“She wasn’t ready to handle a guy like me. She was nice. And sweet…much like you.”
Anger welled up inside. Anger at his father, at his past circumstances…and anger at the woman who didn’t see through him. “Don’t you dare compare me to someone who runs when the going gets tough,” she said, enunciated each word carefully to make sure he heard them.
He inched closer. “I didn’t mean to hurt you,” he said gently.
She lifted her chin, adamant on not backing down. “I’m not hurt. Just setting things straight.”
A sweet smile formed on his lips. “You’re cute when you’re angry.”
She rolled her eyes. “Whatever. It’s your life, but if you want to be mad at someone, be mad at your father for not being there for you when you needed him. For blaming you because of his own poor parenting skills.”
“Trust me, I am.” The vein in his neck pulsed. His eyes darkened with resentment. “Why do you think we don’t have a relationship?”
“Then why can’t you move past your mother’s suicide?” she asked, then realized she’d almost shouted her question. She took a long, sharp intake of breath. “I mean…er… I’m asking as a friend. I know our situation is temporary, but you’re a tremendous guy with a lot to give. Do you want to have arrangements like ours for the rest of your life?”
“What is marriage but an arrangement?”
“You’re wrong. Marriage is so much more than that. It’s two souls, two real people choosing to be together through thick and thin. People who pick each other because of both their qualities and flaws,” she said with every ounce of pride she could afford. Her parents’ marriage taught her not to settle for less than what they’d shared.
Marco stared at her in silence, with hooded eyes, and she’d give anything to know what went on in his mind. He probably thought she was a naive, idealistic girl who knew nothing about the world. She snorted, knowing she needed to cool down before continuing the argument. Maybe he isn’t ready to hear it all. Maybe he’ll be able to experience that kind of love, to witness it one day if he’s lucky.
“Listen, I’m going upstairs for a little bit. I need to call my mom. I haven’t talked to her in a couple of days, and she’ll worry if I disappear. Excuse me.”
…
“How are you enjoying your vacation, dear?” her mother asked. She’d fed her some bullshit about winning a ticket in a contest to attend a European tradeshow.
“It’s great,” she said, injecting enthusiasm into her voice and hoping she pulled it off. There wouldn’t be enough time in a confessional chair for all the lies she’d been telling. She should text, but after the discussion with Marco, she needed to talk to someone, even if the subject didn’t involve him or his disturbing father. “I miss you.”
“I miss you, too, honey, but it’s only a week, right? You’ll be home soon. I can’t wait to hear all your news. Are you making a lot of friends?”
Her lips broke into a smile. “Mom, this isn’t summer camp.”
“I know, but who said work can’t be fun, too? I’ve always wanted to visit Italy. I heard Italian men are good-looking hunks. Have you met any of those?”
“Oh, trust me, I have. He’s hunky, all right.” She snickered, knowing full well her mother and her friends would drop their jaws if they ever saw Marco.
“Then good for you. Enjoy, sweetie. Life’s not just work and no play.”
She talked to her mother for a few more minutes, and the apprehension that had built in her chest eased. Her mother’s voice always had the power to soothe her, even if she knew damn well it’d only be temporary.
After she hung up the phone, she lay on the bed, looking at the textured ceiling. She heard the door open but refused to look at Marco. She could feel his presence, the way he strode intently into the room. Maybe he didn’t want to chat with her, either. She was supposed to be a modern-day concubine, and she’d pushed him to discuss a subject he clearly hated.
Well, whatever. Despite her contractual obligations, there was only so much pretending she could handle. She kept gazing upward, her intertwined hands on her stomach.
She heard him opening the armoire, and a few seconds later, felt the weight of his body on the mattress. Did he expect her to have sex with him now, when she was confused, overwhelmed, and possibly upset?
“It’s not who am I underneath, but what I do that defines me.” Was he quoting a Batman movie?
She gave in and glanced to her right, finding Marco wearing a black mask of Batman. She’d seen it once, briefly, when she’d looked into the bag the previous day. Before their anal extravaganza.
She sat on the bed. “Batman?” she asked, studying how the mask conveniently left his mouth and cheeks free.
“I Googled the quote. Thought you’d like it.”
A silly bubble of happiness burst inside her. “Nice try. Is that all you have to say?”
“I know you meant well, Lily. It may seem I’m not as open to you as you’d like, but I’m more open with you than I am with anyone else. I appreciate you not running away…at least, not any farther than our bedroom.” He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
She narrowed her eyes at him. “I needed a breather.”
“I know. I was teasing you.”
She outlined his lips with her finger, and a thrill of excitement shot up her arm. “Why aren’t you used to people sticking up for you? Your brother seems invested. So does your grandma.”
“Nowadays, everyone wants something. It’s easier when you know their goal than when you have to entertain ideas about what they want.”
“Spoken like a true cynic.”
He nibbled her finger. “A cynic who wants to show you how grateful he is for all the sticking up you’ve been doing.”
“I wonder how he’d do such thing.”
He splayed his strong hand on her stomach, thrusting her down on the bed. Then he covered her body with his. “I’ve heard you’re hiding a special kind of weapon, in liquid form, that can kill the entire world’s population. It’s my duty, as protector of Gotham, to search for it by all means necessary.”
“I’ll never tell,” she said, joining in the role-playing game. “I’ve worked too hard to be where I am today. You should know something about hardship,” she said, sliding her hand down until she caressed his cock through his pants. “You have a weapon of your own.”
“Yeah, and I’m not afraid to use it.”
GOOD. She bit her lips to keep from shouting.
He grabbed her wrist and jerked it away from him, making it clear he was in control. Damn it, if pleasure was her outcome, he could take charge any day. Besides, how else would they save humanity?
Marco opened the buttons of her dress and fumbled with her bra until her nipples popped out. He dipped his head and licked one taut bud, sending a trail of tingles through her all the way to her pussy. Her folds slicked and swelled, the idea of him being inside again tempting.
She bucked into him, already wanting to offer herself. He gave a hearty chuckle against her skin, no doubt reading her mind. He sucked on the other breast until she moaned, then headed south for more exploration.
He slid his fingers into her underwear. “I found the weapon. Now I must drain it, to make sure you won’t use it against anyone.”
“What if I use it against you?”
He put his fingers at each side of her underwear, then ripped it apart. “Oh, I can take it.”
…
Marco tossed her panties aside. The unique aroma of her delicious pussy swirled into his nostrils, and he inhaled it with gusto. He parted her wet folds, her sex so ready for him, her walls swollen, her clit nicely engorged. He stared at it for a moment, fascinated. “Looking at you makes me thirsty,” he said gruffly.
“Then drink up, Batman. Gotham can’t wait forever.”
“Neither can I.”
He lowered his head, positioning himself in between her thighs so he could lick her all he wanted, but keeping his
eyes on hers. He wanted to see all of her reactions, to record that memory in his mind. Forever.
He thrust two fingers inside her, and her inner walls clung to him, squeezing him. She watched him, and for a moment that stretched beyond belief, their gazes held. His cock grew so hard, and pre-cum rose at the tip. How gorgeous was she? Lily. His Lily.
“Yes, oh yes. Touch me. I like when you touch me.”
He teased her with his tongue, lapping at her clit until she squirmed into his mouth and at last broke their stare. He added another finger to this relentless quest, quickening his rhythm in her flesh.
For the next few minutes, he provoked her, sucking her clit, licking her walls, finger fucking her soaked pussy. Each time he licked her, his heart thrummed louder than before, his own body sending him warning signals. She shook, the spasms claiming her. He kept a close watch on her, enjoying the lovely view of his woman coming undone.
“God.”
He disengaged from between her legs, and he was about to surge to his feet, when she asked, “Where are you going?”
He hadn’t meant to make this about him. Sure, she probably saw his hard-on protesting the confines of his pants. But he had wanted to make her climax because that was the only thing he could give her. She hadn’t run like Angelica—even though a tiny voice reminded him she’d been paid to be loyal, to be in his bed. He preferred to believe Lily rose above all that. She was different.
“I don’t want you to think you need to do anything. This was about you.”
“Great, so it can still be about me if you fuck me silly in this bed. Unless, of course, you’re not interested,” she said sweetly.
Not interested? He’d be a dead man before he was not interested.
He took off his shirt, pulled down his shorts and boxers. She sat on the bed, her breasts spilling from her bra but not completely free; her hair messy, her face flushed. He almost wished he could freeze that moment forever.
For the second time today, that word haunted him—forever wasn’t part of the plan. Despite her politically correct spiel about accepting him the way he was, with the family he had, he knew, in the long-haul, things would change.
Until they did…he’d take her for as long as he could.
Chapter Sixteen
The day of Nonna’s party had arrived. Because of Lily by his side, he’d almost forgotten his purpose in coming on this trip—to bid his grandmother farewell, even if she refused to discuss her health.
Marco had spoken to the cousins who had accompanied Nonna to her doctor’s appointment and exams, and they guaranteed him she was good enough to be part of the celebrations as long as she remembered her limitations and weak heart. She dressed to the nines and smiled, but she always had a nurse close by, and she usually retired from the festivities much earlier than anyone else.
The weight of a grand piano sat on his chest. He’d miss her, even if he hadn’t been around much in the past years. Seeing her always put a smile on his face.
“Arietta asked me to help her with her dress when I’m ready,” Lily said to him. “Is it okay if we meet downstairs?” A deep green gown outlined her delectable curves.
“I would prefer to crease your dress before,” he said, embracing her, his hand sliding down to caress her ass.
She nudged his elbow and jerked away from him. “Nope. Tonight is the last opportunity I’ll have to look like I’m attending a red-carpet event, and you’re not ruining it, mister.”
Though her voice was amused, he tensed up. She had a point. The next morning, they’d travel back to the States, where he only had one more week left with her.
“I’ll ruin the dress later,” he said, pulling her to him.
She kissed his cheek. “The dress and the makeup. Not now.”
Before he caught her mouth with his, she pushed him away with a mischievous grin and sashayed out of the room.
He buttoned up his immaculate white shirt and was about to search for the rest of his tuxedo hanging in the closet, when someone knocked on the door. “Come in,” he said.
Elegantly dressed, Nico marched into the room. “I just ran into Lily in the hallway, so I thought I’d come in and talk to you.”
Marco grabbed the jacket and slid it on. “Shoot,” he said.
Nico paced in a small circle until he stopped, staring at him square in the eye. “I just called her Lily, Marco. Not Patricia. I know the truth.”
Marco paused for an instant. His neck stiffened; his jaw clenched. If he made a big deal, Nico would go for blood. Instead, he decided to act as natural as possible. Ignoring the chill moving through his veins, he turned to his brother and adjusted his sleeves. “So?”
Nico’s dark green eyes glared. “So? She’s lying to all of us, and you’re in on it. Are you insane?”
“No. It’s my life, and I don’t owe you any explanations.”
Nico shook his head. “Yes, you do. You can screw whoever you want—I’m not a saint myself. That said, when we have to back off a huge deal because she doesn’t want to sell her precious shop, then yeah, we have a problem.”
Marco took the tie and began to loop it around his neck. His brother had a point. He had to give him some explanation because they did business together. Besides, if he got him in his corner, if he made him understand, maybe he wouldn’t spill the beans to anyone, and the dirty little secret would never make its way to their grandmother.
“Sit down. I’ll tell you.”
Nico gestured with his hands. “I’m too pumped to sit.”
“I brought Lily here because I wanted to show Nonna I’ve found someone, as my parting gift for her. Our engagement isn’t real, but I want to keep that information private. Nonna always wanted me to find someone.”
Nico rolled his eyes, shaking his head. “Yeah, you were always her favorite.”
Marco thinned his lips. Arguing that statement was beneath him, because it had always been true. Nonna loved all her grandchildren but favored Marco many times, trying to compensate for the tragic loss of their mother and the absence of his father. “I needed her the most.”
Nico jammed his hand into his suit then leaned against the doorjamb. They never dwelled on the past much, and Marco preferred it that way. Why worry about what couldn’t change? “You didn’t tell me because I’d do the math and know who she was.”
“Yeah.”
“Why Lily, though? I mean she’s gorgeous, got a fabulous rack—”
Marco lifted his hand in objection. “You better stop right there, brother. Don’t talk about her that way.”
Nico gave him a slow nod, his brows furrowing like he was trying hard to understand. What was there to grasp? The situation was quite simple, actually. “How did this whole thing happen?” Nico asked. “Did she ask you to quit trying to buy her salon? How about her bills?”
“I paid them.” He’d signed a contract to take care of half of them upon her signature and the other half at the end of their contract. Five days ago, he’d emailed his lawyer and asked him to use his power of attorney and pay the remaining debt. It’d be one less thing to worry about when the time came to say goodbye to Lily.
“You paid them,” Nico said, running a hand down his face. “Of course you did.”
Why did his brother mock him like he was some kind of stupid fool? He felt like a geeky kid with a crush on the cheerleader. “It’s between me and her. I forbid you to mention any of this to her or anyone else. We know gossip runs like wildfire in this family, and I don’t want Nonna to find out. It won’t be good for her, which would defeat the whole purpose.”
“Don’t worry, Marco. Your secret is safe with me.”
“Thank you.”
“You fell for her, didn’t you?”
Marco frowned. “Excuse me?”
“You were always fond of your little contracts or fuck agreements. You always made sure women wouldn’t screw you over after the affair ended. Confidentiality agreement, all that show,” Nico said. “The old Marco would never let
a woman come between him and his work.”
Marco’s heart heaved. His brother had completely lost it. He hadn’t fallen for Lily. He ran his fingers through his hair, searching for an appropriate way to say he’d purchased her heavenly pussy for the month. “I can’t tell you all the details of our deal, but I guarantee you I don’t love her,” he said, and for some odd reason his voice lost energy at the end, the thickness in his throat making it hard to choke out the words.
Nico chuckled. “Listen, you don’t have to worry. I won’t tell anyone. You know… I’ve seen how you look at her. Hell, you almost punched me for mentioning her breasts a few seconds ago, when in the past you wouldn’t even care if I dated someone you had screwed.”
Marco plopped on the bed, defeated like someone just told him his dog had died. Couldn’t be. “Lily is different. I enjoy being with her. I’m addicted to her, but that’s the extent of it,” he said out loud, unsure if to himself or his brother.
Nico sat next to him and patted his back. “It’s okay, bro. Zaine got married. Now you. I need to watch out for the signs, so I can skip the same doomed fate.”
Married? Marco snorted. No wonder he’d never told his brother about their deal. Nico enjoyed twisting facts to his advantage. “We aren’t getting married.”
Nico tapped his back, consoling him. “Sure.”
Marco jerked away and rose to his feet. Enough mockery. “It’s not funny. Get out,” he said, pointing toward the door.
Nico stood and made his way out, keeping a smile on his face that Marco felt like punching away. Idiota. His brother knew nothing about him, Lily, or what went on between them.
…
“Happy Birthday, Debora,” Lily said to his grandmother, gently kissing her cheek. She’d bought a small gift in town in the morning, which she’d added to the mountain of presents at the table. The party organizer had done an amazing job. Pictures of each decade of Nonna’s life had been enlarged and displayed on stands across the living room. Even though Lily guessed about eighty guests were in attendance, the soft lighting and textured drapes smoothed the ambience and gave it a quainter atmosphere.
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