Chapter 7
Chapter Seven
Nina
My backside hurts when I sit down on the toilet.
I finish my business as fast as I can and then slip out of my clothes and into a silky nightgown.
It’s another one Luca chose for me. I’m not comfortable changing in front of him yet, even though he’s already spanked me like a naughty child.
In fact, it’s for that reason I can’t change in front of him.
It’s hard to look him in the eye after what he did to me.
Tomorrow, Luca’s guests, including Alek and my mom and Susanna, will be coming over for a small get-together. I’m going to have to be on my best behavior for Luca and I just hope that Susanna doesn’t get under my skin again.
For now though, it’s not Susanna I have to think about. It’s my husband.
I leave the ensuite bathroom to find him taking his shirt off in our master bedroom. Before I can stop myself, I let out a small squeak.
He takes his shirt off and folds it neatly before setting it into the hamper. “You don’t have to be afraid of me, Nina. I’m just changing for the night.”
“I’m still not used to…” I wave my hand towards his body. His very nice body. Seeing him shirtless only reminds me of his hand on my ass. How hard it was. How much it had hurt. And also, how strong he was.
Judging from his muscular chest, he is pure strength. It’s overwhelming. My face lights on fire before I can help myself.
“We’re married now. Might as well get used to it.”
“I’m not sure I ever can.”
He walks right over to me, shirtless and all, and gently grabs my chin and makes me look him in the eye. There’s no hiding when it comes to Luca. “You’re shy around me. Around men. I need to help you get over that.”
“By spanking me again?” I mutter before I can stop myself.
Luca arches his brow. “Attitude, Nina. I don’t like it.”
“Sorry.” His disappointment hurts. I’ve never cared about pleasing people before. It’s why I went along with Susanna so much. But now, for some odd reason, I care what Luca thinks of me. And because of him, I don’t want to be my sister. I want to be better.
“I won’t spank you right away again. I’m sure your ass is hurting from earlier today. In fact, I should take a look at it. Make sure I didn’t hurt you too much.”
“Take a look at it?” I ask, breathless.
“Yes. Get on the bed.”
“Are you going to… touch me?” Am I ready for that?
Will I ever be ready for that? It’s not like I have any hang-ups about sex.
I wasn’t taught that having sex was a sin but I was taught that a good mafia girl waits for marriage.
It’s more that I just don’t know how to act around Luca.
I’ve never been in this position before in my entire life.
“I just want to look at you. Now, do as I say.” His tone isn’t hard. There’s a softness to it that tells me he’s not scolding me. He seems to want to make sure I’m all right.
“I don’t know if I can do what you want me to do.”
“You’re not sure you can be the wife I want? Have you even tried, Nina?”
“No,” I admit.
“Then try.”
He’s right. Luca is my husband now. My new life. My future. I have to try with him. I’ve never given any effort to anyone before in my life.
Well, there’s a first time for everything.
With a shaky breath, I go over to the bed and lower myself onto my stomach. I can sense Luca behind me. His strong presence. The dark aura he gives off. It makes me shiver and tremble and he hasn’t even done anything yet.
His touch hurt me earlier when he spanked me. But it also calmed me in a strange way.
Now, when I feel Luca gently touch the end of my nightgown, I don’t move away. I hold still to see what his touch will be like this time.
He pushes my nightgown up and pulls my underwear down. This time, I’m not panicking like I was. No. This time, I feel the smallest amount of heat making its way up my body and settling between my legs.
That’s when Luca places his hands on my backside. He doesn’t spank me. Instead, he just holds his hands there, not moving or squeezing. Just… there.
The heat that settles between my legs moves over my entire body.
I have to resist the urge to arch my back and move my hips closer to his hands.
I’ve never been given the chance to be around many men in my life to know what I should be feeling but I know enough to know that Luca makes me feel things. Dark things. Exciting things.
He is undeniably handsome, which helps. The longer his hands touch my backside, the more I realize I want him to touch me.
But Luca expects a lot from me. He wants to control my life to make me into the perfect wife for him. Can I be that? Can I give in to him completely and surrender?
I’m not sure I can.
After a long moment, he removes his hands from my backside. “You’re not hurt. You won’t even bruise.”
His hands settle on my upper thighs. A gasp escapes me.
“You have a beautiful body, Nina. I don’t want you to ever be ashamed of it.”
I squeeze my eyes shut. All I can think of is the memories when Susanna would criticize my body. When she would point out every little flaw. It would make me so angry that I would point out all of her flaws. And on and on and on we’d go.
But with Luca, this is my chance to get past all of that. To be more than that.
I open my mouth to ask Luca to touch me in a way I’ve never been touched before but he pulls his hands away before I can get the words out.
He slips my underwear back on and pushes my nightgown down.
I desperately want to ask him why he didn’t touch me but the words get caught in my mouth. Embarrassment floods through me and I sit up and practically dive underneath the covers. Luca doesn’t comment on it and only gets into bed with me like nothing even happened.
I stand beside Luca in a nice simple blue dress that’s light and feminine while we wait for our guests to arrive.
This is a simple get-together and not a formal event which helps take the pressure off but I still need to make Luca proud.
He didn’t mention the spanking he gave me yesterday at all.
Nor did he comment on how he touched me on the bed.
It’s like it never happened and I’m too caught in my head to ask him about it.
My goal today is to make Luca happy so he doesn’t spank me again. And if I’m honest with myself, I want to make myself happy as well. I never feel good when Susanna gets under my skin so today, I can’t let her.
But it’s hard to ignore the annoyance I feel when Susanna shows up at the house with our mom, Alek and Katya. A few other people I don’t know arrive as well. Luca greets everyone with a grace and strength I wish I possessed.
Susanna storms right over to me. I brace myself. “So, did Luca feed you today?”
Alek joins us. “What are you talking about?”
“Did I not tell you?” Susanna asks. “I came over yesterday morning and Luca was feeding Nina like she’s a baby. It was unsettling.”
“That is… unusual,” Alek murmurs.
“It’s nothing,” I say. I’m sure Luca won’t take too kindly to anyone bad mouthing him.
“It’s not nothing,” Susanna says. “He was feeding you like a baby. He treats you badly. You shouldn’t be married to him.”
“Oh? So you can be married to him instead?” I don’t know why the question comes out of me but it does before I can stop it.
She flips her hair over her shoulder. “I don’t want your sloppy seconds.”
Luca comes to stand by me, resting his hand on my lower back. It only reminds me of how he touched me last night and my face turns to fire. “Is there a problem here?”
“No problem,” I say tightly. I may not be able to get Susanna in her place but I can choose not to move into the murk with her.
“Of course there’s a problem,” Susanna snaps. “I don’t like how you treat my sister.”
Susanna’s care for me is all false. She’s only doing this to get the upper hand on me because she hates that I ‘won’ Luca.
“I treat Nina fairly. You can ask her.”
Everyone sets their eyes onto me and it takes everything inside of me not to recoil. “Um…”
“Well, Nina?” Susanna snaps.
“Can you just stop it?” I snap back, unable to help myself. “Stop butting in. I never asked you to. You’re just jealous that Luca chose me. So stop it. You’re embarrassing yourself.”
“Nina,” Luca warns in a serious tone.
I stare back at him with all my anger. “I am trying here but she’s making it difficult.”
“If you can’t get control of yourself, then I will make you get on your hands and knees and stay that way for the entire night.”
“What are you saying?” Alek asks. “You would punish Nina? In front of everyone?”
“It’s not a punishment. It’s discipline. Nina needs to learn that I won’t accept certain behaviors from her. Well, Nina?”
“You can’t be serious,” Susanna mutters. “You’re telling my sister what to do?”
“Just shut up,” I snap at Susanna. “Just stop. God, you’re annoying me.”
She jerks back like I just slapped her. “You have everything now. Stop being so mean to me.”
“Enough,” Luca says in a tone that speaks to no disagreements. “Everyone, into the living room.”
All of us, including my family and Luca’s other guests, go into the living room. It’s clear from everyone’s expression they’re confused about what’s going to happen.
He turns to me. “On your hands and knees. You will stay like that for the entire party.”
“You can’t do that to my daughter,” my mom cuts in.
Luca holds up a hand. “Maria, your daughter is my wife now. You know I can. And I am doing this for her own good. I don’t want her ending up like your other daughter.”
My mom flushes in embarrassment but she doesn’t object. Even she knows that Susanna is a problem. I used to be one myself.
And honestly, I still am in many ways.
I’m not getting out of this one so, with my head held high, I lower myself to my knees and then get into a table-top position.
“There,” Luca says, patting my head like I’m a dog. I have to bite my lip to keep from snapping at him. “You’ll stay right there. If anyone has a problem with this, they can leave.”
“I can’t believe you’re treating my sister like this,” Susanna says. I keep my eyes glued to the ground so I can’t make out her face but I’m sure it’s full of anger.
“I don’t want her acting like you,” Luca tells her calmly. “This is the only way.”
Before Susanna can object, the room goes quiet. With a frown, I lift my head up to see what’s happened.
That’s when I see Gabriel, the man who arrived at our wedding uninvited. The one Luca seemed to have a problem with. His enemy.
Inside our house.
And his eyes are right on me.