Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 94720 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 474(@200wpm)___ 379(@250wpm)___ 316(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94720 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 474(@200wpm)___ 379(@250wpm)___ 316(@300wpm)
“Have you gotten to know Adriano?” Isabel asked.
“I can’t believe he’s a duke,” Rosie added with a raised eyebrow. “That sounds like the beginning of a fairytale.”
“Fairytale,” Dom said, grumbling as he put his arm around his wife and squeezed her into his side, biting her ear. “I’ll give you a fairytale.”
“Dominic.” Rosie slapped his chest and pulled away with a laugh. “We’re having a conversation.”
“Well, I don’t like it.”
“I don’t like it either,” I said. “I don’t want to marry a duke, prince, or anyone. It’s not my choice.”
“Arranged marriages aren’t all bad,” Isabel said, and Gio grinned.
“First off, Giovanni is hot, respectfully,” I said, making them laugh. “Secondly, you two got very lucky.”
“You’re right. We did,” Isabel agreed and gave me a small smile. “I’m sorry, Nora.”
I shrugged. I didn’t know how to respond to the apologies everyone was offering.
“To be fair, Nora,” Cat said. “A guy hit on you the last time we went out, and you ignored him.”
“He was hot,” Isabel added.
“Who are you talking about?” Gio said. “Where was this?”
Isabel rolled her eyes. “We are allowed to look at other men, you know.”
“And we’re allowed to wipe them the fuck out,” Dominic responded.
Everyone laughed, including me, though I’m not sure they were joking. One could never be too sure with this bunch. Even their jealousy and possessiveness were something I longed for. Yes, they could be annoying and over the top, but at least they knew they were loved. Besides, it was a healthy possessiveness. It wasn’t like they were locking up their wives at home. I looked over at Dean, who had been on his phone the entire time. He leaned in and said hello with a kiss on the cheek and a smile. Dean was also hot, and even though he was over thirty, I would gladly accept an arranged marriage to him. That thought made me hold back a laugh. I was such a hypocrite.
“What about you, Dean?” I asked. “No arranged marriage?”
“No marriage at all.” His hazel eyes danced as he took a sip of his drink.
“Are you going to tell me you’re not the marriage type?” I asked.
“I wouldn’t say that. Unlike some people,” he said, looking at the three men in front of us, “I have nothing against relationships or marriage. I haven’t met anyone I didn’t get sick of after 24 hours.”
“You haven’t met anyone you didn’t get sick of after two hours,” Loren laughed.
“I can’t wait for you and Rocco to find a woman who will finally bring you to your knees,” Rosie said. “Especially Roc, since he’s sure it won’t happen for him.”
Dean opened his mouth to respond but was interrupted by a deep voice behind me.
“Highly unlikely,” he said, making my skin prickle from head to toe.
I had never moved as slowly as I did at that moment when I turned around. My heart was pounding hard, knowing it was the man I had pined for my entire life. Everyone else was caught up in Rocco's words, but I couldn't dredge up anything to say. My words and logic had flown from my mind when our eyes met. I saw his expression change too. His eyes were also bluer than I remembered, darker like deep ocean waters. To say he was gorgeous was an understatement — he was breathtaking. I heard my brother say something behind me, and it snapped me out of my daze. Rocco seemed to, as well, his smile turning up again.
“The Principessa, as I live and breathe.” He opened his arms and pulled me into a hug that felt electric.
I forced myself not to react to it by closing my eyes, but then his scent was all I could smell, and that, too, made me feel like I was losing my mind. To top it off, being in his arms like this felt right. His body was a wall of muscle, and I instantly wanted to be enclosed in its fortress and never leave. He dropped his arms but didn’t pull away completely. I looked at his chest, afraid that he could read my thoughts. When we took a step away from each other, and I met his eyes again, my pulse was throbbing everywhere. He seemed to know it, too, as his expression shifted momentarily. I’d always been fascinated by how the people in my life, men and women alike, could mask their genuine emotions so well. I’d only mastered it in certain situations, like in front of teachers.
“That doesn’t bother me anymore,” I said. It used to drive me crazy when he called me Principessa.
“Ah, that’s too bad. I’ll have to think of another nickname for you then.” His eyes danced when I pursed my lips.
“Just call me Nora,” I said. “That’s what my friends call me.”
His eyes narrowed slightly. “Eh, I’ll think about it.”