One of his perfectly carved brows shoots up in question, but I don’t give any explanation.

“So…you got my gift…” he runs his brooding eyes over the length of my body, stopping where a good part of the dress is slashed to expose an ungodly extent of my lap.

My pussy instantly begins to burn in reaction to his alluring gaze. Honestly, before meeting this criminal… before Elio Donatelli, I never even felt this kind of feeling down there.

But I hold my stance, “You call this a gift? How dare you?” The sneer on my lips and the blankness in my eyes convey just how much I don’t want to be in his space. At least, I hope they do.

“If you’re asking, how dare I not take it off you…I’m actually planning to do that,” he winks, turning away from me to lean on the counter of the bar as if he’s not in any way concerned about what I think or how I feel regarding this…gift.

“You see, this is exactly what I dislike about you. You’re so full of yourself, thinking you can throw your money around to impress everyone… including me.”

“Easy, wife,” his eyes quickly darken to a dangerous shade, his eyes reduced to slits.

I take a couple of more steps back as he approaches me slowly, like a predator timing its prey.

“I think this gift…” his fingers trail the neckline of my dress, teetering dangerously close to my cleavage, “...is as beautiful as you are.”

My breath hitches and begins to come out in pants.

I snatch his finger away from my breast and fling it back to its place at his side.

“Don’t you fucking put your hands on me! I’m not your whore, Donatelli. All of this tackiness you’re employing to spend a night with me isn’t working. So give up!”

“Aria Abruzzi, I want you to get this in every single brain cell of yours now: Whether you like it or not, You. Are. My. Woman. Now.” I see his teeth clench from the tightening of his jaw. He is fast, covering the remaining distance between us, pushing me back against his wall.

I can almost see my chest heaving, panic bells ringing loudly in my head.

“Mine,” he growls, his eyes darkening. “Now, have a seat,” he commands, sliding his hands into his pockets. I move my heated gaze in tandem with his movement and release a sharp gasp when I see the bulging outline of his cock print through the thin robe.Damn!

“I- I think this meeting is over,” I shoot back, unwilling to sit with him.

“Don’t dare me to do something you’re not ready for yet.” Something flashes in his eyes, but just before I can scurry over to do his bidding, my phone begins to vibrate loudly.

Friedrich Canter. Nice.

“Don’t answer that.” It’s an order but I already have the phone to my ear.

“Work,” I simply mouth and clear my throat. My mouth hangs open when the phone suddenly slides out of my hand and goes into his pocket.

He leans in closer until his lips brush my earlobe. “No one else matters when you’re with me. Get that in your brain.”

I almost let out a whimper until my feminist side realizes what he just said.

“First off, you do not have such a right.” I curl my lips in distaste. “And secondly, aren’t you too old for all of this.”

There’s a mix of anger and amusement playing in his eyes.

“I have all the right I need, Princess. I’m your fiancé. And age has nothing to do with that,” he grunts, trailing his nose down the side of my face.

The temperature seems to shoot up a few degrees as electricity zaps my spine. I whimper, struggling to hold my knees steady.

“I – I mean, you can easily be my dad. You should do something more…elderly.”

The chuckle escapes from my throat, seizing my entire being, as I watch his teeth grind against his jaw.

“Oh, I am your daddy, Princess. But only in bed.” His lips replace his nose as they trail warm kisses down the side of my face.

I want him to stop because I- I don’t know what would happen if we get too far, so I say, “This… is anarrangedmarriage, Donatelli. It’s not even real.”