"Years?" I barked a laugh. "You must be joking."
His eyes narrowed. "Do I look like I'm joking?"
I set my untouched drink down with a sharp clink. "I won't survive years of this."
"Of what exactly?" He stepped closer, invading my space with his height, his scent, his sheer presence. "Living in luxury? Being protected? Having every whim catered to?"
"Of being owned."
Something flashed in his eyes—a darkness I couldn't name.
"You're not owned. You're protected. Big difference."
My father had said something similar once—cold, dismissive, final."Love is a weakness. Loyalty is currency."That day I stopped hoping for freedom. And now here I was, being positioned again.
"Semantics from a man who just branded me with his family name." I curled my lip.
His gaze dropped to my mouth, lingered there. "The Romano name keeps you alive."
"At what cost?"
Luca didn't answer, just knocked back his whiskey and set the glass down with controlled precision. He unbuttoned his cuffs, rolling up his sleeves to reveal forearms corded with muscle and marked with intricate tattoos. My eyes tracked the movement against my will—the flex of tendon, the dark ink swirling across olive skin. Even this simple act felt deliberate, dangerous.
Heat flickered low in my belly, unwanted and infuriating.
The silence stretched between us, charged with everything we wouldn't—couldn't—say. The same electricity that had sparked in the chapel crackled in the air now, setting my nerves on fire.
"You think you can defy me, Sienna?" Luca's voice was low, dangerous, his Eastern European accent rolling over the words like thunder.
He took a step closer, expensive suit jacket hanging open, and I caught his scent—expensive cologne layered over something darker, more primal. Something that made my traitorous body want to lean in instead of back away.
"You think you can run from what's meant to be?"
I lifted my chin, meeting his gaze with a defiance I didn't feel. The problem was, defiance was becoming harder to sustain when he waslooking at me like that—like I was something he wanted to devour. And worse, when some traitorous part of me wanted to let him.
"I'm not yours to control, Luca. This marriage is a sham, and we both know it." My voice trembled, despite my efforts to keep it steady.
I was trapped, bound by circumstances beyond my control, forced into this fake marriage to prevent a war between our families. But Luca... Luca was a wild card, unpredictable and ruthless. And he wanted more than just a political alliance.
At least Isabella was safe at boarding school, away from all this. Surrounded by teachers and security I'd personally vetted. That was the only silver lining to this nightmare—my baby sister was protected, even if I wasn't.
Luca's lips curled into a smirk, his eyes flashing with a dark intensity. "A sham, is it? Then why do I feel your heat from across the room, Sienna? Why do I see the way you look at me when you think I'm not watching?"
He took another step, closing the distance between us, his presence overwhelming. "You can't hide it from me. I know what you want."
I swallowed hard, my throat dry. Luca's words struck a chord deep within me, resonating with a truth I tried to deny. My pulse hammered in my throat—he was close enough now that if he reached out, if he touched me, I wasn't sure I could maintain this facade of hatred. And that terrified me more than anything he'd done tonight. There was an undeniable attraction between us, a raw force that drew us together like magnets. But it was complicated, tainted by the circumstances of our union.
I wanted to hate him, to resist the pull, but it was becoming increasingly difficult.
"You're mine, Sienna," he growled, his voice a rough whisper. "And it's time you accepted it."
Before I could respond, Luca's hands were on me, his touch impatient and demanding. He gripped the expensive fabric of my dress, his fingers digging into the delicate material as he tore it with a sharp tug.
The sound of ripping silk filled the air, a violent, sensual noise that sent a shiver down my spine. My breasts were exposed, the cool air caressing my sensitive skin, and I gasped, eyes widening as Luca's mouth descended.
Before I could catch my breath, he lifted me, his strength absolute as he carried me the few steps to the bed. My back hit the mattress, and he followed me down, his body covering mine, trapping me beneath his weight.
His lips closed over my nipple, his tongue swirling, his suction hard and insistent. I arched off the bed, my hands grasping at the sheets, my body responding to his touch despite my best efforts to resist. Luca's mouth was hot, his teeth grazing my skin as he suckled, his hands roaming over my body, mapping every curve.
