And all throughout, his hands pinning me down, spanking me, hurting me just enough to make the pleasure scream from my raw throat even louder.
God what was wrong with me? How did I end up here?
Married to a perfect monster.
I climbed out of bed and showered. I wanted to regain at least some of my dignity. Last night was a blur, though there was proof of it all over my skin: bruises on my ass, on my arms, on my thighs.
On my throat
I sighed and touched them, staring at myself in the mirror.
Roman’s lips pressed against my scar. The loving way he caressed my body.
Did he mean it about my flaws? Did he really think it made me more attractive?
I only remembered my father calling me damaged. Sneering at me like what happened was my fault.
As if I wanted to get assaulted.
I pulled on a robe and slipped back into my room. I got dressed in jeans and a black top with a latticework of straps across my chest. There was a bruise in the shape of his teeth on my right breast, and it was only barely covered. I smiled, touched it gently.
I wanted to show it off. That made me sick, didn’t it?
A knock at my door. “Come in.”
Roza looked inside. “Oh good, you’re dressed already. He said you’d be in his room. I was worried I’d find something inappropriate.”
I blushed a deep crimson. An eight, at least.
“Nothing like that.”
“Right, sure, totally, I get you. I’m just saying, Roman is an attractive man. You’re single, he’s single—“ She stopped then grinned at me. “Well actually, you’re both married, but to each other. So that works out.”
“Roza.”
“Okay, not my business.” She leaned against the doorframe. “Only saying, I think you should go for it. If you want to, anyway.”
“You think I should have sex with your boss, who is also the man that basically kidnapped me and tricked me into marrying him? Is that about right?”
“Pretty much. Although he didn’t kidnap you.”
“Okay fine, but you get my point.”
“Loud and clear.” She smiled brightly. “I still think you should fuck like rabbits. He hasn’t been with anyone in a while, you know.”
I hesitated, glanced at myself in the mirror. “Really?”
“Really. It’s weird. He was on a total dry spell for months and then bang, here you are.”
I tugged at my hair, frowning. Roman had plenty of women—that was obvious, based on the way he pleased me and knew what he wanted—but it hadn’t occurred to me that I might be something… special.
Something different.
“That’s good to know.”
“I bet it is.” I looked over and she was grinning at me. “Anyway, come on, he’s waiting. I hear you two have a very busy morning.”
“I guess we do.” I tugged at my shirt, straightened it, wondered if I should change.
I hadn’t seen my father in three years. Maybe showing off a bruise on my breast was a bad idea.
But no, fuck him. He wouldn’t notice, and I didn’t care either way.
He thought I was a broken piece of trash, so I might as well give him what he wanted.
Roza led me into the main room. Roman was waiting near the elevator in a simple pair of dark slacks and a white shirt that molded to his body. He nodded at me and his gaze fell to my chest, and my heart skipped a slight beat when he licked his lips. He was staring at the bruise—I knew he’d notice—
“Thank you for bringing my wife.” Roman didn’t look away from me.
“Anything else I can do, boss? Or are you going to stand here and stare at Cassie like she’s a wedding cake?”
“That’ll be all.” He glared at Roza. “I’d order you to respect boundaries, but we both know that won’t happen.”
“One of these days we’ll get there. Just keep trying.” She squeezed my hand then walked off.
Roman sighed, hit the elevator button.
I stepped up next to him, standing close.
“You were gone this morning,” I mumbled.
“I wasn’t sure if you’d want me there.”
“I wasn’t sure either.”
“What do you think? Would it have been nice to find my arms wrapped around your body?”
“Probably not. It would’ve led to something else. We both know you’re not exactly a paragon of self-control.”
“I can deny myself pleasure if I want to. Only I don’t want to with you.”
We stepped onto the elevator and rode it down in a thick, tense silence.
My conflicted feelings rushed back. I was still angry to find myself trapped in a marriage I never asked for, used in a plan that was so far beyond anything I understand, locked away with a man that might be a psychopath, and yet none of that seemed to matter, because the moment he looked at me I felt my stomach twist and my nipple stiffen and my pussy drip down into my panties.