“What the fuck, Elena?”
The words rip out of me before I can stop them. I step inside instantly, guiding her back with a hand at her waist and slamming the door shut behind us.
Chapter 9
Alessandro looks furious. I have no idea why. His shoulders are tense, his jaw clenched, his eyes darker than I’ve ever seen them. I keep my head down, breath held tight in my chest, bracing myself for whatever is about to happen.
“Why the fuck would you open the door like that?” he snaps.
I flinch, looking down at myself. “Like what?” I whisper.
“Fucking naked, Elena.” He tips his head back and presses his fingers to the bridge of his nose like he’s in physical pain.
My face burns. “I’m sorry,” I rush out. “I thought something was wrong. You were banging on the door. I was taking a bath before lunch.”
I drop my gaze again. “I’ll change. I’m sorry you had to see me like this.”
“What?”
He grabs my arm before I can take a step away. His fingers wrap around my elbow—warm, strong—and heat shoots through me so fast I forget how to breathe. He pulls me closer.
“I don’t want anyone else seeing you like this, Elena. That’s what I meant.” His voice drops lower. Rougher. “It has nothing to do with me seeing you.”
My body betrays me entirely—my breath catching, my lips parting. I bite my bottom lip to hide the reaction. His eyes drop straight to my mouth.
“So…” I swallow, nerves twisting inside me. “It’s not because you’re disappointed with the way I look?”
“What the fuck?” He stares at me like I’ve spoken a foreign language. “Why would you think that?”
My chest tightens with embarrassment, but the truth slips out anyway.
“Because you didn’t sleep with me last night,” I say quietly. “A husband is supposed to sleep with his wife. That’s my duty.”
His hand falls from my elbow. The loss of warmth nearly makes me whimper—But then he’s there, moving faster than I can think.
His palm cups my jaw. His other hand slides to the back of my neck. And his mouth crushes against mine. I don’t even gasp— I don’t have time. Everything inside me explodes. Heat. Electricity. Want.
My hands fly to his chest. My lips part under the demand of his.
This is my first kiss—my first anything—and I melt into him because I don’t know how not to.
He smells like heat and danger and something I’ve never been allowed to crave.
When he finally pulls back, I’m trembling. His forehead rests against mine as he breathes:
“You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen.” His thumb grazes my lower lip. “I can’t wait to have my hands all over you. Worship you. But it will be when you want it, Elena. When you want me.” His voice is a low growl. “Not because you think it’s your duty.”
My knees nearly give out. He steps back abruptly like he needs distance before he does something he can’t take back.
“My cousin, Gianna, will be by after lunch,” he says, breath still uneven. “She’s taking you shopping.”
I blink, confused, dazed from the kiss.
He reaches into his pocket and hands me a black metal credit card—heavy, cold, and gleaming.
“There’s no limit,” he says. “Buy everything you want.”
Buy… what I want? I’ve never been told those words in my life. Before I can respond, he turns toward the door—but pauses, his voice dropping into something darker, possessive enough to send a shiver through me.
