He Wanted A Submissive

ocho.

Valerie said nothing to Luca's question as the car they were in drove smoothly around the city.

Her throat was tight with unshed tears.

Bringing Luca to Thanksgiving was probably the stupidest thing she felt she'd ever done. Valerie felt she should've known that Susan would be more of a bitch than usual since anything good that comes into her life automatically threatens her sister.

I was so embarrassed.

"I'm not going to stop asking, Valerie. Why does your family let her treat you like that? They all sat there while she practically chewed you up like a dog. I won't stand for it."

His words fell on deaf ears.

There was nothing for him to stand for, Valerie believed. This man was only outraged because he thought he knew her whole story. Susan never had snapped on her like that in public, her tyranny was usually in private. Her family was just as surprised as Luca, if not more.

Valerie understood his disgust with the situation, especially from an outsider looking in, but she just didn't feel comfortable explaining her deep rooted family problems to the man currently trying to lock her into a marriage contract.

"Then," Luca began again, "your sister is the one that reveals to me you're on the verge of homelessness? Why didn't you say something? You know I would've—"

"Would've what, Luca?" Valerie snapped at him. Tears still freely running down her face, she angrily tried to wipe them away, but the cleared space just made room for more. Luca's eyes considerably softened as he took in the pain she was in.

"What could the man throwing a million dollars in my face so that he can fuck me and make me his personal submissive all in the name of being his wife do to help me with my house? Exploit it? Make sure landlord never gets my rent so I have no choice but to accept your offer so I can have a roof over my head? It's none of your business."

She laid it on pretty thick, but Luca was acting as if they were buddy-buddy. Other than walking into his office, Valerie didn't even know how to contact him; let alone after hours. They weren't friends. They were literally two hello's away from being strangers. He was being irrational, yet the businessman who was known for making the tough decisions on Wall Street was breathing deeply and his eyes were fierce.

He looked hurt.

His jaw was ticking again and his hands looked as if they were primed to just grab her and keep her there. For some reason, Valerie felt that's all she needed right now to make everything better, but the tension in the car led to something else. She narrowed her eyes, like a wounded animal she shrunk into the corner of the car she was in. Furthering the distance between them.

That hurt expression didn't stay there long on Luca's face. It morphed into being stoic, scary for the most part. Luca glanced at his watch, then at Valerie. She could tell how hard it was for him to not lose his composure, because yes his face changed and he was trying to hide his emotions, but those emotive brown eyes said everything.

"It seems like you've already made up your mind on what kind of man you think I am." He stated bitterly.

"Luca, I—" Valerie wanted to apologize, but Luca raised his hand to silence her. She bit her lip in nervousness. There was nothing she could say to soften what she said, and she still meant everything she said. She would not be invalidating herself just to soothe his ego.

"I know you don't know me. My means to get to know you have also been unorthodox, but I would never make you lose your home to gain leverage. Even when I blackballed you for that short time, I was sure not to run your name through the mud. I am not an evil man, Valerie."