Page 73 of His Bride

“Screw you,” I grit.

He comes up, and I take a step back. “I don’t know what they taught you in the Del Rossa house, but in my world, wives respect their husbands.”

“I’m not your wife yet.”

“Never too early to learn the right ways. My way.”

A shiver moves down my body as his gaze drops to my cleavage, and he sucks on his bottom lip, leaning his head to the side, and reaches up. But I move back just as he’s about to touch my breast. “Don’t touch me.”

“Oh, sweetheart, don't be coy.” Aurelio comes in closer, forcing me against the wall, and takes a lock of my hair, breathing it in. “Next time, perfume it. Your shampoo is nice, but I like spice. I’ll get you some sexy perfume so you can layer up.”

“You want me to smell like a high-class hooker?”

“Aren’t you? I mean, your pimp sold you twice now. Technically, three times, since he went back on the original deal he made with my father.”

He smells like bergamot orange and tobacco, and I instantly develop an aversion to it.

“Your dad isn’t really…business savvy, is he?”

“Just like you’re not up to standard when it comes to social skills.”

Abruptly, he grabs my hands, and I struggle as he pins my wrists above my head.

I grit my teeth as he glances down my front, the dress gaping between my breasts.

“Let. Me. Go.”

“Next time, Giana,” he rasps, “no bra. I like access to the goods at all times. And make no mistake, you are goods. As your husband, your tits, ass, mouth, cunt are mine. To do with what I want when I want.”

“Nice,” I say, unable to stop myself. “Is this why you have to buy a wife?”

“I’ll let that slide. This time.” He snakes an arm around my waist to pull me against him, and I can feel his erection as he grinds it against me.

My stomach heaves.

“Just a little bird in a cage, aren't you?” He flexes his hips again, and I’m swallowing bile. “Learn how to sing to my tune, and everyone has a good,safetime.” The threat is there, loud and clear—the reminder of who’s in charge. This isn’t a battle of wills like Caelian and me. This is a dictatorship. A landslide victory…for him.

I need to be quiet, docile, play my part exactly right, or my sacrifice will be worth nothing.

“You agreed to our deal. After the divorce, after our wedding, I’m yours.” The word wedding, the tone of my voice, make me shudder inwardly. They all make me want to puke.

He grins, lets me go, and helps himself to a drink, filling a glass with dark amber, piercing the room with the dried fruit aromas of the spiced dark rum Dad has but rarely drinks.

Aurelio knocks it back, then glances around. “When all this is mine, I might remodel. What do you think? Something modern? Or strip it bare and use this place as a torture den for my enemies.”

I clench my fist. “You should go.”

“I should do what the fuck I want.” He refills and tosses his second glass back, too. Then he lets the glass slip out of his hand, the heavy crystal hitting the rug, but it doesn’t break.

I’m barely breathing as I watch him lean against my father’s cocobolo desk—his favorite, most expensive one.

Every instinct is screaming at me to run, to get away from him, but what would that accomplish? All of this ends with me as his wife, and where will I run then?

“You’re a beautiful woman, Giana.”

Bile rises.

His leering gaze moves to my breasts in this ugly dress. “The fact that he’s already fucked you should disgust me.”A woman can hope.“But, truth is,” his eyes find mine, “I can’t wait to fuck you. And I can’t wait to fuck Caelian’s stench from you.” This time hestraightens and stalks me. “Because by the time I’m done with you on our wedding night, you won’t remember his name. I’ll have fucked and erased every last trace of that ugly cunt’s touch from you.”

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