“Love babysitting our brides’ friends.”
I hate how he says our but everything Francesco does is to piss people off so I let it slide. Can’t let him know how badly he is getting under my skin. That will just make him go harder
Walking over, Ilaria notices me as I pull out cash, settling her bill and holding out a hand that she hesitates to grab.
She is still mad at me about earlier and I know she is debating on turning around to order another round. But I need her.
I need her in my bed tonight. I need the smell of her champagne sugar skin and the way her legs lock with mine when she starts to drift off.
I need her kissing me and her fingers in my hair reassuring me that life is indeed worth living.
I need her so desperately that I will beg her if I have to.
“Ilaria, please, let’s go home.”
But I don’t have to beg her, she takes my hand when I say home and stands up, looking at me like she wants to give me a piece of her mind but I’m kissing her before she can.
I’m kissing her like I’ve been thinking about since my office last night.
I’m kissing her because she is safe and I have everything handled and it’s all going to be okay.
I’m kissing her until she pulls away, glaring at me as if she is actually mad about what happened.
“Francesco said he might be my husband.”
And just like that I’m looking over at my cousin who took my place at the bar, watching him drink his vodka straight, like a true psychopath, and wishing I had punched him when he first walked over to me.
“He won’t be. I fixed it. I promise.”
A small miracle, she doesn’t argue with me. Only squeezes my hand and gives me silent permission to take her home.
In ten days I’ll be married to her.
In ten days she will be my bride.
It can’t come fast enough
27ILARIA
Dante was across from me at the bar, staring at me as the intensity of his gaze weighed me down even more than the pressure I already was feeling.
I can always tell when he is looking at me.
I feel the emotions he has seeing me here in his eyes. But I know better than to look up and meet his gaze. Knowing my limits and how much I can handle. Knowing that right now Dante is outside of those limits.
Let Francesco take care of him.
I want to strangle the mother fucker right now.
How dare he thrust me into another man’s arms when I’m upset.
How dare he not text me back.
How dare he not tell me that our marriage contract might get fucked over because of everything going on.
How dare he abandon me when I wanted him to soothe me in a way it seemed he was meant to do.
Where was his trust in me?
Great, the shithead is on his way over.
Throwing money down for a tab Sammie and I have been working hard at building up for the last few hours I know I’m about to leave. Dante is standing besides me doesn’t feel like the safe security I had gotten used to and I hate that.
His presence annoys me.
“Ilaria, please, let’s go home.”
I shouldn’t get up or give him my hand but I do because he said home and for some reason my treacherous heart lurches when he says it, making me crave home.
Blame it on the drinks I’ve been having.
And then he is kissing me, his lips on mine as the pure desperation Dante hand is being pushed at me.
His mouth is hot and heavy against mine as his teeth nip my lips and he is being forceful and needy. I want to just melt into his kiss, let his tongue push against mine and forgive him for being an asshole.
But I don’t. I push him away thinking about kicking him in the nuts for distracting me.
