‘I’ve always done whatever you want,’ Lily threw back at him.
It was true, she realised to her shame. Except when they’d been together it had always seemed that they wanted the
same thing.
‘Not always,’ Vito growled, seizing her roughly and dragging her up against him. He loomed over her, plunging his hands into her hair and pulling her head back so that their faces were only inches apart. ‘But now you’re mine—only mine. No other man is ever going to touch you again.’
He dragged her closer, bumping their hips together erotically. Lily gasped at the intimate contact just as his lips closed, hot and demanding, over hers.
His tongue pushed into her mouth, stoking the sexual fire that was suddenly raging between them once more. Desire for him rushed through her veins, making her insides tingle and her legs turn to water.
A pulsing point of sensation starting throbbing between her legs, and the feel of his hands running over her naked skin was driving her wild with her own need to touch him.
He pulled away from her abruptly, and shrugged his jacket off. Lily stood shakily, taking shallow breaths as she watched him discarding his clothes. Her gaze drifted up to his face.
What she saw made her heart miss a beat.
He was furious.
She could see the anger burning in his eyes, pulling the muscles in his face taut with tension. He was still absolutely livid about her supposed infidelity, and this was an act of vengeance.
‘No.’ Lily took a step backwards.
‘You can’t back out now.’ Vito moved towards her, and lifted his hand to cup her breast. His thumb toyed with her nipple, and an answering ripple of delight spread through her body. ‘You are mine to take, whenever I choose.’
‘You’re not going to make love to me out of anger,’ Lily said, trying to ignore the feel of his hand on her breast and the sensual pleasure his touch was giving her.
‘I’m taking back what is mine.’
‘I was always yours.’ Lily’s voice was small and steady, despite the turmoil of emotions and physical sensations that was assailing her.
Almost before her words were finished, he moved forwards and pulled her into his arms again. His mouth came down to kiss her, and as his tongue thrust between her lips it was as if he was staking his claim in the most basic way.
Her treacherous body was responding to his. Despite her mind protesting that this was not right—that she had to stop him if she was to maintain any self-respect—her flesh was aching with her need for him. Deep inside she was vibrating with her desire to feel him lying on top of her, thrusting into her. Making her his again.
Suddenly he pulled away.
His breathing was ragged as he stood looking at her for a moment, his expression utterly impenetrable. Then he turned on his heel and walked out.
Lily stared after him—beset by conflicting emotions.
It was what she’d wanted, wasn’t it?
Then why did she feel so bereft?
Lily stood by the window, looking down at the canal below, wondering how she could make things better between Vito and herself. It was several weeks since they’d been married, and she was still having trouble adjusting to it.
It was hard to believe it was actually real, especially as Vito had hardly come near her since the night he had stormed out of the bedroom. At first she’d assumed he was simply cooling off—she’d known how angry he was. But then the wedding had come and gone, with only the bare formalities discussed between them.
It had been a small, private ceremony, and the simple occasion had scarcely caused a blip in the passage of time. It was extraordinary that such a momentous life event had slipped past without greater impact. But then it had not been a normal wedding. And as the weeks had continued to pass it was painfully clear that it was not a normal marriage.
She almost felt like she was stuck in a time warp—with nothing really changing and every day the same. Vito had continued to share the bedroom, but he worked late most nights, often coming to bed after midnight. And, although weeks had passed, he’d never touched her.
She knew he was worried about his grandfather. His instinct that his grandfather’s health was not right on Lily’s first day back in Venice had proved to be correct, because Giovanni had soon gone down with a nasty chest-infection. But, from the little information Lily was able to glean, that appeared to have cleared up now.
She turned away from the window, planning to sit and read for a while before going out for a walk, when a movement from the doorway caught her eye.
‘Vito.’ She said his name in surprise. It was barely ten o’clock in the morning—he never came home from work during the day. ‘Is everything all right? Your grandfather…?’