“Forgive me.” His words were breathless and strained. “I don’t know what’s come over me these past couple of days. I’ll reconsider, Arianna, I’ll reconsider for you.”
Chapter Five
Two years had passed since Joseph had taken control of Estate Acquisitions. Within those two years, Joseph had amassed a small fortune, tripling the size of the company and growing more powerful than even the most elite within his field. He’d reconsidered doing business with his newfound associates after the night he’d scared his wife, but not being able to shake the idea of the wealth they could bring, he continued his dealings in private, hiding information from her and allowing her to believe that he’d declined their offer. He felt guilty for lying to her, but he knew that her mind was not capable of the ruthless skill required for business. He also saw nothing wrong with the arrangement he’d made with the men and he’d convinced himself that his decision was well-founded when gazing on the home he was finally able to provide for his wife.
He’d allowed the men to use his company as a front to filter money in order to hide the profits of their crimes. In exchange for the use of his company, Joseph was able to keep a percentage of those funds for himself. Within a year’s time, rumors spread through the underground channels regarding the success of their arrangement and more high-powered men had approached Joseph requesting that they be allowed to do the same. By the second year, Joseph no longer had to buy and sell companies to make money, thanks to the business dealings with the criminals he assisted. He tried not to think about what these men were doing and where the money was coming from, focusing instead on the growth of his wealth and his power within the community. He knew he was dealing with questionable characters, but his knowledge of their crimes was not enough to sway him from his decision.
Standing back from his newly acquired property, Joseph placed his arm around Arianna, delighted to finally give her the home he felt a woman like her deserved. The large mansion stood proudly at the center of a 100 acre piece of land. Its center was domed, the foyer and connected ballroom flanked by two large wings that ran along its sides. Each wing contained two large gourmet kitchens, multiple common areas and various apartments that acted as small homes within the building. It had once been a hotel, but Joseph had purchased the property with the intent of selling off the assets and creating a home for Arianna and himself.
“Don’t you think it’s a little big for us, Joseph? I’m afraid I’ll get lost just trying to locate a bathroom.” She joked at his side, but her attempt at levity was lost on him. He’d wanted to see her face beam at the sight of it, but instead she appeared reserved, undecided on whether she was pleased with the present he’d given her.
Annoyance laden in his tone, Joseph responded, “I thought you would be happy. There will be plenty of room for everything. I’ll never have to leave the house again if I use the west wing for my business and the right as a home for you and I, and a child when we are finally successful in our attempts.”
He knew he hit a nerve by bringing up their inability to conceive but he was also hurt by her lack of enthusiasm over the home he’d bought her. His need to strike out was not easily contained due his desire for an heir that had become an unending obsession hidden deep within the confines of his mind.
Arianna remained quiet and he knew she was keeping her thoughts to herself, a habit she’d developed over the few years they’d been married. A fake smile across her face, she looked up at him. “Let’s go inside, maybe if I look around, its size won’t intimidate me as much as it does from the view outside.” It was a weak effort, but one Joseph could appreciate.
Walking her inside, he became eager to show her the best part of the mansion. Covering her eyes with his hand, he led her into the center ballroom. “Are you ready for this, my love? When I uncover your eyes, look up.”
Slowly he peeled his hand from her face. Her attention immediately traveling to the ceiling and her breath leaving her in an astonished puff of air when she first saw the sophisticated and intricate design of the crystal chandelier that hung in the center of the room.
Breathlessly, she said, “Joseph…”
He smiled, placing a finger over her mouth to silence her words. Looking deep into the boundless blue of her eyes, he said, “I promised you years ago that I would buy you a home with a crystal chandelier. This building is yours to do with as you please. I know that with your touch, it will be the envy of every person lucky enough to set eyes on it.”
Arianna nodded, glancing around the room. Her eyes brushed over the gaudy floral wallpaper and the chair rails that could use a darker stain so that they matched the dark wood beams that ran in lines, converging at the ceiling’s curved center. Although her annoyance with Joseph’s intrepid purchase still nagged at her mind, she looked forward to redecorating, adding her personal touch to the space Joseph had chosen as their home. She was also thankful for a project of the mansion’s magnitude to distract her during the long days while Joseph was at work; because, over the past few months, she’d been saddened at how Joseph had put in more hours and spent larger portions of time away.
Pushing herself up onto her toes, she kissed Joseph on the cheek, smiling earnestly up at the man who intended to give her the world. “Thank you. Where would you like me to start?”
An lustful idea flicked through his mind and he smiled slyly when he answered, “Start with our apartment at the end of the right wing. It’s one of the largest suites in the entire mansion. I’ll take you there now.” Gripping her hand, he led her through the large wooden doors of the ballroom out into a long corridor. The sound of their steps against the stone floors echoed through the halls as they traveled the distance to their suite. Pulling a key from his pocket, Joseph unlocked the rounded double doors, pushing them forward to unveil a massive, unfurnished room. Arianna stepped inside, her eyes immediately moving over the built in bookshelves on the left of the room and the dining area and kitchen on the right.
Crossing the room, Arianna pushed open the large double doors that led into an office, her eyes traveling over the tall built in shelves. Her eyes alight with excitement, she spun towards Joseph. “Will you be working in here? Will I get to see more of you now that you can work from home?”
He chuckled. “We could make this one of my offices, but as I said earlier…” He strode to her, wrapping his arms around her waist, swaying her back and forth. “…I thought the west wing would be a good place to deal with business affairs. Once our child arrives, I’d like to keep the two halves of my life separate from one another. Your spirit and that of our future child will be too precious to be muddied or weighed down by the dealings of men and their money.”
Arianna’s brows furrowed, but she knew her husband was attempting to guard her in the only way he knew how. “Where are the bedrooms?”
A salacious smile lining his lips, Joseph winked before grabbing her hand and leading her towards the opposite set of doors across the living room. “I love how you can’t wait to get working on that child.” The shift in his thoughts was sudden, the vision of her beauty in the low light of the room drawing his attention, stoking his need to dominate her - to possess her.
An enchanted and melodic laugh floated through the air as Joseph dragged his unsuspecting wife through the corridor to the back bedroom. When he pushed open the doors to the master suite, Arianna gasped to see how much space was hidden within the room. She moved quickly through the unfurnished space, her hands brushing across the chair rails and textured red paint on the walls. “I love this color. Would you mind if I use it throughout the building?”
His chest pressed against her back, Joseph brought his mouth to her ear, lightly sucking on the sensitive lobe before responding, “Promise me to make our home as beautiful as you, and you can use any color you like.” Joseph observed his wife, his pants tightening in response to the sudden onslaught of erotic images of her in his head. He could care less if she wanted to paint the entire house green at that momen
t, his pride creating within him a masculine desire to stalk and conquer the woman in his arms.
His hands smoothed down the sides of her body, causing her to tremble against his skin. Her breath caught when he aggressively took her hand, pulling her into the large connected bathroom. “Are you feeling dirty, my love? Perhaps a shower would benefit us both.” Seduction dripping thick from his words, his eyes moved over her body, a fire sparking within him after he focused on the soft curves hidden beneath the modest clothes that she wore.
She turned to him, surprise touching her features; but before she could voice her reply, Joseph covered her mouth with his hand, backing her towards the sunken shower at the corner of the room. With her back pressed heavily against the glass wall, he put his mouth to her ear, enjoying the way her body responded to the whisper of his breath against her skin. Reality shifted and his basic drive took over. His need for her at that moment went beyond love, beyond anything that could be considered sweet or romantic. It was a driving, carnal desire that made every muscle in his body tense, that caused his blood to forcefully surge through his veins. Holding her motionless against the wall, he was quiet for a few moments before finally saying, “You are mine, Arianna, never forget that. You’ll never have to be away from me again. I’ve given you a home and a piece of land that will provide you with everything you will ever need.”
“Am I trapped here, Joseph? Is that your intent?” Her words were spoken in jest but a grain of truth was buried within the question.
Softly, his chest rumbled against her, his humor towards an inner thought made apparent by the movement of his body and the twist to his lips. “Such a sweet and beautiful creature you are.” His finger reaching up to softly slide along her cheek, his grey eyes locked to the cobalt starbursts within hers. “You’ve been trapped since the day I met you, but if it is my intentions that concern you, just know that the only plan I have at this moment is to take your naked body in every way possible, over every solitary inch of this home.”
His teeth found the sensitive skin just beneath her ear while his hands slid along her back, drawing the zipper of her dress down until resting just above the curve to her ass. As the material fell from her shoulders, flowing gracefully down along her torso, his lips followed along, nipping at the sensitized flesh, his tongue flicking out to take in the salt taste of her skin.
When the dress finally pooled at her feet, he caged her against the walls with his arms. His forehead pressed against hers, he demanded, “Undress me, Arianna.”
With eyes the color of fiery mercury, he watched as her slender fingers worked over the buttons of his shirt, each one opening to expose his heated skin to the cool air in the room that wound itself between their bodies. Her fingernails clicking against each other, his heart beat harder at the thought of the feel of those nails trailing down his back. He covered her body with his while she worked lower, finally freeing him of his pants before reaching up again to push his shirt off his strong shoulders.
Quietly he led her down the steps into the shower. Flicking on the water, she shouted out when the frigid temperature met with her skin, the tips of her breasts instantly hardening into points that he took no time covering with his mouth and hand. Shoving her against the stone tiled wall, his hands gripped her legs, roughly pulling her legs around his waist before violently spearing himself inside the warm heat of her body.
Driving himself within her, his teeth clamped down where the skin of her neck met her shoulder. She cried out, her body shuddering against him while the muscles of her core milked him hungrily of everything he had to give her. Forcing her towards a painful peak, his hand reached up to grip her around her neck, just below the line of her jaw. With his mouth pressed against hers, he demanded, “Tell me who owns you, Arianna; tell me to whom you belong.”
Her lips parted, her breath stolen by the beat of his body against hers. A disjointed whisper, she responded, “You, Joseph…I belong to you.”
A final assault inside her and they both screamed out their release, the water cascading around them, the steam of its heat coloring their skin. His forehead fell down on hers once more when he peeked at her from underneath his water soaked lashes.
“Yes, Arianna – and you must never forget it.”
Chapter Six
Three years passed since Arianna and Joseph had moved into the mansion that quickly became not only their home, but a popular gathering place for the elite members of society. Balls and other parties were held in their home every week, and Joseph and Arianna became the wealthiest couple within their social circle. Joseph was now twenty-nine years old and had become even more powerful within the community of criminals and thieves whose crimes secretly funded his business.
However, Joseph was a man who obsessed over power; one who could not sit idly by as other men managed the dealings of the networks that fed his wealth. Curiosity and the need to rule eventual led Joseph further into the activities of the crime networks of which he’d become a part. Drugs, weapons, murder, espionage and prostitution…it didn’t matter, as long as his pockets were lined, Joseph was able to shake off the loss of morality that came with his position. When he’d learned the trade well enough, he systematically secured control over the different networks, discovering that enough money could buy the quiet death of an associate; and, naturally, once that associate had been destroyed, the men that worked underneath him would then swear allegiance to Joseph. Never having the actual blood on his hands, Joseph was able to convince himself that what he did was done to support his wife, to provide her with wealth beyond comprehension, rather than as a result of his driving need to rule.
He ran his network utilizing the same skills required to take over Estate Acquisitions when he’d been younger, taking over different criminal organizations and consolidating them into multiple areas of crime specialties and subdividing those specialties into units. Referring to the network, simply as “The Estate,” Joseph then demanded that those units work together to continuously increase profit and take over larger areas within the country. Joseph was nothing if not a genius in business, legitimate or otherwise; and eventually, he’d organized a system of crime so sophisticated, the few authorities who questioned his activities were quickly paid off to remain quiet, or killed before they could cause problems. Within a year, Joseph had most of the police force and other government agencies on his payroll, securing the ability for his men to operate without concern of being caught.
A typical consequence of Joseph’s status within the shady dealings of the criminal networks he’d grown to control was the bitter and sometimes violent rivalries between Joseph’s network and other networks whose businesses were being run to ground. He’d recruited one man in particular who he trusted above all else to oversee a security detail around the grounds of the mansion. Connor was not only an intelligent man who reminded Joseph of himself, but was also a savage fighter, one Joseph knew could control the lesser criminals within the network. Without Arianna’s knowledge, Connor was always on the grounds, living in the west wing and supervising the operations of the network while Joseph was off tending to his wife.
Ever protective of Arianna, Joseph kept to his promise of limiting his business dealings to the west wing. When they’d first moved in, he’d allowed her to enter the wing in order to decorate the rooms; but, eventually he’d demanded that she never enter that wing for fear that she’d learn the truth of the men who worked for him and served him. She was allowed as far as the ballroom, but was restricted from traveling beyond that large, domed room. Keeping her separate from his business was not easy and he lied often; however, the building was so large that Arianna never noticed the men who came and went; the private entrances practically ensuring there would never be a chance that she would answer a door or run into his associates in the halls.
In their suite, the small office that Joseph had spent many hours in at first, eventually came to rest under a thin layer of dust from its lack of use. It took two years for Ariann
a to finally complete her changes to the mansion, but when she’d finished, she found herself succumbing to a depressive ennui as a result of the solitude brought about by her and Joseph’s long hours apart.
Still without a child, Arianna spent her days wandering the right wing of the mansion. She’d turned a smaller suite into a music room and spent most of her waking hours in that room composing music that she’d play for Joseph during the late evening hours when he returned to her side. He’d always appear haggard at first, the smell of smoke and alcohol often clinging to his clothes, and the more time that passed, the longer it would take for her to coax him back into the normal demeanor of the man that she’d married. She knew how his mind worked, his obsessive need for more power, more wealth, more…control. It had been subtle in the beginning, but the longer she lived with him, the more she noticed the instability of his moods and his fitful nights spent pacing the floors when he was unable to shut down his thoughts to sleep.
Their relationship had become strained through the years and Arianna resented the man who appeared to only want to spend time with her when he had needs to be met. She was a body for his pleasure, a trophy to be polished and shown off during the parties and balls he’d demanded be held in their home. His love of her had turned obsessive at times, throwing him into fits of rage if he entered the right wing in search of her and couldn’t find her as easily as he would’ve liked. It was a gradual process, but one that brushed across her thoughts every night her husband returned to their suite.