“You just want to control everything I do.”
He throws me a smirk that makes me roll my eyes. “I want to guide you. Lead you. You need it. And don’t roll your eyes at me. It reminds me too much of your sister and I don’t like that.”
“I am like my sister. That’s something you should know about me.”
He places two fingers under my chin to tilt my head back. “You are not like your sister. You don’t have to be. Don’t be moody like she is. You can be better. I will help you be better.”
“How?”
“I’ll show you.” He takes me to the master bedroom. The sight of the bed makes me uneasy. I’m going to have to be intimate with him on that bed. Luca is a handsome man, that is not the problem. The problem is that I barely know him. He intimidates me. Frightens me in some ways.
“Here.” He goes into the walk-in closet and comes back out with a silky nightgown. “You are going to put this on. I doubt you want to sleep in your wedding dress all night.”
“Of course I don’t but…”
“But? There are no ‘buts’ in this relationship, Nina. You’ll do as I say. I can tell you need a firm hand. I can provide that for you. You’ll learn to appreciate it. Now, I am going to take your wedding dress off.”
My hands cross over my stomach. “I can take my own dress off.”
“I know you can. But I’m going to do it for you. It’s time you get used to this. When I fed you at the wedding, that was just the beginning. I am going to guide you in everything you do until you become the wife I want you to be. Until you can stand up to your sister.”
“I never asked you to do any of this,” I snap. I may be sweeter than Susanna but that doesn’t mean I don’t have my own bratty side. I used to be just as bad as Susanna was when we were younger. I’ve grown out of a lot of it but some of it still lingers inside of me, especially when I get anxious.
“You don’t have to ask. I am your husband now. We’re doing this, Nina.” With his commanding walk, he moves behind me and places his hands on the button along my spine. My inhale is sharp.
“I don’t want you to control everything in my life.”
“You don’t want it, but you need it. Now, be still.” He begins to unbutton my dress. On instinct, I wrench myself away from him.
“I said no. I can take my own dress off. You’re pushy and rude.”
His eyes narrow. For the first time, I’m seeing the real Luca Moretti. The mafia man. The danger inside of him. “Do you like feeling like this?”
“Like what?”
“Anxious? Uncertain? I can sense it in you, Nina. You’ll like what I can do for you. I assure you.” Without asking my permission, he walks back behind me and quickly finishes unbuttoning my gown before he pushes it off my shoulders. I stand still as my naked body is exposed to him. The only fabric I have covering myself is my underwear and it’s flimsy at best. No bra. I didn’t need one with my dress.
Luca still doesn’t say a word as he moves to stand in front of me. His intense eyes sweep over my body. They darken as they take me in. I’m not sure if it’s lust or anger or a combination of the two.
I cover my breasts.
“Don’t,” he says in a softer tone. “You have a beautiful body. I like looking at it.”
“I don’t want you to look at me.”
“Why not? Are you ashamed of your body, Nina?”
I remember all the times Susanna would comment on my figure. How I wasn’t skinny enough, even though I’m plenty thin. How I was too flat-chested or too short, where she had a fuller figure and more height to her that gave her a model-like appearance.
“I just feel embarrassed,” I admit. “I’ve never done this before.”
“I figured you hadn’t. You’re only nineteen. So young.”
“It’s kind of creepy that you’re so much older than me.”
He smirks again. “Trust me. I tend to go for women closer in age to me. But Alek didn’t have any daughters closer in age to me. Just you and Susanna and I needed to cement my alliance with Alek at all costs. This is a marriage of convenience for both of us. Not love. But that doesn’t mean you should hide your body from me. You don’t have to. You’re beautiful, Nina.”
He picks up the nightgown and holds it above my head. “Lift your arms up so I can put this on you.”
