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I'm naked in bed with my head against the stack of pillows and my movements are completely restrained in a very erotic way.

My knees are fully bent and my ankles are tied to my widely spread thighs with a hemp rope. Wrists tied together with a different hemp rope that is looped around the area above my elbows securing my arms together at the back, thrusting my chest up. Areston explained it's Shibari—a Japanese-style bondage. Something he considered a sheer waste of time so hardly experienced it a couple of times with his submissives. It demands attention-to-detail, a hell lot of time, and most importantly constant communication to keep the bunny, the person who's being tied, constantly engaged unlike other times—all of which he did not prefer. But I am his wife and he wants to experience it all with me.

My heavily lubed butthole is stretched with a butt plug. A custom gold clover clamp pinching my clit with its beads adding a bit of extra weight. The corkscrew style bulb-like transparent suckers on my nipples. All of it created such an intense pressure and pinching feeling when he put them on me. It felt like my nipples were being sucked super hard, my ass super stretched, and my pierced clit a bit more painful than I'd expected in the beginning. The sensation built up so much as it was nearly intolerable. Not the pain per se, but the fervid sensation. I was writhing and gasping, but I powered through and with every minute, the agony has grown on me, slowly numbing down, and transformed into an erotic pleasure. My husband remarked he wants to test my limits to pain and sensitivity.

It's edgy, exciting... and in a way I can't explain, it's strangely relaxing and deeply therapeutic.

Completely at his mercy, I watch and admire the god's most beautiful and magnificent creature. He has been on an urgent work call for the last ten minutes, a welcome distraction for him because his goal is to make me suffer anyway. My husband is a masculine perfection as he stands naked, with his chiseled, Greek god-like towering and intimidating body facing the endless ocean stretching before him as he speaks on the phone. Even from this distance, his presence, as awe-inspiring and commanding as the ocean itself, washes over me like a strong tide current. The vastness of the ocean, almighty strength, boundless beauty, and its vicious, wild, and untamed nature, has always drawn me in. I love how small and vulnerable it makes me feel. All of the qualities my husband so profoundly embodies that can make even the ocean pale in front of his aura. It's also one of the million reasons why I'm deeply drawn to him.

"That dreamy smile better be for me, wife," he muses softly, holding me fixed within the domineering spotlight of his regard as he ends the call and walks towards me.

"Only for you, husband." My eyes lustfully drink him in, trailing down his tattooed biceps and chest to washboard abs, deep Adonis belt, and settling on his well-hung, pierced member.

This man is my husband. My dark and dangerous husband. I still can't believe that we're married. I have to keep pinching myself to remember that it's not one of my beautiful dreams but a beautiful reality. Eleven years of separation, a short term fling, yet another separation, and now here we are. Had it been with someone else, I'd have thought it was too quick. But he's not someone else. He's the man I have wanted to marry. He's the only man I have loved. We have come a long way and yet it feels like no time has passed.

"It's time. Let's get rid of it, shall we?" He climbs on the bed and curls his fingers around the platinum gold chain linked to the clamp on my clit

"Yes... " A shock gasp pierces out of my mouth as he agitates it, pulling it out with a tug, causing the pain and prickling sensation to return after it was almost numbed down. "Areston, please... fuck me. Relieve me of this before my entire body is too numb to feel anything."

"Fully intend to, wife," he says, running his hands up and down the side of my thighs.

His one hand settles on my buttcrack, his fingers circling around the platinum gold buttplug's head that is made of a real brilliant-cut round ruby diamond. He got it designed for me and I don't even want to think which jeweler he got it done from. I just hope it's not his brother's jewelry house.

"Still painful?"

I swallow, matching his darkened gaze, and give my head a little shake. "I feel stretched... in a delicious kind of way."

He lowers his head, his body hovering over me, "Your beautiful ass is ready to be marked as my official territory," he whispers, nibbling around my jawline and moving down my neck and shoulder.

He has quite calculatingly avoided kissing me for the past one hour, knowing I'll be a mess because of having to go without it for so long. I have goosebumps on my skin from his declaration. With a one sharp tug, he pulls the clamp off, making me yelp and my body almost leap off the mattress from the sharp, brief pain, but the restraints keep me in place. Tears come out of the side of my eyes from the sting... delicious sting, though.

"Good?"

I nod.

"You will be leaking so much cum out of your ass by the time I'm done deflowering it, tesoro." Sticking out his tongue, he runs it over my shoulder, moving towards the neck and the side of my face while his hands support his weight on the mattress so that his body pressing onto mine. "You're going to become mine in every sense today."

Shuddering from the effect of his words, I desperately thrust my chin up, longing to taste him, hoping he'd stop me from starving, but he is in no mood. My hands tied behind my back have started feeling numb from the ache. So are my legs.

Areston unwinds the screw tops of the suckers from my nipples one after another and tosses them away. I gasp, my eyes lowering to my freed nipples. My nipples and areolas have turned puffier and have circles around them from the suckers which look like they're going to bruise.

"Mm. Too tempting to resist," he hums in pure male satisfaction, lowering his head, and without any warning or whatsoever he latches onto my one engorged nipple.

I cry from the heightened sensitivity that causes pain as his mouth captures it and he lashes out his tongue around it while his other hand stimulates my other nipple. My entire body arches up from the ruthless torment of his mouth, tongue, and finger. My breasts are on fire. The sensation is too overwhelming for me to bear. It travels straight in the middle of my thighs, pools there, creating a thumping sensation there as if my heartbeats have taken a temporary asylum there. I am dripping and writhing and pulsating and shaking as he moves his mouth to devour my other sensitive nipple, alternating between nipping and sucking it while his fingers twist and tug and play with the other twin.

"Areston!" My fingers clench and unclench behind my back. I am itching to grab his head and stop this torment but at the same time hold him tight against my breast so he can take more of it into his mouth. "Please, I need you."

"Just a little patience, wife," he slides further down, dropping teasingly slow open-mouth kisses and nibbles along my abdomen and my inner thighs until his head settles between my thighs. "So slick for me."

My hips buckle but his hands curl around my thighs keep me firmly grounded as he closes his mouth around my wet core.

His threateningly dark gaze settles on me from between my thighs, his breath fans my sensitive clit. "Don't move until my further orders. I'll stop and starve you for my touch if you disobey me. Understood?"

I gasp, frowning. How can he expect that?

"Do you even realize how sensitive I am right now?"

"Yes or no, Belle."

I scowl in frustration. "Yes."

"Good girl," he flashes me a disarming grin as his hands crawl up to cup my breasts and I cry. My breath ragged and panting. His tongue licks the length of my slit. "So sodden and wet for your husband. You're so beautiful, baby. This is mine. All mine."

"All yours." I moan and my head falls back as his tongue plays with my overly sensitive clit and before devouring me until I am on edge, screaming his name. "What... what are you doing?" I ask, panicked as he pulls his head back and sits on his knees.

"Playing with my favorite toy."

"You put your head back there and finish what you started, Areston De L'Aquila!"

He laughs, coming forward with his palms on either side of my face as he hovers above me. "Or what, wife?"

"Or... or I don't know what." I stare at him bewildered. My body suddenly hurts from the restraints.

"Hurting?" He asks, his face transforming into all seriousness. My skin is flaming hot. It's like he is a python sizing me up before devouring me fully.

"No... nothing I can't take." It aches but in a good way such that it makes my pussy heat even more. I take a deep breath. Tonight is about giving him what is rightfully his and taking what I have craved for so long. I don't care if he leaves my whole body sore by the morning.

"You'll tell me when to stop," he speaks in a grave tone, his sapphire blue eyes fulgurating with inferno. He's in his element... dangerous and dominant. I am so lost in the movement of his touch on my body that I fail to reply until I feel his mouth on the crook of my nape, sucking me hard in a way that is sure to leave a mark. "Answer me, Belle."

"Seriously, your highness. I know my safe word."

"Belle," he pauses as if he is having some sort of inner fight. "I want you to know that in no way do I enjoy exerting pain on your body. I love you. So, if you think I am doing it out of my sadistic needs, it's not. If it's something that can remotely trigger you then I'd rather not risk it."

I wasn't wrong in my judgment when I realized that maybe it's the reason why he chooses to go gentle with me when it comes to the BDSM lifestyle of his preference. He has doubts in his mind and worries he might end up triggering me in some way. God, how badly I want to cup his face and tell him we'll be fine.

"Areston, you love this. I love this. There's no way my torment is going to be your salvation. I know that. Nothing you do here can trigger me, baby. You have my word. And if I do feel triggered, I'll tell you without hesitation. I want this pain... I want you. So much."

His shrewd eyes study me as if doing some inner contemplation before he slides his hand behind my head, strangling my hair, and pushes himself back along with pulling me forward so I'm on my knees just like him and we're facing each other.

"You're going to start with sucking my cock," he growls and I'm reduced to a puddle by his domineering voice as he guides my head to his crotch. "Show me how much you love it, baby."

Good lord. Suddenly I feel so desperate to taste him. Just like how I'd felt when I'd taken him in my mouth for the very first time. His lingering scent drives me wilder. With my arms and wrists tied on the back and ankles and thighs, I sink my head further low to plant a kiss on his pierced head that's shining with precum.

He picks the leather paddle he'd left next to me and runs it between my thighs, rubbing the edge of it against my slit.

"I'll spill on it if you touch me like that, your highness," I warn, squirming.

"I won't stop unless you use your safe word. No amount of begging would make me stop, Belle. Do you understand?"

My vagina feels ready to burst from the threat.

"Yes." I am so desperate for him to spank me. I had never expected myself to be addicted to his torture like this, but now I am and I crave it so much. "Spank me."

He doesn't wait for me to beg for more. He grips my left cheek hard with one hand such that his fingers are digging deep in my skin while the paddle connects to my right ass cheek.

Slap.

I wince from the sting.

"Don't stop. Choke your luscious mouth with it." He spanks me a little harder than before. It has more bite to it and I can feel my pussy clenching harder and getting wetter. "Harder?" He asks, his fingers slowly massaging my soaking wet clit. My legs have started shaking already.

I moan in agreement and nod. His pupils gleam a dangerous shade of darkness as he gloats at his delivery, slapping me again. Pain and warmth blossoms through every core of my flesh. He spanks me again, his movements switching from one cheek to another. I run my tongue along his length, licking it like a candy, my heated core dripping more as I feel his hard muscle against my tongue. I want to stroke his length with my hand, playing with the two-sided beaded ring on his penis tip. But since I can't, I lap at it hungrily, not leaving my gaze off his eyes and lubricate it with my spit.

The darkening of his gaze is my reward. God, he smells incredible. I breathe him in deeply, relishing every bit of it. There's something so powerfully masculine about his scent too that makes me so putty.

"You smell incredible, your highness. You taste so good. I can never get enough of this," I hum, closing my mouth around his balls, sucking them as much as I can, playing with them with my tongue.

"Fuck. That mouth of yours is going to be the death of me. Too good," he groans,

He runs the battle between my butt crack before hitting me just above the butt plug. Fuck. It burns. The sharper sting of leather against my skin makes me gasp as I literally feel the heat radiate out from the point of contact. It arouses me more. He's enjoying it... he's loving it just as much as I love enjoying him. I slide his balls in and out of my mouth one side after another since my mouth is not confined to hold them both.

Slap.

Slap.

Slap.

Slap.

As warned, he doesn't stop and nor do I. My ass feels like it has been set on fire and it hurts but I find it so arousing I don't want him to stop. With one last kiss to his balls, I close my mouth around his length and deepthroat it until it starts choking me. He's just too big. I try to move further close, pushing his cock a few inches further as much as my mouth allows.

"Fuck, yes. Belle. Good girl, wife," he hisses, crashing the leather paddle against my butt cheek with an intensity that overpowers every hit so far, making me choke on my length. "Good girl. Take every inch of my cock down your throat, tesoro. Holy fuck. That's so good. You swallow so good, tesoro."

I am one needy slut for my husband. I cannot get enough of him. It's as simple as that. I love him, his cock, and every part of him, and there's nothing I wouldn't do to please him. I want him as happy and satisfied as he makes me.

I can feel my saliva dribbling out of my mouth, descending straight from his length to my neck and part of my breasts as I swallow him. His one hand guides the rhythm of my pace as he fucks my mouth and I submit to his silent command, allowing him to take complete control of my movement as he rocks his hips, thrusting himself deeper into my mouth, pushing and pulling my head to his own rhythm while the leather paddle keeps raining sweet agony on me.

Slap.

Slap.

Slap.

Slap.

Each arrives at a staccato pace. The pain in my body flares brightly followed by a throbbing pain, which courses through my quivering body, finding their solace in my throbbing vagina. I am so wet by now that if he pushes even as much as his tongue in my vagina then I am certain it will slide inside like a hot knife slicing through butter.

"If a goddess gave head, this is what it would feel like. Out of the world. My good little slutty heiress. Fuck," he grunts, thrusting himself harder into my mouth, his pierced head giving me a strong gag reflex and the leather paddle at the same time spanks me harder. "Use the fucking safe word. Do it."

It's not the first time he has spanked me, but today... this whole deal is on a whole nother level. The more he hits me, the more it stings in the most arousing way I've ever experienced. Each stinging sensation has started blending into a warm, dull throb inside me. I am certain my ass is going to be bruised. I hope it does.

I shake my head, saying I am not ready for it to stop.

"You love having my cock in your sweet little mouth while I spank you," his words are an animalistic groan of satisfaction.

"Mm. Hmm." I moan, choking around his length as it causes me a gag reflex.

Watching it adds more to his arousal as I watch him suck in a sharp breath through his teeth, pride gleaming in his sapphire gaze. I quicken my movement around him and moan again.

Slap.

Slap.

Slap.

As he spanks harder and faster, this time, closer to my pussy, almost making me convulse. It's an incredible feeling. I feel like I'm about to orgasm. My clit is throbbing and pulsating wildly. I rock my hips to meet the blows of the paddle on my ass, wanting it harder than before. I badly want to shove my fingers into my pussy and finger myself as he spanks me. My ass clenches against the butt plug.

"You're a stubborn vixen! Christ, wife! Ask me to fucking stop!"

My stomach tightens and I can feel him growing thicker in my mouth. My eyes tear up. I love it, but I can't anymore. I pull my mouth away from his cock.

"Siren," I whisper.

Oh, my goodness! How I wish he'd shove something inside me. His cock. Fingers. Tongue. I don't know. Hand? I do not think I'd have an aversion to him fisting me if he's open for it. I am game. The thought arouses me.

Before I can snatch my next breath, he pulls me up, lashing his lips brutally against mine. He holds my chin up and shoves his tongue roughly inside my mouth, exploring every inch of my mouth. I follow his course, matching his savage pace as I try to mimic his movements.

"Time to pump your ass with so much cum you'll be leaking it for the entire day," he husks against my mouth.

Sweet lord!

He arranges me facing away from him, my face into the stack of pillow and my hips raised up for him.

Caressing my sore butt cheeks with his hands, he roughly grabs them and squeezes until I yelp. "You look so ripe and ready for me, tesoro," he grunts in approval as he slowly withdraws the butt plug.

My muscles tense up and I squirm. The pain returns but he compensates the feeling with the slide of his warm, sensual tongue over my slit. My body explodes into flames at the touch. "I love eating you, wife. Come on my face."

His words are so raw, it hits a chord in me. I know he's trying to relax me for his plans.

I moan as I build up to higher and harder with every lick of his tongue against the crack of my butt. His tongue moves from my ass to my vagina. He shifts his face lower and sucks on my clit, plunging his finger in me, while biting my clit hard. His move drives the powerful wave inside my body, making me cry out loud, burying my face in the pillow as the floodgates guarding my orgasm open and I come all over his face, grinding myself against his mouth, giving him as much as he wants.

My limbs haven't even stopped trembling yet when I feel his lips connecting my ass cheek. He kisses it gently, tracing the curve of my hip softly with his hands as if to soothe the bites of all the spankings.

"You're all red and sore," he murmurs, massaging the cool jelly-like lube content over my butt crack and then fingering my pussy.

"Your fingers feel so good inside me."

"How do you feel?"

I swallow into the pillow and tilt my head so that I'm on the side of my face. "Good."

"Tell me the second it becomes uncomfortable," he warns, withdrawing his finger from my vagina and gently pushing it in my ass, bit by bit. "Good?"

I can feel the inner muscles relaxing as his finger starts moving inside me while he's trying to stretch me, preparing me for his length. My muscles tighten around his finger.

It burns a little at first, but it slowly starts turning into intense pleasure. Fuck. It feels so fucking incredible.

"Fuck..." I wiggle my hips to adjust around him. It's painful, but it's a new kind of experience and I don't want to stop. I need this. "Good. Deeper please."

"Yes," he breathes harshly as he slides his finger deeper. "I can't wait to fuck this ass. This is mine, baby."

"Yours," I whimper as he works his fingers deeper and I find myself adjusting around it, and relaxing myself. He stops moving and keeps me stuffed for a while.

"Relax, wife. I'll take care of you. Breathe. Keep breathing." Once I'm relaxed and the dull pain has subsided and I've completely relaxed around him, he starts slowly thrusting in and out. "Good?"

I squish my face into the pillow. I feel so good. "Oh, god, yes! So good."

He continues thrusting a couple of times more and I keep clenching and clenching around him, adjusting myself to his pace, strokes, and girth when he slowly adds a second finger.

"Ah!" I cry.

"Ssh. It'll be alright, wife. Just keep breathing, and relax yourself. Don't move until I ask you to," he says, slowly and cautiously thrusting it inside. "Feel me, baby. This is me. Your ass is taking your husband so good. It's hungry for me, isn't it?"

"Yes." I whimper, squeezing my eyes shut harder. "Move please."

Awaiting my instructions, he starts moving both of his fingers inside me until I've completely started getting accustomed to him. My hole is now stretching to accommodate his fingers without any pain.

"I can't wait, Belle. Are you ready?" He asks, hunger palpable in his voice as he extracts his fingers and lines up the head of his cock against my butthole.

"Yes. Please. Take me." Somewhere deep inside I'm terrified of pain as much as I'm aroused, but I trust him. I know he'll make it feel as easy as he did when he took my virginity.

"Relax and open up for me, baby. I'm going to fuck this tight little ass so thoroughly just the way it deserves." He pulls my hips further up as he drives his head slowly into me.

"Oh, fuck, yes!" A scream tears out of me. My body tightens. "So... so good."

"Breathe in and breathe out," he orders.

My fingers fist, my nails digging deeper into my palms. "It's like you're going to rip me apart."

"Do you want me to stop?"

"No!"

He grunts satisfactorily in response and continues sinking in me slowly, giving me ample time to accommodate him and stretch around his huge length and thick girth.

I oblige as he pushes it further deep into me. Fuck, it hurts! I close my eyes, wincing loudly as he moves further.

"This is going to be a bit more painful now. Just keep breathing, baby. It'll stop hurting, trust me." He caresses my back with his free hand.

Leaning on top of me as he pushes himself further inside me, earning a cry out of my mouth as he impales himself completely and buries himself to the balls in my ass. It hurts so much. My entire body shudders and squirms as I struggle around him. He halts and remains still, waiting for me to calm down, whispering sweet nothings in my ear, sliding his one hand to my vagina while using the other to pinch and play with my nipple.

"No longer a virgin," he hums in delight, kissing my back. "You have done such a good job so far. The pain will subside in a while. You're such a good wife."

I breathe in and out just as he is instructing me to and it doesn't take long for me to calm down and my muscles to relax. I realize how good it feels. We're intimate in a way we've never been and it's so fulfilling.

"Please move, baby." My voice is a plea.

He lowers his head to rain kisses over my back. "I love you. You are so damn tight everywhere," he slowly moves out and then back in, one inch at a time.

His hands are holding my hips firm as he works on me.

I think I'm ready for him to increase his pace. "Fuck me like you want to, Ares! Don't restrain yourself."

"You're not ready."

"I am more than ready, your highness. Please. Take me like you want me."

"For fuck's sake. You're not ready, Belle," his voice is harsh, coming gritted through his teeth. I can feel how he's restraining himself.

"I am ready." I plead. I want to please him and give him what he wants. I want this for me too. "Please, Areston. Faster. Harder. It feels so good to be stuffed by you in my ass. I need more. Don't treat me like a princess, goddammit. Treat me rough like you'd treat some cheap whore."

"You're not a cheap whore. You're my wife!" He roars.

"Nothing wrong with treating your wife like a two-bit whore in the bedroom. I demand it. You made a vow to fulfill my every wish."

"Fuck, Belle. When you say it like that..." His voice is almost a pained groan as he withdraws his length a little only to ram into me with an intensity so hard and rough, my entire body rocks. God, it hurts so bad but it's an out-of-the-world experience, one I'm never to forget. "You're going to be the death of me."

Pleasure shoots through every pore of my body as he really starts moving inside me at his own pace, fuck me rough and hard just like he fucks my pussy. The grip of his hands on my hips is bruising.

"Faster, Ares! God, you feel so good." I moan as I start enjoying the wonderful sensation of fullness. "Fuck me harder and fill my ass with your cum, baby," I demand.

"A prim wife in public and a slutty heiress in the bedroom. How did I get to be so goddamn lucky?" He laughs, obeying me and hitting me harder with his cock thrust after thrust, and spanks me hard.

My skin is on fire just as my ass. It's so arousing. With another harder and more stinging slap, he starts relentlessly pounding into me. His hand curls around my waist to pin me to him as he slams into me and his other hand comes around my hair, fisting it roughly, and pulls my head backwards so that my back arches.

His thrusts grow brutal as he closes his mouth around mine. "You're mine to play with and use and ravish, wife."

I am on the edge of the most powerful orgasm I've ever had. The feeling only grows when he thrusts two fingers into my dripping pussy, his thumb massaging my clit while he pounds my ass like an animal—just the way I want him.

"I can't... not anymore. I want to come."

"Not yet," he thunders. "Fucking hold it."

"Please. Please. Please." I cry, tears of pleasure running down my cheeks, every thrust pushing me to a level of satisfaction and erotic sensations I've never experienced before. "Oh. God. So good."

I hold myself, clenching the walls of my vagina and ass like my life depends on it as his cock and fingers follow the same rhythm. It's a struggle... like a death sentence to hold the orgasm any longer. With every thrust I feel like I'll just spill. But I control it with my life. I want to please my husband. I want to give him the satisfaction he deserves and craves.

His cock swells into me and twitches. He's close. "Together. Cum."

I do not have to wait for another word. My entire being feels like shattering and I explode around him in one of the most powerful and violent climaxes I've ever experienced and my husband is right there with me. His cock throbs powerfully inside me. He lets out a ferocious groan that is so arousing when in a few brutal thrusts, he empties himself in me, filling me with so much cum, I can feel a trail running down my ass. If he didn't own my body completely before, now he does.

My knees buckle and because my thighs and ankles are tied, I can't move my legs. But my upper half collapses on the mattress. I feel numb all over. Exhausted like never before. My husband is quick to grab a pair of scissors from the bed stand and free me entirely from the hemp rope. He kisses every part of me as he stretches my arms and legs one just as it's done when the person is skydiving before coming on top of me.

"That was..." Words fail me.

"I know," he says, kissing the back of my head.

"I love you, husband." I smile. He is about to move off me when I stop him. "No, don't. I need your weight on top of mine."

He stretches his arms above mine and entwines his fingers with mine. "Good?"

My heart feels elated every time I see the platinum wedding band on his finger. My official claim on him. I don't think I'll ever get over this overwhelming feeling that swamps me when I see it. "Yes. I love you."

"Better not be just because I fucked your ass too good."

I chuckle sleepily. "Because of that too. I am high. I love you, your highness. So fucking much."

He laughs softly, sinking his teeth into my nape. "I love you, wife. I must have done something really good to deserve this angel of mine."

"Yeah, you did. Learned to fuck so good." I almost inwardly cringe as the thought of the Russian whore comes to my mind. She would have taught him.

"Don't."

"Don't what?"

"I know what's going inside that overworking brain of yours, Belle. Stop."

I can't help but smile. Once again, I find myself filled with awe at his sharp skills to read my mind even without looking into my eyes. "You don't know what I am thinking. You possibly couldn't."

"Want to make a bet out of it?"

I sigh in surrender. I know he knows. "I can't help thinking of her. Thinking that maybe it was her who educated you to become so good and that she was too much fun for you."

"She did no shit. And if it helps, I found her boring."

"Boring than every submissive or better?"

"Christ, Belle. Must you really go ahead and ruin it with that blunt mouth?"

"Yes. Answer my question. Boring than every submissive?"

He inhales sharply. "Yes," he responds none-too-pleased, biting my shoulder hard, making me giggle.

"I am proud of those submissives."

"One of these days I'm going to gag this blunt mouth of yours, wife."

"Would be happy to try that too," I giggle harder. "How could you tell so accurately what I was thinking?"

"It's a gift," he gloats shamelessly.

I roll my eyes. "Seriously? How can you read me so clearly all the damn time?"

"I am hyper aware and attentive of even the slightest variation in your breathing pattern, Belle. I instinctively detect the change and my brain processes the best possible analysis of what could be the reason based on our all interactions."

"Oh? Explain."

"Well, I can't put it in words, Belle."

"Try."

You cringed at the thought that came to you—your breath paused momentarily for a second. Like a hiccup. Then the same thought also enraged you, causing you to push your breath harder. It was quicker, quite forceful." My eyes grow large in surprise at the assessment. "I have noticed specific patterns over the time and learned to connect the dots."

"How's it when I'm sad or anxious or excited or happy or content?"

He rolls over with me in his arms so that I'm lying on his chest. He holds me close, my body still feeling numb and lifeless, and buries his nose in my hair. "When you're sad, it slows down, almost like it becomes heavy. It's deep and sluggish as if every breath you're taking feels like a chore to you. When you're anxious, it's shallow and quick. At times it's erratic. I can tell when you're overthinking because your breaths appear to catch, as if they're swaying over each other. When you're excited, it quickens. You hold your breath whenever you're anticipating. It's steady and deep but in a relaxed kind of manner when you're happy. More like it flows effortlessly with ease and there's a rhythm to it which feels peaceful. It's even more settled when you're content. Your breath becomes even and deep, and there's a sense of longevity to each, almost like you're savoring the moment.

I smile. "And when I'm sulking or hurt?"

He chuckles, massaging my arms. "Shallow when sulking, but there's a rhythm to it. It's almost petulant. And when you're hurt, there's a sense of sharpness to your breathing. Almost like you're wincing with every breath you take. Before you ask any other question, it's like my mind has prepared a map based on your breathing patterns."

"And you've memorized it," I remark casually, staring out at the sea.

"Yes and feel it. I can't help being hyper-aware. It's not something I have consciously done. It just happened."

"It's like you have a super power. No wonder everyone thinks you're a demi-god."

He chuckles darkly. "Maybe."

I look up, crossing my numb arms on his propping my chin on it. "It's scary how much you observe."

He shrugs, running his fingers in my strands falling down my face. "It's our connection, Belle. Being observant is my nature and in our case it helps me understand you better. Trying to sense your state of thoughts is as natural to me as breathing itself. Now, if I have sated your curiosity enough, may I ask how you're feeling after having your ass wracked by your husband, your royal highness?"

It makes me giggle. "Super good. Oh, my goodness. I still can't believe I'm your wife and your staff actually have started addressing me with your royal highness. Bubbeh and mama would throw a fit when they find out. Let's not tell them, okay? We'll just tell them we're engaged."

He gazes adoringly in my eyes, contentment playing on his face. "Whatever you want, wife."

"I cannot lie to my best friends so we can tell them because your brothers and best friend know. Jeez, Areston! Can you believe we're married?"

He's my husband. Mine. I am his wife. I am Juliette De L'Aquila even though I'll never take that last name on paper. It matters to me that in my mind, I'm proud to wear his last name as mine. It was surprising when he did not push me into taking his last name officially or even suggested hyphenating it. That's not something I expected from him after the way he was so adamant on making me take it when we entered this relationship.

"Want to marry again to make you believe it, wife?"

I bite my lower lip, grinning. "Yes. The big one for the sake of my family and yours," I raise my fingers to his mouth. I do not even feel like I have any arms at all. It's too numb. "Why haven't you asked me to take your last name or hyphenate it?"

His signature stoic expression doesn't betray him. It remains. "Do you want to?"

I shrug. "I didn't want to... I mean, you know I cannot change my last name officially. Like ever. It'll break mama and Bubbeh. But I want to hyphenate it. Actually, I would love to be known as Rothschild-De L'Aquila."

He inhales deeply, lowering my head so he can kiss my forehead and his mouth remains there. "Well, if that's what you want."

"Yeah, I do," I snuggle closely to him, holding him as tight as my numb arms allow me to. "I want to be known as Juliette Rothschild-De L'Aquila once our wedding is no longer a secret after our official wedding. It'll be an honor for me."

We lie in silence and contentment until a realization strikes me.

I gasp. "You sneaky jerk! You applied reverse psychology. You knew I'd desperately want to hyphenate our last names once you stop pestering me for it!"

He chuckles in acceptance, stroking his fingers over the length of my spine.

"I always plan ahead, wife." His arrogance and domineering self is never far behind.

"The kids can remain De L'Aquila. No hyphen for them unless they grow up and decide to include mine."

He doesn't respond but he sighs in relaxation, his mouth brushing my hair. It's not the first time he has dodged the topic revolving kids and I can understand his hesitation. It's too early, and judging from the kind of possessive man he is and his need to have me all time, it's going to take some time for him to adjust to the idea of growing a family. I have no problem with it... at least not much. It does bother me a little that he never indulges me on this front. I am thirty. Some might argue so what? But growing up, I had always hoped that by the time I turned thirty Areston and I would be parents to at least two kids.

"Do I make you uncomfortable with the topic?" I end up blurting.

"What's there to be uncomfortable about when I know there will have to be five. It was one of the first indirect demands of my future wife. She wanted a relationship with a man with whom she can have a dozen kids and live in a big beautiful house. Now that she's married to me, it's natural she would want both those conditions to be fulfilled."

I cringe and then laugh at the reminder of the lame excuse I made to stop him from chasing me. "I was such an idiot back then."

"My idiot. Now, is my little ogre hungry?"

He really knows me well. I feel so damn hungry just as he mentions it. "Yes! For real food and then once my tummy is full, you can feed me your cock again, your highness."

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