“What do you want, Roman? I haven’t decided if I’m going to play your game or not yet.” She stared at the fire, her face drawn and exhausted.
“I wanted to make sure you were doing okay after what happened.”
“You mean after you held me down and had your way with me? Or after you tricked me into marrying you?”
“Both. But I like to think you were an equal partner in the pool.”
“Like I could’ve stopped you.”
“Maybe, maybe not, but you didn’t tell me to stop.”
Her eyes flashed anger. There it was, the Cassie I liked. The rage-filled Cassie, the scarred and broken Cassie. The girl that hated the world and I didn’t know why.
“I’m not interested in you trying to justify yourself.”
“Please, Cassie. I seem to recall you coming nice and hard on my fingers then licking them clean when I was done.”
“I seem to recall biting you hard enough to break skin.”
I touched my lip. It still ached. I ran my tongue along the wound, staring at her. “I’ll let you do it again if you’ll put on that bikini for me again.”
“Is that why you’re here? You came over to try and get yours now?”
“No, I came to make sure you were okay.”
“I’m fine.” She pulled her knees tighter. “Just leave me alone, okay? I’m still not sure what the hell I’m doing here.”
“You’re playing my wife. That’s all you’re doing.” I stepped closer, heart racing. I loved the interplay of anger and sadness and a deep-seated insecurity that was definitely tied to that scar, however it happened. A little flower, a little doll. I wanted to peel her open and taste her.
Feast on her. Break her.
“You know what I think?” She looked at me, gaze sharp. I tilted my head, tried not to smile.
“What do you think, kukolka?”
“I think you need me more than you’re letting on. Maybe you can go forward with this plan of yours if I decide I won’t roll over and give you everything you want, but I have a feeling it’ll be a lot harder.”
I crack then. The smart fucking girl. I give her the tightest, barest hint of a smirk.
“You might be right.”
“Then I have some leverage. And I’m using that leverage to tell you to go to hell.”
“You don’t have as much leverage as you think. It’s true that your cooperation would make my life a lot easier, but do you really think I’m the kind of man to let my plans hinge entirely on an unknown? On something that I can’t control?”
Her jaw tightened and her eyes narrowed. “Bullshit.”
“Not bullshit. I won’t lie to you. I can keep you locked away down here for months if I have to and still manage to take care of my business. Things would simply go faster and smoother if you played your role.”
“And what exactly is that role?” She stood up suddenly, unfolding like a whip. Her eyes stormed at me, liquid lightning, an entire hurricane in that stare.
My heart raced with desire. God, I wanted her to fight back.
I wanted her to bite me until it bled.
“An obedient wife. I want you to be madly, deeply, stupidly in love with me. I want you to convince the MacKenna family that you’re mine, and that your father and Oisin MacKenna can’t do a thing about it.”
“And what do I get out of all this? You already told me you won’t let the Italians kill me. Do why would I bother?”
I laughed softly. “You want something? Alright then. I’ll give you whatever you want.”
She hesitated, head cocked to the side, hands balled into fists.
“Bullshit.”
“Anything,” I repeated, enunciating the word. “You name it, and if it’s even remotely within my power, I will make it happen for you. Money and power? It’s yours. You want a mansion in the Hollywood hills? You want a harem of eager men? You want an airplane hanger filled with designer clothes? Anything you want, Cassie. I think you’d be surprised how far my reach extends.”
She stared for several long beats. I watched my words drive a wedge inside of her. She wanted to keep fighting, but the temptation of anything was too much to bear.
Like I wanted it to be.
It was true though. Whatever she asked for, I’d try and make it happen, no matter how painful it might be.
Only so long as she obeyed and played my game.
Now I had her attention.
“I have to think about it.” She looked almost disappointed, like she anticipated fighting harder, but I sucked the adrenaline from her veins.
“I’ll give you two days. After that, I’m moving forward with or without you.”
“Two days isn’t very long to decide if I want to sell my soul to a monster.”
“It isn’t your soul I want. Only your body.” I closed the distance between us faster than she could react. She tried to pull away as I caught her by the waist and pushed her down against the couch, pinning her there, my one knee between her legs, my right hand tangled in her hair.