The way her eyes shine and her breath hitches, intrigues me. For all her bravado, I know she finds me attractive. I affect her almost as much as she does me, although I can hide it much better.
I’ve thought of little else than what Lucian told me earlier and the more I think about it, the angrier I get. So much for Isabella’s perfect childhood. I wonder if she knows her parents were low life scum who dragged her away from a sheltered life of riches and privilege to live in a commune.
Should I be the bearer of bad news and risk her hating me more? I’m not sure she can cope with the truth.
I’m early, so I head downstairs to check on business with Marcus, but as I pass the kitchen, I hear a soft, “Dante.”
Looking inside, I see Riley sitting nursing a coffee and she appears to be alone.
Wondering what she wants, I head inside and nod, “Riley.”
“She smiles and points to the seat beside her.”
“Have you got a minute?”
“Of course.”
Feeling intrigued as to what she wants, I sit beside her and she whispers, “I hope I’m not speaking out of turn, but I just wanted to give you the heads up. It’s up to you what you want to do about it but at least you’ll have all the facts.”
If I’m surprised, I don’t show it because I’m not usually known to have a heart to heart with my brother’s women, so I sit back and say blankly, “Go on.”
“It’s about Isabella.”
My ears prick up and I feel myself tense, what’s she about to say? She appears a little nervous which is unlike Lucian’s usual brave woman and she seems hesitant as she smiles nervously.
“It’s just that, well, she told me what happened between you and I thought I’d help a little.”
I can feel my anger bubbling under the surface as I picture Isabella spilling all our secrets in a moment of gossip and my palm itches to remind her who’s in charge here. I sense a storm coming and then Riley chases it away by saying in a whisper, “I think she’s in love with you.”
Her words change everything and I say in a cool voice, “What makes you think that?”
“I’m a woman, Dante, we know these things. The fact is, she’s not an experienced one and you’re scaring her. She’s torn between wanting you and being afraid of you. She’s been holed up in that school with a bunch of mean girls for three years and the moment she’s let out, you steal her away. She’s suddenly in charge of a small boy with problems, and his father wants something from her she’s afraid to relinquish. She’s not one of your whores who knows the score, she’s alone and afraid and has absolutely no one to turn to for advice, so before you get angry, remember I was the first friendly ear willing to listen.”
Riley’s words cause me to stop and think and see things a little differently. I suppose I never really saw things from her side because I was so hell bent on getting what I wanted for me and my son, I never considered her feelings in this. For a man with no emotion I’m not surprised it escaped me, but now when it’s set out before me like this, everything becomes clear.
Then Lucian’s words come back to haunt me and I picture Isabella navigating the future being hit on and manipulated by every chancer out there. She will never be free of her past all the time it controls her future.
Riley is watching me intently and I lean back and say blankly, “So, what should I do about it?”
“It depends if you want to try.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
She shrugs. “You may just want a nanny for Luca and a bit of fun. If that’s the case, leave Isabella to be a nanny and get your kicks elsewhere. If you genuinely want her to stay for you, I’m afraid you have no other choice.”
“Which is?”
“Make her fall in love with you. The Isabella I met sees rainbows and hearts, not punishments and sex. She’s been lonely all her life and I’m guessing the man who makes her feel loved and protected, gives her the security she craves and a family to feel safe and happy with, wins her heart. Between me and you, I wouldn’t listen to anything Lucian says. He can be a little blinkered when it comes to emotion. I’m guessing you’re the same and you probably think I’m disrespecting him, but I saw the way you looked at Isabella earlier and I know that look. Lucian gives me that look and well, I just want you to be happy and I guess you don’t know how to go about making that happen”
“Riley!”
We both jump and turn around to see Lucian staring at her impatiently from the doorway. “We’re leaving.”
His eyes flash as he waits, and as usual, I recognize the impatience in him. We all share that particular gene and Riley just slides off her stool and fixes me with a curious look. “Be gentle with her, Dante, and give Luca a kiss from me. I’ll spend longer with him next time.”
She smiles briefly and then almost runs to my brother, and I know it’s not because he’s waiting impatiently. Watching them reminds me how amazing love can be. I thought I had that with Ava once, but seeing them together shows me how love is a sweet controller of hearts. It blinds you to everything else and just creates a desire to be with the person you have given your heart to and shuts the world outside.
They leave and I think on the look Lucian gave me as they left. He expects to find Isabella gone when they return, but how can I cast her out into a sea of sharks? She wouldn’t survive, or would she? My little butterfly may be delicate, but she has steel running through her veins. She’s a fighter and not afraid to stand up for what she believes in. Make her fall in love with me? That’s a hard call. I don’t know how to go about it because I’m not used to considering anyone’s feelings at all, only my son’s and increasingly I’m discovering I’m failing at that too. He needs a woman’s touch; I need a woman’s touch and I’m fast realizing there’s only one woman fit for the job and tonight I need to persuade her she wants it—permanently.
Chapter 21
Isabella
If nothing else, Dante has taste. The clothes he wants me to wear are exquisite. A beautiful white dress that’s tailored and molds my curves like a lover’s caress. It falls just above my knee and the skirt swirls around me, gently teasing my bare legs as it kisses the skin in a soft, gentle way. The underwear he set out made me gasp with pleasure. White lacy panties that are a little smaller than I like but somehow feel comfortable when they settle into place, the bra holds my breasts like a lover’s hands and make me feel sexy, desirable and so turned on I wonder if I’m going slightly mad. A matching pair of white leather shoes make me slightly wobble as I climb onto the heels, and the white fur wrap makes me feel like a snow princess despite the heat outside. I take extra care with my make-up and opt for subtle pinks to match my hair, which hangs long and straight down my back. I kind of like my new image which is a far cry from my usual one as a downtrodden victim and I feel sexy and powerful and ready to take on the world.
Dante is waiting downstairs and I almost fall off my shoes when I see him. He is wearing a black dinner suit and looks so dangerous it makes my mouth water. He is staring at an amber liquid in a crystal glass as he sits with his legs apart on a low chair in the hallway and as he looks up, our eyes meet and I see so much pain in his I almost take a step backward—what’s happened?
Feeling slightly nervous, I see him look me up and down and just openly stare, which makes me feel self-conscious because I don’t know what to do. Does he like it, does he see me as a school girl in a woman’s clothes? Despite the fact I’m twenty-one, I still feel like that girl who entered Eden Manners all those years ago. Time has stood still and it’s only now I realize I need to grow up and fast.
After a very awkward few minutes, he stands and holds out his hand. “Come.”
I take it without hesitation, feeling a little annoyed with myself because I’m thinking I should stand up for myself a little more. Being ordered around by him is not very good for my self-esteem, but as his hand closes around mine, it feels right, like it’s meant to be there. Dante Romano is a strange co
mplex character and I still don’t know what to make of him. He’s violent and cruel, and I should be scared out of my mind and do everything to avoid him. But to me, he’s exciting, unpredictable and somehow I feel safe with him, although God only knows why?
Maybe it’s because nobody has ever looked at me the way he does. I’ve never held anyone’s attention before and never had somebody who melts every ice wall I put in place because I’m a master at building and hiding behind walls. He just doesn’t see them and crashes through, regardless.
We don’t speak as is becoming usual and he leads me outside to his waiting Ferrari. It gleams in the shadows and my mouth waters. I love this car.
Impulsively, I turn to him and say eagerly, “Can I drive?”
“Absolutely not.”
“Why not?”
He sighs and says wearily, “Firstly, you’re not insured, which normally doesn’t bother me but it would inconvenience me if you smashed up my favorite toy. Secondly, I doubt you could handle her and thirdly, the only one who drives her is me, so get used to it.”
He opens the passenger door and I fix him with a hard look. “Fine, but one day I’ll buy my own Ferrari with my own money and take you on the ride of your life and you will see then that I can very much handle it.”
Fixing him with my best fuck off look, I make to get in the car but am surprised when he pulls me back and spins me so my back is to the metal. It feels cold and hard against my skin and a little uncomfortable as he slams his hands either side of me, effectively pinning me to the car and whispers, “I’ll look forward to experiencing a wild ride with you, Isabella. I have a feeling it will be an extremely satisfying experience.”
His eyes flash as they strip me bare and I feel so exposed, I can hear myself panting like a dog. Why is he so hot? Why does he reduce me to a wanton woman who would give everything up to be in his bed in the next five seconds?
Somehow, he opens the door and pushes me inside, and reaching across, his hand brushes against my breast as he straps me in, then he pulls back and says firmly, “Let’s eat.”
We drive in silence to a busy restaurant on the water’s edge. It’s lit by fairy lights and the atmosphere is warm and inviting. Dante pulls up outside the door and a valet sprints forward, his eyes shining as he sees the treat in store and Dante growls, “If there’s one scratch on this car, you die.”
The man swallows nervously as Dante tosses him the keys, before helping me out and wrapping his arm around my waist, settling on the small of my back and pushing me forward alongside him.
It feels as if the whole restaurant watches us as we are shown to a table in the corner overlooking the water and it doesn’t escape my attention that Dante’s guards are somehow mixing in with the other diners and I whisper, “Why are they here?”
He looks around and sees his men and then leans forward, whispering, “Because I’m a target as soon as I leave the house. They protect us from death, a good enough reason, wouldn’t you say?”
My heart almost gives out on me as I suddenly understand what being with him means. For some reason I feel sorry for him and impulsively I lean forward until my face is inches from his and whisper, “I’m sorry.”
“What for?”
“For your lack of freedom. It must suck being a bastard.”
His eyes flash and I think a shadow of a smile almost reaches his lips and his eyes glitter as he reaches out and pulls my face closer to his until his lips hover dangerously close to mine. “I think we both know I’m a bastard, Isabella, but are you interested to discover the man inside?”
As I stare into his eyes and feel his hot breath on my face, I lose my mind. Every wall in place shatters around me as I step out from behind them. I can’t fight this attraction anymore. Riley’s words hit a nerve when she told me to make my first time special, memorable and something to look back on and I whisper, “Yes.”
Suddenly, there is nobody else in the room. It’s just the two of us agreeing to something I should be locked up for wanting. His thumb runs over my lips and his eyes flash with desire and I am so turned on I don’t recognize myself. I want to taste his lips so badly I’m no longer hungry for food. I just want him and my eyes dilate and the wet feeling between my legs shows me how ready I am to lose something I’ve protected for so long.
Then he pulls back and smirks. “We will revisit this later. Now we eat and have a conversation that’s long overdue.”
My head spins as his words break the spell and I fall back in my seat with a mixture of relief and disappointment.
A waiter appears as if by magic, and I don’t even care that Dante reels off a list of dishes and orders for the both of us. I remain silent as the wine waiter fills my glass and then as soon as I get the opportunity, I gulp the liquid down, feeling the trail it brings douse the flames inside my body.
“You may want to go easy on that.”
Dante smirks as I set my glass down and feel strangely light headed, although the wine isn’t the reason for that.
It’s him. This man who has me purring one minute and screaming in frustration the next.
I was right, he is a bastard.
Chapter 22
Dante
I am slowly losing my mind. What’s happening to me? As soon as I saw Isabella, I wanted to rip that dress off her. She was like a painting, a living masterpiece and the approval she sought as she stared into my eyes made me consider what I’m doing here. Riley’s right, she deserves the whole fairy story, not the horror one being with me would bring. I should set her free, I should find someone more qualified, slightly older, someone else, but I can’t let her go. I know I should, I must, but how can I? I want her so badly I can think of nothing else.
Even when she wanted to drive it sent a message straight to my cock. The thought of seeing her hand on that stick shift would have sent me insane. Her long bare legs treading the pedals and her squeals of pleasure as she handled the beast would have turned me on so much, I would have lost control and I never lose control. It’s not happening, so I shot down her request with a list of stupid reasons. Then when she leaned forward and agreed to my request, I wanted to fuck her in full view of the other diners. I’m an animal, a beast and should do the decent thing and set her free, but I can’t. She’s mine, and I’m only starting to realize what being mine means. I’m possessive, coercive and a bastard. Any woman that seizes my heart is sure of a hard life. Is she up to that? Would she suffer the same fate as my mother and end her life, rather than live a moment longer with a monster? Would I ruin her forever and make her so unhappy she would be destroyed?
Riley’s words come back to haunt me.
‘Make her fall in love with you.’
How on earth do I even go about making that happen? I take what I want and don’t consider the other person’s feelings. How do I make her want me so much she never wants to leave? I need to try, for both mine and my son’s sake. I found her, the woman destiny always had in mind for me, and I don’t know the first thing about how I can make her stay.
As soon as the first course arrives, I start a conversation that I always knew we’d have.
“Tell me about your childhood.”
I watch as a smile lights up her face and she says eagerly, “It was amazing. It was just mom, dad, and me. I suppose I wish I had brothers or sisters, or both.”
She laughs and I find myself transfixed as she pours out her life story. “I had all their love though and all their attention. It was a happy time and we traveled a lot. Later they told me it was to escape my grandmother. Apparently, she disapproved of my mom’s choice of husband and tried to split them up. Do you know, she even tried to have him arrested for dealing drugs, I mean, how low is that?”
“What did he do to earn a living?”
“He was an artist and used to paint pictures and sell them. He must have been a good one because we seemed to have lots of money, although we never spent much. We traveled and lived in places with people like them. They weren’t in
terested in material things and just wanted to travel and experience nature.”
“What about friends, there must have been other kids there?”
Her face falls and she shakes her head. “I know this is hard to believe but not really. The places we stayed were full of hippies like them. They were mainly young and there were no children around.”
“Don’t you find that strange?”
“Not really.” A shadow passes across her face. “I asked mom about it once and she said it’s because they wanted to be free from responsibility. They just wanted to be allowed to experience life without the weight of a child dragging them down. She told me that wasn’t the same in their case, but I always wondered if she really meant that. I mean, sometimes when I was in bed, I would hear them all. Laughing, joking and other sounds that I never really understood what they were. As I grew up, I had my suspicions but was too scared to go and find out.”
Picturing Isabella’s life makes me angry. Now I know why her grandmother was concerned because it appears that Isabella’s parents were out of control. Living in communes with like-minded people, free spirits and free love. God knows what she would have seen if she had dared to look. They were probably so drugged out of their minds; they wouldn’t have noticed her anyway, and it was her parents feeding their addiction. No wonder they moved around so much, fresh customers, fresh dollars and an eager supply of customers keen to buy their supplies.
Isabella’s parents make me sick to my stomach and yet I am no different and just operate in a more civilized way. My family control the bastards who peddle drugs on the street. We supply the land with misery and make a profit from other people’s weaknesses. We control crime and benefit from the wealth that brings, and we allow women to sell their own bodies in establishments that we control. We are the biggest monsters out there, and all of this exists because of us. It would be wrong of me to take Isabella away from a life that would make her respectable, wealthy and cared for. What the hell am I thinking dragging her down to live in the gutter with me, when she should fly high above and never see what dirt lies under her feet?
The Throne of Hate: A mafia romance (The Romano's Book 2) Page 10
