She watched me warily as I approached her in the library, sinking slightly deeper into her plush armchair and pulling her book protectively up to her chest. Nora didn’t fear me, exactly, but she always tensed when I neared. Particularly now, when I was in a deviant mood. She must’ve been able to read something darker in my demeanor, because she licked her lips in trepidation and desire.
Perfect. My pretty wife was learning to please me, even if she didn’t realize it.
I planned to take another step in her training.
I held out my hand, beckoning. “Come here.”
She was breathtakingly graceful when she unfolded herself from the chair and got to her feet. She truly did have a dancer’s form. I relished the prospect of admiring her at my leisure. I hadn’t wanted to marry, but Nora would be a good companion for me. There were worse fates than having such a striking woman in my bed and at my side.
She looked up at me, curiosity sparking in her hazel eyes despite her attempt to put on the composed mask that I hated. She couldn’t seem to help herself; she always tried to hide behind it, a lifelong mechanism for self-preservation.
I could be patient with her. I loved slowly making her come undone as I tempted and provoked her by turns, until the real woman underneath was panting and moaning in my arms.
“I have a surprise for you,” I told her, watching every nuance of her expression.
Her eyes sparked before she blinked away the moment of anticipation. An arrogant, satisfied smile tugged at the corners of my mouth. Yes, she would like this. She would love every aspect of what I was about to give her.
“You don’t have to give me anything,” she murmured, demure behind that false serene smile.
I touched two fingers beneath her chin, lifting her face so that she was locked in my steady stare. “I want to give you things, Nora. I can make you happy. Let me.”
Her brow furrowed slightly, the mask starting to crack. “You really mean that?”
She still didn’t believe me.
I caressed her cheek. “Why would I want my wife to be miserable?” I reasoned. “We can have a good life together, kitten.”
Her lips no longer pursed with irritation when I used the endearment.
My smile widened. She was doing so well.
“What’s the surprise?” she asked, avoiding my more serious assertions about our future.
I let it slide. In the short time I’d known her, I’d gotten the sense that Nora didn’t allow herself to envision her future. She was in survival mode, living day to day and struggling to adjust to her new reality of married life. She’d spent her time exploring the layout of the mansion and the grounds, and she’d met the staff who ran it. She was learning to manage the household, a task I was certain she would perform beautifully.
But that alone wouldn’t fulfill her. I’d found her in the library more than once, cozied up with a romantic novel. My wife would want more from her life than a cold union with a mafia Don, existing solely to keep my home and raise my heir.
I could offer her so much more than that. Not the fantasy of love that she probably secretly dreamed of, but I would provide for her and give her a good life. That was the most anyone could ask for in the real world.
I smiled down at her, my grin a touch wicked. I loved the way she shivered in response.
“If I told you, it wouldn’t be a surprise,” I chided.
I reached into my pocket and pulled out the length of black cloth. She blinked at it, puzzled. My innocent bride had no idea what I planned for her.
Anticipation coiled my muscles, and my grin sharpened. She swallowed hard, but she tipped her chin back and didn’t retreat so much as an inch. Nora was brave and beautiful, a good matchfor me. I would quickly tire of a wife who crumpled and wept every time I turned this darker side of myself on her.
I lifted the cloth to her face, and she didn’t flinch when I brushed the satiny material over her soft cheek.
“What are you doing?” she asked, her voice a touch breathless.
“Trust me,” I cajoled, desire already gathering at the base of my spine. I craved her trust, her true submission. She would surrender completely to my will, and she would love every ecstatic second of it.
Her eyes were wide and wary on mine. She didn’t trust me at all. Not yet.
That would come with time. For now, I would revel in corrupting my innocent bride.
“Close your eyes,” I ordered, tone soft and encouraging. My kitten could be very sweet if I handled her gently. A barked order would make her bristle, and I didn’t want to treat her harshly today. This was all about her pleasure, making sure she enjoyed my kinkier games. She would come to crave them as much as I did.