Page 33 of Mafia Virgin (The Kings of Italy)

The music suddenly cut off, leaving us in silence. “Are you done looking, little girl?” he asked.

I jerked my eyes up to meet his, my stomach twisting at his gruff tone. Except he hadn’t sounded annoyed. He’d sounded . . . sinful. Seductive, even.

Which had to be my imagination. Right?

Pushing my shoulders back, I said, “You wanted to see me?”

He put his hands on his trim hips and stared me down. “What did you do today?”

“I went shopping with Sal. As instructed.”

He grabbed a towel off a weight machine and began wiping himself off. With an effort worthy of a gold medal, I kept my gaze on his face. He lifted one dark eyebrow and said, “From what I understand you were out shoppingforSal. Not with.”

Ah, so he’d heard. I shouldn’t be surprised. I knew how mafia men gossiped. “Sal mentioned that he hadn’t received a birthday or Christmas gift in years. I figured he was due.”

“And what did you buy him?”

Was he worried about how much money I spent? “Not a lot. We got new sneakers that are highly rated for people with leg injuries. A smart watch so he doesn’t need to fumble for his phone when he’s cooking. Bath salts and some muscle creams. I wanted to buy him this motorized lounge chair for his bedroom that’s easy to get in and out of, but he said it was too expensive—”

“Emma.” He threw the towel to the ground. “I told you to buy things for yourself, not Sal. You deliberately ignored my orders. Do you know what I do to men who dare to defy me?”

The precariousness of my situation was not lost on me. I was in a cellar with an angry, violent husband who could probably do almost anything to me and get away with it.

But I thought of the man who could’ve taken me by force in that hotel room. Instead, he’d hurt himself and jerked off into the sheets.

I didn’t cower or look away. “I assume you’d make them pay. But you aren’t going to hurt me.”

He blinked twice. “How are you so sure?”

“Because you gave Sal a job inside where it wasn’t as physically taxing for him. Because you bought him a new eye when the old one didn’t fit right. Because you could have forced me to have sex with you yesterday, but you didn’t. You’re a decent person.”

My answer seemed to anger him, his body swelling as his jaw hardened into granite. I didn’t understand. Did he want me to think he was mean? The moment stretched, but I couldn’t tell what he was thinking.

Then he came toward me, his long legs eating up the distance between us. Heart pounding, I fought the urge to retreat. It was pointless anyway. Where could I go that he couldn’t find me? I was trapped here in this city, in this house. There was no escape.

Still, he kept coming, advancing, an angry mountain of a man, and my self-preservation kicked in. I was brave, but not stupid.

I backpedaled until I hit the wall. Shoot. Now I really was trapped.

I edged sideways, but it was too late. He was there, directly in front of me, sweaty and mostly naked. I held my breath as he put his hands on the wall on either side of my head, caging me in. I could feel the panic creeping in. Had I misjudged him? Had I let a day of hearing Sal tell charming stories of a young Giacomo color my opinion of this man?

Heat poured off his frame as he loomed over me, his eyes bottomless pools of rich coffee. A sneer curled his top full lip. “I beat and killed a man yesterday. He begged for his life just before I slit his throat. Then I married you while his blood dried on my hands and clothing.” He eased closer, nearly touching me. “Still believe I amdecent, piccola bambina?”

Little girl.

The reminder of his recent murder caused me to press into the wall, desperately trying to put distance between us. My autonomic system went into overdrive and the spike of adrenaline heightened every sensation. I was hyper-focused on this man, my blood rushing my ears.

His hips met mine, and I could feel the heft of his groin against my pelvis. Then that heft began to grow and take shape and I sucked in a sharp breath. Was he becoming erect?

“Do you know what I learned today?” His mouth drew closer to my ear. “Don Virga has moved up his timeline. We have only three months to either get out of this marriage or for me to give you a baby.”

Three months! My lips parted in surprise. That was an aggressive time frame by any standard.

Giacomo was now hard, his erection digging into my stomach. He rocked his hips once and I swallowed. He surrounded me, the room blocked by his shoulders, and I felt his hot breath on my skin as he said, “Feel that? A decent man would not get hard thinking of being the first cock inside your cunt. A decent man would not get hard thinking of all the ways he could defile your virgin pussy, or of giving you your first taste of come.”

Another thrust. My limbs were heavy and loose, uncoordinated, while a steady throb pulsed between my legs. I hadn’t experienced desire this strongly before. It was as if I had no control over what was happening, and I found the sensation both thrilling and disconcerting.

“A decent man,” he continued in my ear, “would not get hard thinking about shooting inside you,breedingyou.”

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