Penelope Levine has been "promised" to notorious mafia boss, Brock Rumlow, in order to pay a family debt.
The night before her wedding, she meets James Barnes, the owner of Underworld, one of the most infamous nightclubs in New York. Their spark is...
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CW: Smut, choking, daddy kink, spit kink, dirty talk, discussions of death and murder, trauma.
She helps James shower after breakfast. He's got bruises on his body from his "occupational hazard." He still won't tell Penelope what happened to him.
Despite how tough he tried to be during sex, he couldn't cover up some of his winces as he grabbed their coffee and breakfasts and slid back into the bed. It was a surprisingly normal meal. He fiddled around on his phone, taking the odd call - almost speaking in code. He apologized for being rude, and Penelope told him it was fine. He has an empire to run, that much is obvious.
They watched TV, and Penelope felt oddly comfortable despite her circumstances. James even made her feel safe. He put his arm around her and she was able to get close to him, leaning against his strong body.
She's fully aware of how fucked up this is, but he's so sweet to her that she can't help but feel like maybe this is real. It seems real. Not even a cold-blooded sociopath could fake the way he looks at her. She's encountered them before, mostly in the film industry. Big time producers with nothing behind their eyes. They get into film to make money and exert power over vulnerable young actresses. They pretend to care, they say all the right things, but there's something missing when they look at her.
Humanity.
James might be crazy— he might actually be the most insane person Penelope has ever met, but he can't fake that little glint in his eyes when he looks at her.
As she rubs soap over his skin, her hands tracing the muscles in his strong back, he looks over his shoulder.
"Would you come for a walk with me this morning?"
"Like, outside?" Penelope asks tentatively. She's trying not to show too much excitement, for fear that he might rip it from her in a second.
He nods.
"There's something I want to show you, and then I thought we could spend the day in the library, and I could make you dinner tonight."
She smirks.
"A whole day outside of my prison cell?"
There's hurt in his eyes, but Penelope holds his gaze. He knows what he did, and he has to face the reality of it as much as she does.
"Yes, well..."
Penelope's heart pounds, afraid that he's going to take back his offer and leave her here. She grabs his shoulder and guides him to turn around to face her, trailing her fingertips along his cheekbone - the one that might leave a scar. His eyes flutter closed and he draws in a deep breath.
"I didn't know you cooked."
"Sometimes," he whispers. "Only for the people I really—"
He clears his throat and looks down at her as the water runs over their bodies.
