Page 55 of Princess of the Mafia

“I’m not a moron, Principessa. I just don’t enjoy doing things I don’t want to.”

“Lucky you,” she bit out.

“If you don’t like talking to your mamma, then don’t.”

“I love talking to her.”

My hand wrapped around her clenched fist. I stroked her fingers and released them one at a time. “What is it you don’t like, then?”

“This.” She pointed with her other hand between us. “Don’t like us. Can we get a divorce?”

Jesus! It was like she had a box of matches and lit a fire inside me every single time. I fought to relax my grip on her fist. “Not going to happen, Principessa. Tell me something else.”

“Will you give me whatever I want?”

I’d take that matchstick of hers and burn the whole damn world if she wanted me to. But I feared that wouldn’t be what she would want. “That would depend.”

She laughed. A short and bitter laugh. “Of course it would.” She pulled at her hand, and mine tightened around it.

“Tell me what you don’t like.”

“It doesn’t matter, anyway. Women are of as much worth as the bin you throw your bloodied shirts into.”

I pulled the stool behind me closer and leaned against it. Her lack of faith was pissing me off. “Try me anyway.”

“Let’s see.” She tapped her cheek exaggeratedly. “So many things, so little time. I don’t like being tied to you, but I told you that.” My molars clenched. I was beginning to think she was brought into my life to test my patience. “No harm telling you again. No?” This girl. I didn’t know where she got her daily dose of courage, but I needed to find it and snuff it right out.

She waited for my reaction, and when I didn’t give her one, she continued, “I don’t like just sitting in here waiting for you,” she jabbed her finger at my chest, “to come home. I’m not a damn accessory to your house. I want to go out. Want to work. Study. I want to wear whatever the hell I damn well want and not be told that it’s too short, too tight, too damn everything. I want to go out. Alone. Or with a friend, but alone. I don’t want your dark suits trailing me all the damn time. I want out of this marriage. Did I tell you that?”

Jesus! She wanted to slip through my fingers like jelly when I wanted to tie her to my bed and hide the key in concrete. It irritated me more than I cared for that if I let her go, she’d be out of here in a heartbeat.

“That’s a long list,” I growled.

She shrugged her shoulders. “Told you it wasn’t worth it.”

“Did you hear a no?”

Her eyes lit up like a fucking Christmas tree. “Are we getting a divorce?”

In a heartbeat, I yanked the stool with her on it and caged her between my legs. My hands crawled up her neck, and my scruff touched her soft cheek. Hot words burned the shell of her ear. “The only way you are leaving our marriage alive is if you rip my fucking heart out, Principessa.” Her breath heaved, and she trilled in my arms. “Even then, I’ll come after you from my grave because there’s no way another man besides me is touching an inch of your aura.”

My lips grazed the end of her ear and trailed along her jaw. “Who am I to you?” I muttered darkly.

“My captor.”

Fucking firecracker. I nipped at her chin, and she gave a loud yelp. “Try again.”

“My abuser?”

Jesus! I cupped her ass and yanked her closer to me. She was half on her stool and half on my lap.

“Fine. Fine. My business contact.”

I squeezed my hands around her neck, pulled her to me, and sank my lips into hers. Fuck! I’d always wanted her to take the initiative, but she pulled at my control and good intentions like it was nobody’s business, and Jesus, it felt good to slip my tongue in and ride her mouth. She didn’t fight me. Didn’t even stiffen in my arms. She melted like hot wax. Like she wanted me as badly as I did her. So why is she always fighting me then? With the last thread of self-control I had wallowing somewhere in my body, I pulled back to her gasp and the soft plop of her swollen lips.

“That didn’t feel like a business contact to me, Principessa. Who am I to you?” I rasped.

Her fingers came up to her lips and traced them softly. Fuck. If she wasn’t going to answer right, I was going to fuck her right here and right now. I was done with my patience.

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