Page 27 of Relentless Oath
He whispered in my ear, “You’re not going to go anywhere. And you will respect me. From this moment on, I own you. Your every move. Your every breath. Your every thought is mine. I tried to be nice and accommodating, but if you want to behave like an errant child, I’ll treat you like one. Say goodbye to your freedom.”
“Maybe I should have just chosen prison.”
“There’s still time for that.”
I was seething, but what could I do? He was right…for now. I just needed time to think, to come up with a plan.
The night continued to be unremarkable. We danced a few times, and eventually, all his guests vacated the premises.
There was tension in my shoulders as I realized that we were the only people left on the island. Even the caterers, housekeepers, and waitstaff were gone. All I could think about was that this was our wedding night. Clearly, he wouldn’t expect…
I was ashamed of my own thoughts. He was good-looking and great with his hands…his tongue…his mouth.
I stopped myself. I couldn’t think about him that way. He was my enemy.
“I’m guessing you’re tired.”
I hadn’t been expecting him to care. “I could use some sleep,” I said begrudgingly.
“Follow me.”
I did, and he led me down a long hall that was in the opposite direction of the wing of the palace where we’d exchanged ourvows. He opened one side of a set of double doors and stepped aside for me to enter.
The room in front of me was grand. There was no other word for it.
I wandered around, eyes wide. On one side, was a gigantic bed fit for Queen Elsa herself. There was a living quarters area with a couch, a loveseat, and a coffee table in the middle.
Just beyond that, there was a door that led to a bathroom with a giant shower covered in tile that made me think of a Venetian palace. A claw-footed standalone tub with a gold faucet sat in the middle of the room, and everything else was marble as far as the eye could see.
It wasn’t until that moment, that I realized that Dario wasn’t with me. I walked out of the bathroom and found him sitting on the bed, taking off his shoes. His bowtie was tossed on the nightstand next to the bed.
“What are you doing?”
I felt like my question was stupid. He was clearly undressing, but I was flustered.
He stood up and started to unbuckle his belt. I forced myself to look away. I mean, there was no way that he thought that we would?
“If you think that you and I—that we—you know. It’s not happening…” My voice didn’t sound convincing to my own ears.
He didn’t say a word. He just continued to undress, never taking his eyes off me. I watched, now unable to look away, as he stepped out of his pants. I swallowed hard. He looked good in his boxer briefs. They hugged his body in all the right places.
I started talking again to distract myself fromthatpart of him. I had no idea what I was saying.
He was taking off his shirt now, and I just stared. He had wide shoulders and chiseled abs that led to…I pulled my eyes back up to his face.
He just stood there while I continued my mindless tirade against any “funny business” and then when I shut up, he said, “Are you done?”
“Maybe.”
He hooked his thumbs around the waistline of his briefs, and I gasped like a teenager and turned around.
He chuckled behind me. At any moment now, I was sure I would feel him pressed against me, like that moment on the balcony. I could pretend that I didn’t think about it nearly every day, but I did.
I waited for his arms to circle my waist. I waited for his hands to find their way under my dress. I was holding my breath waiting for him to make his move…
And then I heard the bathroom door close behind me and he yelled, “I’ll try not to use all the hot water, but no promises.”
My mouth fell open. Had he really just left me? But that’s what I wanted, right? I wanted to be left alone.
