Page 64 of The Proposal

“Because I said no,” he bites, and my irritation returns.

“I don’t know what has gotten into you tonight, but you’re acting like astronzo.”

He pauses, staring down at me for a beat. “Lift up,” he growls.

“What?”

“Your underwear needs to go.”

“Are you going to ignore what I just said?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

He blows out a long breath before turning his face to the side, avoiding my gaze. “Because I was sitting by that very pool when I was shot … when my father’s brains were blown out, spraying all over my face.”

I gasp. “What?”

“Please don’t make me repeat what I just said.”

I clamber onto my knees and reach for him. “Dante,” I whisper.

“Don’t,” he says, holding up his hands, but I ignore him, sliding my arms around his waist and resting my cheek against his chest as I hold on tight.

“I’m so sorry. If I had known, I never would’ve ventured out there.”

He eventually hugs me back, resting his chin on the top of my head. “I don’t care if you go out there. Just don’t expect me to do the same.”

I feel dreadful. This is one of the downfalls of marrying a stranger—there’s so much about him and his life before me that I don’t know.

“Let’s make a rule that there’s no more talking in the bedroom. It’s distracting me from burying my cock in your sweet pussy.”

“Do you have to be so crude?”

“We are adults, Arabella. It’s how grown-ups speak.”

“Not me.”

“Well, I do, and I’ve never had any complaints in the past.” His words make my stomach sink like it’s made of lead. I’m not naive enough to think I’m his first, but I still hate the jealousy I feel towards the women who came before me. “This is me, warts and all,Bellezza. Take it or leave it. And just to make it clear, you better pick the former.”

Releasing him, I lie back down on the mattress with a sigh, but he continues to gaze down at me, not saying a word.

“What?”

“I’m waiting for you to choose.”

“I just laid down, didn’t I?”

He smiles as he climbs back onto the bed. “Good call, although I wasn’t exactly giving you an option.”

His cockiness has me rolling my eyes. Of course, he wasn’t.

He dips his face, capturing one of my taut nipples between his lips and sucking it into his warm mouth. I clenchmy eyes closed as he moves a hand between my legs, spreading me wide.

My fingers knot in the sheets as he glides the tip of his digits through my slick heat.

“Dante,” I whimper.

---