Page 16 of Of Murder and Matrimony

“You won’t go on birth control.”

“What?” Her back went ramrod straight. Her little container of pills remained behind on the counter in her bathroom in Colorado.

“This will be a true marriage, Olesya. I require heirs,” I said bluntly, resisting the urge to gag when I sounded like my father. “You’ll provide me with two sons, however long that may take.”

“And if I give you daughters?” she countered.

“Two sons, regardless of any girls conceived.”

“And when you have your heirs?” she spat.

“You’ll have more freedom,” I supplied. “I’ll still require your fidelity, but I won’t touch you if that’s what you prefer.”

“And you’ll be free to fuck whoever you want?” She scoffed when I didn’t answer. Though I didn’t intend to take a mistress, we knew it was an unspoken norm in our families. “And if I want more children?”

I smirked and let my gaze trail slowly down her body. “It won’t be a chore for me to fuck you as much as it takes to make those babies. As many as you want.”

In fact, it was a task I’d approach with enthusiasm. I didn’t have to love the woman to fuck her until she couldn’t walk straight. What an unfortunate time to have that thought. I stood, striding toward my desk so Olesya wouldn’t see my burgeoning erection.

She followed behind, her feet padding against the floor. “Is that everything?”

“No.” I leaned against my desk and pinned her with a look. My fiancée needed to learn to obey, and I had some ideas for teaching her quickly. “Strip.”

Olesya laughed humorlessly. “You’re joking, right?”

“I’m completely serious,” I said flatly. It was a test, and she was failing miserably. As I’d suspected, her acquiescence was a façade. “Either you do it, or I will.”

“No.”

I lifted a brow. “Fine.”

Olesya shrieked as I lunged forward before she could flee, grabbing the hem of her dress. There was a tearing sound as I quickly yanked it over her head, leaving her bare before me. I hadn’t expected that. It would be impossible to hide my reaction to her naked form. She was perfection: lithe and lean, her breasts the perfect size for my hands. Her hips flared out enticingly, and I batted her hand away when she tried to cover the blonde tuft between her thighs.

“Dante!”

Her gaze darted to the door, and I clicked my tongue in warning. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you. Stefano is standing out there. My father’s men are all over the house.”

“Give me the dress back!” Her voice rose in pitch as she grew more agitated and lunged for the balled-up fabric in my hands.

I held it out of her reach and enjoyed how her body flushed angrily. “Calm down.”

“Calm down? Are you fucking kidding me?” She swiped at the dress again, and I tossed it onto my desk chair.

“Think of it as a reward system,” I cajoled, shrugging out of my suit jacket and tossing it on top of her dress. I removed my cufflinks and unbuttoned my shirt, noting how Olesya watched the bare expanse of my chest. “I can’t afford to have you disregard my rules whenever it suits you. You need to know that there will be consequences for poor choices. You can earn your outfits with good behavior.”

I removed my shirt and stepped close enough that my chest brushed against Olesya’s hardened nipples. She whimpered when my cock grazed her lower belly, only the fabric of my pants keeping me from her. I slipped the shirt over her arms and slowly buttoned the front as her chest rose and fell heavily, my eyes locked on hers. My touch still aroused her. She couldn’t hide the truth.

“This is ridiculous,” she said breathlessly.

“Careful, Olesya.” I traced a finger between her breasts and watched little bumps rise on her flesh. “I might take the shirt, too.”

“You wouldn’t want your men to see,” she said sarcastically.

“Correct. This is for my eyes only.” When I buttoned the top button, I stepped back and nodded my approval. The shirt covered her from neck to knees, leaving her form less obvious in the baggy white material. “You will wear it just like that. Nobody else gets to see what is mine.”

I don’t know what I expected, but it wasn’t what she did next.

“You can shove your rules up your ass,” she spat with a sly smile, pointedly unbuttoning the top two buttons of the shirt and darting around me to storm out of my office.

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