.
We stepped into an opulent bedroom, and he kicked the door closed behind us. I jolted as the noise boomed through my entire body, as though he’d slammed it with all his strength. The sound was a condemnation, a punctuation that put an end to my life before this forced marriage. He’d already taken away my freedom to choose my future. In a few minutes, he would take my virginity too. If I didn’t carefully guard the core of myself, my soul, he would take everything that I was and strip me down to nothing.
He finally set me down on my feet, his big hands bracketing my waist as though I would fall if he didn’t steady me. Embarrassingly, I realized my knees were shaking. I did need the support. I clenched my jaw to keep my teeth from rattling, and a chill settled deep inside my bones. I didn’t want to showfear, but terror iced over my limbs despite my best efforts to deny it.
A big hand cupped my frigid cheek, and his warm brown eyes were almost kind as he looked down into mine. “It’s okay, kitten. I’ll make you feel good.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of.” I whispered the confession before I could think better of it.
A frown tugged at his lips. “There’s no need to fear pleasure, Elenora. I’ll show you how good it can be between us. I’ll show you what your body is capable of. All you have to do is yield, and I’ll make you come so hard you forget your own name. You’ll be screaming mine soon enough.”
Another tremor wracked my body at his dark promises. The thought of him having that much power over me was terrifying. I didn’t want to forget my own name. I didn’t want to lose control of myself.
His hand cupped my nape, long fingers sliding into my hair. He tugged gently, urging me to drop my head back, so I had no choice but to stare up into his eyes. My breaths came quick and shallow through parted lips, and his gaze darkened as it flicked to my mouth.
“Don’t be afraid, kitten,” he murmured, the soft command warm on my cheeks as he lowered his face to mine. “I’ll take care of you.”
“I can take care of myself.” The defiant words came out in a strained whisper. I wasn’t sure if I believed them. Not when his strength surrounded me, his huge body caging me in. No man had ever touched me, and now Luca was handling me as though he owned every inch of my body.
His face dipped closer to mine, until our lips brushed. “You don’t have to take care of yourself anymore. I’m your husband. It’s my job to protect you. It’s my job to give you pleasure. And I’ll teach you to please me as well.”
Before I could ask him what he expected of me, his mouth descended on mine. The kiss was firm but slow, coaxing me to respond. I fumbled for a few seconds, unsure how to move my mouth against his. I should’ve turned away from him, but his hand in my hair held me firm. I had no choice but to accept his kiss or turn to violence, but he would easily win if I physically challenged him.
I wouldn’t give him the opportunity to beat me and truly break me down. I would kiss him on my terms.
