As the door slams, Ilaria looks at me, her back to my desk and her eyes wide as she hears the click of the lock as it moves into place. She sets down the glass of champagne she had been drinking behind her. There’s something about the way her eyes are on me, taking in the suit she had sent over.

Crisp white shirt, navy blue suit, no tie, and brown loafers.

But as she reaches out, undoing another button, pressing her fingers over my collarbone, her thumb dragging over my throat, all my anger vanishes, letting my hips pin her to the desk as she looks at me and I see that there is trouble lurking in her eyes.

“Fransesco choked me today.”

And there is my anger again.

“What?”

Red.

Everything is red as I swipe everything off my desk, turning away before I can ring Ilaria’s pretty little neck that my cousin had his filthy fucking hands around.

But I don’t turn quick enough to miss the fingerprint bruises and I’m bending her so she’s laying on my desk, my hand on her jaw as I turn and see the clear sign that she had been handled by him.

“Ilaria.”

Her name comes out between clenched teeth because I’m afraid that I’m going to hurt her, my anger is so strong as I try to get control but I can’t.

He left bruises on my fiancée. Marked my girl. She was not to be shared. I had told him.

But Ilaria looks at me, her hand going to mine on her jaw, pushing at it until she’s wrapping my fingers over the bruises. Her eyes are locked on me as she licks her lips, not afraid of my anger or how I could hurt her.

“Go ahead, Demon. Squeeze.”

The challenge makes my brain fog as I react, squeezing around her neck. And instead of reacting by trying to pull me off, by fighting and flailing, Ilaria moans.

Her legs open as I move between them, shocked at the way she pushes up, letting me squeeze that pretty throat of hers harder.

Oh God.

I run my hand over her leg, tugging at her dress so it bunches at her waist, my hand loosening as she takes in a struggling breath.

Her heart’s beating so loudly as I look down at her mesh white thing. There’s a delicate daisy print that I run my thumb over feeling her shiver underneath me.

Good.

Let her know how I can make her feel.

“Why did my cousin choke you Ilaria?”

My thumb slides down, pressing against her slit as I rock it back and forth, teasing her clit in small circles before going back up. She’s responding perfectly. All soft gasps as wetness pools under my finger, dampening the pad of my thumb.

“Because I was leaning off the roof and he held me so I could fly.”

Jesus Christ.

I stop, looking up at her as she stares at me with this look in her eyes that makes my heart break.

“Ilaria…”

I gulp.

I can’t even bring myself to ask what was going on. Did she want to jump off the roof? Was she so unhappy with me that…

God.

Her hips rock against my hand and she pushes her throat up, wanting to be choked again. She’s giving me control as all this new fear hangs between us.

“I just wanted to feel, Dante. Fuck. I just want to feel.”

There’s tears in her eyes as I pull my hand away from her throat. Wiping her tears as I nod in understanding.

“So let me make you feel. Do you trust me, Ilaria?”

“No.”

And her honesty pisses me off.

She trusted that asshole Francesco to hang her off a roof but me, she didn’t trust me.

“Dante. You’re complicated. You say things that hurt me and I don’t even think you realize the damage you do because you’re busy moving along so quickly.”

Her words are like a knife in my chest. Thinking about how she is right.

“The birth control. That’s my body, Dante, and you’re already making decisions for me. You just do it without asking.”

Ilaria has me feeling about two inches tall. She’s the one exposed on my desk and yet I’m the one feeling like too much of me is showing in the moment.

“I’m selfish Ilaria. I want you all to myself for a little while. I want you to have our children, someday, but I also want to have you as you are now. A bit wild and free. I want to be able to take you around the world and have moments that’s just us before you become a mother and all your time is given to the kids.”

She softens, her hand coming to my hair, looking at me like she’s all mine again and relief floods me.

“You want to have kids with me? Do you think I’ll be a good mother?”

And it hits me what I’ve done.

I stole a dream from her.

“Ilaria, I want a baseball team of kids with you. The way you have stepped in doing things to take care of me. You’re not going to be a good mother, principessa. You’re going to be the best. And if you don’t want to wait. If you want to get pregnant right away I will be happy to make that dream come true.”

Her hands are pulling at me, making me crawl on my own desk as she holds me to her. Squeezing at me as I breathe again.

I might have actually fixed this.

“I’m sorry I hurt your feelings, principessa. I promise to talk through things with you more.”