Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 75472 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 377(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75472 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 377(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
Gripping her shoulder, I pull her against my chest and wrap my arms around her. “Shh. It’s going to be okay,” I say in an attempt to ease her anxiety.
Her body trembles in my hold while I try to think of something else to say. Coming up empty, I just rub my hand up and down her back.
I press a kiss on her wild hair while I place my other hand behind her head, then I repeat, “It’s going to be okay.”
She rests her cheek against my chest, and letting out a deep breath, she asks, “Are you going to have mistresses?”
“No.”
Her voice sounds vulnerable as she admits, “I have no experience, so I don’t know what to do.”
“Just follow my lead, and you’ll be fine.”
Silence falls between us, and seeing as she doesn’t pull away, I continue to rub my hand up and down her back.
After a while, she asks, “Why me?”
I lower my mouth to her curls and take a deep breath of her soft floral scent. “You have something I want.”
Vittoria moves her head to glance up at me, putting our faces inches apart. Feeling her breath on my mouth makes the urge to kiss her strike hard.
“What do I have?” she asks.
My eyes capture hers, and I get lost in her brown irises brimming with vulnerability. “Your innocence.”
She lowers her gaze to my chest. “You could’ve just taken it.”
Even though she’s not looking at me, I shake my head. “I like knowing my wife has never been touched by another man.”
She tugs her bottom lip between her teeth, then glances up at me again. Lifting my hand to her mouth, I free her lip before brushing the pad of my thumb over the indent her teeth left.
No kissing.
Fuck.
It’s the only thing she’s asked of me, and I intend to respect her request.
Taking a step back from her, my eyes drift over her bare arms where new bruises have joined the old ones.
Anger explodes in my chest, and for a moment, I play with the idea of taking Giorgio’s other arm.
I lift a hand to her bicep and brush my fingers over the purple and brown marks. “I dealt with Giorgio tonight, and he’ll never touch you again.” When her eyes widen and her lips part, I say, “Don’t bother covering for him. I allowed you to lie to me once when you said you’re clumsy. I won’t tolerate it a second time.”
When my eyes lock with hers, she nods before asking, “Did you kill him?”
I shake my head. “Not yet.”
Not wanting to get into the gruesome facts, I turn around and start to unbutton my vest. “I’m going to shower. Change out of the dress into your pajamas.”
I remove my weapon from behind my back and place it in the bedside drawer where I can easily get to it during the night.
Because she’s a God-fearing woman, I know Vittoria won’t try to kill me.
“Ah…”
I glance at her and lift an eyebrow. “You’re sleeping in the same bed as me. It’s not negotiable.”
“It’s not that.” She wraps her arms around her middle. “I don’t have anything suitable to wear for a wedding night.”
The corner of my mouth lifts, and going into the walk-in closet, I pull one of my T-shirts from a hanger and take it to her. “Wear this.”
Her eyebrows draw together as she takes it from me. “Your shirt?”
“Yes. I want you to sleep in my shirts,” I spell it out for her.
“Oh…okay.”
“Only the shirt, Vittoria. Don’t wear anything else,” I order before grabbing a pair of sweatpants and walking into the bathroom so I can shower and get back to my innocent little deer.
Chapter 13
Tori
I move as quickly as possible to change out of the dress and into Angelo’s T-shirt.
I can smell his woodsy scent on the fabric, and it makes butterflies erupt in my stomach.
Not being allowed to wear any underwear makes me feel even more nervous.
So far, Angelo has been understanding, and I try to focus on that instead of the dangerous man everyone knows him to be.
Men like him are used to taking what they want and not caring about other people's feelings, but at least he’s trying. I’m very grateful for that.
He’s even hugged me, and I have to admit it helped calm my nerves a little.
But my anxiety is spiking again because as soon as he comes out of the bathroom, we’ll probably have sex.
Holy crap.
I press my hand over my stomach, that’s in knots, and glance at the bed covered in pristine white sheets.
How does he keep it so clean?
God, Tori. You’re about to lose your virginity, and you’re thinking about sheets.
Tonight, I’ll be naked in front of a man. For the first time.
My heartbeat speeds up for the millionth time today, and a tremble ripples through me.
I swing around to turn my back to the bed, and my eyes lock on Angelo, who’s leaning with his shoulder against the doorjamb, his gaze burning on me.