Page 17 of Beautiful Broken Obsession

Meeting his eyes, the answer is there. The question I had yet was sure I was an idiot for even asking. “Are you mad at the money I wasted?”

An eyebrow goes up. “What money?”

“The money you spent for the scholarship I conveniently received two weeks after I met you. I always wondered. Now that I failed like Carlo knew I would and I’m not continuing on to the vet program, it was all for nothing.” Even now a pang hits me at my failure. At Carlo being right, it was all a waste of money.

He shakes his head. “It was not a waste at all. The money achieved its purpose: it gave you the freedom to continue your education the way you desperately wanted to. You not continuing is not a waste. You tried but did not fail. What would be a waste is continuing aware you hated it simply to prove something to others. You got a bachelor’s degree with honors. Now you have the education necessary to care for and run the rescue—the thing that will truly make you happy.”

I’m not sure if I believe him. My eyes fall from him to Koshka, who stretches up to me, inviting more pets. “Twenty hours a week isn’t nearly enough. Thirty.”

A chuckle shimmers over my sensitive skin. He crosses to me, then he’s on the other end of the sofa. “Twenty hours. I already spent long enough negotiating with your father. We will not negotiate.”

Rolling my eyes, I sigh. “Twenty-five hours a week.”

“Twenty-five hours a week until you are pregnant, then it will be twenty hours a week.” Yellow glows at me.

I hate the way I blush at his mention of me pregnant. “Fine.” I give in more to end this than anything.

His large hand grasps my left hand. There’s that zing of electricity surging through me again. My chest twists at how gently his hand cradles mine, as if it were precious to him. Without a word he slides a ring onto my left ring finger. It’s enormous, not a surprise. That it’s an oval sapphire, so light blue it’s almost silver, is. The diamond halo around it is different, the diamonds are in the shape of marquise and tilted so they look like flames around the center stone.

“This is a sapphire, right?” I ask as I move my hand around, watching the light catch the ring.

Long, elegant fingers run over the back of my hand. “Yes, I went with the one closest to the color of your eyes. Don’t complain about the size, the twenty-two carats are necessary.”

“Twenty-two carats? How the hell is that necessary?” I gasp up at him.

“To ensure anyone glancing at you sees you are very taken and unless they could possibly give you something bigger and better, to keep their eyes moving.” His hand squeezes mine in warning when I try to withdraw it from his. “We marry in thirty-one days.”

“So soon?” I’m not sure if I’m relieved or not he managed to get Carlo to bend to his will. Carlo could be a complete fucker when he didn’t want to do something. If Milos came out on top in the exchange, I can’t help admiring his strength.

“I’m not willing to wait. In exchange for the ridiculous sheets, I will get the month.” There is something in the way he withdraws again, his back meeting the arm of the sofa.

“I’m sorry.” The words are out before I can stop them.

His eyes narrow on me. “What for?”

“Despite what you said, the waste of money on school and the money and concessions Carlo got from you in the negotiations.” My stomach twists at the thought he’ll think this is all too much and not worth it to him.

A shake of his head. “Don’t be. I told you I do not consider the degree you earned a waste. As far as Carlo goes, it’s fine. Dominic kept us from killing each other. The contract is signed but with your father I wouldn’t put it past him to try and renegotiate if he finds out I only ever wanted you from the beginning. Keeping up the pretense we met for the first time today is all I need from you.”

I bite my lip. “I’m not an idiot.”

He nods. “And that’s exactly why I picked you.” Leaning back into the corner of the couch, his arm stretches out like it had on the park bench behind me. “The real heart of the reason mafia marries within mafia isn’t just to keep kingdoms intact, although it is a huge factor. It’s that the women are aware of what it truly takes to run these kingdoms. You won’t ask questions when I have to leave in the middle of the night—you know most of my business will happen in the dark. You’ll raise our sons to be leaders and our daughters to accept this world.”

“Did Anna Kovalenko ask too many questions?” The words are bitter on my tongue.

Is that why he didn’t ask her to marry him? I had hated the thought of him with other women, yet I did my best not to think of it. Those rules he told me helped. No woman were repeated, if they were it never happened twice in a row. But for five long months after he told me to leave and never come back, he was exclusive to her.

I thought I lost him completely. Now he’s ready to marry and procreate, so he’s back. I’m easy, add in I’m the daughter of the Don, and why wouldn’t he pick me? He knows how much I want him, how willing I am to be his little slut. Like he said, why would he want my sister when he could have someone whose body reacted the way mine did to his touch?

Someone who’s already swallowed his immense cock and loved it. I close my eyes against the shame churning within me. Someone who touched themselves to the memory of him using them and fantasies of him doing it again.

His chuckle grates down my spine. All at once I recall the other thing mafia women are raised to be aware of, our men cheat. They have girlfriends by the dozen, and we’re just supposed to accept it the same we do with them coming home with blood on their clothes.

“I won’t put up with you fucking other women. If you do, you aren’t allowed in my bed. I don’t give a fuck how many children you want. I won’t endure the life my mother has lived,” I warn him.

Shaking his head, the grin on his face is wicked and knowing. I’ll put up with whatever the hell he puts me through. It’s what I hate the most. That I’ll be just like my mother, taking whatever scraps of affection he’s willing to give, enduring the humiliation as long as I could have him.

“You keep me satisfied and there will be no other women. I’ll give you the time you need while you are pregnant with our children and after to heal—I won’t seek out another woman during that time. Outside of that you get pissy and continue the bullshit of saying no when you mean yes, and pushing me away when all you want is to hold me close, and I’ll find a woman to satisfy my needs instead of the girl I’ve married.” It’s a warning right back.

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