Total pages in book: 122
Estimated words: 115291 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 576(@200wpm)___ 461(@250wpm)___ 384(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 115291 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 576(@200wpm)___ 461(@250wpm)___ 384(@300wpm)
It took a couple of minutes for everyone to come together, or for the mothers to drag their protesting teenage sons to the front.
Aria let out a bell-like laugh. Stunned by the first carefree sound I’d heard from her, I glanced her way. She was beaming at her younger brother Fabiano, who stood with his arms crossed among the men. Would she ever look that happy when she lived with me in New York?
Shoving the thought aside, I raised my arm and threw the garter at the men.
Of course my brother dove for it, shoving a few less motivated guys out of the way, and caught it.
“Any willing Outfit ladies out there that want to further the bond between our families?” he boomed, wiggling his eyebrows.
I chuckled. He knew as well as I did that it was difficult to find that kind of entertainment at our gathering. Most female guests were from our world and not outsiders, so they were firmly off-limits.
I wrapped my arm around Aria and she flinched. My good mood evaporated at once.
Forcing my face to stay calm, I watched as Matteo started dancing with Liliana, who looked ecstatic about being the center of attention. I pulled Aria against me since we were expected to have another dance. This time, she barely tensed. I glanced down at her blond head and the way her face was tilted toward my brother and her sister.
“If my brother married your sister, you’d have family in New York,” I said.
“I won’t let him have Lily,” Aria muttered, surprising me with the protective note in her voice.
“It’s not Lily he wants,” I said, glancing toward Gianna who was skulking at the fringes of the dance floor. Aria seemed shocked by my comment. Hadn’t she noticed the looks my brother had been giving her sister? Maybe she didn’t recognize desire on a man’s face. That would soon change.
When the first shouts rang out that suggested I bed Aria, I had to stop myself from jumping up, throwing her over my shoulder and carrying her to our room.
“You wed her, now bed her!” Matteo shouted, throwing his arms up and bumping into a chair.
I laughed at my brother’s antics and rose from my chair. Aria stood as well.
“Stain the sheets red!” Father shouted with a lewd grin. Ignoring him, I led Aria toward our bedroom under the applause and shouting of the other guests. Some of their comments made me want to punch them in the face, even if I intended to do everything they suggested, eventually. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d felt close to bursting from desire. I really hoped I could hold back like I’d promised myself.
Father and my uncles clapped my shoulder and back as I stopped with Aria in front of our bedroom door.
Aria was silent beside me, glancing down so I couldn’t see her face. I’d show her how much I wanted her. I shoved the door open and she slipped in. Finally mine.
CHAPTER 6
I slammed the door shut in Matteo’s face as he kept spewing suggestions of all the ways I could fuck Aria. If I didn’t have better things to do, I’d go outside and kick Matteo’s fucking ass. “Shut up, Matteo, and go find a whore to fuck,” I shouted.
He finally shut his fat mouth, or maybe he’d passed out. From the amount of booze he’d downed, I wouldn’t be surprised. Aria released a rushed breath behind me and I turned to her, my body already thrumming with desire. I’d had to watch her all evening in her sexy dress, not to mention the three years I’d spent waiting for her before. But tonight, the wait was finally over.
She was fucking gorgeous. Narrow waist, smooth skin, pink lips. I couldn’t help but wonder if her nipples would be the same color. Fuck. I needed her. I threw my jacket over the armchair. I really hoped she would be up for more than one fuck tonight. I didn’t think my cock would be satisfied after one round.
“When my father told me I was to marry you, he said you were the most beautiful woman the Chicago Outfit had to offer, even more beautiful than the woman in New York. I didn’t believe him,” I said. I hated that my father had been right, but damn it, in this case he’d been spot on. I walked toward Aria and grabbed her waist. She stilled completely, not meeting my gaze. I leaned down, inhaling her sweet scent. “But he told the truth. You are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen, and tonight you are mine.” I bent low to kiss her throat, but she kept ignoring me. Was this some kind of game she was playing? She should know that the games I usually played were of a darker variety, and I always won.