Chapter 11
Chapter Eleven
Nina
It’s not until hours later, after I’ve stopped fighting and finally gave in, that Luca comes back into the room.
I glare at him. He shot Dimitri. And while I have no love for Dimitri, I do care for Katya and I know she’s in pain right now and I have no way of talking to her.
I have no way of knowing if Dimitri is all right.
Either way, Luca just started another war and how am I supposed to be ok with any of that?
Without a word, he unties me from the bed. I groan when I lower my arms. They’re achy from being held above my head for so long.
“I know I was angry,” he says. “I’m not normally. But I couldn’t stand by and do nothing while Dimitri kidnapped you. He could have hurt you.”
“I get that,” I say, now that some of the fight has left me. “But you scared me, Luca. I don’t really know who you are. I don’t know what you’re capable of.”
“I know. But now you know. I will fight for the people in my life and you’re one of them. You’re my wife now, Nina. I do care for you.”
His words send a heat through my body, making my heart skip a beat. “Do you care for me because of me? Or just because I’m your wife?”
He sits down beside me on the bed. “You are my wife. Isn’t that enough?”
I can’t answer him because it’s not enough. I want Luca to care for me for me and not just because of what I represent.
“I am sorry I tied you to the bed,” he says. “I only did it to help calm you down. To help discipline you. The way you were acting is not what I want in a wife.”
“But I am who I am, Luca. You can’t force me to be someone I’m not. You want me to bend to your will but maybe you need to think about bending to mine.”
“I have never bent to anyone’s will before and I don’t plan on starting now.”
It’s clear my husband is stubborn. Luca will never change his mind. So how can I ever be truly happy with him? Because I know I have to stand by his side through all of this. I can’t choose Alek or Dimitri. They’re not my husband.
“Is Dimitri alive?” I ask.
“From what I know, yes. He is.”
“So, he’ll only be angrier.”
“Yes. But I can handle Dimitri. I won’t let him hurt you.”
By starting another war. Which could put Alek in danger. It could put Katya in danger. It could put me and Susanna in danger.
Susanna was concerned for me when Dimitri stole me away. I have to let her know that I’m all right.
“I need to call my sister.”
“I already called her a few hours ago and let her know I got you back. I didn’t want her storming over here.”
I sink down onto the bed. “That’s good at least.”
Luca settles his hand on my leg, which draws all of my attention to him. “You are mine, Nina. Don’t forget that.”
For some reason, his words send a heat through me that I never knew I could feel for a man who just shot someone. But it’s there. Luca’s power is strong. It’s sexy. And I can’t unsee it.
I sit back up, drawing closer to him. “How could I ever forget?”
With a smirk, he grabs my chin and brings our lips together in our first real kiss. The small peck at our wedding was barely anything. But this kiss is all consuming. Powerful. Intense and exhilarating.
He continues to kiss me as he lowers me onto the bed. “Let me show you that you’re mine,” he says against my lips.
Maybe it’s the craziness of the day but I find myself nodding.
He pushes my dress up and pulls my underwear down. But this time, it’s not my backside he’s looking at. It’s my most intimate area. With his eyes right on me, Luca brings his hand between my legs and cups me. I gasp.
On instinct, my hips buck up to meet his hand. It feels good. Almost too good in a scary kind of way.
Luca never looks away from me as he begins to run his fingers over my folds. When they find my sensitive nub, I cry out.
“No man has ever touched you here,” he murmurs, sounding very pleased with himself. “And no other man will touch you here. Is that clear?”
“Yes,” I gasp. I know I’m with Luca for life. That’s what being a good wife means.
“Have you ever made yourself come?”
“Yes,” I say with a blush. His smirk only makes me hotter.
“Good. Then I want you to come for me.” He presses his fingers harder against my nub. Rubbing and flicking and gently moving it around. My hips rise up and down to match his pace. Nothing has ever felt better than this.
Even though I hated being tied to the bed, it did something strange to me: it made me calm enough to talk to him.
That’s the power Luca has over me. He knows how to play with me and that’s dangerous and terrifying but I can’t deny that I have never felt more protected in my life.
Luca will protect me no matter how bad things get.
He rubs me more firmly until I can’t take it anymore. The rising heat in my stomach reaches a crescendo and my orgasm hits me quick.
Luca pulls his hand away with another smirk. “You are mine, Nina. Never forget it. I can make you happy. You just have to give in to it.”
The scary part is: I can see myself giving in fully to Luca. It’s just a matter of time.