To my relief, he doesn’t force me to lie down again. I guess if I’m well enough to have something implanted in me, then I’m well enough to sit up on my own. Another thought hits me hard, and it scares me.
“When you’re done with me, are you going to let me go?” I’m not brave enough to look at him when I ask.
He drags my eyes to his again, and there’s something deadly there.
“Understand this now. I will never let you go. You belong to me and only to me.”
I blink at the vehemence in his voice. The sheer conviction spoken in a silken caress reminds me once again that I made this happen. This deal is mine. So I nod because I don’t have any words to explain what’s happening in my brain and in my body right now.
When I can speak, I turn on the bed and offer my hands to him. “Then I’m ready. Are we going to have sex here, or did you want to go somewhere else that doesn’t smell like a hospital room?”
A tiny smile plays at the corner of his mouth, and it mesmerizes me.
“We aren’t having sex right now, Angel. Don’t worry. Some things need to be taken care of before I sink inside your little pussy for the first time.”
Heat flashes through me again at his words, pooling at my core, reminding me yet again how he felt clutched tight in my hands.
He tips my chin up and leans down to nuzzle the side of my neck. I can’t even help leaning into him. The scent of him, his warm skin, everything about him draws me in and comforts me.
“As the only man who will ever be inside you, I plan to take my time. Sometimes, little angel, I’ll be gentle with you, and others, I’ll take my pleasure from you as surely as I’ll force yours upon you.”
His voice rumbles against my skin now, turning the hot flash of need into something deeper, warmer. Each word he speaks stokes it higher until I can feel it in my breasts, my cheeks, my ears even.
I squeeze my thighs together, knowing it won’t quench the fire he’s started. Even after everything I’ve gone through, every beating, every humiliation, every trauma, he makes me feel…something. I’m not sure what it is. Safe doesn’t seem a big enough word, and loved is a joke, considering we’ve only known each other a month or so.
It takes me a moment to realize he’s staring down at me expectantly. “Sorry, I got distracted.”
When he licks his lips, I’m lost all over again.
“Listen to me. Are you listening?”
I nod and meet his eyes so I can actually do what he says.
“Right now, we are going to take a shower while the staff comes in and cleans up. Then we’ll make arrangements for our wedding. Once you have my name and my official protection…then I’m going to sink deep into that hot cunt of yours. After that happens, there’s no going back for either of us.”
My mouth hangs open as he scoops me into his arms and carries me into the bathroom.
Married. To him?
10
ADRIAN
Despite the doctor’s clean bill of health, and her insistence that she’s fine, I try to keep her in bed as much as possible for another week. By the end of it, she’s going stir-crazy, and it grates on my nerves. There is one thing we need to go over before we can complete the ceremony. The ceremony my team has been setting up while I kept her confined so she doesn’t make a run for it. She agreed to our deal, but I’m not sure she has a full understanding of her place in my life now.
I need to ensure she understands, and I need to know exactly what Sal and her father did to her. Both of them will die when I get my hands on them, but I need to know exactly how much pain to inflict before their last breaths leave their bodies. I can already feel Sal’s neck under my hands, and I can’t wait to squeeze his throat until his eyeballs bulge out of his greasy little head.
A hand brushes my shoulder, and I snap my gaze up. Valentina is there with a look of concern etched over her features. “Are you all right? You looked upset for a moment.”
I shake off the reverie and focus on her. Instead of eating in the bedroom, I brought her to the dining room for breakfast today. She gave my stainless steel, granite, and glass décor a quick once-over before sitting down. But I can’t read her well enough to tell if she approves.
We’ve finished eating, and I asked her to remain so we can talk. The staff has cleared out, and my team is still preparing for the ceremony.