Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 73365 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 367(@200wpm)___ 293(@250wpm)___ 245(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73365 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 367(@200wpm)___ 293(@250wpm)___ 245(@300wpm)
Resting his full weight on me, he grabs me and flips to his back, his cock still inside me.
I shiver at the sensation overload, at everything being too much all at once.
He grips the duvet and throws it over me, then runs his hands down my back, though he’s careful not to press on my bruise. In fact, as my fog clears, I realize he’s been … gentle with me, as far as a man like him can be.
“Princess?” He says it without scorn, without derision.
I rest my chin on his chest and meet his gaze, his light eyes having ensnared me from the first moment I saw them.
“Are you hurt?” he asks.
I shake my head.
He lets out a long breath.
I reach up and swipe his dark hair from his forehead. He takes my hand and kisses it, both sides.
Why does that make my eyes water?
I press my cheek to his chest and inhale a shuddering breath. “I wanted to fight you,” I whisper. “I never wanted to give in.”
“You didn’t give in to me.” He runs his fingers through my hair, though he takes care not to touch the injured spot. “You gave in to us.”
I blink, my tears falling onto his chest. He reaches down and pulls me up his body, his cock slipping out of me as he groans. “Look at me, Lucretia.”
“You said my name.” I smile as he cups my cheek.
“It’s a beautiful name. A perfect fit.”
“You think I’m beautiful?” I ask.
His eyes widen. “You doubt it?”
“I don’t know. It’s not like you’ve ever said it.”
“I wanted you from the first moment I saw you.”
“You mean the moment when you killed my groom?” I shudder.
He glances away.
“What was that?”
“What?”
“You’re never the first one to look away. It’s always a competition with you. It’s part of your whole ‘asshole MO.’”
“My ‘asshole MO’?” Amusement coats his tone. He runs his hands down my back and grips my ass. “I’d seen you long before we were married.”
What? “You did? How?”
He doesn’t answer, his eyes eating into me the way they always do. The secrets between us begin to creep back into place, a wall that we broke through only moments ago. That’s when I feel shame begin to filter through my mind, settling on me like soot. What have I done?
I slide off him and roll away until my back is to him.
He sighs. “Don’t do that.”
I don’t know what he wants from me. He’s already taken my virginity. I fell for it, giving myself to him like a desperate idiot. And we didn’t use protection. God, I’m so stupid. The only person I hate more than him right now is me.
He scoots up behind me, spooning me. His body heat is intoxicating, his scent all around me. He moves my hair out of the way and presses his lips to the back of my neck.
“Why did you marry me, Mateo?” I ask. “Was it just for my last name, or was there something else?”
“Why does it matter?” He scrapes his teeth along my skin. “We’re married now.”
“It matters.” I roll to face him.
He grips my hips and pulls me closer, forcing me to straddle one of his thighs.
“Tell me the truth.” I put my palms on his chest and try to keep my distance.
He smirks and wraps his arm around me, easily squeezing my resistance away as he crushes me to his chest. “The truth is that it doesn’t matter. You’re here now.”
“It does matter. You need to—”
He silences me with a kiss, rough and demanding.
I dig my nails into his chest, but he only kisses me harder, steamrolling over my resistance with his wicked tongue. When he moves his thigh, massaging me and sending tingles of pleasure through me, I moan. He moves on top of me, spreading me wide again.
“Mateo—” I gasp when he presses his cock into me, the ache from earlier flaring and then receding as he moves slowly, gently, giving me all of him a bit at a time.
“This is what matters, Lucretia.” He drops kisses along my jaw line. “You and me.”
I should claw his face off, should do something to show him I don’t want this. Instead, I move with him, falling under his spell and into his rhythm. He makes it last, giving me pleasure again and again until I don’t ask any more questions, don’t do anything except feel and experience him. Until I’m boneless and sleepy, my body sated and my heart dangerously close to being completely lost.
23
MATEO
“No.” I wave the jeweler away. “Try again.”
He clears his throat and digs through his case for another set of stones.
“Thank god you said no.” Lito rolls his eyes. “Those were atrocious. We don’t do a cluster as a main stone. Absolutely not.”
“I understand.” Giuseppe nods and plucks out some more black velvet pouches.