Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 77359 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 387(@200wpm)___ 309(@250wpm)___ 258(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77359 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 387(@200wpm)___ 309(@250wpm)___ 258(@300wpm)
“Sure seems like it to me.”
“They ... They just liked her better. She was kinder and more cheerful than I ever could be. It doesn’t matter that she was born second.”
“So it’s just a coincidence that they saw the elder daughter as a duty and the younger as an actual child? One they could relax and be free with?”
I blinked, willing myself not to cry. I’d spent too much time crying lately. But it couldn’t be that simple, could it? How would Massimo even know? He didn’t have any sisters. “I-I never thought about it that way before.”
“Then think about it. And, if you want, you can talk to me about it. Trust me when I say I know something about the expectations placed on the firstborn child.”
I bet he did. Still, it was rather amazing that he’d offered. Which brought me back to his other offer.
“So maybe ... maybe it’s a little easier for me to hang out with Stefano and Carmine because they’re not going to be my husband. They’re not the man I’ll be bound to for the rest of my life—so there’s less pressure there.” Plus, they were nicer to me, but I didn’t bring that up.
“Maybe,” Massimo said, and it sounded as if he were a little surprised by my conclusion. “I asked you before if you wanted it to stop, and you sidestepped the answer, so I’m asking again. If there were no other considerations, would you want to keep experimenting with them?”
“Yes.” I waited for the explosion, but it didn’t come.
“So how about this? You don’t stop what you’re doing with them—but you start doing more with me.”
“More spanking?” That was really all we’d done together so far.
“Not unless you disobey me. Or not unless you want to.”
The tone of his voice for that last part made me squirm on the bed.
“Our wedding night is less than a month away, Allegra. You know what’s going to happen then, right?”
“Yes.”
“So maybe, instead of throwing you into the deep end—so to speak—we can work our way up to that.”
I bit my lip as I thought it over. “I’d like that.”
“You would?”
I didn’t answer that. “I have to learn anyway. Men always say they want a virgin, but they don’t want her to act like a virgin, right? They want her to know what she’s doing.”
He gave a reluctant chuckle. “Pretty observant, for a virgin.”
That meant yes, I guessed. “Stefano’s teaching me about computers. Carmine’s teaching me to drive. Maybe you could teach me ... other things.”
“Like?” I suspected he knew but just wanted to make me say it.
Which was hard. “Well, um, your brothers have been giving me pleasure, but I don’t know how to give a man pleasure in return.”
“Exactly what kind of pleasure have my brothers been giving you?” An edge had returned to his voice.
Uh-oh. “Do you really think we should discuss that?”
“Possibly not,” he admitted after a long moment.
“I’d like for you to teach me. It’s like I said the other day, how we should try to make the best of a bad situation.”
“And orgasms are part of our silver lining?”
I smiled at his phrasing. “Well, I realize I have limited experience, but yeah, they seem to be a pretty good thing to me.”
“I can agree with that.” He scooted closer and held out his hand. “Come here.”
“Now?”
“The clock is ticking, like you said. Our wedding night is coming up.” He took my hand and tugged me toward him. “Unless you’re too upset about the locket?”
The locket and what I’d found in the attic. Both of those things still weighed on my mind. But coming to an understanding with my fiancé was important, too. I couldn’t have a life of my own choosing, but maybe, just maybe there were some ways to make the one I had more bearable.
The heat from his body reached mine as I scooted closer, and my eyes went to his lips. What I wanted more than anything was a real kiss from him. Not a quick, perfunctory one. Not a searing, punishing one. But a real one.
And I got it. His mouth took over and devoured mine, but it was slow. Thorough.
It made me want more. But ... a nagging voice at the back of my head had me pulling away. Since we’d been negotiating ... kind of ... there was one more thing I really needed. “Massimo?”
He kissed my throat, and I arched my back, enjoying his talented mouth. “Yes?” he breathed huskily against me.
“Can you please…” I moaned as his hand slid down my thigh. “Please…”
“Yes?”
“Can you call me Leila?”
22
CARMINE
Leila was completely focused on the road ahead of her, so it gave me a chance to study her profile. Her face was flushed, probably due to the excitement of driving on the windy road through the forest. Her lips were swollen, too, but I was responsible for that. Kissing her was my new favorite hobby. Running my hands over her body… making her moan… tasting that sweet little mouth… those were the best parts of our driving lessons.