‘What about you?’ I ask, allowing a chill to enter my voice. ‘What you want doesn’t concern me.’
Her gaze narrows even further, turning calculating, which is fascinating, though I’m not sure why. Perhaps it’s because while I can read most of her emotions, I can’t tell what she’s actually thinking, and it’s strange to realise that I want to know. ‘So, if I wanted to take a lover myself you wouldn’t care?’ she asks, the gun still firmly pointed at me.
A sharp feeling knifes through me and it takes me a second to process what it is. Jealousy. But no, surely not? I’m territorial, it’s true, but as long as she’s discreet, what does it matter if she takes a lover? I don’t care. My father was a jealous man, but I am not.
Yet a part of me, the wolf, cares and it’s insisting that she’s mine. It won’t tolerate another male anywhere near her.
Her sharp green eyes glitter and I know she’s spotted my hesitation, and before I can speak, she says, ‘As per usual, a man is free to do whatever he wants, but not a woman.’ The muzzle of the gun lowers slowly from my face, tracking a line right down to…fuck. ‘How would you feel if I shot off your dick?’ She’s all determination now. ‘Not so manly now, hmmm?’
The wolf in me growls in approval at her bravado, but the man is not amused. In fact, the man is now actively pissed off, because this ridiculous conversation has been going on much longer than he wanted, and he has things to do.
‘You can have lovers,’ I say impatiently, crushing my strange jealous feelings. ‘You can have as many as you want, I don’t give a fuck.’
‘Yes, you do,’ she disagrees. ‘Don’t deny it, I saw you hesitate.’
‘Caterina,’ I begin.
‘I don’t trust you,’ she says, ignoring me. ‘So, know this. If you don’t want me to have lovers, then you can’t have any either.’
I give a short laugh and take a step into the room, my patience rapidly thinning. ‘I’m not a monk,gattina,and I have no intention of living like one.’
She doesn’t move, the gun still pointed in the direction of my fly. ‘Well, you’ll have to figure out how, won’t you?’
My anger flares and holding her gaze with mine, I take another step. ‘Are you sure that’s a good idea?’ I ask silkily. ‘That would mean living under the same roof as a very hungry wolf. Who sees you as prey.’
Her eyes widen as she understands my meaning. The colour of them is truly astonishing, green as grass and with gold glittering in the heart of them.
I take another step, halfway to her by now, and she doesn’t seem to realise that I’m stalking her. Coming slowly closer to grab the gun from her hand. At least, that was my plan, but now I’m fascinated by the colour of her eyes. So green, they can’t be real. Pretty, pretty eyes.
The gun shakes slightly, but she doesn’t look away. Her pupils are dilating and now I can see the pulse at the base of her throat, just above the neckline of her sweatshirt. It’s racing. Is it with fear? Or something else?
She swallows. ‘Y-you said you didn’t want me in your bed.’
‘Perhaps I do.’ I take another step. ‘In the absence of anyone else, I could be persuaded.’
‘Stop,’ she says, her voice husky.
But I don’t stop, because I’m already there, reaching out to take the gun from her shaking hands as she stares up at me, eyes wide, pupils fully darkened with something that definitely isn’t fear.
Except she doesn’t let go of the gun. Despite those wide eyes, nothing is going to deter her. ‘Cancel your mistress,’ she says. ‘Do it.’
I could pull the gun from her hands, it wouldn’t be difficult. But the safety is off and I’m not fully convinced she wouldn’t actually shoot me by accident, so I don’t take it. Instead I ask, ‘Why?’ And it’s a genuine question, because I don’t understand why this particular thing is important to her.
‘You married me,’ she says. ‘You didn’t have to, but you did, so you have to bear the consequences. And those are that you respect me enough not to screw another woman on our wedding night.’
Chapter Seven
Caterina
HE’S HOLDING ONTOthe gun with strong fingers and surely he must know he could pull it out of my grip at any time and with ease. But he’s not.
He’s a terrifying figure standing so close, towering over me in a way that most men don’t since I’m tall for a woman. But it’s not just his height, it’s the width of his powerful shoulders and the breadth of his chest. He’s hard-muscled and strong, and I don’t know why any part of me is noticing that, but it is. Just as it’s noticing that scent of smoke and cedar too, warm and musky and masculine.
He hypnotised me with his silver gaze, stalking me slowly, and even though I wanted to, I couldn’t make my finger pull the trigger.
I don’t know what I’m trying to get out of him, because why should I care if he wants to sleep with his mistress tonight? Maybe it’s only that with the gun, I can get some power back, because he has it all. I want him to acknowledge me as a person, not just a pawn he’s using in his game with my father, because I’m so tired of being that pawn.
I want him to understand what he’s doing to me in marrying me. I want him to know that I have opinions and thoughts and dreams, and he’s just another man taking them all away from me.
