Total pages in book: 36
Estimated words: 33396 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 167(@200wpm)___ 134(@250wpm)___ 111(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 33396 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 167(@200wpm)___ 134(@250wpm)___ 111(@300wpm)
“Yes, and I did the ice cream yesterday.”
The flavors were out of this world. “How did you learn to cook like this?”
“From my grandmother. I was close to her.”
The food was amazing. It felt like he’d only taken a few bites and the food was gone. Tillie got to her feet and reached for the plate to take away.
“I think it’s time for you to take a nice, hot bath, get out of your work clothes, and spend the rest of the night relaxing.”
“Not so fast,” Luca said. “Sit.”
“I need to go and tidy up your dishes.”
“They can wait.”
She looked like she wanted to argue, but she didn’t. Tillie put the plate down, and then slowly lowered herself into the chair opposite him.
At first, Luca just looked at her and tried to figure out what he was going to say to her. There were so many things, but right now, all he wanted to focus on was the fact she was in his office and not running away screaming.
“You want to start making rules, I think it’s only fair that I make a few rules as well.”
“What might those be?”
“Our marriage?”
He saw the tension in her shoulders, and even though she tried to hide it, she was not a master like him.
Luca sat back and stared at his opponent. In that moment, she was his opponent.
They both wanted different things. Tillie wanted him to take care of himself and not work so much. He wanted Tillie.
“What rules would those be?” Tillie asked. “Are we talking about what we agreed in church in front of the priest?”
“No,” he said.
She licked her lips, and he couldn’t help but see how sensual that act was. Her lips looked so plump and inviting. His cock hardened at the sight. Damn it, he wasn’t used to entering negotiations with such a sexual need sweeping over him.
“What rules do you have in mind?”
“You no longer sleep in a different room. You’re my wife, and you’re going to start acting like it. You sleep in my room, in my bed, no exceptions.”
“I might just want to point out that it was you who put me in the spare bedroom.”
“You were a virgin.”
“And I’m no longer a virgin. You did take care of that.”
“Have you always had a smart mouth?” he asked.
“I’ve been known to argue with the best of them, and if you mean by helping to get what I want, then yes, I have.”
Damn it, every second in her company was only fueling this need he had for her.
“I see no problem with sharing your bed and being a wife to you. I figured I would let you set the pace, seeing as you were the one to keep your distance.”
“I wasn’t expecting you to be a virgin.”
“Why not?” Tillie asked.
“You’re beautiful, and the moment I saw you, I knew I wanted to fuck you, and I don’t know how any man could have looked at you and let you get away.”
He saw her cheeks heat.
“You think I’m beautiful?”
“Yes.”
She was blushing. “Thank you. What, uh, other rules do you have?”
He stared at her. Luca had to scramble his brain because she was affecting every single one of his senses right now. He’d not come into this negotiation prepared.
“You don’t hide from me. I want us to share breakfast, lunch, and dinner together. You will bring me lunch at my office, which currently is in your father’s building.”
“Okay,” Tillie said.
“And from now on, we’re not strangers. We’re husband and wife, and it’s time for us to start acting like it.”
He expected an argument but didn’t get one. Tillie merely smiled at him and agreed.
****
Tillie put the last of her clothes into Luca’s wardrobe, and then stepped back. This was really happening. She hadn’t expected it to move quite so fast, not that she was complaining, because this was exactly what she wanted.
What was there to complain about?
After talking with David, she had finally realized she’d been doing everything wrong when it came to Luca. She’d been treating him like a stranger, and even though in essence that was exactly what he was, they were still husband and wife.
He’d not hurt her, apart from the wedding night, but every woman’s first time is meant to hurt, at least that’s what the books told her. Luca hadn’t done anything else to harm her. He’d been wonderful. She couldn’t find a single fault with him.
So, she’d come to the decision that she was going to find that marriage she had always been dreaming of. The one her grandparents had. The one she wanted for herself. Her grandmother had always said that the love of a good man started with his stomach. She decided to cook Luca a meal, and that extended into the brownie. The ice cream she’d made for herself yesterday, but there was more than enough to share. Even though on a miserable day, she’d be able to consume the entire carton, she hadn’t done so.