Page 37 of When She Loves
Last night, I was surprised he didn’t force me. Even though I suspected he wouldn’t enjoy it, I was sure he’d just get it over with quickly so that he’d have the bloody sheets to show his relatives.
If he had done it that way, it would have been the end of whatever physical attraction I felt for him. As I lay there naked on the bed before him, I thought it was a price I was willing to pay if it meant my body would stop reacting to him.
But he didn’t.
Now, we’re talking to his sisters, and his arm is wrapped securely around my waist. My body responds to his touch like a puppet on strings. I hate myself for it. I’m hyperaware of every absentminded brush of his thumb against my waist as his manly scent envelops me in a dizzying cloud. Since he’s only wearing a black dress shirt and dress pants today, there’s no hiding from the heat emanating from his muscled body.
I finally get a break from him when it’s time to say goodbye to Vale, Dem, Mari, and Giorgio. I take turns hugging all of them and get a bit teary when Vale’s turn comes. She holds me tightly and presses a kiss to my cheek. “Call us, okay? Whenever you get a chance. Gemma is desperate to talk to you.”
“I will.” I’ll probably have to ask Rafaele for permission to call my sister. I don’t even have a phone anymore. It was taken from me when Rafaele first brought me to his house.
My stomach tightens. I can’t believe that this is my new reality.
The next to leave are Fabi and Elena. They congratulate me and make me promise them that I won’t hesitate to reach out if I ever need anything.
“Did you get a chance to meet Vince yesterday?” I ask them, remembering the Switzerland connection between them and my brother. He’s not here today, and neither are my parents. I hadn’t asked why they couldn’t make it, since I’ve had other things on my mind.
“We did, briefly,” Fabi says, smiling. “Turns out we have a few friends in common. Maybe we’ll see him around when we return to Geneva.”
Rafaele says goodbye to his sisters next. I’m surprised to see him slip on his impenetrable mask as he embraces them. Fabi gives him a smile, but Elena only leans into his ear and whispers something that makes his gaze grow cold. What happened between them to make their relationship so strained?
By the time the festivities wrap up, it’s late in the afternoon. Rafaele and I get into a black car that I presume is taking us back to his house.
Five minutes into the ride, I can feel his attention on me. His gaze has the uncanny ability to make me heat up from the inside out.
If he tried to kiss me right now, would I pull back?
Yeah, that’s something I don’t want to test.
I decide to break the tense silence. “So how is all of this going to work?”
He arches a brow. “What do you mean?”
“We’re married. What am I supposed to do now?”
“Whatever you want.”
I roll my eyes. “Yeah, right. Papà recited the rules your women follow to Gemma on more than one occasion, so I’m well-versed in them. I can’t drive on my own, can’t leave the house without guards, can’t go to college or hold a job, and I can’t be friends with outsiders.”
He stares at me, looking as if he’s trying to choose his words carefully. “All of those rules are for your own safety,” he finally says.
I sneer. “All of those rules are there to control me. Do you get off on it? Keeping me under your thumb?”
His jaw hardens. “I am a don, Cleo. I have many enemies. Enemies that are always looking for cracks in my defenses. As my wife, you are now a target. The guards and the driver are there for your protection, whether you believe it or not.”
“Okay, but why can’t I be friends with whoever I want?”
“Because outsiders are the easiest people to compromise. They have no protection against someone in our world who wants to turn them into an asset. You can’t trust any friendship you make from now on. If anything, I’m saving you from heartbreak.”
“Heartbreak? What do you know about that?” I grumble. “You allowed your sisters to go to college. The rules don’t apply to them?”
“It was my father who allowed them, not me. But yes, they have stayed in Geneva with my blessing because until they’re married, it’s far safer for them to be there than here. Abroad, my enemies have far less power than they do here. I have contacts on the ground that keep Fabi and Elena under constant surveillance.”
“Do they know that?”
He doesn’t answer. I scoff. Unbelievable. His poor sisters probably don’t even know that they can’t take a bathroom break without it being reported to their brother.
My chest falls. I can’t live the rest of my life like that. No way. There has to be a way for me to reclaim my independence.
