ARIAFour months later;“Close your eyes.”I did as he asked me to do.“Imagine her.”I tried to. I exhaled deeply, ignoring the tightening sensation spreading inside me.“Your skin.” He whispered beside me, his warm breath falling on me, his warmth seeping into me at the point where our legs were touching.I imagined it.I created an image behind me eyes, in the darkness.“Your golden hair.” His voice was going far away as I swam deep and deep into my imaginations.“My grey eyes.”Grey eyes like Fabiano’s. Not my blue eyes. I swallowed the ball of emotions forming in my throat.Did she have big eyes? Or were they small like I imagined them to be?“Big, sparkling eyes.” He continued, “Eyes that want me to become a good man.”Tears burned behind my closed lids. I bit down on my lip because I knew it was going to tremble.“Chubby, pink cheeks.”It was a beautiful picture.The picture I created in my mind.My girl.My daughter.This was my fate.I was a woman who had to imagine her daugh

ARIA The sound of muffled grunts and whimpers forced me out of my sleep. I lifted myself on my elbows as I rubbed my eyes, my heat beat escalating as the pitiful whimpers filled the room. Swallowing, I looked over my shoulder and my lips parted in surprise. Fabiano was sleeping beside me. He still was but now, he was writhing in the sheets, his face twisted in pain. Pitiful sounds escaped his parted lips—grunts, groans and whimpers. I licked my dry lips, wetting them as I contemplated what to do. He seemed to be having a nightmare. I knew it. I knew the sounds he was making. I used to make them too when I was a teenager. I used to wake up my parents with my screams. I would wake up, with them hovering over me, horrified and sickly pale. They told me that I screamed in my sleep. I didn’t believe them first because I didn’t remember screaming but they were right. Fabiano groaned beside me, his body jerking but he didn’t wake up. “No.” He grunted in his sleep, his features tigh

FABIANO“I’ll make a man out of you.”The words kept circulating in his mind, taunting him, keeping him from enjoying his wife’s company as he laid on the bed beside her.Aria was asleep.She had fallen asleep as soon as she recovered from the second orgasm. Fabiano had cleaned her with a washcloth and covered her with duvet but couldn’t sleep.His body was sated, his needs were satisfied. He hadn’t expected Aria to let him touch her but she didn’t protest. It was clear to him that she hadn’t faked any orgasm or those moans that made him loose control. She enjoyed the fucking as much as he did.“Come to me, baby. I’ll make you a man. A real man.”An arm under his arm, Fabiano stared at the ceiling, trying to focus on something. Anything.But the haunted words were being whispered in his mind, keeping him awake.He shook his head, pushing himself up from the bed and sat down, legs dangling from the bed and feet on the floor.He breathed in deeply.Staring down at his naked form, he gla

FABIANO “They’re not nightmares.” He sneered, “They are memories that try to haunt me when I am asleep.” Nono sighed, shaking her head. A picture of despair. “Do you want to talk about it, son?” She asked, rubbing his cheek lovingly but he shook his head. Nono knew how stubborn he was. But she also knew that he needed to face his demons so she left the topic. “When are you going back?” She asked, changing the topic but he tensed and graced her with a sarcastic smile. “Eager to get rid of me.” She raised her brows at him, “You know you can stay as long as you want.” His eyes softened, a rare occurrence. “You need something?” He asked her, taking her hand off hi cheek and kissed her meaty palm. “You already sent supplies for Venus.” “I asked if you need anything.” He rolled his eyes, “I know that Venus has everything but I asked about you.” “No.” She smiled at him, “I have everything, thanks to you.” Fabiano nodded. He made sure his Nono had everything because she was the

ARIAA sharp sting on my cheek yanked me out of unconsciousness. My tongue felt heavy, and my mouth dry like a sandpaper. I groaned, wanting to open my eyes but it was like someone had glued my lids together. Sharp, stinging pain bloomed over my cheek again, making me force myself to open my eyes.I blinked my eyes to adjust them to the light around me. It was a moment later that I realized I was tied. A shiver creped up my spine, fear danced over my skin as the horrifying realization sank inside me.I was tied.My eyes were wide open, scanning my surroundings in a second, trying to take everything in as panic started to sink its ugly claws in my core.My breathing deepened when I looked down at myself.I was naked.Utterly and completely bare.I was trying to coerce myself not to panic when suddenly, a hand landed on bare breast, making me scream in fright.“Hush.” A voice hissed to my left, “Hush, you slut.”I tensed, the terrifying mixture of shock, panic and throat-constricting fe