Page 24 of Prideful Union
“You’ll learn to love me. When you fix that attitude of yours.”
That makes me see red.
I stand up and slap him across the face. It feels so good, I’m practically tingling.
Santino barely reacts to the slap. “You don’t get to do that to me.”
“Oh? And yet you get to spank me. Tit for tat, Santino.”
We stare at each other, both of us breathing hard.
The next thing I know, we’re kissing.
Santino pulls me roughly against him, and I don’t object. My hands rest on his chest. He feels so strong beneath my hands, and it leaves me breathless. Santino kisses me like he’s trying to drain the life force out of me. It’s passionate. It’s rough. It’s hot.
And it’s over too soon.
He pulls back, smirking as he does. “Not so upset over your spanking, are you?”
That does it.
I slap him again.
He eyes me over in a way that makes my skin feel on fire before he leaves the room.
I slump onto the bed, wincing from my hurt backside, and immediately begin crying again. I cry for what those nasty women said to me. I cry because I miss Luca and my mom. And I cry because my marriage is not going at all how I expected it.
I decide to call Luca because at least he’ll make me feel like I’m home again.
It’s the afternoon in Italy, so Luca should be just waking up in New York.
“Hey, Lucia,” he says, answering after a couple of rings. “How’s it going?”
“Miserable. I hate Santino. This isn’t how my marriage was supposed to go.”
“What’s been going on?”
I tell him all about the mean group of women and what they said about our mom.
“Bitches,” he says.
“Thank you. Santino made me feel crazy for being upset by them.” I pause. “Granted, I didn’t tell him what they said, but I was worried he’d somehow turn it back on me.”
“I can’t believe they said those things to you. Though, I’ve been hearing those same rumors about Mom and Uncle Franco. They’re everywhere. Do you think they’re true?”
“No! Mom would never. Don’t give those rumors any more thought. I just wanted to vent about how annoying Santino has been. He’s been really annoying, by the way.”
Luca chuckles. “I didn’t get that.”
“I miss you,” I say with a sigh.
“I miss you, too. It’s only been a couple of days.”
“I know. And I already feel like I’m drowning.”
“I have an idea. Get out. Go dancing. You love that kind of stuff. You’re in Italy. Go have fun. And forget your husband.”
“Of course, you’d suggest partying as a way to help my issues.”
