I want to punch myself in the face for even hoping she’ll deny it, for wanting her to say that everything she did was because she cared for me. The fact that this woman’s feelings matter so much to me makes me want to set myself on fire.
She lets out a heavy sigh, her frustration palpable, and looks away from me. I watch her in silence for a moment before forcing the words out of my mouth.
“About the other night…it wasn’t what you think.”
She spins to face me, her voice full of mockery. “Oh really? So I hallucinated twenty-six men standing there in their underwear, ready to—”
I don’t let her finish that sentence. “I already told you, no one was allowed to even look at you. I didn’t think you’d react the way you did.”
Her choked laugh is bitter. “Really? You thought I’d just strip off my clothes without a fuss and throw myself at them out of lust? Sorry to disappoint you by reacting differently and ruining your expensive suit in the process.”
The veins in my temples throb. I swallow my pride and say the words I know will shock her.
“I’m sorry. I went too far.”
Disbelief is written on her face, as if she’s witnessing a miracle. I press on before she can recover.
“We didn’t start under the best circumstances. We don’t understand each other, and we both have bad tempers. Let’s start over. Clean slate.”
She swallows hard and averts her eyes, breaking the tension for a moment. My gaze drops to her tits through the dress, like it’s got a will of its own, lingering on the perfect curves that I want to pull into my mouth and savor. My hand drifts down, brushing over the tightness in my pants. I try to shake the thoughts. I could have her now, bury myself to the hilt in that sweet, pink heaven, but I won’t. Not like this.
I push forward a bit. “I admit I went too far, Lucia. But don’t ever forget, I’m not a forgiving man. Every mistake has its price. I want you to always remember that no one crosses me and gets away without paying for it.”
She brushes a lock of golden hair behind her ear. The sight of her delicate, soft earlobe sends a jolt through me. God, how I’d love to taste it right now.
“Then don’t expect forgiveness from me either.”
Her words barely register, my mind still caught in the storm of her presence.
“What?”
“If I get punished for my mistakes, you should be punished for yours too. I have just as much right to discipline you as you do me.”
A slow, crooked grin spreads across my face, but inside, chaos reigns. This sharp-tongued woman just backed me into a corner, and I can’t argue without contradicting myself.
“Looks like you didn’t escape Pietro DeLucci’s genes after all. Smart and shrewd, just like him.”
She ignores my remark, her focus unwavering. “So…do we have a deal?”
That’s it. In a flash, I lunge forward and pin her to the couch. My face buries itself in the curve of her neck as I inhale deeply, intoxicated by her scent. Her hand presses against my chest, attempting to push me away, but I don’t budge.
I press a wet kiss onto her soft skin, grabbing her hand and guiding it to the bulge straining against my pants. My voice dips low as I whisper in her ear, “I can make it up to you in another way.”
“By pleasuring yourself? You really did inherit the Bruni brains.”
I lift my head, one eyebrow arched as I meet her gaze. “Still want to claim you don’t enjoy me? That I owe you twenty-six orgasms?”
My teasing tone does nothing to dissolve the fear pooling in her eyes. Her response is cautious but resolute. “No. But I can’t be with you right now.”
My brow furrows as I press her hand firmly against my arousal. “Why not?”
She hesitates, choosing her words carefully before saying, “I need more time to forget what happened that night.”
“So, you want to punish me by withholding sex?”
She pulls her hand back, and this time, I let her. Frustration flares hotly in my chest as I pull away, trying to smother the fire raging within me.
Using her arm as support, she sits up, her voice steady yet weighted. “No, Tony. I’m not trying to punish you with sex. I’m just angry. Angry because you endangered our baby, humiliated me, and scared me half to death. I accept your apology. I’m not stupid, I know I’ll be tied to you for the rest of my life. I even appreciate your offer to start over, and I’m open to it. But for me to let you touch me again, for me to want your touch, I need some time. That’s all.”
