Arranged love

I pull my car into my garage and turn it off, then grab the flowers out of my passenger seat that I picked up on the way home. Thankfully, my favorite place was open.

I exit my car and walk into the house. It’s quiet, and I know she’s not here. She’s on her morning run. The sun is just starting to rise. She likes to start her day off early with a run to free her mind. At least she used to. She didn’t ask me for permission, but this house isn’t a prison. She can come and go all she wants. I have guards all over it. Cameras at every corner. If she decides to leave me, she won’t get far. I don’t think she’d chance her freedom. If she did, she wouldn’t like the consequences that would follow.

Walking into one of the many kitchens, I grab a vase from underneath the sink and fill it with water before placing the flowers in it. It’s been a long time since I’ve used it. The last time was before I left her. When she used to stay here, she always made the house feel like a home. It’s been silent and empty ever since.

Making my way up to our master suite, I close the door after entering. The bed is freshly made, and the smell of her perfume hits me. I used to smell her on me for days. The way her shampoo would rub off on my shirt when she cuddled up against me. Or the way my hoodie would smell like her body wash. It always made me hard. Desperate.

She doesn’t know it, but I forced her father to hand her over to me. I’m not the kind of guy who shows weakness. My father taught my brothers and me that nothing is more important than money. And although I agree, I also feel that having a woman by your side can be beneficial to a man. Men respect a man who knows how to control a bitch. I needed her, and I needed a reason to make that happen. My father didn’t agree, but he’ll come around. He’ll see what I see in the end. And if not, well, then that’s his problem.

The moment I stepped on that plane to leave her for Italy, I started forming a plan. It was the first thing I did three months ago when I arrived back in the States. Her father owns a chain of banks here in Las Vegas, and I could use his facilities to launder money. All I had to do was make him an offer he couldn’t refuse.

He sits behind his desk in his home office, his hands clenched together as he glares at me. “What you’re asking of me is illegal.”

“And what you’re doing is illegal.”

His face whitens, and sweat beads across his forehead. “I don’t know …”

“You’re running fake money through your bank. Marking it with serial numbers from real currency. Making it look like it’s being placed in the vault, but instead you’re using it to hold your head above water.”

His jaw sharpens. “You have no idea-”

“I do,” I interrupt him. “You have rats everywhere.” I smile at him. “Especially when they’re paid well.” Lie. I got this information for free. But I promised not to snitch on my source. And the Bianchis are no rats.

He slams his hand down on the desk and stands.

I stay seated because I’m about to cut him off at the knees. “I’ll make you one offer. And it will only be on the table for twenty-four hours.”

His jaw clenches, but he doesn’t shoot me down immediately. “The board will never allow it.”

“Let me worry about the board.” Standing, I button my suit jacket. “You will allow me full rein of all fifteen locations in exchange for twenty percent of my incoming finances. And in the meantime, I won’t rat you out to the feds.”

He falls into his chair and lets out a sigh. He’s thinking about it. Good. It’s a fair offer. I’m not gonna railroad him because I want something else of his as well.

He concedes, releasing a long breath. “I’ll see what I can do.”

“And I want Haven.”

“What?” he snaps, jumping back to his feet. “Absolutely not!”

I snap my fingers. “Nite.” He walks over and drops the black bag on top of the desk. “Open it,” I order Jimmy.

He arches a brow, staring down at it, but eventually, his curiosity gets the better of him, and he unzips it. He pulls out stacks of hundreds. “What …?”

“In exchange for her hand in marriage, I will give you five million dollars.”

“Marriage?” he whispers softly as if he can’t say it out loud, but the way his eyes light up at the cash he grips in his hands tells me I’ve already won. He’s in deep debt. So, what if he sells his only child? His adopted child? She doesn’t mean anything to him. Not like she does me.

“I’ll let you think about it.” I turn, letting him keep what little money is in there right now while he thinks about it. As I place my hand on the doorknob, he speaks.

“Wait.”

I bite back a smile, turning to face him.

He stands there, both hands gripping a stack of money, and his chest heaves in his tight button-down. But his eyes tell me all I need to know. She’s mine.

That was three months ago. I needed things to be set in place because I couldn’t just go and grab her. Papers needed to be signed, and I needed access to all the locations before I stepped in and removed her from her home. I needed my ducks in a row. She was the last one ’cause I knew she would be the only one to fight me.

But in the end, she would lose.

And it didn’t take more than a few days for him to come around. He was practically drooling when I handed him the money and couldn’t get her to sign fast enough.

I turn off the shower and step out. Wrapping the towel around my hips, I walk back into the bedroom just as I hear commotion downstairs.

Making my way to the first level, I walk into the spare bedroom, listening to the shower turn on in the adjoining bathroom. I enter and see her removing her sports bra and then shoving the sweaty yoga pants down her thin legs. And I have to fight the urge to shove her to her knees and fuck her mouth. She always gave great head. The woman knew how to use that mouth. Even if at times I wanted to duct tape the damn thing shut.

I’m not sure why she’s being such a bitch now. I paid for her. Her father was the one who tossed her to the side. I want to make her my queen and give her anything she wants. All she has to do is ask, but I’m starting to lose my patience. And that is not a good thing for her. She’s gonna push me to the point I’ll no longer give a fuck, and then she’ll hate me even more.

She stiffens when her eyes meet mine in the large bathroom mirror.

I push off the wall and walk up behind her. Placing my hands on her narrow hips, I lean down and kiss her bare shoulder. She glares at me in the mirror.

“Good morning, Haven,” I whisper, and I feel her body shiver.

She wants me. She always has. I’ve been able to push her in ways that no other guy could. Ever since I saw her in grade school, I wanted her. She wasn’t like all the other girls who wanted to be seen with me. She didn’t care one bit.

“I bought you flowers.” I gather up her mess of a hair into my fist. I run my lips across the top of her back to her other shoulder, softly kissing her damp skin.

“Flowers die,” she growls.

I smile against her skin. “Would you prefer diamonds?”

“Diamonds were just once coal,” she bites out.

“How about orgasms?” I ask, tightening my fist in her hair and pulling her head back. My free hand slides around her skinny waist and dips between her legs.

She pushes me off her and spins around to face me. “Luca …”

I slam my lips to hers, cutting her off, and grind my hips into hers. The movement has the knot holding my towel on loosening and falling to the floor at our feet.

She opens for me, a moan escaping her lips before I swallow it. My free hand comes up and grips her chin, arching her neck back for me. I deepen the kiss, just as the palms of her hands hit my chest.

She steps away from me, breathing heavily, and shouts, “I said no.” There’s that fire I like. But it’s unnecessary at the moment. I’m not the one she should be mad at.

“I never heard those words.”

She slaps me across the face. “I’m not for sale, Luca. I’m not going to give you my body because you wrote a check.”Content property of NôvelDra/ma.Org.

“It was actually cash …”