Claimed

10. Daddy’s Princess

Chapter ten

Daddy’s Princess

The grand ballroom, once alive with celebration, now felt tense and claustrophobic as everyone awaited the chef’s arrival.

I could feel the weight of Gianni’s expectations pressing down on me. The guests shifted in their seats. Their earlier murmurs were now subdued into a heavy silence, punctuated only by the occasional clink of glassware.

I glanced around, trying to distract myself from the anxiety gnawing at my insides.

Holy fuck. Is he going to kill the chef?

I could only imagine the worst.

In fact, as the minutes stretched on, my mind played out disturbing visions of what Gianni might do next.

I imagined him dragging the chef to a corner of the ballroom and torturing him with grim tools.

That’s not fair.

My heart ached for the chef, who had already been brought to the brink by this one mistake.

I turned to Gianni and realized that he’d been watching me the whole time.

I swallowed. “What are you going to say to the chef?”

He raised an eyebrow. “What is there to talk about?”

I shivered. “Does that mean you are going to kill him?”

“The shellfish could have killed you .”

“But, I didn’t die so. . .please don’t kill him.”

Gianni’s expression hardened. “It was too damn close. In this world, death is often the only solution. It ensures order and discipline.”

“Gianni. . .” I tried to keep my voice steady. “I’m begging you not to kill him.”

“Do you know this man?”

“No.”

“Yet, you want him to live?”

“Death isn’t always necessary. It’s a permanent solution to a mistake that could be corrected with something less drastic.”

Gianni’s eyes narrowed. “You think a mere reprimand would suffice?”

“Yes.”

“For almost killing my wife.”

A nervous laugh left me. “It was not an assassination attempt, Gianni. It was just. . .a mistake.”

To my surprise, he licked his lips. “I’ve waited a long time to hear you say my name.”

I widened my eyes. “You still haven’t told me how long you’ve waited. Why not?”

“Perhaps, because you wouldn’t believe me or. . .”

“Or?”

“The answer would scare you.”

My heart boomed in my ears. “I want to know.”

“That’s two requests tonight.”

“Two requests?”

“The first is not to kill the chef. The second is to tell you when I fell in love with you.”

His mentioning of love made me falter completely.

It took everything in me to focus on saving the chef’s life and not go deeper down the rabbit hole of his claim of love for me.

But he spoke before I could, “Two requests mean that I receive two requests too.”

“Is that how our marriage will work?”

“We both give, and we both get .”

And there was something about the way he said give and get that I knew involved his cock shoving deep within me.

“I should. . .well. . .” I cleared my throat. “I would want some time before we have sex.”

He nodded. “You would need time for what I want to do.”

I blinked.

“However. . .for our wedding night, I will be gentle and just. . .” He slipped his gaze along my body. “Kiss you everywhere.”

I went wet, right there, imagining those dangerous full lips of his brushing against my pussy.

A wicked smirk spread across his face. “And you will call me Daddy.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. “What?”

Not one ounce of humor hit that gaze. “You will call me Daddy the whole time.”

“You’re not that much older than me. What are you, thirty?”

“That’s eight years older than you.”

“Not enough to be my daddy.”

“Yet, I will be your daddy when you’re naked and on my bed with your legs spread.”

That took away my words because in the end, absurd or not, I could see myself, bare and spread out for him. . .moaning. . .begging. . .and whispering daddy.

I swallowed. “Back to the chef.”

A dark chuckle left him.

“Please, don’t kill him.”

“That’s a big ask.”

“I know.”

“You will not be able to save everyone that comes close to harming you. Do you understand?”

“I do understand, but—”

“No buts. This time. . .I will listen to you.”

His concession left me surprised. I bit down on my lower lip and nodded, grateful for his willingness to compromise.

I hoped that this was a step towards the right direction for us—a delicate balance of give and take.

“But again,” he added, and his voice was heavily stern. “You won't be able to save them all. There are some lines that, when it comes to you, they can’t be crossed without repercussions.”

“I understand.” The words were difficult to say but necessary.

“You are. . .” He breathed me in. “You are now my everything .”

Against my will, my heart warmed.

“You know the world that we live in, my queen. It isn't fair or kind. There are rules and consequences, even if they seem too harsh at times.”

“I understand.”

“Good. . .Princess.” He leaned over and kissed me.

And this kiss was possessive, demanding, and told of a promise that went beyond words.

A promise of protection.

Of possession.

Of death.

Of a life that would never be ordinary.

His mouth slanted over mine, the sensation raw and electrifying. His hand was on the back of my neck, keeping me in place, as if I had any intention of pulling away.

In fact, I felt like pulling away from Gianni’s soft, seducing lips would be like trying to escape from my own skin.

Impossible.

The kiss ended too soon for me.

So much that when he left my mouth, I whimpered.

“Oh yes, Princess,” he whispered. “I like that sound.”

The ballroom’s double doors creaked open then.

Breathless, I turned that way.

The chef walked in with his head bowed low and his hands trembling slightly as he wiped them on his stained apron.

When he stopped by our end of the table, he looked up at us, and dread washed over his features.

Poor guy. He’s just doing his job.

The chef trembled as he spoke, “Don Fortunato, I am deeply sorry for the oversight.”

Gianni glared at him. “You were told about the allergy.”

The chef’s hands shook. “I was, sir.”

“In fact, I came into that kitchen early this evening and told you again.”

“Y-yes, sir. My sous chef—”

“You give me excuses?” Gianni touched his chest. “Me?”

“N-no, sir. N-not at all. It was an error. M-my error, and it will not be repeated.”

Gianni’s gaze was unforgiving as he looked at the chef. “You are lucky that my wife asked me to not kill you because I planned to spill your blood all over this very nice carpet.”

A rushed sigh left the chef as he lowered to his knees. “Thank you so much Mrs. Fortunato. I promise to honor you from now on—”

“It’s okay.” I widened my eyes. “I know that it was a simple mistake. Don’t worry about it at all.”

Gianni continued to glare. “Get up.”

The chef scrambled back to his feet. “Again, I am sorry.”

“Enough with being sorry. Get rid of every bit of shellfish in this entire hotel.” Gianni pointed at him. “The whole hotel, not just the ballroom.”

I blinked, thinking this was completely unnecessary. However, I’d just saved a man’s life. I would not interrupt my new husband in front of his men to save all the shellfish.

The chef glanced at me and then back to Gianni. “All of the shellfish?”

“I want it all gone—every shrimp, every lobster, scallop, everything must be removed from every plate in this hotel. Including room service. Whoever ordered shrimp in the above suites and the entire hotel, go to them and take the food away.”

I tensed.

Okay. That’s too much.

I imagined people sitting in their rooms and minding their business as they got a knock on the door. They would get up thinking all was fine, only to have the staff storm in and take away their shrimp cocktail that they’d just ordered.

Gianni raised his voice. “No one in this building will have access to shellfish!”

But. . .why?

It was hard to maintain my composure. I mean. . .this was entirely over the top. I had the shellfish allergy. No one else needed to suffer.

But again, I reminded myself that at least he wasn’t going to kill the chef.

Gianni gestured to everyone at the table. “And have your servers remove any shellfish that’s here. Now!”

The few guests that were still munching on lobster, crab, mussels, and shrimp, stopped chewing immediately.

Oh my God. This is crazy.

The chef nodded frantically. “Yes, Don Fortunato. I will get rid of it all. Immediately.”

With that, the chef hurried away.

The waiters sprang into action, clearing plates with shellfish, even those half-eaten.

Guests watched in silent shock as their meals were whisked away from them.

But not one person dared to complain.

Gianni looked around at all the chaos he’d instigated with smug satisfaction.

He was a king happily protecting his queen.

Next, Gianni put his gaze on me. “You saved the chef tonight. Do you know what that means?”

I looked up at him, feeling the magnetic pull of his presence. “I did what I thought was right.”

“You challenged me.”

“I made a very polite and respectful request.”

Gianni’s lips curled into a dark smile. “You have no idea how rare it is for someone to challenge me and come out on top.”

“I’m your wife.”

“You are.”

“You know the saying, ‘Happy wife, happy life.”

He chuckled. “And will that be our rule?”

“Apparently, along with the rule that I call you. . . Daddy .”

“Oh yes. That is definitely a rule. The first rule.”

“And tell me. . .” I was so utterly intrigued with him. “Why do you want me to call you Daddy?”

Gianni’s eyes danced with a blend of amusement and something deeper, darker.

My pulse raced.

The air between us crackled.

“It’s more than just. . .a name.”

“What is it?”

“It’s about the dynamics of our relationship, the roles we play.”

“Meaning?”

He reached his hand over to my face and slipped his fingers along my chin. “When you call me Daddy , it’s not just about a title. It’s about surrender, trust, and our deep connection.”

I parted my lips.

“It’s about you giving yourself to me completely , letting me guide you, protect you, and cherish you in ways that go beyond the ordinary.” His fingers brushed lightly against my cheek. “It’s a term where you can be absolutely vulnerable and trust that I’ll take care of you in every sense.”

I whispered the word, “Daddy.”

A dark groan left him. “Careful.”

I blinked.

“I’ll make everyone leave and fuck that tight little virgin pussy right here on this table.”

My heart boomed in my ears.

“I’m doing my best to be patient, Princess.”

I tried to do my best to change the conversation, if only to stop the heat from rising within my body. “Why do you call me princess right now, when earlier you called me queen?”

His dark eyes sparkled with fierce possessiveness. “To me, you are both a princess and a queen. It just matters on the moment.”

Under the table he slipped his hand to my lap. “Here. Right now. At this table you are my queen, and all of my men will treat you that way.”

His hand slid up one thigh and gripped it.

My breath hitched.

“But in our private moments, when we're alone and it's just you and me, you are my princess—young, innocent, and pure.”

Our eyes locked in a heated gaze that seemed to melt everything away. The world around us, the grand ballroom with its golden chandeliers and marble floors, the guests murmuring in confusion as they watched their lobster bisque and shrimp cocktails being whisked away and replaced with steak and chicken.

It all faded into insignificance.

It was just me and Gianni.

Breathless, I whispered, “And when we are around others, you are my king?”

A rich chuckle rumbled from his chest as his hand slid further up my thigh. “Indeed, and I am the sort of king that would go to war for his queen in any way. . .and without hesitation.”

He gently placed his hand right over my pussy, and I was damn sure lucky that the wedding gown was protecting it. . .because I got the feeling that if he could get to my pussy. . .he would have been finger fucking me right there at the table.

Still, delicious sensations coursed through my body.

“But back to the bedroom.” He leaned forward and brushed his lips against mine. “Tonight, I plan to eat your little princess pussy.”

My chest rapidly rose and fell.

“I plan to have my tongue cherish and adore it.”

Dear God.

This was my new life.

Before I’d come down to meet him at the altar, I’d planned on getting a phone to call Melanique and at least explain everything.

However. . .this man had me caught up in the eye of his storm. . .and I was starting to realize that I absolutely didn’t want to be free.

A new dish was placed before me—steak, cooked to perfection accompanied by rich sides that added to the indulgence of the evening.

Gianni, ever the attentive new husband, ignored his plate, took my fork, and began feeding me.

Oh my.

Slowly, he carefully cut a piece of steak, placed it on the fork, and brought it to my lips. “You are the first and the last woman I will ever feed on this planet.”

“You’ve never fed another woman?”

“Never.”

“Why not?”

“She wasn’t you.”

Blown away, I accepted the morsel and savored the exquisite flavors that danced on my tongue. But honestly. . .I relished in his attention and care more, feeling utterly cherished and so spoiled.

In fact, I was so overcome by emotion that I grabbed his fork and knife.

Intrigued, he watched me with a wicked grin.

Next, I cut a piece of my steak and offered it to him, feeding him just like he’d done to me, letting him know that apparently, we were going to spoil each other.

A dark groan left him.

And I couldn’t help but let my gaze wander beneath the table, where I caught sight of an unmistakable bulge straining against his designer pants.

Shit.

The size of his erection was unmistakably large, and it sent a thrill through me, making me wonder if it would fit inside my pussy.

Suddenly, one of Gianni’s men approached the table, leaned in, and whispered something into Gianni's ear.

What’s going on?

Gianni’s expression darkened, and then his jaw clenched as he listened some more.

Somebody has pissed him off.

“Damn it. Get them upstairs.” Gianni glared at him.

The man nodded and hurried away.

Gianni turned back my way and gave me a sad smile. “I’m sorry, Queen. We will have to end this perfect moment.”

“Why?”

“Something has come up that I cannot ignore, not even on my wedding night.”

I could tell he was struggling with not losing his shit right at the table. And I knew that whoever had interrupted us, would die in the most painful way.

“Unfortunately, this is a situation that could endanger you if not dealt with immediately.”

“Me?”

“Yes. These are enemies that I’ve been hunting for a while. Men who will destroy everything around me just because. Men who had planned to hurt you this evening. However, tonight, the hunt ends.”

I nodded, trying to mask my fear.

“Because of all of that. . .I need to take care of this personally . I will not let anything get in the way of our having a lovely future.” He landed a sweet kiss on my cheek. “However, I will see you in our honeymoon suite later this evening.”

“Okay.”

He rose and gestured to his people.

And with that, almost all the men rose to their feet and headed off with him—Capos, soldiers, and even a few associates.

Who the hell will die tonight? Someone from a prominent family?

The only men that remained were soldiers, associates, my twins and several top guards who stood vigil around the room and me.

The rest of the guests were mainly women.

Okay. Well. . .Gianni isn’t horrific. . .if I’m forced to be married to him then. . .I’ll take this for now.

I began to eat, and all of the women observed me with polite smiles.

But I didn’t even try to talk to them. All I could think about was who Gianni was going after and what would the rest of my night be like.

This was now my new life and every hour, no every minute was turning out to be a whirlwind of craziness.