Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 78464 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 392(@200wpm)___ 314(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78464 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 392(@200wpm)___ 314(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
“You ever get tired of these?” I asked him.
“Not when you’re with me.” His arm moved around my waist, and he pulled me close, pressing a kiss to the corner of my mouth.
We entered the villa, the grand entryway turned into a large party with waiters and a quartet filling the room with a symphony of music.
“Whose house is this?” I asked when the waiter handed us glasses of champagne.
“Arturo Balannie. He was the mayor of Florence for many years until he retired. My parents and I used to see him all the time.”
“Will your parents be here?”
He shrugged. “Who knows?” He moved forward and spotted Arturo. “Happy birthday, Arturo. Not too many people live to be a hundred, so congratulations.”
Arturo gave him a glare, but it was mixed with affection, the way a grandfather viewed his grandkids even when they were being rowdy and impolite. “My wife sure doesn’t think I’m a hundred.”
Axel gave him a wink before he nudged him in the side. “I like your style, man. Speaking of wives…” He turned to me. “This is Scarlett.”
“I didn’t know you were married.” He shook my hand then kissed me on the cheek. “Lovely to meet you, dear.”
“We got married a couple months ago,” Axel said. “Kinda like a shotgun wedding but without the pregnancy.”
“What was the rush?” Arturo asked.
“Look at her.” Axel grinned. “When I got her to say yes, I didn’t want to give her time to change her mind.”
Arturo laughed, clearly smitten with Axel.
It was ridiculous because I knew every woman saw us together and wondered how I nabbed him. Tall, muscular, crystal-blue eyes…the guy had it all. And to top it off, he was so sweet. He seemed unreal at times, too good to be true. But somehow, he was mine—for the rest of my life, if that’s what I wanted.
They talked for a while longer before we moved on so Arturo could chat with other people who’d come to his Tuscan villa to celebrate. It was freezing outside, winter lingering, but it was like a preheated oven indoors.
“He seemed nice,” I said.
“Yeah, he’s one of the good ones.”
“Good ones?”
“Doesn’t take bribes, have mistresses, that sort of thing.”
“So if he knew the business you were in, would he want you here?”
“He knows.”
“And he doesn’t report you?”
“He’s righteous, but he’s not a rat.” He finished his champagne with a grimace and set it on an empty tray carried by a passing waiter. “Hungry?”
“Sure.”
We moved to an empty table, and Axel pulled out the chair for me. “I’ll be back.” He walked to the buffet line and took two plates, snagging a couple small appetizers before he returned. “I have no idea what any of this is, so I grabbed it all.”
“Looks good.” It was an assortment of small bites, brie backed in a delicate pastry, mini beef Wellingtons, and bacon-wrapped scallops.
His arm rested over the back of my chair, and he took a bite here and there but didn’t seem hungry because he didn’t scarf down his food like he normally did. “Not as good as your stuff.”
“You don’t have to compliment my food every time we eat.”
“I mean it.”
“But if you enjoy other food, it doesn’t mean you’re betraying me.”
He smirked. “I could eat your food for every meal for the rest of my life. Same goes for your pussy.”
I gave him a smack. “We’re in public.”
“So?” The grin remained. “No one heard me.”
“You don’t know that.”
“And I don’t care if they did.”
“Well, I care.” I dropped my voice to a whisper. “Don’t want people to overhear us talking about my girl.”
“Your girl?” he asked. “She’s my girl.”
“Don’t be crude. We’re at a party.”
“You think that’s crude? I’ll take you into a guest bedroom and show you crude.”
I smacked him in the arm. “My god.”
His fingers touched my hair as he sat beside me, gently running through the strands. “I’m married to the woman of my dreams. Of course my dick is going to be hard all the time.”
“Let’s stop saying dick and pussy and everything else in between.”
His smirk remained like he was having the time of his life. “What do you want me to say? I’m fucking happy.” He glanced across the room, looked at the people as they mingled and drank, as they enjoyed the music.
I stared at the side of his face, his words sinking into me like pieces of metal. My heart tightened in my chest, giving a dull ache that interrupted my breathing. I could see the slight smile on his lips, see the joy in his eyes. Last time we’d gone to a party, his parents had been there, making their disownment very apparent. He was miserable. But now…he was a different man. “Why?”
“Come on, baby. Don’t play dumb.” He turned to look at me straight on. “You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.” The slight smile on his lips slowly faded as he continued to look at my expression.