The image of her on this bed, onmybed, flashed through my mind.
There was no regret about it. I didn’t regret what happened one bit, even if there was a tinge of guilt that I was doing this with Valentino’s sister, and that she was a virgin—had been a virgin just moments before—and that I knew she was a virgin despite what she said, trying to egg me on.
Isa was shit at lying.
It didn’t help that she was blushing the entire time, and the blush only deepened when she tried to talk dirty. If what she said could even be considered dirty talk.
I smiled a little at the thought.
Perhaps I should have done this the right way. Talked to Valentino first before I went after his sister, dated a little bit, then married her before I took her virginity.
I shook my head, her words coming back to me.
No one owns my virginity.
I was no better than Joseph Gambino if I thought she shouldn’t get a say in the matter when it came to who she slept with.
The tradition of a virgin bride was an outdated one. I always thought so, and even if Massimo was trying to bring us away from all that, tradition was still tradition, and it was deeply embedded in many of the made men.
She was right. No one owned her virginity. Not her father, not Valentino, and certainly not me. Even if there was a more primal part of me that wanted to beat my chest like a fucking caveman for being her first.
And her only.
She was mine, and no other fucker was going to touch what was mine. Not as long as I was still breathing.
I got up from the bed and walked out of the room, looking for her.
I went into the guest bedroom and found the en-suite bathroom door closed, the sound of water running hitting me instantly.
I opened the door and walked in without a thought.
She didn’t notice me coming in.
Not with her head bent, looking lost and defeated. A pinching sensation started in the center of my chest and spread the more I looked at her through the glass shower door.
I did this.
I hurt her.
I clenched and unclenched my fists before moving into the shower. I wrapped my arms around her from behind. She jumped slightly in surprise but settled a little into me when she realized it was me.
I bent down and kissed her neck. She didn’t say anything. Didn’t show any reaction. Just stared straight ahead at the black-tiled wall.
“I’m sorry,” I said softly against her skin.
“What are you sorry about?”
“About what I said. You’re right. I shouldn’t have acted like you’re not capable of making decisions about your own body. I shouldn’t have been a complete ass about it.”
“Anything else?”
I tightened my arms around her. “I’m not sorry for taking your virginity.”
And wasn’t that the truth? I wasn’t sorry. She didn’t say anything for a beat, then she turned around and looked at me. Her light-blue eyes were red and swollen, and they stood out against her olive skin. Fuck me.
I cupped her cheek, wishing there was a way I could just go back in time and stop myself from hurting her.
“Baby.”
