LOGINADRIANI’d never been one for physical closeness at night. Even when Serena was alive, I rarely shared a bed with her. On the nights I did, it was more out of obligation than desire. She never hid her distaste for having me near her. If she reached for me at all, it was only because she wanted something— never because she simply wanted me. That was the kind of marriage we had. A cold and empty one.Valentina was different. She had asked me to hold her, she had sought out my warmth. And I’d refused her. The look on her face when I pulled back haunted me now as much as any nightmare.The pale light of dawn crept through the curtains, painting the room in a soft gray glow. I turned my head and found her face on the pillow beside me. Her lashes were clumped together, still heavy with the traces of tears she hadn’t wanted me to see. Her cheeks were slightly puffed from crying, and yet there was something innocent, almost fragile, about the way she slept. Sometime in the night she had drift
When Adrian finally came out of the bathroom, ten minutes later, he was barefoot and wearing only a pair of black pajama pants that rode low on his hips. My eyes betrayed me, trailing over him before I could stop myself. He wasn’t like other men I knew. Many of them, after marriage, let themselves gain weight. But Adrian hadn’t softened at all. His chest and arms were carved muscle, his abdomen was taut, his presence radiated strength and control. There was nothing gentle about him, not in his body, not in his expression, not even in those sharp stormy eyes.If he noticed me staring, he didn’t mention it. He simply crossed to the bed, pulled back the covers, and lay down beside me. He left a wide strip of space between us, enough room for another person to fit comfortably in the middle.A pang tightened in my chest. Was that how it was going to be? I had imagined marriage differently— softer and warmer. I had imagined closeness, the kind I’d only ever seen from afar.Snuggling. The wo
VALENTINAAdrian swung his legs out of the bed. His movements were relaxed and unhurried. “I’m going to clean up.” I couldn’t help it… my eyes followed him. My gaze lingered on the broad expanse of his chest, the way his muscles shifted under taut skin with each movement. My attention slid lower, to the ridges of his stomach, the sharp cut of his hips. He looked like something carved from stone, and for the first time tonight, I felt a small flicker of relief. At least I was attracted to him physically. That had been one of my fears, that I’d feel nothing.But then my eyes dipped lower still, and heat rushed to my face. Blood streaked his cock, raw evidence of what had just happened. Shame and embarrassment curled together inside me, and I quickly tore my gaze away. I’d been staring far too long anyway.When I looked down at myself, a mortified sound escaped my throat before I could stop it. My thighs were smeared, sticky and stained with a mix of blood and semen. The sheets beneath
“Do you take the pill?” I asked. It came out rougher than I intended, more like a demand than a question. It was hardly the kind of romantic words a husband should say to his new bride, but it was something I’d avoided asking all day, and it couldn’t wait any longer.Valentina gave a quick nod, and her cheeks flushed pink as though the acknowledgment itself embarrassed her.Relief pricked at me. I shifted over her, settling my weight carefully as I guided myself between her thighs. My cock pressed against her opening, but the moment she felt me there, she flinched, shrinking back against the pillows.Frustration surged hot in my chest. My body screamed to push forward while my mind snapped at me to slow the fuck down. I gritted my teeth, swallowing back the urge to snap. “Valentina,” I said, trying to catch her eyes. There was more pleading in my voice than I liked.Her wide eyes met mine. “Can you… hold me?”My heart skipped a beat. She didn’t ask me to stop, she didn’t beg me not
Christ. My breath left me. The sight of her, the sheer reality of her body laid out before me, reignited my hunger like a match dropped in gasoline.I leaned closer, but before my lips could brush her, her small hand shot out and pressed against my forehead, halting me. The gesture was so unexpected, so awkwardly innocent, that I almost laughed. Almost.“What are you doing?” she demanded.“I’m trying to help you relax,” I said.Her frown deepened as her gaze darted down to me. “But… why?”“Because most women enjoy this very much.” I held her eyes so she could see I meant it. “And I think you might too.”She wrinkled her nose. It was the tiniest crinkle of suspicion and embarrassment. “So you’re going to… kiss me down there?”I couldn’t hold back the chuckle this time. “Yes, Valentina. I’m going to kiss you there, and lick you, and suck you— and if you let me, I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as I will.”Her eyes went wide, startled and innocent, like I’d spoken in a foreign tongue. I lo
She sniffed once, then shook her head. “I won’t cry.” Then she tilted her chin, peering up at me. “Why do you even care? You’ve seen worse than someone crying.”And she wasn’t wrong. I had seen worse. I’d caused worse. Torture, blood, begging men— hell, I’d stepped over corpses without blinking. And yet here, with this trembling young woman looking at me like I held her whole future in my hands, it was different. Valentina was young…too young. She was my wife now, bound to me by tradition, by vows, by expectations. She was supposed to be the woman who would raise my children. And she was sitting here in front of me, bracing herself for something she clearly didn’t feel ready for.Fuck. What a mess.Her gaze shifted away from me, like she was staring at something only she could see, lost in a place I couldn’t follow. I didn’t like it. I wanted her here with me, not retreating into her head where fear could multiply.“Valentina,” I murmured, and the sound of her name pulled her back. Sh







