Page 70 of The Proposal

That darkness inside, the one I keep buried deep, is now simmering just below the surface. It’s a part of me that I rarely let people see. The rage, the bitterness, that sense of being broken in ways I don’t know how to fix.

“Excuse me,” I bark.

“You broke things off with me months ago because you weren’t interested in settling down, and now you’re married?”

I distanced myself from her; there was nothing to break off; we weren’t dating … we were fucking. End of story.

I open my mouth to reply, but Arabella beats me to it. “You may have had a past with my husband, but I am his presentandhis future. So if I were you, I’d remove those cat-like claws from his shoulder unless you want me to smash this bottle over your head”—she wraps her dainty fingers around the neck of the Sambuca bottle, emphasising her words—“and run the jagged edge across that slender throat of yours.”

I recoil, completely stunned by her threat. Is there a darker side to Arabella that I’ve yet to see until now?

My cock instantly swells.

It’s the last thing I expected to hear come out of her sweet, prudish mouth. Something else hits me other than shock: pride. My views may be skewed, and my moral compass grey, but my wife just threatened to cut a woman’s throat purely because I once associated with her.

This unhinged side of Arabella is hot as fuck, but more importantly, it shows she has feelings for me. If she didn’t care, she wouldn’t be jealous, right? I revel in that knowledge because I was hoping these things I’m feeling were reciprocated. I’m pretty sure she just gave me confirmation.

I settle back in my chair and watch in awe as my wife stares up at Bianca with a look that could best be described asmurderous. Part of me wants to step in and stop the situation before it escalates, but I also want to see how this plays out.

Naturally, I’ll step in if necessary. The last thing I want is to see my beautiful wife behind bars. Not that I’d ever let that happen. If I had to, I’d burn down this fucking town. It’s my job to protect her and keep her safe, and I’ll never take that responsibility lightly.

Bianca gasps. “Are you threatening me?”

Arabella lifts her chin, exuding confidence. “Yes, I am. So, if I were you, I’d turn around and walk away before you end up hurt.”

When Bianca remains frozen to the spot, obviously stunned by my wife’s threat, I decide to speak up.

Keeping my voice steady but authoritative, I say, “You heard my wife.” The message is clear … she needs to leave.

Thankfully, Bianca takes the hint as she abruptly turns on her heel and storms off. She only manages to take a few steps before I call her name.

“Hey, Bianca.” She stops and glances back at me. “If you ever pull a stunt like that again, you’re fired.”

She faces forward and continues walking; she knows too well I mean what I say. She was a damn fool to come up here. Not only did I tell her I wasn’t interested in her anymore, but I’ve also been avoiding her for months. That alone should have spoken volumes. Did she honestly think she could stir shit and come between my wife and me? Arabella runs rings around that woman.

I wait until Bianca slides the rope aside and descends the stairs, disappearing from view, before I stand and reach for Arabella’s hand.

“Where are you taking me?” she asks when I don’t head in the direction Bianca just left.

Instead, I move further into the room, specifically towards the private bathroom at the very rear.

I don’t reply until I push the door open and tug her inside. “That display you just put on has me as hard as a rock. I’m going to fuck you,Bellezza.”

“In here?” she says over a gasp.

“Yes, right here,” I reply, locking the door behind me and pushing her back up against it.

She parts her lips to protest, but I quickly cover her mouth with mine, swallowing her words.

My hand moves to the junction of her thighs as I massage her clit through her dress and deepen the kiss. There’s not a single moment that I don’t want this woman, but right now, I need her more than I need my next breath.

It only takes a few swipes of my fingers for her to widen her stance, relax, and begin to relent. She’s got a greedy pussy and is powerless to my touch.

Within minutes, she’s coming undone. I’ve become very familiar with her body and what she likes.

Once I’ve drained the last wave of her orgasm, I pull out of the kiss and manoeuvre her in front of the basin; her back is now facing my front.

My eyes remain fixed on her reflection in the mirror as I hike her skirt up around her hips. Her face is still flushed with her arousal, and those stunning green eyes of hers sparkle like emeralds under the bright light. She’s never looked more beautiful than she does at this moment.

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