“I’m sorry I should have knocked,” I say wiping the drool from my mouth hoping he didn’t notice. He reaches for his towel and ties it around his waist.

“Can I come in?” I ask like I wasn’t already halfway through the door. He said nothing just stood staring at me.

“I’m so sorry about earlier I’ll understand if you want me out of your house” A tear drops down my cheek and I immediately wipe it off.

“Why do you do that”? he asks

“Do what”?

“Cry, you tend to do that a lot. It won’t help you. It shows you are weak and will not help fix anything at the end of the day. You only end up with a soggy nose and a headache”. I sniff my nose in “I’m sorry”

“Yeah, none of that too. Don’t apologize for doing nothing wrong. And even if you did. Chances are you still don’t owe an apology”.

I walk closer “I’m not married to him,” he said nothing “You defend me, like I matter. Thank you. “You do matter,” No one has ever said that to me. And it aroused something in me.

I moved even closer to him. I want to make sure he feels it too. And hell yeah he did. I expected something else. Anger, disgust but it was nothing like that. He looks at me like a person and I admired that so much.

Makes me want him even more. In the heat of the moment, I lean in and kiss him. He pulls away. From the way he hesitated, I can tell he didn’t want to. “What do you think you are doing”

“You make me feel something,” I say placing my hands on his chest.

“Don’t feel anything for me I won’t reciprocate your feelings”. He says almost too quickly

“Good, because it’s not love. I’m done with that. Its safety, need, desire. I don’t feel worthless around you I feel seen. And I like it. You want this just as much as I do so don’t push me away”

My hands on those beautiful broad shoulders leaning even closer. I can feel his breath on my face. “Just making sure you don’t start what you can’t finish,” he says pressing his finger through my lips. I run my fingers down his beautiful abs “Don’t make me beg Jerome”

“Oh that’s exactly what I want, I need you to ask for it. I don't want to take it from you. You’ve had enough of that” there it is again, those words, soft tone he throws in like it’s normal. Confuse the hell out of me.

“I need you to fuck me like I matter,” I say under my breath. He grabs me by my hip and lightly throws me on the bed. I barely catch my breath when he presses his lips against mine. He has barely touched me and I was already shaking.

Not in a thousand years can Vincent make me feel like that. I'm impatient I quickly take his towel off. I thought this would be wild, fast, a desperate escape but I was wrong he definitely doesn’t go half measure.

I’ve never been this satisfied in my whole life. “You look so beautiful in your night gown I could almost take you right there on the dining table,” he says as he buries his mouth on my Breast. “Then why didn’t you” I say in a whisper

“I want you to want it, I needed your consent”

“I want to feel all of you,” I say. My voice breaking with want. “Every inch, every part. Don’t hold back” he was rough but only when I begged for it, gripping my thigh, kissing me so hard I whimpers in his mouth. The way he takes control but also wants my permission. My nails clawing on his back “Don’t stop, please” I cry out.

Every stroke inside me makes me lose my mind. I’ve reached my climax and I think he has too. We both let out a sound of relief. After he’s body settles he brushes his hands through my hair. My breathing was like I had just fought a lion. “Jerome, what was that”

“That baby girl, is round one”.

THE NEXT MORNING

It was already morning, our bodies colliding with each other. We went more rounds than we could count last night. Jerome is more of a man than I thought he was. I held onto him as we slept. It felt good. I’m still holding on. And he just lay there and let me. Vincent never cuddles me after sex.

He goes out of the house most times immediately after. Or worse find something to get irritated about to use as an excuse to hit me. And those are the good days were he didn’t force himself on me with constant blows to my stomach. Even though I was already down, weak, and couldn’t fight back. I didn’t see the point.

Unless he just enjoys hitting me and causing me pain. I know Jerome is a better man than Vincent, he proved that six months ago. I’m more confused as to why the bastard went through all that trouble trying to get me to go with him if I were such a lowlife like he said.

Is that his way of loving me, Julia you fool, how can you see all that inhuman treatment as love? He enjoys having power over me? And that’s why he wanted me back. A way to fill up his ego so he won’t feel like a sore loser? Like he lost me to another man’s protection. It drives him crazy that someone else treats me like a human being. He didn’t think that was possible.

“Your thoughts are so loud ?” I hear Jerome say

“I didn’t know you were awake,” I say adjusting myself up.

“I don’t sleep much, this is the longest I’ve stayed in my bed” I turn my head over to my side where a big wooden wall clock was crested. 11:27 Am

“Oh, my bad. I didn’t realize it was this late in the morning”

“Don’t stress it” he says. Placing both hands under his head. “I’m sorry, I was thinking about the last two years of my life with Vincent. Such horrible memories. I don’t think I will ever be okay or see myself as something more”

“There you go again with apologies,”

“sor…” shit I almost did it again.

“What if I offer you power, a name that will shield you from the toughness of this world. Influence, you can walk into any room with your head up high. To never feel small”

“Do you also think that of me”? I ask, my expression dressed with sadness.

“I don’t, but you do and we need to fix that”

“How, I doubt that would be possible”

“Marry me” my pupils grew, am I having a stroke right now? .

“What, what the hell Jerome, just because we had sex doesn’t mean I want to marry you. That’s a bit of a stretch don’t you think? Is this about control, to contain me just like Vincent? I appreciate all you did for me. But I told you before, whatever this is, it’s not love. I told u I was done with that”.

“Relax,” he says not moving from his position “I’m not in love with you, I don’t do that. And I'm no coward. I don’t pray on women. I’m trying to help you. With my name, and as the wife of a Moretti no one will dare cross you.

Not if they want to answer to me. And they know better. Having my name is the only way you can instill fear in people. And the only way I can think of is a union. Walk a year in my shoes and know what real power feels like. You can back out anytime you want.

“Why would you do this” I ask face filled with wonder.

“Call it boredom, all I do is handle business and my therapist says to have more fun. So I’m eager to see the outcome of this experiment.

“That’s all this is, an experiment”?

“I do not care if you take my offer or not. But if you are smart you will. You will set aside your feelings and understand that this is the best thing that can happen to you. And also you’ve had my dick Julia, and it wants to keep you”

I chuckled “We don’t need a union for that ”

“True, unlike sex this offer is more for you than it is for me” Think about it.

Fun's over now, I have business to take care of” he gets up from the bed and into the bathroom.

I can’t believe this, I just escaped an abusive relationship, and now this. I know Jerome is an honest man. At least he tells me about his intentions. Unlike Vincent who deceived me with love and lies to cover up his true nature. If I play my cards right this might just be what I need.

What's there to lose, worst-case scenario, I back out. He said I could. But what if he turns out worse, although he also let me stay here for half a year. Nurturing and taking care of me. And not once did he take advantage. Even though he wanted me he waited till I gave consent. That makes him a better man.

Whether he is capable of love or not. Oh God. I’m so confused. What should I do? I sit there for minutes deliberating. Until I hear the sound of the shower, water pouring down. I don't know if I’m allowed to. But I walked towards the bathroom and slid the glass door open. His wet body looks even more attractive. If I had second thoughts about being his fake wife before well that ship has sailed. I walk in.

“Fine, please help me, I want to matter, not just to me or you but also to people. I want to be feared and respected. I want to know what being powerful feels like. I want to know what being a Moretti feels like” he moves his hands to my jaw and leans closer. “Good, but I need something in return”

Really, what could he possibly want now,

“And what is that,”

“Your submission, your loyalty. As a Moretti, u will know about the family business. After all, it’s everything about being a Moretti that builds you. Can I trust your silence?

“It’s the least I can do for what you are offering me”

“He strokes my hair with his fingers. “Then we get married tonight”.