Chapter 37
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Rayna
The pink chrome Lamborghini is fucking beautiful, even if I’m a little too scared to drive it just yet.
And the six-hundred thousand dollar price tag should get Apollo to shut up about money for a little bit.
I don’t know why I enjoy defying him so much, but I suppose giving him exactly what he’s asked for is a new strategy.
I’m quite pleased with myself for this idea.
“I feel honored to be a part of this little mission,” Elio tells me, putting my new baby into park. “But if you’re expecting him to freak out, you’re going to be disappointed. He’ll probably be just as pleased as you look right now.”
My smile drops. “You don’t think I spent enough to make him mad?”
He chuckles, patting the top of my knee. “Rayna, you’d need more than a day to spend enough money to shake him.”
“Then what the heck did I do this for?” I ask, throwing my arms up. “This was supposed to be me making him eat his demands.”
“You had fun, didn’t you?” he challenges, arching a brow. “You like ticking him off and pushing his buttons, but you also enjoyed spending the money. You almost bought two, I saw you eyeing that Rolls Royce.”
“It was white,” I mutter, ignoring his other point.
“You could have had it wrapped.”
“I’m impatient.” I huff, grabbing my door handle to get out. “I did have fun though. Do you think Apollo could pretend to be upset with me? If I have to see his smug little smile, my mood will be ruined.”
“You two have the weirdest way of flirting with each other,” he says with a laugh, getting out of the car with me. “I never know if you’re going to rip each other’s heads or clothes off at any given time.”
“You’re the only person who would call it flirting.”
“That’s just because I know you two the best.”
I huff, folding my arms while glancing at him. “That’s debatable.”
I’m not sure who I could argue knows us better. There’s only a few people I would consider close to both me and Apollo. Maybe Leon, but Elio is around us more often, I think.
“Holy shit, Rayna!” a new voice exclaims. My head snaps to the side, finding Yordan jogging out of the Moretti home. “Did you buy yourself a fucking Lambo?”
“How do you know it’s not Elio’s?” I ask, throwing him a teasing grin.
“It’s your favorite color and Elio already has one of these,” he answers, coming to a stop at the new car. His eyes scan the vehicle with peaked interest, and something akin to approval.
“Maybe I bought it for you,” I suggest coyly, lips curling up on one side. “Or maybe it’s an engagement gift for Apollo.”
Yordan bursts into a hearty laugh. “Oh, I’d pay to see you give him this.”
Elio snorts in reply. “I wouldn’t. He’d drive it around without a single fuck given. No one would dare to comment on the color of Apollo’s car.”
My brother thinks about it and hums. “Yeah, actually that sounds right. He’s better than me.”
“Oh?” I lift a brow, lifting my keys. “So you don’t want to take it for a spin?”
“Well, I didn’t say that—”
“It’s not too pink for your fragile masculinity?”
“My masculinity is not fragile,” he protests, hands on his hips. “I would just prefer another color if it was mine. But I mean, if it’s my sister’s, I should probably give it a test drive. To make sure it’s safe.”
“How chivalrous of you,” I drawl, rolling my eyes. “You can drive it if Elio goes with you and Apollo says it’s okay.”
“It’s your car and Apollo has to say it’s okay?” His nose crinkles. “You know, if you’re the one adopting me, shouldn’t you be in charge?”
“I don’t know shit about cars,” I tell him patiently. “And as the adult adopting you, I’m responsible enough to consult the people who do. Apollo will know if it’s safe to let you out in this thing. I have no idea what the differences are between my car and yours. What if mine is dangerous?”
Yordan opens his mouth like he’s about to explain every difference between his birthday car and my brand new one, but he can’t get a word in before he’s interrupted.
“When I told you to spend money, I expected you to buy yourself something you’d actually like and enjoy having.” All three of us turn at the sound of Apollo’s voice, finding him strolling over to our spot in the driveway.
“I do like it,” I quip, a smile growing. “I like that it means you’re not happy after commanding me to do something.”
“I didn’t say I wasn’t happy.” He scans my face, blue eyes searching. “You’ll get the hang of it eventually.”
My jaw tightens, fists twitching at his implication. He turned my act of defiance into a failure meant to be taken as a lesson in improving. I take a menacing step toward him, heels clacking on the cement.
“You little—”
“Elio,” Apollo says suddenly, cutting me off. “Take Yordan out for a drive, won’t you? Rayna and I need a word.”
“Don’t have to tell me twice,” his brother agrees, snatching the keys from me and tossing them to Yordan. “Let’s get out of here before they start making out.”
“Gross,” Yordan grimaces. “They don’t actually do that, do they?”
“Oh, you sweet summer child.”
The two of them make record time speeding out of the driveway, leaving me alone with my prick of a fiancé.
“You are the most infuriating motherfucker, do you know that?” I demand, eyes flaring. “I don’t have to get the hang of anything. Spending money isn’t some skill I need to hone because your kink is rich girls.”
Apollo isn’t fazed by the name calling, nor my anger. “Similarly, I don’t need to piss you off because your kink is arguing with me.”
I flush beet red. “It is not!”
“What did you think I would do, micina? Did you think I would get upset about a luxury purchase? Did you mean to make me eat my words; to regret telling you to spend more money like it was a requirement? Did you think I would punish you?”
My head rears back. “Punish me? I—who do you think you are?”
“Your soon-to-be husband,” he answers, tilting his head slightly to one side. “The man who’s realizing that you don’t hate the idea of being spoiled, you dislike the concept of being instructed to spoil yourself.”
“You think you’re so smart—”
“Turn around.”
“—you, what?” I sputter.
“Turn. Around.”
My heart races, beating wildly in my chest. “Stop telling me what to do.” It’s meant to be a yell, but it comes out more like a rasp.
A glimmering band of silver comes out of his pocket, held between two fingers. Diamonds glisten under the afternoon sun, and my breath catches.
“Turn around, micina selvatica.”
I can’t even find it within myself to be annoyed that he’s once again referring to me as a feral kitten. My feet move before I even know it’s happening, shifting my body so that my back faces Apollo.
I feel him lean closer, his breath brushing the shell of my ear. “There’s my sweet girl,” he says, voice low and deep.
I shiver as he gathers my hair back, moving it out of his way. The stunning necklace in his hands moves past my face, wrapping around my neck, the cool metal laying gently against my skin. It’s heavier than I expected, but not uncomfortably so.
When Apollo finishes the clasp, he drops my hair, reaching for my hips instead.
He uses his new grip to spin me back around, his eyes immediately fixed on my chest, on his gift.
My throat feels tight, nerves rolling through me while I sit under his gaze.
He’s so intense, it makes my core tighten with anticipation and uncertainty.
“Beautiful,” he comments, sincerity evident in his tone. “Do you like it?”
“It’s lovely,” I admit softly. “I don’t know what I did to deserve it, but it’s lovely all the same. T-thank you.”
“You woke up this morning,” he replies, almost stern. “You breathed the air, and you continued to exist, allowing me to witness it in the process. That’s what you did to deserve it.”
I blink at him, swallowing tightly. “I don’t even know what to say to that, Apollo. This is not how I expected today to go.”
“Mmm,” he hums, tucking a bit of hair behind my ear. “That’s right, you never answered my question. How did you expect me to react when you threw a fit and bought a car you didn’t even really want for over half a million dollars?”
I can feel something passing between us, something hot and greedy.
“Maybe I thought you’d be upset enough to bend me over the hood and spank me,” I murmur, just loud enough for him to hear. “Maybe I wanted you to lose control for once.”
“I’m flattered that you think I’m always in control, Rayna,” he says, lips curving up.
“But I assure you, I lose control quite often where you’re concerned.
You think I was in command of my senses when I first kissed you?
Or last night when you pushed my cum into your needy little pussy against my protests?
I nearly did some very, very bad things to you, love. ”
I almost squeak as he grabs my ass, pulling my closer. “The four times you fucked me after weren’t the very, very bad things?”
“Not even close. The things I want to do to you…” His head shakes. “We’re not ready for.”
My lips turn down. “You think I can’t handle you.”
“I said we’re not ready for,” he argues. “You don’t fully trust me to protect you, and I don’t trust you not to run when things get messy.”
“And you think that’s going to change?”
His hands move up from my ass, dragging to the center of my back, holding me firmly. “Oh, I know it will.”
Doubt shifts my expression and creeps up my throat. “When exactly do you expect this to happen?”
“Our wedding night,” he replies, so sure of his words. “Once we say vows, it will be real. You won’t be able to hide in your denial about what exactly we’re doing here. It will be entirely clear what’s happening between us.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I step back.
He lets me. “No need to be skittish, love. Back to the topic at hand, I was trying to explain that you don’t need to spend money if you don’t want to. I’ll do plenty of it for the both of us from now on.”
Unsure what to say, I settle on, “Knock yourself out.”
“Oh, don’t go cold on me already,” he says, almost pouting. “There’s plenty of cars I can bend you over to paint your ass red, if you’re still fishing for a little spanking, love.”
“Maybe I’m not in the mood anymore.” A lie.
Apollo gives me a searching look, head tilted. “There might not be another time that Yordan is gone.”
Temptation builds, but softening back up seems impossible. “I thought you said you were in charge when it came to sex. Why are you giving me a choice at all?”
His eyes go round and dark. “Oh, Rayna, if that’s how you want to play, we can play that way.”
“You sure?” I ask, sounding much more confident than I feel. “Because I’m hearing a lot of talking and not much else.”
“If you want me to use you whenever, however I want, then you need a safe word. Something you can say when you actually aren’t in the mood, and you’re not just being a little brat for attention.”
I inhale sharply through my nose. Why is it thrilling and also provoking when he calls me that?
“How about dickhead,” I suggest, trying to sound innocent.
His eyes narrow, hands flexing like he’s itching to get them back on me. “It’s meant to be a word you wouldn’t typically say.”
“Fine,” I mutter, pretending to be put out. “Kiwi, then. I’m allergic so I’d never say that during sex.”
He stiffens. “You’re allergic to kiwi?
“Yeah, so what?”
“You didn’t tell me.” His voice is hard, an edge to it I didn’t expect. “These are things I need to know, Rayna.”
“Why?” I ask, throwing my hands up. “It’s not severe. I don’t even have an EpiPen for it anymore. Why do you look so upset?”
“I’m going to turn your ass red, and it’s not going to be about your stunt today,” he snaps, almost growling. “And then I’m going to get you a fucking EpiPen and make sure there is no goddamn kiwi in this house.”
My mouth falls open, surprised that he’s so concerned with my mild fruit allergy.
I’m about to tell him that it’s entirely unnecessary for me to have an EpiPen when kiwi is such an easy allergen to avoid, but I can’t get the words out before he’s lifting me up.
I’m thrown over his shoulder with a whoosh, and a surprised squeak falls from my lips.
“You’re overreacting—ouch!”
My behind stings from the heated slap he’s just landed there.
“Not another word out of you,” he commands. “Not until you’re apologizing for keeping vital health information to yourself and my hand fucking burns from spanking your bratty little ass.”