“Are you seriously spanking me?”
“Quiet, woman,” he growled. But I wasn’t scared. I was curious. His hand came down again. I jumped, but it was more out of surprise than pain.
“Enough, Antonio. I’m not a child.”
“No, you’re not a child. You are my responsibility,” he said as his hand came down again. “You will learn to do as you are told.”
Well. I definitely didn’t agree with that.
“I will not!”
He sighed deeply, his hand burning into my flesh. And underneath my belly, I could feel his arousal. With only his pants and my nightgown between us, it was shockingly large.
And so hot it nearly burned me.
“That’s what I was afraid you would say.”
Smack.
I struggled to get away, tears forming in my eyes. It didn’t hurt. It was just humiliating. I gasped as I felt him pull my nightgown up. I felt cool air on my skin, all the way to my waist.
I was naked from the waist down. I was exposed to his eyes. Even in the darkened room, I knew he could see everything.
At first, I was too afraid to say anything. His breathing changed and he started again. The slaps were lighter, faster, sharper. And in between, he rubbed my bare skin as if he were trying to soothe it.
“That’s it. Nice and pink,” he said in a deep voice that rumbled through me. “You shouldn’t fuck with me, Evie.”
“Let me up,” I insisted. He had stopped the spanking. But I could feel his eyes on me, staring at my naked lower half. I’d never been looked at like that before. It made my skin feel extra sensitive, almost like I was being tickled by a thousand feathers.
He didn’t move. I heard the ragged sound of his breathing. Felt his body straining beneath me.
“Let me go, Antonio,” I said as I tried to pull free again.
“I can’t. I can’t let you go,” he rasped, sounding almost heartbroken. I stopped struggling. Neither of us spoke. It was a while before he let go. I didn’t notice at first that his grip had loosened. Slowly, I sat up, pulling my nightgown back into place.
He stared at me, his eyes looking absolutely hollow.
“Are you all right?”
I tossed my hair over my shoulder in annoyance and glared at him.
“It didn’t hurt.”
“I would never hurt you. Or allow you to be hurt.”
I didn’t say anything. I believed that he meant it. I also knew in my bones that he didn’t truly understand all the different ways he could hurt me.
“Lie down.”
I didn’t want to argue so I did what he said. I lay there as he tenderly tucked the blankets around me like I was a child. I stared up at his handsome, troubled face. I didn’t understand him. But one thing was clear. Antonio had more demons than anyone I had ever known.
I wondered how he handled all that pain. All the suffering he had seen. The blood on his hands.
“I’m going to ask Auntie to move the wedding up.”
“What? When?”
“As soon as fucking possible. Tomorrow.”
“You’re drunk.”
“Yeah, I am,” he said with a dry laugh. “But that doesn’t change a goddamn thing.”
He stood up and went back to the chair.
“I can’t sleep with you watching me, Antonio.”
He steepled his hands together, suddenly reminding me of his older brother.
“Yes, you can. You do it every night.”
Chapter 25
Antonio
“I need more time, bello.”
I stared at Auntie, trying to will her into submission. Most marks would have crumpled. Even the guys who worked for me would piss their pants. But not Auntie.
The lady was tougher than any gangster I’d ever met.
“How much time?”
“Couple of weeks, at least,” she said nonchalantly. As if she wasn’t tearing my mind apart. I wasn’t going to last days, let alone weeks.
“You are a cruel woman, do you know that?”
“You will just have to wait, Antonio.”
“How long?” I almost growled at her. I would never raise my voice, but I made my displeasure clear. And then I saw the twinkle in her eyes. She laughed at me, sounding as giddy as a school girl.
“Three days.”
“Cruel, but beautiful,” I amended, kissing her cheek. “You can have your three days, but not a minute longer.”
“All right. Thursday afternoon.”
“Morning.”
“Who has a wedding in the morning?”
“People who are in a hurry.”
She laughed. “Fine. A wedding brunch. But you can’t leave early.”
I scowled at her. She was onto me. She knew that I was desperate to get my bride into bed.
Horny teenage boys were old hat to Auntie. Nothing fazed her, not even finding me underneath one of the maid’s skirts. And that had happened three times. The girls had been discharged every time, but with a bonus for good behavior.
But Auntie had never dealt with anything like this. She had no clue the fire that was raging inside me now. No clue how badly I needed the wedding to happen fast. Before I did something bad. Something I couldn’t take back.