Total pages in book: 122
Estimated words: 115291 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 576(@200wpm)___ 461(@250wpm)___ 384(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 115291 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 576(@200wpm)___ 461(@250wpm)___ 384(@300wpm)
I’d give my fucking life for Aria, wouldn’t even hesitate to do it, but she didn’t know that. I got to my feet. “You’re right. I don’t understand.”
Aria pushed up from the sofa as well. “Why didn’t you tell me? You’ve known for weeks.”
“Because I knew you wouldn’t like it.”
“You knew I’d be mad at you, and you didn’t want to ruin your chances of fucking me.”
Fuck her? She thought I had only fucked her? “Of course I wanted to fuck you. But I got the impression you enjoyed our fucking sessions.”
Aria’s face twisted with anger. “And you worried I wasn’t a good enough actress to fool everyone after our little trick on our wedding night. But it turns out, I even fooled you. I made you believe I actually enjoyed it.”
Some wives pretended they enjoyed their husband’s touch and his company—
like Nina, because it was the only way to survive a marriage to a man like my father.
I’d tried not to be that kind of man with Aria, and yet she made me feel like I was. I smiled cruelly. “Don’t lie to me. I’ve fucked enough whores to know an orgasm when I see one.”
Aria flinched, eyes growing wide. “Some women even experience an orgasm when they’re being raped. It’s not because they’re enjoying it. It’s their body’s way of coping.”
She didn’t have to tell me anything about rape. I’d seen what it did to women, what it had done to Mother and still did to Nina. Fury slithered under my skin, wanting to be unleashed, but I shoved it down.
“Your sister should be happy that Matteo wants her. Few men can stand her gab,” I said coldly.
Aria shook her head with a look of disgust as she peered up at me. “God, that’s the reason, isn’t it? It’s because she told him that he’d never get her hot body that day in the hotel. He didn’t like it. He couldn’t bear that she was immune to his creepy charm.”
“She shouldn’t have challenged him. Matteo is a determined hunter. He gets what he wants.”
“He gets what he wants? It’s not hunting if he forces her into marriage by asking my father for her hand. That is cowardice.”
“It doesn’t matter. They’re getting married.” I began to turn, tired of this discussion.
From the corner of my eye, I saw Aria dash toward the elevator, and my first instinct was that she was trying to run away. “Aria, what the fuck are you doing?”
I was too slow to reach her in time. The elevator doors closed in my face and it went down one floor. Tension flooded my body when I realized she was confronting Matteo. Fuck it. I hammered against the elevator button until it came back up. Matteo wouldn’t hurt Aria. He wouldn’t because she was mine.
When I stepped out, Matteo had Aria pressed against the wall, holding her wrists up above her head. My fingers twitched, a fierce wave of protectiveness rushing through me.
“Let her go,” I demanded. Matteo didn’t hesitate releasing Aria and bringing space between them, but I could tell he was majorly pissed at her. The way his cheek turned red, I had a feeling I knew why.
I moved toward them, checking Aria for any signs that Matteo had hurt her even when I knew that it would take more than a slap to make him hurt a woman, especially my woman.
“You won’t do that again,” I told my brother, glaring at him.
Matteo gave me a hard look. “Then teach her manners. I won’t let her hit me again.”
I got right into his face. “You won’t touch my wife again, Matteo. You are my brother and I’d take a bullet for you, but if you do that again, you’ll have to live with the consequences.” Challenge shone in Matteo’s eyes. He wasn’t used to anything or anyone coming between us.
“I won’t hit you again, Matteo. I shouldn’t have done it,” Aria said, surprising me.
Aria looked between Matteo and me. “I’m sorry if I hurt or scared you,” Matteo said. I could still see his anger, but I wasn’t sure if it was still directed at Aria or at me for siding with her.
“You didn’t,” Aria lied. Matteo would be able to see through it like I did. I walked toward her and wrapped an arm around her waist. She looked up to me, her eyes filled with disappointment. Was she still pissed because of Gianna? For god’s sake, her sister would have to marry anyway and Matteo was definitely not the worst choice. He wouldn’t abuse Gianna, no matter how much of a bitch she was.
Aria faced Matteo once more. “Don’t marry Gianna.” I squeezed her waist in warning, but Aria continued. “She doesn’t want to marry you.”
“You didn’t want to marry Luca either, yet here you are,” Matteo said, nodding toward us. It was true, but he wasn’t taking Gianna’s character into consideration. She wouldn’t be as sensible as Aria.