Total pages in book: 36
Estimated words: 34406 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 172(@200wpm)___ 138(@250wpm)___ 115(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 34406 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 172(@200wpm)___ 138(@250wpm)___ 115(@300wpm)
“It doesn’t mean that they accept you being mine. Those bloody sheets would have caused a great deal of problems.”
“But they were all … I heard the cheers.” She buried her head again.
He placed a finger beneath her chin and tilted her head back. “They were all lies. You know this.”
She sighed. “You’re right. I do, but that doesn’t mean I like it.”
He chuckled. “I don’t need you to like it.” He pressed a kiss to her lips. “I want to fuck you right here, but first, I need to start your training. You need to be prepared.”
Valentina ran her hands around his waist. “I can train anytime.”
He shook his head. “We’re away from prying eyes here. When we go back, everyone will be watching and waiting. I can’t allow that to happen.”
She groaned. “Come on. Please.”
“Soon.” He loved this. How desperate she was to have him. He couldn’t get enough of her either. It was only the threat of Leonardo that worried him. With everything he knew about the man, he didn’t want to terrify Valentina, but now that she was his, it made her a target of his unwanted advances. The man was vile.
He didn’t believe for one second that Thomas would take care of Leonardo. He should have done it the first time the man had raped a maid and knocked her up, but instead, he paid off the woman and allowed his son to do it repeatedly.
Anger filled him, but Giovanni pushed it down, right where it belonged. He only ever tapped into his rage when he needed it most, and that wasn’t now. There would come a time when he did need it.
Taking hold of her hand, he led her into his home, but took her toward his office, releasing a picture that opened a secret access door. They stepped through, and it shut behind them.
“Are you … like a spy?” she asked.
He chuckled. “Nah, not at all. What I am is prepared for everything.” They moved through the small corridor until they got to his training room. This was where he often recuperated after a mission had gone wrong. He never liked to be in the city, near the chaos when he had to regroup. This allowed him to heal, to train, and to prepare to come back bigger and better than ever before.
“It’s a gym?” she asked.
“To prying eyes, yes, but this is where I make sure no one can defeat me. It’s my safe haven.”
“Does it ever get lonely?” Valentina asked. “Being here all alone?”
“Yes,” he said, answering her honestly.
She looked startled. Her lips slightly parted. “I’m surprised.”
“Why?”
“I just … I don’t know. I guess I wasn’t expecting this. You’re honest. When Mr. Rossi offered you the chance to get married and take a wife, did you even want to get married?” she asked.
“Yes.”
“You did?”
“Don’t sound so surprised.”
“And I was your first choice?”
“I didn’t take a second to think about it.”
She stared around the room and then folded her hands underneath her breasts. As per his instruction, she wasn’t wearing any underwear, but now that he had her here, that would change.
He stepped away from her, going toward one of the drawers to get her everything she needed.
“Why?” she asked. “I’m not … I’m nothing like the Victorias of this world.”
“Valentina, for three days, you were taken and tortured, and not once did you give up any secrets. Don’t give me the bullshit that you don’t know what I’m talking about. That you don’t know anything. I know you. I know you are very much aware of the kind of secrets those men wanted. Even down to locations of certain capos. For three days, you showed a strength none of those other women have. No one else saw it, but I did, and when I rescued you and held you in my arms, I knew I wasn’t going to allow anyone else to harm you. You were mine to protect.” She wasn’t ready to know the true extent of his feelings for her, but when the time came, he wouldn’t hold back. “And that is exactly why I knew I had to have you as my own.”
****
“Again!”
Valentina got to her feet. Her body was covered in sweat, and she might have some bruises, which was all her own doing, but she was getting tired of how damn fast this man was. She was starting to see why they called him The Butcher. There was no winning with this guy.
“Attack.”
They’d been training for several hours already, and this had been happening for the past five days. After making love in the morning, enjoying breakfast, and a long walk, they ended up back at his gym, training until dinner. Then come night, she was passed out. The first day, he had gotten her used to some stances to take. How to hold her fists. Getting out of certain positions if she was met with an attacker. Then he swiftly moved on to where he wanted her to attack him.