There’s an unsettling ache in my chest. I don’t like it. I don’t like that it’s because of him. Something shifted last night; I felt it in my bones, in my belly after he left. I’m a virgin, but it’s not like I’ve never fantasized before, giving myself an orgasm while thinking about sex and what it would feel like.
Yes, watching Isaia fuck turned me on, and I was already halfway to the edge when Alexius walked in. But it was different with him—sort of like his presence heightened and intensified every fucking thing. I’m not blind. I’m not made of stone. Alexius oozes primal attraction. All of them do. It’s like God made a mold from sex and sin and created every goddamn Del Rossa sibling from it. Yet there’s something different with Alexius. Not because of him being the heir to this empire and a presence not a single fucking human being can ignore. But because of the way it felt with him last night, the way he dominates me with this enticing brew of fear and seduction all rolled into a wicked grenade that exploded inside me—catapulting me from being the girl who regretted making this deal with him, to the woman who wanted…more.
I catch a glimpse of my reflection in the mirror before walking out of the room. After I managed to get myself out of the bathtub last night, I went to Mirabella, all timid and desperate, asking for help so I could…fit in. Look the part.
Deep down, I guess a part of me wanted to impress Alexius. Make him see more than a stray animal when he looks at me. Last night, he left me feeling like I’ve never felt before. Exhilarated. Delirious. Satisfied, yet not satiated, because I needed more. More of him. It was the first time in my life that I pushed my inhibitions to the side. I ignored my fear, gave in, and it was the first taste I’ve had of…freedom.
Call me stupid for being so damn eager to please him, thinking he’d notice that I might be more than just a poor girl.
Mira stands from her chair and gasps when I walk into the dining room. “Oh, my God, look at you.” Her hands are warm on my shoulders as she scans me from top to bottom. “This dress has been made for you, I swear.”
“Thank you for letting me borrow it.”
“Woman, I have a lot more where that came from. I think we should unpack my entire closet and move a few things to your room. God knows it’s going to take all day doing that.”
My gaze flashes toward Isaia sitting across from me, and my cheeks instantly burn, forcing me to look away. “There’s no need. Alexius is taking me shopping after breakfast.”
“He is?” Mira cocks a brow as she sits down.
“Yes. I asked if you could go with me, but he insisted that he takes me. Un-fucking-negotiable is the term he used.”
“Huh.” She pops a fresh strawberry into her mouth, her frown reflecting her pensive thoughts. “Alexius hates shopping.”
“Alexius seems to hate a lot of things.”
Isaia snorts. “You’ve been his wife for a day, and you already figured him out.”
“And here I thought my twin is the least transparent out of all of us.” Nicoli gets up, grabs his phone, and slips it into his pocket. “See you assholes later.” He winks at his brothers, shooting them an arrogant smirk before turning his attention to Mira and me. “Ladies.” But his eyes remain on Mira for two seconds longer, the shortest of times speaking the loudest of words.
Nicoli walks out, and I place my napkin on the table next to my untouched bowl of fruit before standing. “I’m not that hungry.”
“Let me escort you out.” Isaia pushes his chair back and straightens before sauntering around the table, smoothing out the collar of his leather jacket.
There is nothing comfortable about this situation as I watch him come toward me, his eyes gleaming with a mischievous glint that has me shifting from one leg to the other. “You don’t have to—”
“Oh, but I want to.” Isaia holds out his hand and gestures for me to walk with him. The click of my heels sounds extra loud since my senses are now hyperaware of how fucking uncomfortable I am.
As soon as we’re out of the dining room and out of ears’ reach, I stop and face him. “What are you doing?”
“Just trying to make my sister-in-law feel welcome.” Even though he’s smiling, there’s a darkness in his eyes that’s unsettling. “Question is, what are you doing? Or, more specifically, what were you doing last night?”
My palm itches to slap the arrogant smirk off his face, so I cross my arms instead. “Why did you tell him?”
“He’s my brother. I tell him everything.”
“You didn’t have to tell him that.”
“You didn’t have to watch.”
Fire blazes across my cheeks. “I made a mistake.”
“No, you didn’t,” he counters, placing his hands in his pants pockets. “You liked it. Just admit it. You liked watching two people fuck. There’s nothing to be ashamed about.”
“I’m not ashamed.” I clench my jaw. “I just think you could have been a little more discreet about it and not tell your brother.”
Isaia inches closer. He’s the youngest Del Rossa sibling, not much older than me, yet his broad shoulders and muscular frame loom over me. His intense gaze probes mine, and my throat dries, his cologne a musky scent. “My brothers and I are used to sharing, Leandra. And we like to keep each other—” he presses his lips together before continuing “—informed.”
“And what, exactly, did you feel inclined to inform him about?”
His fingers touch my chin, lifting my face and capturing my gaze. “That his wife’s pussy is dripping wet and desperate for a good fucking.”
“Isaia!” Alexius’ voice slams like a shockwave against the excruciating tension, and Isaia immediately drops his arm, taking a step back.
Alexius’ heavy footsteps reverberate across the floor, and Isaia no longer looks as intimidating—not when his brother comes to a standstill next to him. “Was my message not clear to you last night?” He shifts, his presence infiltrating Isaia’s personal space. “Do not fuck with her. She’s not here to be your fucking toy to play with in your endless goddamn mind games. Do you understand me?”
“What if she wants to be played with?”
Alexius grabs Isaia by the collar, and I take a step back, watching Alexius push him up against the wall. “This isn’t Myth, brother. And my wife sure as fuck ain’t no toy.”
He lets go of Isaia with a jerk, who immediately straightens his collar, his arrogant smirk now replaced with an angered frown.
I’m bolted to the spot, shocked by how Alexius erupted…and confused like hell that he’d find it necessary to defend me against his own brother, nonetheless. Why would he do that? Why is he so furious with Isaia, acting like he cares? I just can’t figure him out, and I’m not sure I want to because of what I might find–afraid that I might…like it.
Alexius snakes an arm around my waist, and before I’m able to breathe right, we’re out the door and busy getting into a black SUV.
The door shuts, and I inhale sharply, leaning back against the leather seat.
Alexius gets in beside me, and I press my lips together, then bite the inside of my mouth, staring down at my hands in my lap. “Why did you do that?”
“My little brother has the tendency to be a shit-stirrer. I’m just making sure he doesn’t try it with you.”
“It’s insane, but I feel like I should apologize to him.”
“For what?”
“For invading his privacy as I did.”
Alexius reaches out and grabs my cheeks, forcing me to look at him. “We don’t ever apologize, you hear me?”
“Not even when you’re wrong?”
“We are never wrong.” His eyes are hard, flames burning behind blue. “If you do something someone doesn’t like, you do it again—only better. And if you want to do something simply because it thrills you, you fucking do it. The world is unraveling, Leandra. We have every right to unravel with it.”
There’s a challenge in his eyes, a maze with so many directions, yet only one leads to the key that unlocks his true intentions.
I want that key.
I want to unlock his chaos…so I can unleash my own.
My lips part with a silent breath, the air between us charged with an energy I’m growing addicted to. His eyes grow colder, darker by the second, and he tightens his grip on my cheeks. It’s not the first time he’s touched me, but it’s the first time it burns.
His top lip curls into a snarl, and he lets go of my face, sitting back. Only then do I realize I’ve been holding my breath the entire time, and I take a large inhale as I right myself against the seat.
There’s no way I could tell how long we’ve been driving, but it felt like Alexius and I had been stuck in silence for eons when the car finally comes to a stop.
Alexius gets out, and I try to open my door, but it won’t budge from the inside. “What the—”
The door opens, and Alexius holds his hand to help me out, but I ignore the gesture and scowl. “Did you child-lock my door?”
“For security reasons.”
“What? So I won’t be able to get out when the car gets hijacked?”
He scoffs. “That will never happen.”
“And how can you be so sure of that?” My shoes touch the asphalt as I get out, but my footing is all wrong with the heels, and I stumble forward, face-first into Alexius’ chest. A rush of air swooshes from my lungs, and I’m not sure whether it’s the impact or the feel of his hands on my waist as he steadies me.
I look up and into his eyes, still pressed against him, and his eyebrow curves up. “Because everyone in this town knows, touch what’s mine, and you die.”
The sensible side of me is aware that my response should be fueled by fear, danger, unease—basically anything but what I’m feeling right now.
Thrilled. Electrified. Aroused.
When did his power become an aphrodisiac I crave more and more with every minute I spend with him? And why do I suddenly feel like I want to be with him, spend more time with him, even if he intimidates all the damn time? It’s insane…but it’s fucking real, and it’s starting to scare me, how things are so rapidly changing and I have zero control over it.
It takes me a moment to right myself, slipping my shoe back on. The morning sun with a light autumn breeze makes it not cold but not warm either. It’s in-between weather…just like I’m in between worlds.
Alexius slips on his sunglasses—the classic Ray-Ban design—and he’s not wearing a tie today, his collar unbuttoned, and I see a glimpse of a tattoo peer from behind the white fabric.
“Come on. I don’t have all day.” His hand gently rests on the curve of my back as we walk across the pavement to the boutique. Every woman who walks past doesn’t even attempt to hide their blatant attraction to him. In my opinion, that’s just rude since there’s already a woman at his side—his wife—yet they didn’t even seem to notice me. It wasn’t too long ago that I didn’t want to get noticed, when I did everything I could not to be. Yet here I am, wanting these damn women to see me and envy me for being at Alexius’ side, and not them.
The bells chime above the door before it slams shut, followed by the sound of the latch being locked. Maximo turns and crosses his arms, guarding the entrance with his large frame.
“Mr. Del Rossa.” A lady wearing a purple dress with white heels and a stylish updo walks up to us.
“Vicky,” he greets sternly.
“I’m so glad you called ahead of your arrival. It gave us some time to clear the boutique of all customers and get a few things ready for you.”
His gaze cuts around the boutique. “Make sure she has enough to choose from.”
“Absolutely.” She faces me, and up close, I can see the fine lines next to her eyes, giving away her older age. “You must be the lovely Mrs. Del Rossa. Come.” She takes my hand. “I have our entire fall collection ready for you to take a look at. And your husband has a pretty hefty bank account he needs to deplete.” She shoots Alexius a sly grin, and he merely smirks back.
The boutique has tones of whites and yellows and a touch of rose, creating an open and airy feel. There aren’t many items on the floor. A few shirts here, and some skirts there, with some sparkling jewelry exhibited in glass boxes. The fresh floral scent drifts from the purple orchids placed all around and fills the entire room with their sweet aroma.
We walk to the back, and I have no idea why, but I’m nervous. The room we enter is almost pure white. The only popping color is that of the clothing hanging from gold rails.
“Anything specific you’re looking for?” Vicky looks at me, searching for an answer as if she thinks I have a clue about fashion. I don’t. I have no idea even where to start.
I glance at Alexius. “We should have brought Mirabella.”
“There’s a reason I didn’t bring her.”
“I can’t possibly think what that reason is.”
“So that you can choose what you want and not what others want.”
“I’m the girl from the other side of the tracks. I have no idea what I want.”
“You know exactly what you want. You’re just not confident enough to own up to it without giving a fuck what the world thinks.”
Our eyes connect, and the air tightens, heat trickling along my skin as if his gaze can touch me, caress me. I’m not sure whether I hate or love it, the way he reads me so damn easily.
Alexius smiles and brushes past me, pausing as his arm touches my shoulder. “We’re unraveling…remember?”
