The Mafia Contract Series

I won. She agreed and as soon as she said the words, it unleashed a power in me I never saw coming. I own her. She’s mine in every way and I must waste no time in setting the rules in place. Tonight, was all about winning her over, bringing her around to my way of thinking, and it worked. The soft approach brought me everything I wanted and seeing her standing before me naked and flushed from what I can do, fills me with a streak of possessiveness I didn’t expect.

Now the fog clears from my mind, and I can approach this in the right way. The deal that will ensure a long and mutually agreeable life together. I wasn’t kidding when I said it was a business deal -it is. The business of marriage-my marriage and making my wife loyal to me and no other.

Grabbing a white robe from the hook on the wall, I wrap it around her and then reach for another.

She looks confused and I don’t blame her because as soon as she agreed, it flicked a switch and brought me back in line.

“Come, we will discuss this with a glass of champagne to celebrate.”

I lead her by the hand, and we leave the sex room and head back down the staircase toward my den because I need to set the scene and as we head into the paneled space, I breathe a sigh of relief as the familiar scent of masculinity drags my head back to where it should be.

Pointing to the chair by the open fire, I command her, “Sit.”

She is so surprised she does as I say and as I reach for the phone, I dash off a quick text to Mrs.

Bourne to bring a bottle of champagne and two glasses.

Then I move to my desk and pull out a folder from the top drawer and heading across, I sit in the other chair facing her.

“What’s that?”

She looks a little afraid and I say firmly, “Our marriage contract.”

“Our what?”

“I had it drawn up for you to sign, so we are in no doubt where we stand.”

“When?” She appears shocked.

“When I decided to take you as my wife. Your father signed a similar one, pledging his loyalty to my organization because of our marriage. He cannot bid against me on any deals, and we must work together to secure our alliance. This is the same. The rules set in place that we can neither break nor change.”

A discreet tap on the door alerts me to my housekeeper and I say in a deep voice, “Enter.”

Jasmine blushes as she glances nervously at Mrs. Bourne, who just smiles politely in return. If she is surprised to see us both sitting in bathrobes in my den, she doesn’t show it and as soon as she leaves, I reach for the contract.

“So, item number one, you have your own suite of rooms that you can decorate how you wish.

Number two. I will also grant you an allowance and only question your spending if an item causes me concern.”Please check at N/ôvel(D)rama.Org.

She looks stunned as I glance down at item number three. “You will dine with me when I’m home at seven thirty every night, where you will be waiting in the dining room dressed for dinner. Item four is the use of your body in the sex room six times a week with one day off. You will have no friends outside of my organization and only ones I approve of.”

“But…” I hold up my hand.

“Your days will be spent either here in the mansion or accompanying me on my travels. If you require a vocation, it’s running this house and my other homes around the world. There will be no contact with men outside of the soldiers I will assign to protect you and you will run any ideas you have past me first, regarding any part of our lives and home.”

“I see.” Her voice is like steel, and she says roughly, “And you. What’s in that contract regarding you?”

“Good question.”

I nod my approval that she asked. “I will remain loyal to you and not take any other lovers. I expect the same from you. We have no children, and I will not strike you.” I stare deep into her eyes and say huskily, “Outside of sex, of course.”

“What do you mean?”

She looks afraid and I smirk. “I’ll show you a different form of pleasure when we begin your training to become my perfect sexual partner.”

“Your what?”

She blinks in confusion, and I shrug off her concerns. “You will understand as we progress. You’ll love it. Trust me.”

As I revert to the contract, I ignore the growing sense of unease in the room and say blankly, “You will maintain your appearance and have full use of the facilities here, including the gym, sauna, and pool area. There is only one area out of bounds, and I doubt you’d want to go there, anyway.”

“Which is?”

I fix her with a dark glare and an edge creeps into my voice as I say roughly, “The annexe. A white building set behind the lake.”

“Why. What’s in there?”

I steady my voice. “Your worst nightmare. That’s all you need to know. I’m guessing you have a similar one back at your childhood home. I doubt I need to explain any further.”

She falls silent as I remind her just what I am. What we are, and she looks to the floor, her hand shaking a little around her champagne flute. I know I’m being cold. I need to be. She must understand the nature of our relationship for both our sakes. This is not a love match; far from it. It’s a marriage of convenience that can either be a good one, or one that drives us apart until we are strangers existing in a cold unfeeling space.

Setting the contract down to the side, I inject some warmth into my voice. “You may not like this contract, baby, but it’s in your best interests. Trust me on that. I’m not the monster under your bed. I’m the one dragging you into mine. You can sleep safely knowing that I will never hurt you. I reward my friends for their loyalty, and I want you to the be the best one I have.”

“I understand. It’s fine.”

She won’t even look at me and I’ve ruined an evening that was shaping up to be a perfect one by discussing the practicalities, but it was necessary. If Jasmine was getting any wrong ideas about what this is, it’s up to me to pour cold water on the fire that was gaining strength.

Feeling like a complete bastard, I rise from my seat and, in two steps, drop down to my heels before her. Then I take the glass from her hand and hold her hands in mine. “Look at me, baby.”

My voice is husky as rare emotion grips me because she is looking so vulnerable, swamped by the huge white robe still flushed from my attention. I must remind myself that Jasmine is a freshly bloomed flower who has dealt with a lot tonight and, if anything, needs to be tended with care to survive.

Her beautiful eyes stare into mine and I smile with a tenderness I never knew I had in me.

“I want this to work to our mutual satisfaction. It’s why I had the contract drawn up, so we both agree where we stand from the beginning. I understand it’s not the fairy tale ending most women yearn for, but it’s better than most. We are in this situation together and may as well make the best of it. I believe we are compatible and the fact I can’t keep away from you has shocked me a little, but you need to understand I’m no better than the rest of them. I have a role, a position, and a job to do, and I must remain cold and unfeeling to do it well. You will not become my weakness, Jasmine. I forbid that from happening. It’s why it’s necessary to approach our union this way.”

Raising my hand, I stroke her cheek gently and love how she leans into it, her defenses crumbling under the emotion in my voice. “My life may be a short one and you must prepare yourself for that.

That’s why it’s best this way. To keep emotion out of it and allow the pleasure to make this bearable.”

“Bearable.” She shakes her head sadly. Then she shocks me by saying with a deep yearning in her voice, “Don’t you want more, Angelo?”

“What do you mean?”

“Don’t you want to know what it’s like?”

“What are you talking about?”

“That moment when you can’t breathe without someone and you search for them when they aren’t there and anticipate their return. The knowledge that you would do anything for them and die for them.

Someone who completes you and gives your life purpose. Your soulmate, who you build a fortress against life with, shutting the whole world out. Someone you crave twenty-four hours every day of your life and can’t close your eyes without them standing behind them. You see, Angelo, there was a tiny spark of hope inside me that I nurtured all these years that somehow, against all the odds, I would find a man like that.”

“No, Jasmine. I never allowed myself that luxury.” I’m abrupt for a reason and she looks hurt as I say roughly, “This life is cruel and may offer you everything you need in a material sense, but the sacrifice for that is love. Shut away those thoughts and forget they exist because they have no place here. You know I’m right, and this will be a lot easier if you accept that and move on.”

Despite my harsh words, I run my fingers down her neck and slide the robe down over one shoulder. I feast my eyes on her soft white skin that looks a little bruised where I sucked her neck and left my mark. Her eyes betray her as they sparkle with lust, and I don’t miss the slight shiver that tells me she is loving every second of this. Taking her hand, I run it under my robe to my chest, against the jagged scar that sits above my heart.

“Do you feel that, Jasmine?”

She strokes the scar as the robe falls away, revealing the three lines of madness that resemble a claw. The tattoo of an Angel’s wings with a dagger striking through the middle of them surrounds it and her eyes widen as she caresses the rough edges.

“Take a look, baby, because this tells you one thing. I have no heart. It left me a long time ago for a very good reason. Accept that and enjoy the life I can give you. I won’t pretend it will be easy, but I will treat you well.”

“Why?”

She looks concerned as she stares at the damage I inflicted on my own body and I smile ruefully, “Why not?”

To my surprise, she drops her head and presses her mouth to my chest and just her soft lips touching my skin makes me want her all over again.

I’m surprised when she eases the robe from my shoulders and runs her hands across my chest and says in a whisper, “I’ll sign your contract, Angelo. I’ll be your wife in every sense of the word except one.”

“Which is?” I almost can’t concentrate because I want to be inside her so badly and she whispers huskily, “I won’t allow myself to fall in love with you.”

I should be ecstatic that she has come around to my way of thinking. This is what I wanted. I have won. Then why does this victory feel so hollow? Why do I suddenly want more?

I’m a little numb as she leans closer and presses her mouth to mine and just feeing her sweet soft lips tasting mine, almost makes me change the terms of our contract. I’m relishing this moment of intimacy, with the flames of the fire cracking in the grate and the champagne wrapping around us in a haze of euphoria. But most of all, it’s her. Jasmine Sontauro, who is making me question my own sanity right now and, as she pulls back and says in a firm voice, “I’ll sign that contract now.” Why does it feel as if I’ve lost something that could have changed my life for the better?