Reluctant Bride

by Sam Crescent

  “Why when I have my own doctor right here?” He sat up slowly, giving her a show of muscles playing under taut skin. “Would you mind?” Bruno pointed at an almost completely disguised door on the wall.

  Inside were suits and shirts, even shoes. Enough for a new look every day of the week.

  What she wouldn’t give for a closet filled with enough beautiful clothing that she didn’t have to wear the same thing twice.

  “You will, cara. In every house, yacht, and plane.”

  Heat singed her cheeks. Damn her stupid runaway mouth.

  “Don’t be embarrassed. I like that you speak your mind. And that you want me as much as I want you.”

  Merde! What else had she said? Wait. He wanted her? She couldn’t have heard him right.

  Bruno must have read the confusion on her face because his smile softened. Turned indulgent. “You’re adorable.”

  And that was exactly what she wanted to hear from the man who could drop panties at twenty paces with just a look. Cute. Like a bunny.

  When he was the sexiest man she’d ever encountered, she was … plain—boring.

  “Come here.”

  Why, so he could tell her more about how adorable she was?

  “I think I’ll go take a seat—”

  Bruno tangled his fingers with hers and tugged her back. It was gentle, but it was enough to stop her from moving and even tipped her toward him a little.

  “I’m not going to lie. I never thought about settling down. My life … it’s not an easy one. But if there is anyone out there who knows this, it’s you.”

  “I do know. I also did my damnedest to get away from it.”

  “It will be different with me.”

  Odette had no doubt about that. She would no longer be the sensitive child who had to be shielded. Now, she would be a queen.

  Of a kingdom she didn’t know how to rule or even wanted.

  It was in her blood. Her legacy. Something that her brother would kill to get. Bruno was right that she would never be able to just forfeit what their father had gifted her. Enzo would see her dead to secure his claim.

  As much as she wanted to forget all of this and just walk away, live her own life, she couldn’t. It was impossible.

  Odette let her gaze wander over his perfectly proportioned torso and bit the inside of her cheek before she could meet his burning gaze.

  To make a life with this man was the only way. “Yes, I’ll marry you.”

  Chapter Five

  His eyes flared with desire. That it was so blatant and intense startled her. Bruno wasn’t exactly a man who wore his feelings on the surface. He was letting her see him—the true him—and what he was feeling. For him to let his guard down for her meant everything.

  Could they really make this work? She really wanted to believe that they could.

  Bruno pulled her close. The heat of him scalded her palms when she braced them against his chest.

  Odette couldn’t stop herself from exploring the taut skin she found there. His muscles were hard underneath and bunched reflexively at her touch as if seeking more of it. The last thing she wanted was to be a disappointment to him.

  Ever mindful of his injuries, she explored every inch of his bared skin, earning groans and murmurs of encouragement. He wasn’t the first man she’d ever touched, but he certainly was the first she’d been so fascinated with. She exulted in the feel of him, from the crisp rasp of his chest hair against her fingertips to the throb of his heart against her palm.

  As she explored him, Bruno bit his lip and curled his hands into fists, letting her do as she liked. His breathing grew harsh the lower she moved, and his nostrils flared as if he could smell the arousal taking over her body. She wasn’t entirely sure he couldn’t with the way it pooled and slicked between her thighs. She pressed them together in an attempt to ease the throbbing, but it only made it worse.

  The science behind arousal was something she understood. What confused her was just how the cocktail of hormones was affecting her. Desire was nothing new, but she’d never experienced anything this potent before. It was as if all of her cells had exploded to life. Where it wasn’t aching or throbbing, her entire body buzzed. And all because of the man before her who had done nothing more than look at her and let her touch him.

  It was as if her body understood something her mind hadn’t caught onto yet. It was attuned to him. Primed for him.

  What the hell was going to happen when he kissed her? Was inside her?

  Odette’s knees wobbled when, as if he could read her thoughts, Bruno grazed a finger down her cheek. The touch was light, barely even grazing her skin, but it was like being licked by lightning. Her entire system lit up in delight and desire.

  And a look down his body told her he was likewise affected, even if it didn’t show on his face. Not at first glance, at least. His eyes smoldered and his entire body was tense and hard, while below the belt…

  Dieu, he was enormous. And just as hard as the rest of him.

  Letting her tongue peek between her lips, she inched her fingers down, needing to feel him. To make sure if what she saw—and craved—was real.

  Bruno snatched her hand away and tugged it up to press a kiss to her palm. “Not yet, cara.”

  Why? Because he’d changed his mind?

  “We have all the time in the world.” He kissed her palm again, this time adding a lascivious flick of his tongue.

  She jolted from the searing heat.

  “I mean to explore my intended’s body and learn everything about it.” His eyes locked onto hers. “And her.”

  As much as she wanted to get to that, Odette needed to know that she wasn’t just another woman. Just another notch on his belt. That lust and their circumstances weren’t the only things attractive about her.

  Not when she was quickly finding she couldn’t be near him without wanting to touch and taste him.

  He stepped closer. “You’re muttering. I want you to be comfortable with sharing what’s on your mind.”

  After being punished for it her entire life? “It might take some time.”

  “Thankfully, we have the next few decades.”

  “You say that with such certainty.” Odette nipped her bottom lip between her teeth. “You could find out within the next little while that we are incompatible.”

  “I doubt that, very much.”

  “Because you have to make the most of a bad situation?”

  “Because I have never wanted a woman as much as I want you.” He dipped his nose into the space where her shoulder met her neck and inhaled as he slid it upward to stop just under her ear. “Your voice calls to me.” He brushed her cheek with his lips. “Your scent tantalizes me, and”—his mouth was a breath away from hers—“once I’ve tasted you, I have no doubt that I will be your slave.”

  Pretty words. But were they the truth? “And you’re willing to be that?”

  “If you’re willing to be the same for me. I can see us having a very successful marriage.”

  “I don’t think—”

  “Don’t think. Feel. Sense how right this is.” Bruno grazed his hands up her sides, burning through clothing that felt too tight. Never mind her clothes. Her skin felt too tight. She felt swollen. Achy. Needy. Unsure.

  He began unbuttoning her shirt, and she didn’t stop him. “Why do you fight it, cara? You want me as much as I want you.”

  “Wanting and needing are two very different things. I need you. I admit it. But do you need me? Or is this just out of convenience?”

  “You need to relax. Get out of your head. Have you never let yourself just feel?”

  Not when what she felt angered her father. What better time to open up to him? “When I was a little more than a teen, I was old enough to have pieced together what my father did, and I told him exactly how I felt about it.”

  Bruno’s face tightened. “Did he hurt you?”

  “A slap. It didn’t hurt as much as him railing and reminding me where my life
style came from. It was then that I knew I had to get away because he was right. Everything he provided came from some horrible things.”

  “And you think the same of me?”

  She shook her head. “I know now that not everything is as black and white as I once believed.”

  Bruno tipped her chin up so she looked him in the eyes. “I can’t pretend that I haven’t done things someone like you might find abhorrent, but it has led to good things. You, for example.”

  He said the perfect things. Maybe he was right? Who needed to think when they could feel?

  “Words aren’t enough.” Understanding glowed in his eyes. “You require proof of my need for you. Of how good we will be together.”

  Odette let herself be guided back toward the bed and sat, mesmerized, on the edge of it. Bruno picked her up and slid her back, slipping off her clothing and kneeing her thighs apart almost in one swift movement.

  Bruno loomed over her, gazing at her. His nostrils flared while he breathed heavily as if he was fighting a battle. She stared up at him in utter awe of his masculine beauty.

  But as he came down to her, her gaze landed on the thick bands of tape on his side. “Your wounds…”

  “Are nothing.” The words were whispered against her lips.

  Then thought became impossible as Bruno took his turn exploring her. His touch was light, reverent. Almost as if he was in awe of what he encountered. Her skin hummed in return. Delighting in the sensation of his skin against hers.

  “You think that we could deny chemistry this powerful?” Bruno held his trembling hand in front of her nose. “You think this happens to me on a regular basis? I don’t think I’ve ever felt this out of control. Never felt this kind of need.”

  She concurred. It was all-consuming. A madness driving her into Bruno’s arms. Made her crave him as she required her heart to keep beating.

  “This is crazy. I shouldn’t want you like this. You’re my father’s enemy. You practically kidnapped me.”

  “And am so much older than you?”

  The smile that curved her lips couldn’t be helped. “That doesn’t bother me so much. Does it bother you?”

  Bruno hooked her knees and tipped her back onto the bed. “Not at all. In fact, I’m about to give you a lesson in how age isn’t without … its benefits.”

  Chapter Six

  The tangle of sensation was inescapable. Intoxicating. Odette never wanted it to end. If that meant tying herself to Bruno for the rest of her life, then so be it. Just as long as she could keep feeling like this.

  Despite the tension he likely fought in his own body, Bruno took his time exploring her body and tearing away her defenses until there was nothing left of her but a quivering mass of hormones and need.

  In the past, sex had been quick. A scratching of mutual itches. Bruno, on the other hand, made a banquet of it. Of her. He took his time exploring every inch of her with his hands, his mouth, his tongue. Coaxing sensation after sensation out of her until she lost count of how many times she climaxed. She never knew there were so many spots on her body that were so sensitive he could tease shudders, moans, and the sweetest contractions of her muscles. When it came to playing her body, Bruno was a virtuoso.

  And Odette wanted more.

  Bruno gave it to her. He slid down her body and settled between her thighs, wedging them wide with his shoulders as he nibbled, sucked, and licked, whipping her senses into a frenzy. She screamed his name as he ruthlessly pushed her over the edge.

  The waves of pleasure were only beginning to ebb when he stood over her again, watching her with lazy pride. He was amused—she realized. Maybe in her or his ability to reduce her to a mindless mass of female flesh.

  And he wasn’t even completely undressed yet.

  Her quiet indignation over being used as a source of amusement quickly faded as more of his body came into view. Odette watched, utterly fascinated, as his nimble fingers unfastened and slowly peeled away the garment keeping him from her view.

  His hips were narrow, leading to thick strong thighs and equally sculpted calves. And what was between them? Odette fought to breathe past the anxiety as his sizeable cock throbbed under her gaze. Logically, she knew her body would be able to accommodate him, but she’d never been with a man so well-endowed. Or who knew exactly what he was doing and didn’t race to the finish line like a racehorse.

  And now she was wondering what it would be like to cross that line with a man hung like one inside her.

  “You look apprehensive, cara.” He smiled gently as he knelt between her legs. “You are ready for me. I’ve made sure of that. But if I hurt you, you only have to stop me.”

  Not if she could help it. There was an ache deep inside, one she knew only he could satiate. And if he didn’t hurry up and get inside her soon, she was going to go crazy. “I need you, Bruno.”

  She loved the way his chest expanded when she used his name. The way his eyes flared with heat. And then he was pushing into her. Slowly, but determinedly, he filled her until she was stretched around him. He murmured sweet words when he was finally as deep as he could get. His voice soft, reassuring, and oh so sexy as it rumbled in her ear.

  His eyes burned when he lifted his head. The tension coiled his body so tight it wound up her own muscles. “Okay?”

  More than okay. He felt incredible inside her. Odette nodded and rocked her hips, trying to get him deeper.

  Bruno groaned and his hips jerked, lodging him just a little more. It was the first true sign of how little control he had left, and it encouraged Odette to shift under him again. He gripped her hips and thrust once, heavily, showing her who was in charge before establishing a slow, grinding rhythm designed to drive her right back up to the peak once again.

  Having him hold her immobile while he took and gave satisfaction in equal measure only ratcheted up her own. Who would have thought that lack of control could be so sexy? After living her life under strict constraint for so long, she needed someone else to take over, even if it was for a little while. Bruno was masterful and knew precisely what he was doing. She couldn’t be in better hands.

  And what talented hands they were…

  Bruno’s thrusts grew more forceful and he worked to drive himself deeper into her body, and Odette did everything she could to accommodate him. Needing it as much as he did. Then, like lightning, it hit her. Her climax exploded, knocking the breath from her lungs and gripping him tight inside her.

  “Odette.” The agonized groan came as he pounded into her. Then, holding deep, he groaned again as his cock throbbed and thumped inside her.

  She marveled at the intense expression on his face until it faded and became tranquil, and his smile had the air of a satiated male before he kissed her. This time, it was long and leisurely. A shared savoring of the perfect moment.

  Bruno twisted so she ended up sprawled over him. “I told you it would be good between us.”

  It wasn’t like she needed proof—Odette knew it would be phenomenal—she was just glad he thought so, too. His hand swiped up and down her back gently, lulling her senses. “Very good.”

  The smirk he gave her was as satisfied as it was arrogant. “Rest up now. I’ll wake you before we land. There will be much to deal with once we reach Rome.”

  She hated to sound clingy, but she wished he’d stay so the moment wouldn’t end. The knowing look in his eyes and the tender smile he gave her let Odette know that she spoke aloud once again.

  “Cara,” Bruno rolled her under him, leaving her in no doubt of his remarkable recovery time. “There is nowhere else I’d rather be.”

  ****

  “Odette, we have to get up. We’ll be landing in twenty minutes.”

  She was loath to leave the cocoon Bruno made around her, but the last thing she wanted was to hold them up.

  He got up, completely at ease with his nudity. And why not? The man was a sight to behold. Odette took a long moment to admire the angles and planes that made up Bruno Genovesi. �
�Once we land, we’ll move to my apartment. In the morning, we’ll be meeting with our families.”

  And because she knew he wasn’t speaking about blood relatives, a claw of apprehension gripped her gut. “I suppose that’s necessary.”

  He nodded as he held a hand out for her. Odette fumbled with the sheets as she tried to keep them around her as she flopped out of the bed.

  “What’s this?” He tore it aside and tossed it negligently back on the bed before giving her a lascivious leer. “That’s better. Come. We’ll shower together to save time.”

  They left the plane long after it landed.

  She barely remembered the trip to his apartment, and once they arrived at the building, he whisked her inside and straight up to the penthouse. She barely caught a glimpse of a huge, charming, very Italian penthouse before he ushered her up to the second floor and propelled her inside a large bedroom. The room was lushly decorated, a delicate balance of decadence and tasteful. Whoever had prepared the room even brought in fresh flowers to lend the room color and delicious scent.

  “If you need anything just shout.”

  What? “We’re not sharing a room?”

  Shaking his head, he gave her a tender smile. “It was bad enough that I couldn’t control myself and we … anticipated our vows. I won’t dishonor you again.”

  It sounded … weird. Perhaps it was because he was of a different generation. He was concerned about propriety? Did that really matter after what they shared on the plane?

  “I can see you’re thinking of a way of convincing me otherwise, but I will not be swayed.”

  For an instant, Odette thought he was going to kiss her. But he quickly backed away. “You are too tempting. Which is why I’m sleeping on the other side of the apartment.”

  “Bruno…”

  “Odette. Please let me do this.”

  “But you don’t have to do … penance because we slept together.”

  “I’m doing it because you deserve every respect.” On a huff, Bruno swept her to him and caught her mouth in a scorching kiss. Her head swam by the time they broke apart. “We will have all the time in the world to explore this. But it is also because of this I’m planning the quickest wedding in the history of marriage.”