Page 32 of Now and Forever

The heady timbre of his voice twisted my core. His kisses chilled me as they simultaneously warmed me from within. It was a dichotomy I couldn’t explain. He’d lit a spark and was gently fanning the flame of my desire. My nipples drew tight, suddenly sensitive under the pressure of the corset below my dress.

“Gorgeous doesn’t begin to describe you.” He turned me toward him, showing me the dark lust in his orbs. “I’m a monster.”

I shook my head. I didn’t want to believe my husband was a monster.

“I am,” he said. “You don’t know me. I should take a shower and let you sleep.”

Do I want that?

“Dario…” I wasn’t sure what I was about to say.

Wrapping his arm around my waist, he silenced my words, pulled me against the hard plane of his body and lifted my chin. “That’s what you deserve. You don’t deserve to be fucked by a man like me. I should take it slow.”

The way my heart was pounding, I was certain he could feel it against his chest.

His voice deepened. “Your virginity didn’t matter to me until you told me that it is mine for the taking. I fucking want to take it.”

My mind was a mess of overstimulation as Dario stood back and brushed the sleeves of my gown over my shoulders. I sucked in a breath as the dress fell to the floor, pooling around my shoes, leaving me standing in my corset with see-through cups scarcely shielding my breasts and white lace panties that barely covered my core.

Leaning down, Dario pulled up the leg of his pants, revealing a knife holster.

My breathing stuttered as he slid a knife with at least a nine-inch blade out of the holster.

“This is tradition.”

Holding my breath, I nodded.

The blade sliced through the front of the corset, ripping the fabric between bones. The corset opened like a flower showing its petals. As it fell to the floor, I realized that my gown was still intact. Articulating my relief was soon forgotten because as the realization struck, Dario placed his knife on the table near his gun. In one fell swoop, he scooped me into his arms, cradling me to his chest.

I wrapped my arms around his neck, taking in his spicy scent, the sense of his muscular shoulders, and the taste of his kiss. As his strong lips possessively took mine, moans came from my throat and my body reacted in a way it never had.

This kiss was different than the one in front of the guests—different than all the ones in front of the guests. Dario’s tongue unapologetically sought entrance, giving me little chance to resist. I didn’t want to resist. Never had I been kissed like this before.

My fingers went to his head, weaving through his hair.

Dario threw back the covers on the bed and laid me on the sheets with my head upon a pillow. Without a word, he stood and scanned from my hair to my shoes. Tenderly, he removed my high heels, leaving me with only my scant excuse for panties.

Unsure what to do, I reached for his shirt.

Dario’s hand gripped mine. He took a step back and unbuttoned his shirt, revealing another sheathed knife and holstered gun. By the time he was down to silk black boxer shorts, the table had two guns and three knives.

The weapons weren’t my focus as I took in his muscular back littered with white scars. When he turned, his wide chest was also marked by scars. I sat up and stepped away from the bed, unable to resist the need to touch the shiny white markings.

“What happened?”

Dario reached again for my hand and kissed my fingers. “Life is a dangerous adventure.”

“You’ve been hurt.”

He shook his head.

“Will you tell me about them?”

“The stories would only give you more reasons to fear me.” He kissed my palm. “That isn’t my goal for tonight.” He looked down at himself and back to me. “I’m fully disarmed. Tell me, Mrs. Luciano, are you going to fight?”

Mrs. Luciano.

Bowing my chin, I shook my head. “I want you to take me, Dario. I may not have chosen you, but here we are. Your kisses make me both warm and at the same time, they chill my skin.” I shrugged my shoulders. “I don’t know what to do, but I don’t want to fight you.”

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