Page 41 of Forbidden Sins

ESTELLA

“ H ide!” I mouth the word to Sebastian, my pulse pounding in my ears as I hear Vito knock again.

Sebastian moves toward the bathroom as quietly as he can, as I call out “Come in!” quickly, to try to cover the sound of his retreating footsteps.

He makes it into the bathroom the moment before Vito opens the door, the sound of Vito walking in covering the click of the bathroom door closing.

Vito pauses, frowning as he looks at me. “Are you alright, bella ?”

I swallow hard, forcing a smile. “Of course. I’m just getting ready for bed. Why?”

His eyes narrow, and he walks toward me, kicking the door shut behind him. My gaze snaps to it, and I shake my head, backing up.

“You shouldn’t be in here.”

“You’re flushed and breathless, bella .” His voice lowers, his gaze sweeping over me. “I can see your pulse in your throat. You’re too agitated to be getting ready for bed. Are you not feeling well?”

“I’m startled that you’re in my room,” I snap defensively. “You know you shouldn’t be in here?—”

“Your father and I came to terms on the betrothal contract tonight. You are mine, Estella, in every way except the most official one. And I want something from you, to show me your commitment to this union.”

Fear races through me, turning my blood to ice. My heart is pounding for an entirely different reason now, and I look up at Vito. I don’t have to fake the pleading in my eyes. “He’ll be furious if I’m not a virgin on my wedding day?—”

Vito barks out a laugh. “Don’t be so crude, bella .

Do you think I would deprive myself of enjoying my virgin wife on our wedding night?

Besides—” He steps forward, his hand sliding into my hair as his fingers twist around the strands.

“You shouldn’t even know about such things.

I’m disappointed, actually, that my pure and innocent wife would even think about the marital bed so soon. ”

I bite my lip, confusion washing over me. I see the bathroom door creak open, ever so slightly, and my heart pounds in my chest so hard that it hurts. I don’t know what Sebastian is going to do, but if he attacks Vito now?—

“What do you want, then?” I whisper, and Vito smiles, reaching up with his other hand to brush his thumb across my lip.

“There are other ways to please your husband, bella . I thought we could have a lesson here, tonight. In fact, I thought we could have lessons often, over this summer, until our wedding. You can show me how much you wish to please me, my dutiful wife, and I will teach you exactly how I like to be pleasured, in all ways except for the one that we’ll save for the appropriate time. ”

I blink at him, trying to feign innocence. “Other… ways? I don’t know what you mean?—”

Vito smiles, clearly pleased with that idea. “With your hand, bella . And your mouth. There are so many intricacies that I can show you. We can spend hours on those lessons alone, and you’ll still be a virgin on our wedding night.”

“I—” I see the bathroom door creak open a little more, and I flail for some way to stave him off. “I do want to please you, Vito, but my father?—”

“--wouldn’t be happy to know that I can smell another man on you.”

I freeze. Vito’s eyes are glittering, a cruel smile on his lips.

“He was in here, wasn’t he? Your bodyguard?

What would your father do, do you think, if I went downstairs and told him that I could smell his cologne on your skin?

That I’m sure he was in your bedroom, touching my future wife?

Would he leave his cock attached to his body, this time, or cut it off entirely before sending him back to you? ”

Tears well up in my eyes. I can’t move, caught in the trap that I unwittingly set, and Vito smiles with satisfaction.

“I have eyes everywhere, bella . Even before I came to stay here, I had ways of finding out what happened within these walls… even outside of them, where your father took your precious bodyguard to teach him a lesson. A lesson he didn’t learn well enough, clearly.

But you, bella , can save him for now. Learn your lessons, and I won’t breathe a word of it, so long as you try very, very hard.

” His hand tightens in my hair, and I feel a wave of nausea wash over me. “Do you understand?”

I open my mouth to answer, just as he grabs my other hand and presses it between his legs, right against the firm line of his pencil-thin cock.

My entire body rebels. My stomach heaves, and bile burns the back of my throat as I retch—vomit hitting the front of Vito’s shirt, and then his shoes—as I double over, coughing and choking.

I catch a glimpse of the repulsion on his face as he stumbles back, entirely focused on the mess I’ve made.

And when I see Sebastian creeping out of the bathroom, I mouth one word to him, my eyes wide with panic.

Run!

I see him hesitate. I know he doesn’t want to leave me like this.

Please , I mouth, hoping with everything in me that he won’t pick this moment to make a stand, and I see him give in.

I turn, dry-heaving toward Vito again as he grabs me and pushes me away from him, just as I grab onto him to keep from falling.

The resulting chaos lasts just long enough for Sebastian to slip soundlessly out of the room, closing the door behind him, as I fall back against the bed.

“I’m so sorry,” I gasp. “I was flushed when you came in because I’d just been sick. The veal didn’t sit well with me, I think?—”

Vito narrows his eyes at me. “You said you were fine.”

“I lied.” I look up at him pleadingly. “I thought you’d be disgusted if I said something about vomiting.

I want you to be pleased with me, to want me—” I don’t have to fake the tears that well up in my eyes, spilling quickly over my lashes, and Vito takes another step back, his face twisted with anger.

“I’m disgusted now ,” he spits. “Don’t come out of your room for breakfast tomorrow, Estella. I don’t want to see you until dinner. Give me time to get this foul image out of my head. I can’t imagine touching you right now.”

“I’m so sorry. Please don’t be angry. I’ll—I’ll do whatever you want,” I promise. “You can teach me…I’ll do my best to learn. Whenever you want, Vito. Just please?—”

He waves a hand at me, his own face faintly green. “I’ll call a maid,” he snaps, striding out of the room, and the door slams behind him a moment later.

I sag against the bed, tears still dripping down my cheeks, panic flooding me.

I don’t know if he’ll say anything to my father about Sebastian.

Maybe, maybe not. Vito clearly doesn’t want to wait until our wedding to get some pleasure from me, and if he tells my father, he’ll no longer have anything to hold over me.

Which is just another reason why Sebastian needs to leave. I close my eyes, pain clutching at my heart at the thought, but I know there’s no other way. With him gone, my father and Vito will have nothing to hold over me any longer.

And Sebastian will be free.

—

I don’t come down until dinner the next day, as I’m told.

I don’t see Sebastian. I spend the entire day panicking, filled with anxiety that Vito has said something to my father, and Sebastian has been punished again.

I spend the day pacing, working myself up into a frenzy of worry, until I’m finally forced to get dressed to go down for dinner.

A wave of relief hits me when I see Sebastian standing guard for dinner as always.

He’s still bruised from the prior beating, his lip swollen and red, but not more than it was from our kisses last night.

My skin prickles when I look at his mouth, heat blooming through me at the memory of his lips on mine, the taste of his blood on my tongue, the most intimate thing I can imagine.

He doesn’t look at me as I take my seat next to Vito, who is cold and composed. My heart races in my chest, rabbit-fast, but I say nothing, taking small sips of the cold cucumber soup that’s served as the first course.

“You’re feeling better, bella ?” Vito asks, his voice crisp, and I look up, nodding quickly.

“I am, thank you.”

“Were you unwell?” My father looks at me curiously, and I swallow hard, glancing at Vito. There’s no way he can say more without revealing he was in my room last night. But I’m not getting the sense that he’s said anything about Sebastian, either.

“Dinner didn’t sit well with me last night,” I say quickly. “I asked my maid to let Vito know I’d be spending the day in my room until I felt better.”

Antony nods. “I’m glad to hear you’re better now, then, daughter.

” He smiles, picking up his wine glass. “Vito and I came to terms last night. Your betrothal contract is ready to be signed at the church in three days, and this weekend it will be officially announced at the party.” He glances at Vito.

“Your husband-to-be has asked to give you the ring at the celebration, instead of at the church. He wishes to propose to you in front of the guests.” My father chuckles.

“A slight departure from tradition, and he knows what the answer will be, of course, since the papers will already be signed. But he thought it would be special for you. Isn’t that kind, Estella? ”

I nod, forcing a smile. “So kind,” I echo, knowing that it has nothing to do with that at all. Vito wants the pleasure of forcing my yes publicly, in front of every rich and well-connected guest we know, to prove that I’m his. It’s not to make me happy.

Nothing about this marriage ever will be. And the last moment I was ever happy will be the one where Sebastian first kissed me, with the scent of roses all around me.

The happiest moment of my entire life… and the last joy I’ll ever feel.