by C R Riley
I can tell the snobs want to chastise Gabriela and call her a silly girl, but they won’t. Her Princess status prevents them from belittling her so they wait it out.
However, that doesn’t stop Dalia from chastising Sonia. “Well we all know Sonia has absolute no taste whatsoever. Did you see how she was dressed tonight?”
When a few younger women join us, the others push Gabriela, Mercedes and Winifred off on them. Alluding that they only want to take me around the room for more introductions. That it would be so much more exciting for these three if they socialized with ladies closer to their own age, rather than hang with us.
Again, they didn’t strike right away. They slowly got me comfortable with them and did as they claimed they were going to do. Introduced me to a few women who were at least better at pretending than they were.
Finally, Lady Genovese suggested we all go sit in the solarium and have a few drinks. And that is when the real motive on why they dragged me around becomes very clear.
After we have all taken our seats and they have cleared the room, Genovese begins. “Did you know that I once dated … Antonio? It’s okay I call him that isn’t it. I mean you do, so I can as, well can’t I?”
“I am fine with it in a setting like this I suppose, although I don’t think you should get accustomed to it. From the beginning he has insisted I use his first name, and only his name. Declared to me he is, and always will only be, Antonio. I’m not so sure that is how he feels with anyone else though, so for now I agree that it is okay to use only his name.” I inform them like I have the right to make that decision.
“Interesting. I’ve never known a man to not want to be reminded he is an important man, and no one is more important than our King.” Dalia provides her opinion. “Perhaps he just doesn’t want to make you feel lesser so he tolerates it.”
“Perhaps.” I glare at her. “Or maybe it’s because I allow him to be just Antonio and wouldn’t care if he were only Antonio. I’d love him either way, and he knows it.”
“That is so very kind of you Larkin. Letting him feel like a simple man rather than a powerful King.” Dalia is not holding back and her tone does not go unnoticed.
“So, I dated him like I was saying. Did you know that?” Genovese blinks a few times. “I was his first.”
“His first girlfriend?” I don’t like what she in insinuating.
A nefarious grin takes over her face. “That too, I guess. Are you a girlfriend if the only thing you do for a young lad is bring him pleasure? I suppose when you are fourteen and fifteen that is how young lovers begin. He defiantly ruined me for the other boys. None of them compared in size and were all such a disappointment. You do know what I mean right? Not very many men out there can claim to possess such a large package. Dalia wouldn’t you agree with me?”
I down the drink they handed me moments earlier, not at all wanting to hear any of this. They exchange a look that communicates they are enjoying this way too much, and most likely aware that I have no idea what they are talking about.
“Well when Antonio and I dated he was no longer a lad; he was all man by then. A good man really, one who tried so very hard to stay the course and not waver. But if you offer a good man what he really wants or needs, at just the right time, even he can slip up. I was so very close to sealing that deal. At least I got the privilege of grasping that I was going to have to get myself prepared better than I had been. Karina always said I had a big mouth.” Dalia glances over at her sister, dragging her into this sick joke.
“That’s because you do. Biggest mouth I’ve ever seen at least.” Karina nods her head once. “Although I believe I recall you enlightening me that even your big mouth had trouble taking him.”
The glass I was holding in my hand slips and shatters on the floor. She so did not just say that about the man I love. Disrespecting him like that just to get a rise out of me.
“Please stop. Have you no respect at all.”
“Oh, I respected him a few times that night Larkin. And if his twit headed brothers hadn’t showed up and disrupted our fun time, this little fling you are having with him now would have never materialized.” Dalia points her drink at me. “It’s only a matter of time before he realizes an innocent insecure woman like you will never do. Have you ever even seen a one-eyed snake before, touched one, or licked one until it cried? That’s what I thought.
“You are no match for a man like Antonio, nor are you a worthy adversary for any of us. All is fair in love and war dear sweet Larkin. Are you really convinced you are capable of handling all that comes with the job you will be required to do once you marry him? Or will you have one of your famous panic attacks and let the whole world understand what a babbling fool you truly are?”
I am not one to curse, but there is always a time and a place for a person to just say it like it is. “You bitch.”
“Is that the best you can do?” Dalia sighs as if she is disappointed.
“Why are you doing this?” I ask trying to figure out the best way to knock them right off their high stools.
“We just want to make sure you understand exactly what you are getting yourself into. I believe tonight’s opera was a wonderful metaphor of it all actually. Men always want what they cannot have at first. The idea of it all is rather exciting to them. But eventually they return to what is best for them.” Genovese explains sounding oh so pitiful.
“You’re just his little plaything honey. A man who respects you doesn’t feel the need to kiss you like he did earlier in public. That there was proof to us all that he only perceives you as his possession and not his equal at all.” Karina adds her two cents.
“And then there is the fact he gave you that.” Dalia’s points at my precious ring, looking so disgusted. “That means nothing to him at all. If he were truly going to marry you then he would have given you his great grandmother’s ring. It is tradition to use a family heirloom, not some cheap custom jewelry.”
I am going to throw up.
Grabbing my stomach, I press slightly against it to try and remain calm. The anger these women are able to draw out of me has me frozen for now, but I know if I start doing my predictable wordy response it will only fuel the flame. So, I bite down hard on the inside of my cheeks and focus on the one thing right now that brings me joy.
I stare at the oval diamond encased in white and yellow gold prongs. The precious stone catches the light and sparkles just right. I am reminded of how nervous Antonio was right before he gave it to me. How his hands shook and his Adam’s apple bobbed with each swallow.
Staring at it reminds me of the way the sunlight caught it that first time he slides it on my finger. The way it reflected little rainbow beams in the most vulnerable brown eyes as he gazed up at me. The light in his eyes that began to shine the moment I dropped to my knees and told him yes.
I study the design surrounding the ring and remember that in that moment I encountered the man no one else ever has. I held him against my chest and soaked up all the love he has inside of him. I got to experience him letting go for the first time in his life, as he opened up completely to the only person he has ever really let inside. Remembered how on that hill, in that orchard, with both of us on our knees, was the first time either of us completely let another person in and it bonded us in a way that could not be broken.
When I finally let my mind refocus on the room, I realize Antonio has cleared most of it out. Right now, he is holding his own with the woman that is determined to sabotage us by bringing up the past and making me question everything.
Except her plan has backfired on her, because what they did only makes me want to protect Antonio more. It makes me want to wrap him in my arms and bring him back inside the bubble that is us. I want to be his safe haven, where he can be whomever he wants to be, needs to be, where he doesn’t have to worry that I will ever betray him. Love him like no other woman will ever be capable of—especially any of these spiteful women.
I watch her storm out w
ith the confidence that she has accomplished what she set out to accomplish. Wearing a smug expression on her face as she glances back the second, she reaches the door, letting me know she believes she has won this round.
Gino shoves her in the back to get her moving again and then turns his own on the room. He is planning to stand guard to ensure we are not interrupted while we deal with this little problem.
Once again on his knees, Antonio is in front of me. Gone is the confident man that has stood his ground so many times, he is replaced by a man who is uncertain of what he should do. I hate seeing him like this, hate that those women planted a seed of doubt in his mind.
“Larkin.” His voice whispers my name as if it is the only name he has ever spoken.
I reach up and seize his face with both my hands, holding it steady. Not saying a word, I lean forward and begin placing soft small kisses on his lovely face. I kiss his eyes and feel the wetness leaking from them, so I kiss his cheeks to wipe it all away. When I finally find his soft lips, I press mine firmly against his and hold them there.
I detect the hiccup that shakes his body as he tries really hard to hold it all together. So, I tilt my head and run my tongue along the seam of those lips, tasting the saltiness that stains them. And as soon as he lets me inside, I take it one step farther and do my best to devour him, sucking on his tongue, nipping at his lips, then letting our teeth click together when it gets a little aggressive.
He breaks the kiss and then jerks my head back quickly so he can look at me. “Larkin.”
“I love you Antonio. I love you and there is nothing those women could say that would taint the love we share.” I brush my thumbs across his checks. “Nothing, do you hear me?”
He nods once. “What did they say exactly?”
“Things that they thought would get me to question your true feelings for me. They wanted to paint a certain picture of you, one that portrayed you in a not so desirable light, pressure me into envisioning you as someone I know you are not.” I brush the few wild hairs off his brow. “It only made me see them for the kind of vultures they are.”
“I never …” He starts to tell me something I already know.
“I know. And even if you had that is the past. We all have a past Antonio, even I have done things I wish I could take back.” I lean forward and kiss his lips again. “Can we please get out of here now?”
Rising to his feet Antonio takes my hand in his and pulls me up with him. “Never again Larkin. Those women will never again be allowed anywhere near you. I will not allow it.”
“I’m fine. I’ll be better prepared next time.” I inform him meaning that, next time I will be prepared to put them in their places when they start.
“I’m sorry you have to do deal with them.” He places a finger over my lips, revealing he wants to say something and not be interpreted. “I never once slept with them. Things may have gotten carried away, I was young and I was naïve. Blinded both times by lust and a desire to want more, but not really understanding what that truly felt like. There were always those who were willing, and as a young hormonal boy I mistook their affection and willingness for that more.”
He pauses so I insert my thoughts here. “You don’t need to explain Antonio. I know.”
Bringing our joined hands to his lips he kisses mine and smiles. “I know you do. However, I need to say this so that there is nothing else that can be said about it. Genovese was the first girl to … show me how good certain acts could feel. We went to boarding school together and as you can imagine there were places kids snuck off to so they could be away from the eyes of those responsible. During an adventure that involved alcohol and stupid young teenager fascinations, things between us went further than they should have. She was the first of a very short list of girls that happened with, and she was the most daring. Not just with me either, Ferny and her had a few go-rounds. She had a reputation and she lived up to it, still does.
“When I was sixteen, I told you about what I witnessed with my father. That was also when I met you that first time. The combination of the sweet bold girl in the garden who stole a piece of my heart, and the realization that if I continued down the path I was heading, I’d be just like him. I decided to not indulge anymore, be different, and look for a different type of girl who wasn’t just interested in what was between my legs.
“Dalia and I met in college. We knew each other long before, but never really hung out. Different friends, I guess. Or maybe I just avoided hers because I knew their type. She had done a really good job over the years of learning what I didn’t like about most of the woman who dared to approach me. The first time I ran into her was after one of those other women had all but thrown herself at me. Asked me if I ever got tired of all that stupid fakeness, and then did her best impression of the young woman. I laughed so hard that I cried.
“For several months we were just friends. She never tried to be more. Waited for me to make my move, so certain I would. And of course, I did and at the time it felt good to have someone that I felt like I could be me around. Relax and not worry.
“After a fight with my father about something, I’m not sure over what, she was there and things just sort of happened. I tried to stop her at first, but one touch and a few well-spoken words; I allowed lust to once again take over. I thought I was falling in love with her, hadn’t told her yet but I was planning on it. Consequently, I allowed my body to lead the way and pushed away those voices that told me to stop it before it was too late. If my brothers hadn’t come by to check on me, I would have done something I would have regretted even more. I never slept with her, but I did allow things to go farther than I had ever allowed it to go before. Guilt ate at me for a long time after that. And that feeling kept me from allowing it to ever happen again, no matter how hard she tried to let it.
“That is the extent of it all. There was no one after her. Until I met you no woman has ever tempted me. No one Larkin, no other woman has ever stirred up all those types of emotions deep inside of me. None of those previous women ever made me aware of the aches of longing I suffer from now. You are in a league all your own and that is why you have done the one thing those women never could.”
“And what is that Antonio?” I ask as I stare into his eyes.
“Brought me to my knees. Knocked the wind out of me more than once. Secured my heart inside your chest so that it will always be with you, so that I will not be able to exist without you. Shown me what love is, real genuine love. So, now you are stuck with me.” He leans down and kisses me softly. “Shall we make our escape now?”
“I love you.” I whisper against his lips. “You’ve done the same you know to me. All of it.”
Antonio secures my hand in his and lets Gino know we are ready to leave. The whispers, glances, giggles, all of it does not go unnoticed. I know what they are all thinking. The group of vipers has obviously been making their rounds while we talked. They have been feeding these hunger gossipers with a bunch of lies and loving every second of it.
All that does is set a fire inside of me. Gives me an idea. One that I am certain Antonio will be more than willing to go along with. I wait until we get in the car though before I share it with him. I’m done letting them all think they can stop us from being happy and living the life we both want. So I decide to take a very bold step and seize the reigns once and for all.
Chapter 30
Antonio
I blankly stare at her, positive that I heard her wrong. Surely, I rearranged the words that came out of her mouth in my head. I know that there is no way I heard her correctly, no way.
“Okay so maybe I was wrong. Never mind then, I guess we can mark that off as me overreacting to a very unpleasant exchange. I mean you’re right. We should stay the course and do this the right way. I was simply letting that all get to me. Letting my angry feed my desires. I merely thought that if we moved this all along then that would most likely shut them up rather quickly. Of course, that isn’t the only reason,
but it was one that crossed my mind. I mean I definitely would like to see for myself what all the fuss is about and all. They all acted so fascinated with your anatomy that I thought I might like my chance at deciding if they were telling the truth. And well, I won’t get that chance until ... so I guess since that is what we both want. Of course, that is just the bonus fun stuff that occurs I guess, or so I’ve been told. I mean because all I really want is to claim you as mine and let those women know that they better keep their distance. You are indeed mine so no one is ever going to be able to say anything that will hinder the love we have. Thought that if we could just get this show on the road and be done with it and all, then we could put all that stuff behind us and start moving forward. But if you’d rather wait the proper allotted time I understand. I’m shutting up now.” Larkin pats my cheek as she turns her head and stares forward.
I continue to just gawk at her.
The car is silent for several minutes before I break into the biggest stupidest grin ever. “Asks me again.”
Larkin jerks her head around quickly with a wounded expression on her face. “What? No.”
I lean forward and whisper softly. “Ask me again. Please?”
“No.”
Gripping her face, while giving it a gently squeeze, I pretend to be her, making her mouth move with each word. “Oh Antonio, my sweet man. I have this wonderful splendid idea, crazy really. How hard would it be for us to get hitched tonight?”
She tries to talk through my manipulations. “That ... not what … said.”
“Ask me again.” I release my grip. “Ask me again so I can give you a proper response.”
Rolling her eyes, she swats at my hand and sighs. “Maybe I have had a change of heart now.”
“Ask me again Larkin or I swear to you I will …”
She growls at me, “Fine. Antonio I was thinking that maybe I’d like to get married.”
