CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

DALIA

Kat once told me that taking back your ex is like going to your own garage sale and buying all your own crap back. I found it a little ironic, considering her and my brother broke up and got back together. During that conversation Giada agreed with her, ‘Never go backwards,' she said, ‘Always keep moving forward. If you're looking behind you while trying to move ahead, you'll stumble.'

Glancing at him from the passenger seat, I take in his dark slicked back hair, chiseled jaw, slight stubble on his face, and those tattoos. I've grown up around tats so it's never been a thing for me. With Aries though, it's sexy and beautiful. My mother would've said the neck and hand tattoos are too much. I'd have to disagree, those might be the sexiest ones. He's all dressed in black, as he frequently is. As I sit next to Aries, going to his house, I'm terrified I'm not going to stumble, more like fall face first into hard cement.

He grabs my hand while driving down the street, "Stop."

"Stop what?"

Pulling my hand up to his lips, he kisses my skin softly, "Thinking about all the reasons you should run from me."

"All you want is sex, which I don't understand. Can't you find other women to fuck?"

He clenches his jaw and drops my hand, but doesn't say a word as he pulls into his driveway. After parking, he quickly gets out, barking, "Dalia, come," and slams his door.

I get out and storm after him, because I've had enough of this. My brothers don't speak to me like I'm below them, and neither will he.

Following him inside the house, I come up behind him, he turns toward me and I reach out my hand, slap him across the face, snapping his head to the side. I expect a glare or some sort of angry eyes, instead he appears amused as he grabs my wrists on either side and pushes me up against the wall, placing my arms over my head, "Is there a problem, baby?"

My cheeks heat with anger as I bite, "Yes, there's a fucking problem. Don't talk to me like that. Like I'm beneath you."

If I had the use of my hands, I'd smack him again to get rid of the smug look on his face, "Mrs. Lombardi, you're always thinking about sex, although I do enjoy it when you're beneath me."

He runs his nose along the side of my neck, and I refuse to react to him, "It's De Luca. Miss De Luca."

"It's Mrs. Lombardi. You're still my wife, Dalia."

"Not for long."

He growls, "Forever. A lifetime. An eternity. When I let you go, you're going to call your attorney and tell him you changed your mind."

"No," I whisper, "I will never change my mind. It's over."

Aries chuckles but there is no humor behind it, "Then why are you here?"

"I have no idea."

Of course, I know damn well I'm in his house because he's heavy handed, has no idea what the word no means, and trapped in his web like a fly in a spiderweb. The second he trapped me there was no chance of escape. The problem is I'm not even sure I want to, and the bigger issue is that I'm pretty sure he knows it.

He runs his tongue up the side of my neck, "Let me tell you why you're here since you have no idea. The first reason, baby, is because I make you feel things you never even knew existed. And the second is that you're as fucking gone for me as I am for you."

I shake my head in argument, "No. I loved you, you didn't feel the same, and now I'm over you."

"Beautiful little liar. You'll never be over me. You're in my soul and I'm in yours."

I laugh at him because it's ridiculous, "That's quite the bold romantic statement for a man that, only earlier today, said he wanted a divorce, and there was nothing between us beyond sex."

Letting go of my wrists, he cups my face, "I was lying to you and myself. I told you I'll do anything, what do you want from me?"

It's entirely possible I might be as twisted as he is. I grin sadistically, "Get on your knees."

I grab his hair and yank his head back, "Are you going to be my little bitch and beg?"

First his expression shows pure shock, but it quickly turns dark and angry, causing me to let go of his hair.

"Wise choice," he rises to his full height, towering over me, "Did you want to repeat your question?"

"No," I whisper.

His lips turn up into a devilish grin, "That's the problem with words, Wife. Once you say them you can't take them back, regardless of how much you desperately wish you could."

I'm not sure if he's referring to what he said earlier, or what I just said. Probably both.

He reaches into my blouse on either side and rips it open, causing the pearl buttons to fly in every direction as I gasp in shock.

"I don't have any clothes here."

Aries winks at me, "I know. And I'm just getting started."

Sliding his hands inside the scrap of my shirt, he runs his fingers down my bare skin and does the same with my thin floral skirt, one of my favorites.

All I can do is glare at him, when he does the same with my bra and panties. He rips the back of the shirt even more, and leaves me standing naked in his entryway.

"Much better," he grins.

"What's the point of this?"

Rubbing his thumbs over my nipples, he groans like it somehow pleasures him, "The point is you can't leave, unless you'd like to do it naked. I'll have access to every fucking inch of my gorgeous wife, all night long."

Again I remind him, "You said you wouldn't fuck me again without my consent, which you definitely don't have."

Leaning down, he captures my nipple between his teeth, tugging hard before laughing at my whimper, "And I won't. Until you beg like the good girl you are."

I roll my eyes at him, "I might beg for dick if it wasn't yours."

Gripping my chin with his thumb and forefinger, his eyes darken in an angry glare, "That smart mouth is going to get you in trouble, Wife. If you come within a foot of another dick, you can watch me cut him from his throat to his dick. No one touches my wife."

His gaze narrows even further, "Get upstairs before I lose my temper."

He steps back and I decide to listen, because if he hasn't lost his temper, I'm not sure I want to see it when he does. Certainly not aimed at me.

I sit on the bed, and he comes into the room looking thoroughly pleased with himself, as he unbuttons his linen-colored dress shirt, and tosses it on the chair on the other side of the room, "Such an obedient little slut."

Clenching my fists, I consider running out of the house completely naked to get away from him, but he shakes his head as he removes his pants and boxers, "Don't even think about it, Wife. If you think I'll let you leave this house naked, for the disgusting pigs out there to touch what's mine, you're mistaken."

"Can we get this over with?"

Standing with his hands on top of the bed's canopy, I try to ignore how glorious he looks, those muscles, tattoos, nope, they don't do anything for me.

"Lay on the bed, legs spread."

Sighing loudly I get into the position he wants me in at the head of the bed, "Shouldn't consent be required for any act, not only penetration?"

He chuckles as he climbs between my legs, "Is it really not consensual if I know within seconds you'll be coming on my tongue?"

I'm no expert on all the kinks and rules like my brother is, but I'm pretty sure consent isn't as gray as he thinks it is. I think you can say no regardless of if it physically feels good, but I don't say anything for two reasons, one because I won't win this battle and two, I want him. Desperately.

Leaning over me, he holds himself up with one hand on the mattress beside my head while the other drags down the front of my body, "Fuck. My wife is so beautiful, but is she wet for me?"

He sits back on his knees and runs his fingers through my folds, "Oh Wife, are you still claiming you don't want this? You're fucking drenched for your husband."

Pressing his fingers inside me, I arch my back off the bed, and he rubs his thumb over my clit making me whimper.

I'm right on the verge of an orgasm when he pulls his fingers from me, and licks them obnoxiously.

"Asshole," I bite with irritation.

His grin is smug and annoying, "Do you know how I know you'll beg for this dick, Wife? I'm going to edge you so fucking hard, until you finally let me in that beautiful pussy."

"I hate you."

He slaps my pussy, and I gasp as he chuckles, "Don't lie to me, baby. And don't fucking lie to yourself."

Pushing my legs back, he lays between them and swipes his tongue along my center, which gives him exactly what he wants, instant moans escaping from me, no matter how hard I try to fight it.

"Ask me to fuck you."

I shake my head, "No."

He bites my clit. Actually bites my clit, which causes me to yelp, before it causes a loud moan to fly out of me to his pure delight.

"If only you'd be a good girl, I could show you so many things that feel good, baby. It doesn't have to be a battle. Ask me to fuck you."

"No!" I scream, "Never."