Chapter Five
The following evening, Aria paced the floor of her bedroom. Dante’s offer was appealing. He might be under the impression that she was easily fooled, but she wasn’t. If it came to them having children, an arrangement wouldn’t be made quite so simply. Other women who’d been divorced had been cast out and never got to see their children.
This was a huge risk.
Aria didn’t want to have children, but the thought of seeing the faces of those people gloating at them was a massive temptation. She knew Isabella would warn her about making any kind of deal with Dante.
He was a man of his word, or at least, that was what the rumors were. She didn’t know for sure.
Sinking her fingers into her hair, she blew out a breath as she paced. Several times, she had gone to her door intent on finding Dante, but she would cower at the last hurdle.
None of this felt right and yet, it was kind of exciting at the same time. Aria didn’t want to live a life of misery, where she dreaded Dante’s arrival. They had spoken more in the past couple of days than they had the whole eight months of their marriage.
They had been to so many parties together, standing on opposite ends of the room. She had no choice but to watch the women attempt to draw his attention. What would it be like to be on his arm and not be sent away as if she were some wrongful child? That was how he’d treated her in the past.
Aria didn’t know when she was going to find the time to get that evidence. Her opportunity would arise soon, but until then, did she want to keep feeling this way? Without another thought, she stepped out of her room and made her way toward his office.
At his door, she had a fit of nerves. Doubts were taking over and rushing through her body, but she ignored it, and knocked on the door. At first, he didn’t respond, and she waited just a second and was about to leave as he called out to come in.
She stepped into his office and saw him sitting on the sofa, a tumbler of whiskey in one palm. The other hand rested against his leg. He was still dressed like he had been this afternoon when he followed her in the gardens. The only difference was, the first few buttons of his shirt were open.
“Hello, wife,” he said.
“Are you drunk?” she asked.
“No, this is the first glass, and no, I haven’t topped it off.” He gave the glass a shake. “I’ve had a sip.”
Aria opened and closed her hands into fists. “You’re not drunk.”
“Care to join me in a drink?”
“I don’t drink.”
“You are in for a miserable existence.”
She frowned. “In case you haven’t noticed, a lot of wives are often drunk or on drugs, or on something to help them through their marriage.”
Dante winked at her. “So true. The difference is, you’re married to me, and well, they’re married to miserable assholes. Come to talk to me about my proposition?”
“Yes,” Aria said. She took a deep breath. “I … ugh, I need to know exactly what you’re offering.”
“I told yo u— the chance to be happily married and for us to show a united front. It’s not exactly difficult.”
“And … duty?”
“Yes, we will be having sex as well, but I will be making sure you enjoy it.”
“I don’t think I will,” Aria said.
“You don’t?”
“I don’t enjoy it.” She pressed her lips together, trying to keep the truth at bay.
“Have you noticed, Aria, being married to me, there is a lot about life you don’t enjoy?” he asked.
She had no idea what to say.
“Have you ever considered that I made it that way on purpose?” Dante asked.
“What do you mean?”
“Sex can be amazing. I imagine even a woman’s first time, though painful, can also be one of the best nights of her life. I didn’t prepare you. I hated you and everything you stood for. I blamed you when the truth was, I should have blamed your father and the circumstances. Like me, you didn’t have any say in this. I made your life miserable. I can change all of that.”
“Why would you want to now?” Aria asked.
“Consider it a change of heart and a change of perspective. You’ve intrigued me, Aria. I think that should be rewarded, and well, I’d love to see the look on your father’s face when he sees you and I are happily married. That we’re making the most of it.”
Aria looked at Dante, and then a thought struck her. If her father saw her happy, that might create the opening she’d been waiting for. He might invite her back to the family home and allow her the chance to explore. This was the opportunity she’d been waiting for, and it was so close.
“I’ll do it,” Aria said.
“You agree to it?”
“Yes, it would be nice not to be ridiculed at a party and have people whispering behind their hands at me,” Aria said. “I don’t know how we’re going to convince them.”
“Simple, come here.”
She frowned. “How is that going to convince them?”
“First, Aria, you need to start trusting me.” He patted his lap. “And if you cannot follow an innocent instruction, how are we going to pull this off?”
He was right. She didn’t want him to be right, but she felt an instant fear at the thought of going to sit on his lap.
Taking a deep breath, she clenched her hands into fists and decided to square her shoulders and get this over with. It wouldn’t be long before another social gathering or party happened, and she wanted them to be ready.
She moved toward him, and then as she stood right in front of him, Dante reached for her hand. With one tug she wasn’t expecting, it made her fall against him. Dante used this to his advantage and moved her into position so she was seated on his lap.
“There, that wasn’t so difficult, was it?”
She wanted to argue with him, but instead, she shook her head. No, this wasn’t hard.
She was only sitting on his lap, and then she couldn’t help but jump as his fingers touched her inner thigh, just past her knee, at the hem of her negligee. She hadn’t worn any shorts. Aria suddenly realized she hadn’t thought this one through. She was in his office wearing only a negligee, and now she was on his lap. This might not end as well as she hoped.
“What’s the matter, Aria?” he asked.
“Nothing.”
He started to stroke the inside of her thigh. At first, she felt uncomfortable. She wasn’t used to his touches, not like this, but then seconds passed, maybe even minutes, and the touch changed. She felt how sensual it was, and then he moved up her thigh another inch.
“I’ve been an asshole, Aria, and now I want you to trust me.”
“Okay,” she said. Trust was the last thing she felt, but she had to do this.
He traveled up her thigh and she couldn’t help but stop him by putting a hand directly over his.
“Trust me,” he said. “I can make this feel good. All you’ve got to do is have a little faith.
She knew it was easy for him to say. Sex hadn’t been good. It wasn’t like in the movies or the books. Dante was trying to prove otherwise.
Aria knew this was going to cause a problem. She wasn’t designed to enjoy sex. Some women were, but not her.
Releasing his hand, she squeezed her own into fists and hoped against hope that this ended a lot better than she thought it would.
The way he stroked up her thigh, going toward the apex, right against her pussy. She wore a pair of panties, but Dante didn’t seem to mind them, as he moved them out of the way. Now, his naked palm touched her pussy.
“Relax,” he said.
She hadn’t even realized she tensed up.
He stroked the fine hairs that covered her pussy, and slowly she began to relax, because that wasn’t so bad. When his finger glided through her slit, she wasn’t ready, nor when he grazed her clit. She jerked within his arms.
Dante had already put the glass of whiskey down on the table beside his seat. With his now free hand, he banded it across her waist, stopping her from moving.
“I’ve got you. It’s okay, let your body feel. Relax. You can enjoy this.” He stroked across her clit and Aria couldn’t believe the pleasure that rushed through her body. She wasn’t expecting it.
Her eyes closed as mini explosions seemed to be going off throughout her body.
Dante didn’t hurry with his strokes, he continued to tease her clit and it felt so good. When he did move from her clit and sink down into her pussy, she heard his growl. What she hadn’t expected was her own confused moan as there was pleasure there as well, in every touch.
Her body no longer felt like her own. She didn’t know what to expect, and she loved every second of it. The pleasure was intense, and she didn’t want it to stop.
He drew his fingers back to her clit, and now as he touched she sensed a change. As if he was determined to take something from her, only she didn’t know what until he thrust her over the edge into a pleasure she hadn’t been expecting, but was a welcome surprise.
****
The following day, Dante felt Aria’s gaze on him.
He’d brought her to orgasm last night, escorted her to her room to rest, and then took care of his own pleasure in the bathroom before going to sleep himself. His dreams had been filled with his wife, which was unusual.
Dante hadn’t slept well in years. Not since the first time his family home was invaded by the enemy. The night he had to make his first kill. His father hadn’t been home, but away on business.
One of their enemy mafia families had tried to invade, to take over his father’s turf, to take their domain for their own. Pesci had been expanding for years, drawing their enemies smaller and smaller.
That night, three men attacked his home. Four of their soldiers were killed. Dante was able to raise the alarm, and he killed all three of the me n— one of who had attempted to rape his mother. Since then, he’d not slept well.
He was always reminded of when others could attack. Sleep wasn’t a guarantee, and he was always on guard. In his dreams, he didn’t succeed, and his mother ended up dead, as did his father. Dante never shared these dreams with anyone.
“Talk to me,” Dante said.
“I, uh, have nothing to say,” Aria said, going a bright shade of red that was so freaking cute.
“You have nothing to say?” he asked.
“No, not a single thing.” She now avoided eye contact with him.
Dante found it cute.
She had a lot to say but the truth was, she didn’t know how to start.
“How was your first orgasm?” he asked, to which Aria nearly spat out the mouthful of juice she’d been drinking.
He had come to notice she didn’t eat a lot of food in the morning. Often just a bowl of cereal and a glass of juice. Dante didn’t care much for breakfast, but he had opted for eggs and toast this very morning.
Aria glanced around the room.
“No one is here and even if they were, they’re paid to be silent.”
“Do you really think that works?” Aria asked.
“Yes, I do. I call it loyalty. My soldiers know what is expected of them. Stop avoiding the question.”
“You’re saying these things to embarrass me.”
“No, I’m just curious. Look at me.” She lifted her head. “Did you enjoy it?”
She nodded her head.
“Good,” he said.
“Is it … I mean, is it always like that for a woman?” she asked.
“No, as you know now, it doesn’t always have to be like that. A woman can reach different levels of pleasure throughout sex.”
“Wait, sex can be enjoyable?”
“You do realize that your questions could affect my ego?” Dante asked.
“I think your ego is going to stay intact.” She tucked some hair behind her ear. “Are you leaving today?”
“Eager to get rid of me?”
She rolled her eyes. “Strangely enough, no, I’m not in a rush to force you out of your own home.”
“My home is your home.”
She nodded but didn’t question it. He had a feeling she didn’t believe him.
“As it happens, I was thinking of taking you with me,” Dante said.
“Where?” Aria asked.
“Don’t look so terrified. I’m not going to kill you.” He tutted. “You’ve stayed here for so long. I was thinking we go out. I take you to the city. We go shopping.”
“Shopping? Dante Gallo likes to shop?”
“No, I fucking hate it, but that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t do it for my wife.”
“Ah, so this is all about appearances?” Aria asked. “We know gossip and rumor travels fast.”
“True,” he said, but that hadn’t been the reason he wanted to take her shopping. She didn’t have anything.
He wanted to treat her. Aria had surprised him and he wanted to reward her for it.
They also had an agreement and the best way to get themselves accustomed to each other, was to spend time together.
“I like your thinking. I’m not much of a shopper,” she said.
“Still, I’m sure there are a few things you need.”
In the meantime, while they were in the city, he’d already instructed the maids to move her stuff into his bedroom.
Dante intended to take this new plan very seriously.