Chapter Eight

Aria

My stepbrother hates me.

Why else would he expose something so personal to my entire family? It's not his place to get into everyone's business especially not mine. Not when I've done nothing to deserve his cruelty.

Maybe I should not have called him out for ruining everyone’s Christmas, but this is cruel, even for him.

I turn my tearful eyes to Orlando. I notice the muscles of his jaw tighten, making it appear as though he is gritting his teeth. I can see the sharp edges of his cheekbones more prominently as his expression hardens.

I want to go to him. Bury my face in his chest and beg him to make all this go away but I can't move my feet. It seems I am glued to the floor.

"What did you just say?" My father's deep angry voice makes me jump and I whirl around to find him glaring at my brother. His face is an alarming shade of red and his eyes narrowed to slits. He looks angrier than I have ever seen him before, and it sends a shiver running down my spine. "What the fuck did you just say, Nico!"

"Hey, don't look at me like that," Nico hisses, wincing when his voice comes out hoarse. "It's not my fault that your darling daughter has been riding more than the bodyguard's car!"

Multiple gasps ring through the room before it falls back into a still silence. Unlike the case earlier where everyone was talking over the other, no one dares speak this time.

My father's narrowed eyes shift to Orlando who is standing with his hands in his pocket and to anyone else, he looks calm, but I have spent a year around this man. I may not know much about him, but I know his moods. He is anything but calm. He typically gets this way when boys try to hit on me and I can see just how close he is to punching my brother.

So I force my feet to move and step into his space, placing a hand on his arm and feeling the tension under my fingertips. "It's true," I whisper, staring at Orlando's chest. Anything to not meet my father's or any of my family's judgmental stares. "O-Orlando and I are together. We were going to tell you about it after Christmas…"

"Shut up!" my father roars, and I feel Orlando tense more under my hand to squeeze his arm tightly before he gets any idea about fighting the men in my family.

"We should speak in private, Constanzo," Orlando tells my father.

"What the fuck do you think we're going to talk about Battista! You took advantage of my daughter–"

"No, he didn't," I cry out before my father feeds doubt into his mind and ruins what Orlando and I have. "He did not take advantage of me. I… I seduced him!"

Multiple people gasp and I notice the red in my father's face deepen at my words. "You will pay for this, Battista and you," his angry eyes shift to me. "To your room. You are not allowed anywhere near this man–"

"No, Constanzo," Orlando says calmly from my side and I look up to find his eyes narrowed to slits, meeting my father's glare head-on. "I am reacting calmly out of respect for you but when I leave this house, Arianna is coming with me."

"I will kill you before you take my daughter away from this house."

"You can try."

Things are getting dangerous, and no one is enjoying this anymore. With my brother and his girlfriend, everyone was invested and enjoying seeing my brothers fight over a girl but in this case, there could be blood. In a fight between two bulls, there will be blood. And it be just the bulls bleeding.

"I love him," I say, drawing attention away from the two bulls and back to me. "I love Orlando and I don't want to be parted from him. I really want your blessing papa. I'm sorry if I’ve disappointed you and for keeping this a secret from everyone but this is who I want to spend the rest of my life with."

"Shut up, Aria, and get away from that man!"

There is that tightening in my chest again. The pain I feel every time I have to push back my needs to please my family. I have been nothing but the perfect daughter. Trying to develop a relationship with a stepbrother who hated my guts and a father who wanted to control every aspect of my life.

This is the first thing I have asked for myself.

I ignored my passion to paint and went ahead to take economics because that is what my father wanted. Instead of being out playing with kids my own age, I was in a small room learning piano because it was what my mother wanted; and what good has that done me?

"No!" I snap, the sound foreign coming from me and with the way my father's eyes widen in surprise, I can tell he is shocked too. "I'm leaving with Orlando. I don't want anything to do with this family anymore. I will drop that stupid course you made me take and finally do what I’ve always wanted to do which is paint! It’s something I am really good at but only Orlando knows because no one else has ever bothered to ask what I want!" I wipe the angry tears that streak my cheeks. "God, you are all so frustrating! I am twenty, old enough to make my own damn decisions and not get ordered around like some kid."

"Aria…" My father starts before his mouth closes, and it seems that I have stunned him into silence but I don't care to wait around for him to snap out of it. I whirl around, stomp out of the room and run to the stairs. I need to get to my room and away from the suffocating and tense air in the dining area.

That, and I need to pack my things and get the hell out of here before my father decides to use his goons to force me to stay.

I kick open the door to my bedroom and walk in, slamming it closed behind me, but it doesn't close. My hand slaps the door before it can completely shut and I turn around to see Orlando walk into the room. His mouth is set in a flat line and those eyes that I adore so much are filled with rage.

"Hey, are you okay?"

I shake my head, my eyes welling up with angry tears. "No, I'm not okay. I'm so mad at everyone. At my family. At Nico and my father–"

"At me?"

"No. God, no." I turn away and look around at the room I've spent years in and out of. It was my haven even though this place never quite felt like home. "I have this anger inside of me and I don't know how to get it out. The only thing I am mad at you for is not letting me have the satisfaction of hearing the door slam shut."

"Is that so?" rasps Orlando, his voice so damn close to my ear. I didn't hear him move and now he's behind me, his warm breath caressing the hair at the back of my neck. "I have ways that can help you get rid of that excess anger."

"Are you really thinking of sex right now?"

"I wasn't," he says thickly. "I was going to suggest boxing, punching a bag or something but now you've put the idea in my head."

Right, it was me.

"Boxing sounds great. Do you think there are any boxing rings open on Christmas?"

Orlando nuzzles my neck as a low rumble builds up in his chest. One that sends goosebumps licking up my skin. "I have one in my building at work," he says, pushing my hair to the side and kissing my neck. "I am angry too, princess. I want to kill your brother and make your father pay for making so miserable."

Anyone else and I would take their words for a joke, but this is Orlando. In my world, people don't make such threats unless they have every intention of going through with them. "Don't–"

"He needs to pay, Aria. No one is allowed to put that hurt look on your face. Ever!"

"I don't want anyone dead. Not even my asshole brother." I turn around to face him. "Promise me you won't do anything to him."

"I can't promise you that."

Jesus. "Fine, promise me you won't hurt him! Please… Daddy ."

His eyes fire up with desire and I can tell there will be no more talking or packing. Not for the next hour at least. "I won't kill him," Orlando says hoarsely and while I can tell he is not letting go of what happened back there, I'm assured he won't cross the line. Orlando wets his lips, his gray eyes heating up as he wraps his hand around my waist and yanks me hard against him. "Now let’s work on this excess anger.”

That is all the warning I get before my bodyguard scoops me into his arms and throws me down on the center of the bed. His eyes are locked on mine as he toes off his shoes and climbs up my bed. I realize I have thought of this same scenario in this very room so many times. I always pictured my bodyguard having sex with me in here, but I never thought it would happen in a million years.

"I love you, Aria," he says roughly, yanking my dress up my thighs and exposing my panties. "I fell in love with you the moment I saw you and all this time I've tried to convince myself that it was something else. I've watered it down to lust when in actuality it's as simple as sex. I haven't wanted or even looked at any other woman ever since I met you."

"Y–you haven't?" I whimper when he grabs the waistband of my panties and yanks them down my thighs before ripping them off me. His intense eyes drop to my pussy and I moan when he drags his knuckle between my feminine folds, sending a rush of moisture flooding through me.

"How could I?" he rasps, pulling his gaze from my sex and to me. "How could I look at anyone else when you are the most gorgeous woman I have ever seen, Arianna? Inside and out. I was only meant to be your bodyguard for a few weeks, but the thought of someone else being close to you was enough to send me to madness. I couldn’t stay away, Princess. I see no one but you. I want no one but you."

His mouth slams down on mine before I can say a word, I open up for him, my heart clenching painfully with love for the man. I bring my hand to his nape, but he snatches my wrist and pins it down above my head even as he deepens the kiss. It's angry, the way his tongue licks into mine. The possessive way in which he takes my lips, the wine on his tongue leaving me intoxicated.

"I love you," I whimper when he breaks the kiss to trail his mouth down my neck. He kisses my nipples over my dress before moving down until he's positioned between my open thighs. His eyes flicker with something heated… something possessive before he leans in and licks me. I jump up heat spreading my tummy at a rapid speed. With his eyes locked on mine, Orlando lays the flat of his tongue over my sex and starts licking me like a madman. My back arches off the bed and I cry out as he laps at my arousal, not caring that my noise might carry down where the rest of my family is.

They'll know that I'm fucking my bodyguard.

That the family's sweet little princess has turned into a dirty little slut for her much older protector. I don't care if they know this. I can't bring myself to think past Orlando and his magical touch.

God, it's too much!

I feel myself tethered close to an orgasm but before I can fall, Orlando pulls away. He straightens up and unzips his pants, shoving them down along with his boxer briefs. His massive cock bobs out, the tip is red and angry, leaking precum. My eyes stay on the droplet that trails his shaft and I lean to get a taste when he flattens me to the bed, his hand holding my wrist firmly above my head as he positions himself between my thighs. "I need to be inside of you, princess," he growls, dropping his head to my neck and sinking his teeth into my skin before licking it to soothe the sting. "Have to remind myself that you are finally mine, Aria. Need to flood your tight little pussy with my come and mark you." He grunts as he works the head of his shaft into my entrance.

"Daddy," I whimper at the stretching, wanting to break the hold he has on my wrist so I can touch him but it's firm and unrelenting.

"I'll make you feel good, princess," he grinds, his voice and gaze fiercely possessive. "You are mine."

My back arches and my mouth falls open with a scream when he slams forward, burying every one of his thick inches into me. "Daddy," I cry as he starts to rail me, the bed groaning under as he jackhammers into me. His thrusts are violent and movements unrestrained. "Oh God, oh!" I mewl, rocking my hips up to meet his brutal pounding, loving every second of it. Wanting it to last forever but I know it won't.

I'm so close to an orgasm. Christ, it hasn't even been a minute yet but the feeling in my stomach is back with vengeance, so strong it threatens to destroy me.

And yet, I let it overwhelm me.

"Oh God!" I cry out when the storm explodes inside of me, sweeping me off the shore. I orgasm with a sob, my eyes going bling and that delicious tug warms me over, causing violent tremors to wrack my body.

"I love you, Aria. I would kill for you, do anything for you, Princess," he growls hoarsely pounding into me with such vengeance it sends a storm of heat climbing up my body again and I orgasm with another sob, my body arching off the bed as my core cinches hard around him, pushing him over the edge with me.

He comes with a roar but most of it is lost as he buries his face in my hair, and I feel more than hear the roughness in his voice. "Fuck, baby!" he grunts, grinding into me and burying his spend in my womb until I have milked him to the last drop.

My head falls back on the bed with a sigh and Orlando follows me down, his heavy breathing matching my own. We lie in silence, reveling in the moment where it's just us. I want to bottle up this moment and live in it forever, but I know that at some point we'll have to get up and deal with my family.

"Hmm, I like the way you smell, princess. Soft and sweet, like a flower." Orlando rasps, kissing my neck. "What do you say we spend all our Christmases this way?"

"In bed, having sex?"

He chuckles, "My little dirty-minded princess. I meant just the two of us." he nuzzles my hair, his soft breath fanning my skin and sending goosebumps licking up my body. "But yes, in bed."

I laugh and realize that I am no longer angry. Orlando makes me happy. In the past year, he's been a constant presence on my side. The only one that truly knows me, and I want to spend every day in his arms.

"Let's do that," I whisper, wrapping my arms around his broad shoulders. Feeling content to stay in his arms forever. "Just the two of us."