Page 18 of Prideful Union
“Because I’m not a rapist. I like to be in control, yes. But we won’t have sex if you don’t want to. That said, I think we should.”
“Why?”
“Because we need to do our duty. We need to start working on making children.”
She scrunches up her nose. “You make it sound so clinical and old-fashioned.”
“Tell me what you want.”
“No.” She places her hands on her hips, keeping her head up. “I don’t want to have sex.”
“Why not?”
“Because you want to, and I’m going to deny you that.”
My fingers twitch. I am desperate to touch her, but it can wait. She’s playing a game, and she needs to know who’s in charge.
“Take off that abhorrent dress.”
“I said I don’t want to have sex.”
“We’re not. This is me showing you who’s in charge. Take off your dress.”
“No.”
I walk over to her and rip her sleeve down. She gasps, then slaps me.
“You just ruined my dress,” she says.
“You weren’t supposed to be wearing this to begin with.”
“You’re horrible.”
“And you’re a brat.” I rip her other sleeve. Lucia fights me as I rip the rest of her dress off. I toss it to the ground, where it lays in shreds.
“I hate you,” she says as tears stream down her face. “I hate you.”
“Hate me all you like, Lucia. Just remember who’s in charge.”
She runs into the bathroom, crying. The door slams behind her.
A slight twinge of guilt flashes through me before I shove it away. Lucia needed to be taught a lesson. She bought a wedding dress and wore it without my permission, embarrassing me in the process. I will not stand for that. I will not have her make me look like a fool. Lucia will learn to fall in line, sooner or later.
And yet …
As I stand here, looking at the closed bathroom door, for the first time, I feel like I haven’t won.
CHAPTER 6
Lucia
Ispend the entire night in the bathroom. Literally.
At one point, I leave to grab a pillow and blanket from the bed, then stalk right into the bathroom again, ignoring Santino. Granted, he didn’t even try to talk to me.
I made a makeshift bed in the bathtub, and that’s where I sleep. In the freaking bathtub!
In the morning, after making sure I look my best so Santino regrets treating me the way he did, I leave the bathroom, ready to confront him.
