Nico doesn’t talk about himself. He just doesn’t.
Which makes this so much more surreal.
“I’m sorry you had it so hard. I really am. But just because your childhood was awful doesn’t mean I should be punished.”
His jaw flexes. “Is that what you think?”
“It seems like that’s what you’re suggesting. I told you how hard my life is, and you respond by saying how much harder you had it.”
His face clouds and I realize I said the exact wrong thing.
“All right, princess. Next time I’ll just let you whine.”
“Nico,” I say, fighting back anger. “Don’t close up again.”
“You think I want to be open? You think I want to tell you my sob story? Your brother doesn’t even know any of that shit.” He rolls down the driveway, gets waved past the guard outpost, and heads toward Villa Bruno.
“I want to hear more about it.”
He stops suddenly. We’re halfway down the driveway between the front gate and the house itself. Nobody can see us and nobody’s around as he puts the car in park and turns to me, eyes blazing.
I can barely read that expression, but it’s haunted.
“No, princess. You don’t.” He leans toward me and I back off. I’m suddenly afraid. This man is dangerous and he might be unhinged.
But there’s nothing violent in his expression. He stares at my lips and I know what he’s thinking.
He’s remembering that kiss. The way it tasted, the way it felt.
I haven’t been able to forget it since then.
My sketchbook is full of drawings of his face, his lips, his mouth—
Which was why I couldn’t show him.
And why I got so pissed when he guessed right.
“Marriage is built on trust, right? That’s what we’re doing, trying to build trust.” I force myself to calm down and shift closer to him. “You’ll have to trust me eventually.”
“That’s where you’re wrong.” He reaches out and his palm caresses my cheek before it moves back into my hair. He grabs it by the messy bun and tightens his grip. I draw in a shocked breath and release an involuntary whimper as he pulls me closer and bites my lower lip.
“Our marriage will be based on control.” He speaks softly, but his words ring in my ears. “You will give me what I want, and I will make you feel good. That’s how this will work.”
“You’re only saying that to piss me off.”
He kisses my neck. I want to moan so badly but I swallow it down.
“You’re right, but that doesn’t mean I’m lying.”
“What kind of control are you talking about? Am I just exchanging one prison for another?”
His eyes blaze with a heat that scares me. “No, princess. You’ll like what I have to offer.”
“Prove it.” I part my lips, heart racing. This is a dangerous game. I shouldn’t goad him right now, not when he’s clearly lost his mind.
But I can’t help it. His lips, his hand in my hair, it has my body burning with a deep and incredible want.
He lets out the most sensual, sexy growl I’ve ever heard. It’s like he’s holding himself back from ravishing me—like a hungry, greedy animal.
“Come on,” I whisper, staring into his honey-brown eyes. “You talk about being so tough, but I think it’s all bullshit.”
He pulls my hair tighter and I gasp.
“You want to feel it?” He whispers, biting my ear, my neck. I groan with raw excitement. “I can hurt you, princess. But I can also make you feel good.”
“I think you want to hurt me more than you want to make me feel good.”
In response, he pulls my hair again.
“You might be right,” he says and bites my lower lip hard. I gasp in pain, but he pins me back against the seat—and his hand moves down my body, lingering over my breasts, moving toward my pants.
He begins to unbutton the top button.
“What are you doing?” I stare at his hand as he spreads my legs.
“You want to feel something. So feel this.”
“Nico—” He unzips my slacks and yanks them open. I gasp and whimper. He looks at the exposed top of my lacy black panties with a wicked heat in his gaze.
“Did you put these on while thinking of me?”
“No,” I lie. I did think of him—though I never imagined he’d see them.
His fingers tease along the top of my panties. I’m breathing hard and on the edge of panic and ecstasy, and I don’t know which I’ll slip into. I’m afraid of him, I hate him, I never wanted to get this close to him before—
But I don’t want him to stop.
That thought comes to me unbidden.
Don’t stop. Please don’t stop.
I’ve never felt like this before in my life.
Out of control.
Spiraling into him.
“Just a taste then, princess,” he whispers as he slips his hand down my panties and rolls his fingers along my pussy.