Santino looked as if he was torn between kissing and killing me. I should have been wary of his wrath like any sane person would have been but desire simmered in my veins. Nothing compared to the flood of desire I felt whenever I saw Santino抯 furious expression. He was like a caged beast梬ild, furious, untamed.
He was the wild ride I needed before marriage and Clifford抯 political career caged me in, before life became a string of duties and pleasant kisses.
Santino desired me. Maybe he didn抰 dare admit it to himself, much less show it, but I could see it in his eyes. In a few months, I抎 be of age, and I knew deep down that then all bets would be off. Like Santino had said, eventually he抎 give in. It was only a matter of time and my perseverance.
I lowered my voice to a seductive whisper. 揑 think it抯 because you抮e pissed at yourself for wanting me. And you抮e even more pissed that Clifford kissed me first.?
Santino looked ready to explode. 揧ou棓 He cut himself off. 揊uck it.?He grabbed my neck and jerked me toward his body.
Our lips clashed. All the air left my lungs. The kiss was overwhelming. A wild rollercoaster ride of teeth, lips, tongue. Santino demanded I let him steer this crazy joy ride, and I relinquished my control, knowing the ride would be worth it.
His eyes blazed with fury. He wanted to resist. But he couldn抰。
His grip on my neck tightened and the kiss became even harder. His body pressed into mine, forcing me a step back, toward my bed.
My mind went into overdrive, and my stomach filled with nerves and excitement.
Suddenly Santino released me and I almost fell back on the bed.
I gasped for air when his lips no longer held me captive. He glared, his eyes hooded and furious, his lips parted, breathing harsh. 揟hat抯 a kiss.?
揘o,?I got out. This wasn抰 just a kiss.
Santino narrowed his eyes.
揟hat was unbridled fury wrapped in a kiss. This was a revelation.?
Santino shook his head. 揑f you like angry kissing, you抣l love angry fucking.?He trailed off, a look of regret passing his face. But he couldn抰 take the words back.
揑 bet,?I whispered. Hearing Santino for once use the word in the actual sense sent an excited shiver through my body.
He stepped back, his jaw clenching. 揑t won抰 happen again. It shouldn抰 have happened in the first place.?
揃ut you wanted it to happen, and what you really regret is that you didn抰 get my first kiss. You didn抰 want it, so Clifford got it.?
Santino took a deep breath. 揌e抯 your future husband.?
揅lifford doesn抰 care whom I kiss, or if I do more before marriage.?
揑 don抰 care what Cliffy allows or not. I抦 a soldier of the Outfit and abide by our rules.?
I snorted. 揟ell that to Mr. Alfera.?He banged the wife of a captain and he wants to tell me about rules?
揟hat抯 irrelevant. I won抰 be your plaything until you seal the bond with Clifford.?
揥hy not? You抳e been the plaything of married women before but you can抰 be my plaything??I hated the word but Santino had started it. 揅lifford is having fun before marriage, why shouldn抰 I??
Santino shook his head with a frozen expression. 揗ake sure you get your father off our trail. Make him believe you抮e a good girl and I抦 your dutiful bodyguard.?
揑 probably would have been more convincing before you sexed my mouth.?
揧our lying skills are above par. You抣l do fine,?he muttered then turned on his heel and left but not before dropping my cell on the floor with a heavy clung.
I let out an enraged cry. Then I stared up at the ceiling, listening to my pounding pulse and racing heart, feeling the dampness between my legs and the heat in my belly. If this was what a kiss from Santino did to me, I understood why Mrs. Alfera had risked her husband抯 wrath for a quickie with him. My chance at freedom had an expiration date. Whatever I wanted to experience, I needed to do it before I married Clifford. I needed to soak up all the adventures I could. Love wasn抰 written in my stars. But I wanted lust and excitement, danger and joy. I wanted to collect a myriad of memories before my future caught up with me.
I was drawing in my room, playing around with different variations of an evening dress. The scratching of my pencil on paper always calmed me. Our kiss had left me restless.
I wanted more. I also wanted to pay Santino back for being a dick, which was at odds with my first want, or maybe not.
I crumpled the paper. I couldn抰 focus on drawing.
揂nna!?
I groaned.
揂nna!?Steps akin to a charging rhino, thundered upstairs and toward my door.
揂nna!?
I sighed.
The door burst open and Leonas appeared in the doorway.
揥hat??
He smirked and leaned against the doorframe, waving a letter in front of him.