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He sits up, a frown on his face. “You’re not ready yet?”
I shake my head.
He nods, even though he doesn’t look happy about it. “Ok.”
I grab his phone from the nightstand and type,Just ok?
“What else am I supposed to say? You want to stop, so we’ll stop. Pia, I’m already fucking crazy for you. Whenever you’re ready to give yourself to me, I’ll be waiting. I can’t force you into this.”
Like you forced me into this marriage?
“That was different. Marrying you was for your own protection. Legally, you belong to me now, which means it’ll make it much harder for your father to take you back.” His hand traces my knee. “But I’m not going to force you to have sex with me. I want you willing in my bed. If you’re not ready, we stop. Simple as that.”
Why are you so nice to me?
He frowns once he’s read what I’ve written. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
My father was never nice. He always expected more in return than he was willing to give.
“Pia.” Dario places his hand on my knee. “Did your father hurt you? Did he ever … touch you?”
Hurt me? Yes. Touch me. No. He liked to whip me when I acted out. But he never tried to have sex with me if that’s what you’re asking.
“That fucking bastard,” he spits out. “When I find him, I’m going to kill him.”
I thought the point of taking me was to hurt him, not kill him.
“I know. But things have changed. I care for you, Pia. Now that I have you here with me as my wife, I’ll do whatever I need to do to protect you. If that means killing your father, then that’s what I’ll do.”
I nod. The only question remains—do I want my father dead? I hate him. God, Ihatehim. But do I want an easy death for him, or do I want him to suffer the way he made me suffer? This sudden fury inside me is scary.
“Now,” Dario says, leaning forward to give me another small kiss, “since we’re not going to spend all day in bed together, we might as well get up.”
And do what?
His lips quirk as he stands. “Have you ever gone swimming?”
And that’s how I find myself outside, sitting on the edge of Dario’s pool in his gorgeous backyard overlooking the ocean below. Not only did Dario have nightgowns for me, but he also already had bathing suits and every other piece of clothing I could need. He was serious when he said he’d been planning this for a while.
I only agree to stick my feet into the water since I’ve never swum before, but Dario doesn’t waste time diving in.
I can’t deny that the sight of his muscular body as he swims leaves me breathless. He’s a sight to behold. When he pushes himself up beside me, dripping with water as it cascades over his tanned skin, I have to press my legs together to keep a hold of the arousal coursing through me. I really am desperate. I guess that’s what happens when you’ve been locked up in a tower your entire life.
“Enjoying yourself?” he asks in that deep voice of his.
I nod, blushing. Dario notices. He sits next to me, uncaring that he’s dripping water. I have to look away from him. He’s too handsome.
“Do I make you nervous, Pia?”
I shrug.
The laugh that escapes him is effortless. “Where’s the bold woman who kissed me this morning?”
I shrug again. She’s distracted by the sight of you half-naked, dripping with water; that’s where she went.
“You can join me in the water if you want to.” He slips back into the pool, resting his arms on the edge. In this new position, his arms look even bigger. Just imagining those arms wrapped around my body makes me even hotter. “Come on. I can teach you how to swim.”
Finally, I nod. Dario grabs my waist as he helps me slip into the pool, and I immediately wrap my arms around his shoulders. I’ve never felt this sensation before. I feel weightless. It’s scary.
