Her hands fidgeted, her lips parted just enough for her tongue to sweep over them.
“I could take you home.” If I didn’t I was going to lose control with her. I needed to separate myself from her before I did something I’d regret.
“Tell me about your wife.” She asked with a hushed whisper.
My head fell to the fire. I don’t want to talk about Rebecca. Not because I don’t miss her. In fact that’s exactly the reason. It’s too painful. Knowing what she did is too much to consider right now.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to pry. You don’t have to talk about her if you don’t want to.”
What was I supposed to say about a woman that broke my heart right before she died? What do I say about someone that was lying to my face right up until the end?
Bella stood and walked across the room holding her arms to her chest.“I’ve never been in love.” She admitted, facing away from me.“I don’t know what it’s like to have that connection with someone. Guys are always too scared to approach me.”
“Not Adam.” I stood and approached her from behind. I wanted to take her.
“Adam was an immature boy. I needed a man.” She turned, finding me right there, breathing in her intoxicating scent. Her head raised to me surprised.
As I looked down, I saw the pulse in her neck throb quickly. Mine was pounding just as fast.
“Is it everything that people say it is?” Her lips barely parted.
My hands found her hair and sweptit out of her face as I held onto her flushed cheeks.“Do you want to find love, Bella? Is that what you want for yourself?” My heart raced with every second I touched her. I was fighting it, but that wouldn’t last long.
“Yes,” She breathed.“Don’t you?” Her eyes slowly fluttered under my touch.
My eyes closed to her question, and I realized I’d never notwanted something so badly in my life.“Love can be… over rated.”
“So I’ve heard.” She leaned into me.
Pulling her close, my lips found hers. She was warm and soft. Unbelievably decadent. My tongue swept across her lips tasting her sweetness. She kissed me back, pushing her body into mine.
Right then, I wanted her. All of her.
.
Chapter 8
Bella
Oh God! I wanted him to kiss me, or did I? This could be very complicated. There was so much going on and adding this could be messy to say the least. But I did want it. I wanted to be touched and tasted.
I leaning into him, his scent washed over like it did earlier at the door. Jesus, I thought I was going to pass out. I hadn’t been touched in a year, at least. Each month got more depressing, so I stopped counting, but I wanted this.
He began pulling me towards him with as body melted into his hold. His lips took mine, devoured me. He tasted just as good as he smelled, with a mixture of cologne and brandy. His breath was hot and his touch smooth.
Suddenly, I felt apprehension in the kiss and he started pulling away. My hands met his face.“Don’t.” I whispered.
“I can’t give you love Bella. I can give you many things, but if its love you want I can’t offer you that.” My heart flipped. He’d offered to marry me and then he kissed me, but love was off the table?
“Good,” I can’t handle everything that’s going on right now and love too.“What can you offer me?” I asked. I’m lying to myself, if for one second I believed I couldn’t love him. I could love him. I didn’t know him very well, but he’s exactly the kind of man I could love. I wouldn’t admit it though.
What are you about to do Bella?
“It’s not that easy.” He hesitated. His jaw tightened and his eyes went dark.
Sliding my hands to his neck, I could feel his pulse under my touch and him harden against me. My body reacted with a tingle in the place that hadn’t been touched in a very long time.
“It’s as easy as we say it is.” I stepped up on my tippy toes and rubbed against his body with mine.“No strings.” I pulled him to me.
A deep breath released from his mouth.“I’ll wait until you’re my wife.” He stepped back away from my touch.
“You’ll be waiting a long time then. I won’t marry you.” I hugged my chest tightly with my arms.
His eyes narrowed in on me.“Really? You think you have a say Bella? You think that I’m giving you a say?”
I backed away from his growl without even realizing it and he came at me just as quickly. My lips parted, but I didn’t speak. Who did he think he was?
“I’ve been very… patient with your mouth. I’ve been patient with the way that you speak to me, but I don’t intend on letting you get away with that again.” His arm landed on my arm.“I can’t be seen as weak. I won’t be seen as weak. Do you understand?”
“Oh, I get it. You’re using me the same way Sam wants too. You want to be the boss of bosses huh. Well fuck you! Listen to me very carefully Jax Moretti, I will nevermarry you!” I took a deep breath and ran to the front entrance to grab my bag. After snatching it up with mad speed, I jutted out of the side door that led into the garage and opened the door to the black Audi. Jax’s hand grabbed mine causing me to jerk backwards.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
“Away from you. I barely know you.”
“And yet you were so willing to lay down like a whore?” I smacked his cheek with everything I had. My eyes were wide and full of fire as I waited for the reaction I was sure he’d give. His face was red with horror, but he didn’t react.
“You’ll come to Chicago with me when I leave Detroit. And you’ll do it as my wife.” His reaction dumbfounded me. I hadn’t been looking at him as a powerful man. I didn’t feel threatened by him before because he’d been kind. But I see how mistaken I had truly been.
Jax Moretti was a dangerous man.
***
The satin hugged my hips. My curves begged to be released from the seam of the dress. The full length mirror showed my weakness. It screamed each one of them out loud. My father had decided I would marry Jax. He didn’t care what I’d thought. I’d told him how vile he’d become with me and yet he didn’t care. Papa had said that it was final and I’d do what I was told.
Emily tucked herself into the bridesmaid dress that she’d picked off of the rack only this morning. We literally had one day to prepare. I’d just assumed I’d wear jeans. I was pissed that Papa was making me do this and that was being nice. I was feral. I wanted to rip Jax’s throat out. I wanted to jab him in the eye with a knife. How dare he speak to me like he had? I hadn’t seen him since then. He took me to my real house and didn’t even look at me when I stepped out of the car. Seriously, the guy had two personalities that he needed to get in check real quick.
“Are you ready?” Emily asked as she leaned on my shoulder. She watched me watch myself in the mirror.
“I wish it was all different. I wish my momma was here.” A tear escaped from the corner of my eye.
“Stop Bell, seriously!” She turned me around to look at her.“What are you doing? You want to marry Sam? What if he made you do that? Seems to me like this is a way better option. Or do you want me to call Sam and get him over here. I’m sure he’d be a great husband, rubbing his dick all over every chick that walked by him.”
I nodded my head.“He was horrible. He called me a whore.”
“Psst… Please, he was probably just mad or had his ego burned by your awesomeness.” She rubbed my head in a soothing manner.
I laugh cried as I bent over trying to get myself together.“I’m not so awesome, Em. I’m a joke.”
She shook her head while she listened as she also bit her nails.“Listen, your dad needs you to be strong right now Bell. He isn’t doing well now. I see him all day and I can tell this is tearing him up. Your father loves you very much.” Emily had always been the voice of reason when it came down to it. She had a way with words that could take your breath away. This was her way to support both me and my father.
I
nodded again.“What if he's mean to me? I don’t want to be stuck with a mean husband Em. I’m scared.” I admitted. Emily was the only person I’d admit that too.
She pulled me into her arms for a thoughtful hug. Her dark hair tickled my nose and I laughed.“He hot as fuck Bell. I’m sure that he fucks like a God.” She pulled away with a fake smile planted on her puffy face. She’d been crying. She just didn’t know that I knew that.“I’ll visit all the time okay?”
“Yeah, I’ll bet that’ll go over great Em.” I snorted as I patted my face and looked back into the mirror. This wasn’t a happy occasion for me.“He said he’d never love me Em. How can I go into this knowing he won’t ever feel for me?”
She shrugged.“So you get a sexy body guard and make him fall in love with you.” Her face lit up bright red.
A knock on the door jolted us from our conversation.“Bella you ready?” Tony asked as if he'd known Emily had just said the words "sexy body guard".
“You can come in Tony.” I said.
“Hey, you alright?” He asked me.
“Nope, but it doesn’t really matter does it.” My face was void of all emotion.
He offered a smile.“Gotta go.” He said with hesitation.
The walk downstairs was long, but I got through it with the help of Emily gripping my hand.
When we arrived in the living room, the pastor was standing next to the window. Papa was sitting in the white chair next to the fireplace; Sal was right next to him staring off into space. Jax and three other men stood in the corner wearing suits. When I cleared my throat everyone turned into my direction.
“Isabella.” Papa stood and approached me.“My beautiful princess.” He kissed both my cheeks.
I smiled, but I wasn’t the doting bride he wanted me to be.
Everyone stepped into place and Jax slid beside me. He took my hand and then turned to me. I rolled my saturated eyes and faced forward.“Let me have a minute with my bride.” He clasped my hand and pulled me into the guest bathroom in the hallway.
He stared at me for a long beat after closing the door.
“What?” I snapped.
“I’m sorry Bella.” He took a long gasp for air as he looked to the ceiling.“I’m sorry that I called you a whore.” His eyes weren’t meeting mine. His cologne surrounded me and I felt nauseous as I stood there with this man that couldn’t even look at me.
A tear rolled down my cheek and I quickly wiped it away before he could see. I’m not weak and I wouldn’t let him think I was.“Is this a joke?”
“What?” He snapped.
“You. You bring me in here to look at the fucking ceiling while you give me a joke of an apology?” I yanked my hand from his.
His head fell into his hand.“Bella you don’t know what you’re saying.” He said as he ran his hand across his smooth face.
“Oh because I’m a woman?” I scrunched my brows.“Because I’m not a Made-man? What is it Sam?” I asked hearing the name slip from my lips. I couldn’t take it back, there was nothing I could do.
His face became red with furry and stiff with anger.“Sam?” I shook where I stood.“You compare me with that fucking sick fuck?”
My mouth opened but nothing came out. I felt a stab of guilt because he hadn’t been like Sam at all and until I ran away from him he’d been very kind to me.“I’m sorry.” I bowed my head.“I don’t know why I said that.” Yes I did. He was an add just like Sam. But It wasn't even a little fair that I'd compared the two.
“Clearly you had your reasons.” He took in another deep breath and walked across the room to sit in the chair against the wall.
I approached him sitting in the chair opposite him.“I’m angry Jax. I… I wanted things to be different.” I butted my hands in the air.
“Because I’m not good enough to marry? To protect you from him?” His eyes were so dark I prayed for light.
I shook my head, staring at the wall so that I didn't have to look at those eyes. And maybe I was a little embarrassed to look at him too.“Because you didn’t give me a choice.” Another tear slipped and I wiped it away, only that time he saw it.
“I’m sorry for that Bella. You don’t know what’s happening right now, what could happen to you.” My eyes turned to his.
“Please don’t ever call me a whore again.” I sat up in my chair with my face void of all emotion. It was my only defense. "Never let them see you weak." Papa said that many times.“Or I’ll leave you.”
“Deal. I promise I will respect you.” Total shock flew through me. He just offered to respect me.
A yell echoed through the door and my heart sank.“Papa?” My eyes met Jax’s.
He reached for my hand and ran us from the bathroom. We turned from the hallway into the great room and there stood Sam. My heart shifted into overdrive.
“What the fuck is going on?” He stood in the middle of the room watching me. I didn’t know what to do or say. I froze. The two men with him had guns pointed in our direction.“Tell me!” He screamed with balled fist.
“Bella and I were married today.” Jax squeezed my hand, but kept a calm voice.
“Married? How the fuck did you get married?”
I didn’t speak and instead found comfort in Jax’s tight grip.“Em, go upstairs. NOW!” I demanded when I remembered she was standing beside me.
“Hell no! This is way too fucked up to miss.” I wanted to turn around and demand that she go but she was a big girl and she knew what was coming. So I took a deep breath and watched as the veins in Sam’s neck pulsed out of control.
“Did you not hear me Isabella? I asked how you got married. You were promised to me.”
Jax pulled me behind him, tucking me away with his body.“You may only speak to my bride when I give you permission. Do I make myself clear?” He reached his hand behind him, and pulled out a gun. I stepped back from his body and he quickly pulled me closer.
“Oh, I see what this is.” He laughed manically.“You get the girl that I'm promised and you get the old man’s throne?”
“Enough!” Papa hissed from the other side of the room.“Get out of my home before I bury you.”
“Bury me?” He laughed again.“Yeah, we’ll see who buries who old man.”
I felt fury. My entire body heated like a fire. My heart thudded viciously against my chest. How dare he come into my home and speak to my father like a common man. I reached over to Tony who stood next to me, pulling out an extra gun that sat tucked away in his pants. I cocked it and broke loose from Jax bringing the gun in the air.
Everything went silent. I couldn’t hear anyone. I knew everyone was screaming for me to get back. I didn’t care what they had to say. I was going to Kill that son of a bitch. The entire room went into slow motion. I could see Tony reaching for me from my peripheral and Jax lung forward, but they couldn’t stop me.
The gun was loaded, I was sure. Tony never had a gun that wasn’t ready to kill. He’d said that many times before. All I had to do was aim and shoot. I’d done that lots of times at the range with Tony and Sal. Papa didn’t know that, but they thought it was important for me to know how to protect myself.
“Isabella!” Papa spit out.
Sam laughed at me. He thought I was weak, but I was the furthest thing from weak. I was a woman and a pissed one at that. I wouldn’t be taking his shit anymore. Now I’d be giving it.“What are you going to do with that?”
My body shook with adrenaline. I wasn’t scared but rather excited.“I’m going to kill you.” I sneered.
“No!” Papa screamed this time.
“Kill me? Please Bella you couldn’t hurt a fly. You know that.”
Jax reached me in the three seconds it took for me to get to Sam. He tucked me under his arm and grabbed the gun from my hand.“Get the fuck out Casconi. If I ever see you near my wife again, I’ll gut you where you stand.”
“Yeah, okay. Let’s go.” Sam spit at us.
“Your days are numbered Casconi. Your days are so fuckin' n
umbered.” Jax hissed.
They slammed the door behind their selves and pulled out of the driveway. When they left, the entire house erupted with anger, screaming, curse words. A few things flew across the room and shattered.
“Tell me how that idiot got into my home!” My father asked. No one spoke.“Tell me!” He barked at everyone.“There are how many men here? My daughter was able to reach a gun and approach him? Tell me how this was possible!”
“Sir,” Sal spoke first.
“Get out of my face!” Papa screamed.
“Papa sit. It’s okay.” I said to calm him.
“Get this over with.” He said to the man that stood ready to perform the ceremony.
Jax pulled me into his chest.“This is why Bella.” I understood what he was telling me. I understood now why this was so important.
“Okay.” I whispered.
***
The wedding was quick, just the basics. We signed the license and it was official. Jax took the paper in his hands and snapped a picture of it.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
“Sending it to my attorney.”
“Why?” That was an odd thing to do.
“Because I need proof, just in case.” His eyes snapped to the man that’d just married us.“Don’t ask questions Bella, let me deal with it.” He hurried through the motions.
“So what now?” I asked as he tucked his phone into his jacket.
“Now we go home.”
“How can I leave my father when he’s sick Jax?”
“If you stay Bella you’d be at risk. I can protect you better where I am.”
“What is this? What are you afraid of? What is my father afraid of?” His posture stiffened as he stood to his full six foot four frame. His eyes met the men that were here for him.“Not your business.” Was he serious?
“Are you kidding me? How is this not my business? You come here and force yourself as my husband and it’s not my business? You’re an asshole.” I sneered under my breath.
“Bella you have no idea what you’re talking about.” He remained calm, but his voice was firm.
Bella #1 (Sagatori Family Saga #1) Page 7