Page 50 of His to Honor

He cocks his head as he looks at me. “Don’t you want my love, my protection?”

My eyes narrow. The manipulative bastard. I haven’t seen this side of Matteo before. “You’re saying I can’t have those things without marriage?”

Instead of answering, he steps closer to me. He shoves a hand between my legs and cups my pussy.

“You’re mine, Giulia. I’m the only man your cunt gets sloppy for and you know it.”

He circles my clit with his finger, and it immediately throbs in response to his ministrations. My breath catches as he leans forward and suckles on the sensitive spot at the base of my neck.

“Tell me you’re mine, Giulia, that you’ll be my wife.”

It would be easy to give in. Pleasure is just within reach and I know he’ll grant it if I tell him what he wants to hear. I can’t agree to marriage, though. While I hope that’s where we’ll get to one day, it’s too soon. I was railroaded into marrying Johnny. This time I want romance, a courtship. I need to be certain it’s right for me.

Mustering my strength, I push Matteo away. Shock flits across his face before it settles into a blank expression. It’s only the slight tightness around his lips that shows his displeasure.

“I’m not marrying you, Matteo.” I fold my arms across my chest to put some distance between us.

“Nobody will harm you if you carry my name. It’s the only way I can keep you safe.”

“Bullshit. I have my dad, my brother…”

“And what are they going to say when they find out about us?” Matteo asks as he tucks himself back into his pants. “They’ll want us to marry.”

I have nothing to say to that because I know it’s true. Even if I could persuade my dad to let me see where things go with Matteo, he’d have Valeria whispering in his ear about how much my marriage to one of the Volantes would benefit them and Phillip.

“Come on.” Matteo reaches out for me once more and curves a hand around the back of my neck. He rests his forehead against mine. “You knew where this was going from the minute I took your virginity.”

I don’t like how that sounds. He didn’t force me, after all. “You didn’t take it, I gave you my virginity.”

“It doesn’t matter. The outcome was always going to be the same.”

I know how things work in our world, but I refuse to believe we need to rush into this.

“We can wait,” I reason, “see how things go.”

“See how things go? There’s only one way this is going, Giulia. You will be my wife as soon as I can make it happen.”

“But…”

“Enough!” Something inside Matteo snaps.

I squeal in fright as he grabs my arm and drags me from the bedroom. I have to run to keep up with him as he makes his way along the corridor and down a set of stairs I didn’t know were there. He’s obviously furious with me. He hates to be challenged, but he’s always been patient with me until now.

We come to a landing, and I catch a glimpse of the kitchen. I had spotted a door at the back of the room, but assumed it was for a pantry. I guess it leads out here.

We don’t stop here. Matteo leads me down another staircase into darkness. It’s only now, as cold wafts across my skin, that I remember I’m stark naked. A frisson of fear prickles up and down my arms. Why did Matteo bring me down here?

He flicks a switch on the wall and lights come on. We’re in a large, open cellar with racks of wine. There’s a door over at the side. Matteo takes me over and opens it.

“What are you doing?” I ask as he shoves me inside.

The tiny room is lit by harsh overhead strip lighting. On one side of the room there’s a narrow cot with a thin blanket thrown over it. This looks ominously like a cell.

“I can keep you safe by making you my wife, or by locking you away from the world.”

I whirl around, hoping to find him grinning. but there’s no trace of humor in his expression. There is, however, a gleam of determination in his eye that makes me shudder. It’s not a prank. He’s really doing this.

“Matty!” I whisper.

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