Chapter Fourteen
Graham gripped her upper arm. “Come on. Let him deal with his woman. You and I need to talk.”
She let her husband lead her up to their room.
“Sit down in the chair,” Graham said when he got her into the bedroom.
She sat with her hands in her lap.
“Alastair won’t put up with you getting in between them. He loves her.”
“Tell me. Will you take a mistress?”
He sighed. “It’s normal in our circles to do so,” he said as he stood in front of her with his hands on his hips.
She couldn’t believe how much that hurt. She didn’t even know her husband, but she knew she wouldn’t be able to handle another woman in his life.
Straightening her back, she raised her chin. “I should tell you now that if you do, I will leave.”
Graham’s brows snapped together. “Like hell you will.”
“Do you think you’ll be able to stop me?”
“Yes. If I have to hold you prisoner in our rooms, I will.”
“Then you’ll never have me. You can rape me whenever you want, but that’s all you’ll get. You’ll never have my affection or loyalty.”
“Jesus, how did this get so out of hand? I never said I would take a mistress. I said it happens a lot in mafia families.”
“I know. I saw many women coming out of my father’s office. I won’t have that kind of marriage.”
“I’m only going to tell you this one time. I am not planning on taking a mistress. I don’t want to hear about this again.”
She lowered her chin and looked down at her lap.
He sighed. “Stay in our rooms for the rest of the day. I’ll have a tray brought up to you.”
“So, I’m to be punished?”
“If that’s what you want to call it.”
“Don’t bother with the food. I won’t eat any of it.”
“Yes, you will. I’ll shove it down your throat if I have to.”
She studied her nails and tried to ignore him. When he cupped her chin to raise her face, she pushed him away.
He yanked her to her feet, grasped the back of her head, and brought his lips to hers. The kiss was brutal and stung her mouth, but she held still and fought off the heat that started to build at his closeness and scent. Her body was already starting to crave his, but she couldn’t let him know because he’d use it against her.
He yanked her head back so he could see her face. One of his thumbs rubbed against her lips and then brought it up for her to see the blood from what the kiss caused before he sucked it into his mouth.
“Everything about you is mine. Don’t ever forget that.” He pulled away from her. “Stay in the room.”
He left and closed the door behind him. She stared at it for the longest time before she sat back down. She desperately needed her mother and sisters there to help her because she’d only been married one day, and she already felt like she was losing him.
She either read or sat on the windowsill for the rest of the day and looked out toward the gardens.
Two trays came, and they stayed on the cart. When it became dark, she showered and pulled on a nightgown before making up a bed on the sofa. She cuddled down and started watching a movie but soon became sleepy.
****
Graham ran his hand through his hair all afternoon. He couldn’t get over his frustration. It never once entered his mind to think about a mistress. They’d only been married eighteen hours, and already they were fighting.
He knew he probably handled it wrong, but she was making him so angry he was tempted to pull her over his knees and redden her ass. But that would push them farther apart.
He’d asked Blake where Alastair was, and he was told up in his rooms, where he planned to be for the rest of the day. They were not to bother him unless it was an emergency.
Good. Graham was glad he was trying to fix his relationship because he knew if anything happened to Beth, his brother would lose it.
He planned on having dinner with Faith but was called out to take care of something. His phone rang on the way up to his room, and he cursed. “What?”
“Hey, boss, a car left Morettis’ place. Do you want us to stop it?”
“Yes. Stop them a few miles from the house and detain everyone there. Call in the other cars to help, and I’ll be there soon.”
“You got it.”
Graham took one look up at his door before he sighed, turned, and started out of the house where he ran into Blake. Fuck, Faith would have to wait.