Total pages in book: 115
Estimated words: 107402 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 537(@200wpm)___ 430(@250wpm)___ 358(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107402 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 537(@200wpm)___ 430(@250wpm)___ 358(@300wpm)
“Nico,” she breathes out, raspy and needy.
“Next rule.” I’ll get her under me soon, but right now, I want to make her wait for it. Make her hurt and ache for it.
“Fine. I want to be able to ice skate. It’s my one hobby, and I don’t want to lose it.”
Interesting fact: I don’t recall that being in her portfolio Giulio gave me.It surprised me when she told me how much she loved it.
“Consider that arranged.”
“Thank you.” She tucks her hair behind her ear, the wind catching it and giving me a glimpse of her perfect, delectable neck. I want to mark it up.
“What else?”
“I would like for you to be someone approachable. Not so cold, calculated, and angry. For hell’s sake, you have to find joy somewhere in this life.”
This makes me smiling a little.“What does that entail?”
“Maybe you can tell me some parts of your day. I’ve heard it all, so it’s not like you can scare me off. I just think it would be nice to have some rapport.”
“Expand,” I tell her.
“I don’t know, Nico. You’re a smart man. How about, ‘Hey, Emelia, how was your day? Oh me? Great, yeah. I shot a guy!’”
This has me laughing out loud.
“Well, who knew? It laughs!” She chuckles along with me. “I’m serious though, you don’t have to tell me who all the Tom, Dick, and Harrys are, but you could at least just tell me how your day was. I don’t plan to make too many friends with the other women. So, it’s just you and me and that ridiculously large penthouse in Seattle. Give me something.”
Our laughter settles, and I agree to give her that one. “Fine. I can let you know how my overall day went. Anything else?”
“Yes, can we get to know something about one another every once in a while?”
“What? Like favorite colors or trivial things like that?”
“Yes, exactly, and what is that color?”
Oh, she was serious. I was thinking this was one of those moments Emelia was teasing.
“I would say blue.”
“Huh, I would have thought you would say something like gray. Moody and lifeless.”
“Funny,” I retort. “Yours?”
“Easy, yellow.”
I cough through my laugh. “You? Yellow?”
“What? It’s a great color. It's bright and happy and reminds me of sunshine.”
“Emelia.” She’s fucking with me right now.
“What? I’m serious.”
I wave my hand at her, not buying it for a second.
“Nico, I’m serious. It's my favorite. If I could, I would paint every wall in your penthouse yellow.”
“Not going to happen.”
“Why is it so hard to believe I like that color?”
My brows lift. “Really?”
“Yes, Nico, really.”
“I don’t peg you for rainbows and butterflies and all things happy. You are often cold.” I can tell that hurt her.
Her brows furrow a bit before she mumbles, “It’s one thing that could possibly bring me light in my darkness there.”
I almost—just almost—say something.
But that’s enough for now.
“My turn?”
Shaking her head, she gives a small smile.“Yes. Your rules.”
“I want you to show me respect in front of people.”
“Same,” she cuts in, but I continue.
“If we respect each other in public, great. Now, if you’re mad or want to take something out on me, you have the right to do that in the privacy of our home. I won’t ask this again. I have too many times already.”
She nods.“Fair.”
“Second. Your body is mine now, Emelia, and I know you have a past with your ex, but that has ended. If I find out you’re sharing yourself with others, they die. This is also my last warning. I don’t share.”
She gulps, not saying anything, but nodding slowly, she agrees.
“Lastly, you will always come to me if there is something or someone bothering you. If you are ever threatened, blackmailed, or in danger, you tell me. I don’t care what the risk is. I’m unhinged and a man who can be quite careless, but your safety is something I will take seriously. You are my wife; you will be the mother of my children. It is my priority to keep you alive and safe.”
“Yes. I can do that.” Her eyes seem to be void, like she’s not sure about that last rule, and I take note of that.
“Emelia, I am serious. This is non-negotiable.”
“Non-negotiable. I get it.”
“Then why do you look like you aren’t going to follow this rule?”
Dropping her head, she shakes it.“I’m just…” She pauses, playing with her hands in her lap. “I just haven’t had anyone really care if I die or live, who put my safety first.”
Her words enrage me. That is the one thing about the world we live in that I do not accept. My father protected and provided for my mother, even though she was strong enough to do it on her own, and in today’s world, it’s not like that. The men in our world treat women as collateral, and no matter if this was love or arranged, I will protect Emelia at all costs.