"Careful," I giggle in between his kisses. "A maid told me the walls have eyes!"
"Who cares," he grunts against my skin, nuzzling my neck. "I want everybody to know. You're mine now, and nobody's going to take you away from me."
I want to squeal with delight but settle for a bright smile as he kisses me again. I put up a fight as his hands sneak beneath my dress, traveling higher and higher until he's cupping my breasts with his palms.
"You're so bad," I whisper in his ear. "Your father could walk out any second..."
"I don't fucking care," Ryder repeats in a low growl. "He knows now. We don't have to hide anymore."
I give in to him then, allowing him free rein of my body, right there in the hallway.
Why would I fight this now? Everything has worked out perfectly and our happily ever after is finally on its way. Just a few weeks, and I'll whisper I do to Ryder in a church filled with our family and friends.
And maybe, just maybe, Papa and I will get away with what we've done without anyone knowing.
Biting my lower lip, I look up at Ryder just as he smiles down at me.
"No more secrets," he says, holding out his pinkie. "Swear to me, Nicoletta."
I nod, even though my stomach is in knots.
I want to tell him, but I can't. I don't trust anyone to keep my biggest, darkest secret. And besides, I swore on my life I'd never tell anyone, and if Papa found out another person knew, he’d kill him. He always told me two can keep a secret if one of them is dead, and every time he did, I thanked my lucky stars he let me live, knowing what we'd done.
"Give me your pinkie," Ryder laughs at me. "What's the hold-up, principessa?"
I raise a shaky hand and wrap my pinkie around his. "Sorry. I'm just so happy."
"Swear. No more secrets," he insists, and I can only hope the blush creeping back into my cheeks isn't too traitorous.
"No more secrets." Am I imagining it or has my voice gone higher and more nervous?
Either way, Ryder doesn't seem to notice. He kisses my hand and I pull away the first moment I can, feeling the heat of his skin against mine long after we've moved apart.
Perhaps I've just made the worst mistake of my life, choosing the man I've loved since the moment I laid eyes on him.
But maybe, just maybe, I can tell him the truth someday. Papa won't live for ever, and I have until he passes to ensure Ryder loves me and won't abandon me when he finds out the truth.
As my eyes drink him in, I find myself wondering whether that's even possible.
The truth is ugly, after all... and Ryder will see me in a completely different light when he finds out what Papa did. What we did.
Swallowing the truth, I smile up at him, listening to him speak about the wedding preparations and hoping to Dio he doesn't notice how scared I am.
18
Ryder
I’d almost forgotten what happiness feels like. This must be the closest I've been to the emotion for years – and it's all because of my princess.
With the wedding date looming closer and closer, I find Nicoletta away from her room most of the time, which drives me crazy. But Father has been lenient and turns a blind eye to the fact that Nicoletta comes to my bedroom every night. And we take advantage of that time, too. I fuck her and train her to orgasm on command, and my cock has never been better milked. Nicoletta still begs me to come inside her pussy, and I happily oblige. I hope soon enough, she'll tell me we did it and she's pregnant before we're even married. What a giant fuck-you to Marzia and Adrian that would be.
I don't hate my brother, but he's not my favorite person at the moment. He kept Nicoletta away from me for too long, and for that I'll never be able to forgive him. And yet our brotherly bond remains. Perhaps one day, we'll be able to fully bury the hatchet.
I know Nicoletta's wedding dress will be the same as it was with my brother, but I'm not letting that bother me. She's asked for some changes and I haven't seen the dress myself since it's believed to be bad luck. But I can't wait for my bride to walk down the aisle so I can admire her the way she was meant to be enjoyed.
Today, I'm sitting in Father's office finishing up some files on the De Luca grappa distillery while Nicoletta is trying on her dowry items. I know her papa will ensure she's sent off with everything she might need, and I'm eager to see her in all the outfits her seamstress will put together.