Page 23 of Ruthless God

How could this man evoke so many strange,contradictoryemotions out of me?

I looked over to the king-size bed, taking in the red rose petals in the shape of a heart. As if I needed something more to worry about, like having the petals stuck onto my skin in strange places. And the only way that would happen was if I was naked with the man… with my husband.

I shivered at the thought.

Massimo had been watching me the entire time.

“Okay?” he asked me when he noticed my attention back on him. What did he expect me to say? I didn’t know, and I didn’t know what to say, so I nodded.

“Nervous?”

Again, I nodded. I was more than nervous. It felt like my entire system was on the verge of shutting down.

His voice was gruff when he said, “Don’t be.”

The command was so ridiculous, along with the seriousness of his face, that I couldn’t help it when a small giggle burst free. He looked at me as if I had lost my mind.

I might have.

He stepped in closer to me. I resisted the urge to move back. Something dark passed over his eyes as his thumb swiped acrossmy bottom lip. He bent down and pressed his lips against mine. I closed my eyes and held still, taking in the feel of the familiar taste of his lips. Would it always feel like this when he kissed me? And just how often did Massimo expect us to kiss?

Electricity buzzed around my skin, and a lightheaded sensation moved through me.

I swayed, and he wrapped one arm tightly around my middle, pulling me in close to him until not a single inch of space separated our bodies. I could feel…everything.

I gasped when he shifted, letting me feel his hardness in the most intimate way possible.

I had never…

Hell.

He pushed in closer, a growl escaping his lips just as he deepened the kiss.

My arms hung on my sides, and I was suddenly very aware of them. I didn’t know where to put them. Did I wrap my arms around him? Did I push in closer? Keep them at my side and wait for his instructions?

What did he want me to do?

I let out a small whimper of frustration, and he pulled back to look at me. His green eyes were nearly dark, his lips swollen from the kiss, and a tinge of red touched his tan skin.

We didn’t say anything. Just continued to look at each other while our chests pushed against each other from every harsh breath taken.

My hands balled into fists before I unclenched and slowly placed them over his biceps. I didn’t pull away. Something that shouldn’t make me feel ecstatic but did.

What was I doing?

I swallowed and was about to pull away when Massimo tightened his hold.

“Massimo,” I muttered.

He stilled, and something glinted in his eyes. “You know that is the first time you said my name?”

I shook my head. Was it? I thought of his name in my head so much since the moment I realized I was going to be the one to marry him that I had probably grown more familiar with his name than my own. His name had felt like a part of my thoughts, haunting my dreams and waking moments, up until that very first meeting.

“Is it okay?” I asked softly.

“Fuck, of course it is,” he said so vehemently I nearly smiled.

He pulled me up until my feet no longer touched the floor and carried me over to the bed. The move was so sudden, my nails dug into his skin.