by Gina Whitney
“So you were planning to come back even before your brother died?”
“Yes. But his death helped speed things along and get me back in the fold without raising eyebrows. So we went with it, seeing this as an opportunity for change. I think I know who killed him, but I need proof before doing anything about it. I’ve talked to Carlo about my suspicions, and he’s given me his blessing to handle it once I have irrefutable evidence. And I’ll need your help with that.”
I allowed myself a moment of happiness as excitement surged though my veins at the thought of Stefan asking me for my help, but I choked it down, letting him finish what he’d been saying.
“Everything is going according to plan, and that’s what Carlo wanted to discuss last night. I can’t give you everything, but I can tell you that he wants us married. He believes it’ll unite the two biggest families, and help the old world meet the new age. He wants me on top, but says I need a bride. You know how this works and why. You can’t be in this position unless you’re married.”
Fucking A, maybe Laura had been right when she’d said that I was nothing more than a pawn to him, and that thought gutted me. “So pretty much, it doesn’t matter who you marry…just as long as you have a wife. Am I understanding this correctly?”
“No, Jordana. I believe Carlo knew of our relationship prior to catching us together last night. I have no idea how, but it’s Carlo—no one knows how he finds out anything. But that’s beside the point. He says I need a bride if I want to be the head of a family, and he believes you’d make the perfect one to be by my side. You’re already in the family, so you wouldn’t question anything. Not to mention, he noticed the way we stood united, and he knows I would do anything to keep my family safe. We couldn’t be a more perfect match. It’s not just anyone…it’s you.”
“Yet I get no say so in this matter,” I said angrily.
He stood from his chair and walked around the desk before taking a seat on the edge in front of me. He took my hands in his and quietly said, “That’s not true. You always have a say.”
“Then why demand me to marry you instead of asking me?”
“That’s what you wanted? For me to get down on one knee and propose to you?” His head tilted to the side in understanding. “You love my demanding nature. Admit it. And I never thought of you as the girly type that would need some big, romantic gesture. I know I don’t care about all that…as long as I have you in the end.”
I didn’t respond or tell him that wanting a real proposal didn’t make me weak. Just because I wanted him on one knee with a diamond ring didn’t mean I’d become soft around the edges. I only wanted him to show me that it was what he wanted. That he’d chosen to spend the rest of his life with me, not because the Godfather had requested it. But it would be pointless to argue with him.
I nodded despondently and stood up, sliding the heavy chair back in the process. I was a garbage disposal of female emotions and didn’t have a clue how not to be offended by this turn of events. I was becoming everything I hated. I was fucked. Fucked royally by the family. “Am I wearing this, or do I at least get to change?”
He didn’t respond, only nodded toward the door. I went out to the living room, where I found Laura patiently waiting for us. At her feet were my shopping bags. I grabbed one and headed to the bathroom to change. Luckily, I’d picked out an off-white dress earlier, not having a clue it would be used as my wedding gown. It was in no way worthy of a ceremony, but it would have to do. And Stefan would have to accept it.
When I emerged, wearing my skin tight dress, the hem hitting me high on my thighs and the neckline showing enough cleavage it could give an old man a heart attack, Stefan’s eyes grew large and his mouth dropped open. It was a club dress, but I’d picked it out for him, knowing he’d never allow me to wear something like this in public. Well, I guess he didn’t have much of a choice in the matter anymore, did he?
“That’s what you’re wearing?” he asked, sounding as if he were holding himself back from saying more.
“I wasn’t given an opportunity to buy something nice. This is what you get with the time restraints on your demand. Take it or leave it. I didn’t get the proposal I’ve always dreamt about, nor did I get the ring I’ve always imagined, at least let me wear something I picked out on my wedding day.” I looked like a hot hooker, and felt like one, too. Fuck it all…
Laura gasped behind him, making her presence known. I knew exactly what she thought, too. If she said the word Kleinfeld’s, I’d knock her out. Italian girls from an early age dream about shopping for a dress at Kleinfeld’s in Brooklyn. I have a fucking scrapbook of dresses I’d started before my first holy communion. We didn’t dare share with another human being for fear someone would steal our picks. I’d compiled hundreds of pictures over the years in search of my dress. Forget about the shoes. I had a completely separate book for that.
My life was officially up in smoke along with every goddamn dream I had.
“Fine. Wear the dress. Let’s go.” He grabbed my hand, walking me to the elevator with Laura following behind me. I knew I’d pissed him off; it was the first time that day he’s shown true aggression, and it’d been brought on by my dress…go figure. “You’re coming with me. Laura can follow us there.”
“No,” I said adamantly. “I want to ride with my cousin.”
“Like hell you will.” He stopped and turned his fierce stare on me. “She’ll have you convinced not to marry me and drive you somewhere else. I’m not willing to take the chance of you two gossiping like girls. You’re riding with me. Laura can follow.”
Laura came to my side and grabbed my arm. “Is this what you want, Dana?”
I never took my gaze off Stefan, feeling small and weak under the intensity of his stare. “Yes. I’ll be fine,” I answered her, not once looking her way. “Let’s go.”
“I don’t know…” Laura continued from behind me, sounding worried.
“Nothing for you to know, Laura.” Stefan’s voice was harsh and short. “This is between Jordana and me. We’ve discussed it, and it’s what we both want. No need to give us your opinion.”
The elevator doors opened and we all stepped in, silence filling the small space as we made our way down. Once we reached the cars, Stefan instructed Laura to follow us. I still had no idea where we were going, but didn’t dare question it. I seemed to have pushed him too far as it was, I didn’t need to push him more.
The ride was spent in complete silence, neither of us saying a word until he pulled into the underground parking garage of City Hall. For some reason, knowing this is where he wanted us to get married grated on my nerves more. It was one thing to demand me to marry him, but it was another thing entirely to have my wedding at the fucking courthouse like desperate people that couldn’t afford a ceremony. Rage filled me, and I had to choke it down before acting like a spoiled brat in the parking garage.
“You could at least look happy,” he whispered into my ear after taking my hand.
“Yeah? Well, you could at least act like this is what you want, instead of acting like you were forced into it.”
“I was forced into this,” he gritted out through clenched teeth, clearly tired of my attitude.
“And I’m not happy. Deal with it.”
He ignored me and continued dragging me into the courthouse. Everything after that had become a blur. I barely remember standing in front of the clergyman, the random people walking around as we took our vows. The only thing I remembered for sure was the look in Stefan’s eyes as he placed the boring gold band on my finger—the dead, empty eyes that glared at me with disgust. Something inside of me died at that moment, knowing I’d given myself away to a man that didn’t love me like he said he did. It was all a ruse…the speech he’d given me in the elevator the night before, the way he’d convinced me that his feelings were real. I thought back to the day he came to rescue me from Zeke’s place, the way he’d allowed me to take the man’s life for what he’d done. But look
ing back on that, it only made me question his motive. Was he really protecting me, or had he done it because he needed Zeke out of the way? He’d already confessed to me that taking over the family had been in the cards for a while, waiting for his moment to take action. Maybe that’s all it was then, too. Maybe it was just convenient that I was there, taking the blood off his hands. All I knew was that I’d just sworn to be this man’s wife for the rest of my life. Divorce wasn’t even an option in this world we lived in. And I’d just sealed my fate.
After it was all said and done, he dragged me out of the room and into the hall. He dismissed Laura, as if her job was done. She tried to argue, but one look from Stefan left her with nothing to do but nod and leave, glancing at me one last time before walking away. He seemed to be on a warpath and no one was safe.
“You need to wash your face before people start questioning us,” he said harshly as he led me to the ladies’ room. “Your disgust is written all over your expression right now.”
“Maybe they should question us. After all, don’t people usually have to apply for a marriage license? You can’t just walk into a courthouse and get married without taking the proper steps. This isn’t Vegas. And since I don’t recall filing for a license…”
“It was taken care of for us. Like I’ve already told you, Jordana, Carlo wanted this to happen. What Carlo wants, Carlo gets.”
It was not lost on me that since meeting with him earlier, he had resorted to calling me by my full name. Not once did he call me Tesoro, or my love. It was just one more thing to prove how little he wanted me to be his wife. I ignored him, turning around to roll my eyes, and entered the bathroom to wash my face.
I stared into the mirror, wondering how I’d gotten here. How I could’ve been so blind to his charms, his words. I’d always made fun of the women who’d been too weak to see the games being played on them by men in power. It happened all the time. Yet here I was, losing at that same game. I’d allowed him to manipulate me with his words, swoon me with his act, and blind me with his dick. And now it was too late to back out. Too late to stand up for myself, because I already had his ring on my finger. His plain, boring, dull gold band.
I washed my face and then opened the door to step out. But before I could walk through the doorway, Stefan caught me with his powerful, anger-filled gaze, and pushed me back into the bathroom. Once the door closed behind him, he reached around to lock it, never taking his eyes off mine.
“I told you to wash your face so people won’t question our nuptials.”
“Then maybe you should do the same thing. One look at your face and it’s clear that you don’t want this any more than I do. Don’t put this all on me. You seem just as jaded over the whole thing.” I fought back, not cowering to his demands any longer.
He pushed me against the vanity and then lifted me up until I sat on the edge of the cold marble. His hands held my face, keeping my eyes on his. “You think I don’t want to marry you?”
“Yes. And don’t try to tell me otherwise. Your cold, dead eyes tell the truth.”
He dropped his hands to my legs, working them up my thighs until he had a hold of the sides of my panties, and then ripped them down my legs. “Have you not heard a word I’ve said to you over these past few months? Particularly last night?”
“You mean the lies you’ve fed to me? About how much you love me? What is it, Stefan? You love me, but not enough to marry me?” I egged him on, pushing his limits.
He pulled me off the counter, spinning me around until he had me practically inside a stall. He took my hands in his, raising them above my head. Then he took my panties and used them to bind my wrists to the beam above the stall door.
“You can’t fix this with sex, Stefan,” I said spitefully. I meant it, too. However, I could feel my body already starting to betray me.
“I’m not trying to fix anything, Jordana. I’m only trying to keep you still long enough to hear me out. You seem to be extra defiant today.”
“I was forced to marry you against my will. How else would you prefer me to act? Grateful? Happy? Elated? In love?”
“Shut your mouth before I shut it for you with my cock. Listen to me.”
I wanted to fight back, to give him more attitude, but something changed in his eyes. They were no longer cold and lost. They’d taken on a deeper feel to them, almost desperate. So instead of arguing with him, I closed my mouth and nodded for him to continue.
“After finding you in Zeke’s apartment, I went out and bought a ring. I knew early on you were it for me. That one day, you’d be mine in every way possible. Which is completely unlike me since I’ve never wanted to marry anyone. Marriage was never on my bucket list…more like my fuck it list. I hate how the men in this family treat their wives, having women on the side. It’s not who I am. But there’s something about you that makes me want to protect you, to keep you, all of you, and no one else. I can’t even look at another woman while my brain is all tied up with you. And my brain is always, and will always be tied up with you. You’re it for me, plain and simple.”
“Then why didn’t you just propose to me?”
He lowered his mouth to my shoulder, pressing soft kisses along my neck until me knees grew weak. “It’s called planning, Tesoro. I had to follow the plan. We had to keep things quiet until the right time. I had no idea Carlo would request this of us.”
“I don’t understand,” I breathed out, succumbing to his mouth. “Why are you so angry about marrying me then, if it’s what you’ve wanted to do anyway?”
“I’m angry that he’s taken the choice away from me. Away from you. Away from us.” He pulled his head back to meet my gaze. “I’m angry that I didn’t have the option to do it my way.”
“You still could’ve done it your way,” I stated again, but I cringed at my girly-ness; it was making even me sick. I sounded pathetic, and I wasn’t some pathetic little fucking girl. I needed to get ahead of these feelings and shut them the fuck down. Who cared that I’d thought of my proposal and wedding day for my entire childhood?
“No. Had I done that, you wouldn’t have understood the courthouse. And if I’d put my ring on your finger, it would never come back off, which would only raise eyebrows if you walk around wearing it. You needed to know the truth. I’ve told you before, and I’ll remind you again…I’ll never lie to you.”
I heard the zipper on his slacks before his mouth took mine hungrily. “You can’t distract me with fucking, Stefan.” Another lie. He could distract me with the raise of his brow or the curl of his lips. But when he unzipped his cock, he had the ability to transport me to another world entirely.
He lifted me until my legs wrapped around his hips, my arms still restricted overhead. “I’m not trying to distract you with anything, Tesoro. I’m only trying to make love to you the only way I know how. And stop saying I didn’t want to marry you. You couldn’t be further from the truth. You’re just choosing not to listen to my words. I love you,” he said as I felt the nudge of his tip at my entrance, waiting there. “Tell me you love me, too. I need to hear it.”
“You know I do,” I argued back, feeling breathless already. I had a whole new rush going on. Fucking in a public place and getting busted turned me on.
His fingers grew tight on my hips, but he didn’t push into me. His eyes closed as he took in a deep breath, pulling his face closer to mine until his words were spoken to my lips. “I do love you. More than you’ll ever know. Having you as my wife is the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I’m sorry if I’ve ruined this moment for you, but imagine what it’s like for me… I can’t take you home and tie you to my bed for the next week. I can’t sleep with you next to me. I don’t get to wake up next to my wife. No honeymoon, or a limo dragging cans behind with the back window painted ‘Just Married.’ None of this makes me happy, but it’s what we have to do right now. It won’t be like this forever. That’s what I’m mad about, Tesoro. I’m mad because I can’t have you the way I want right now.
”
His words nearly choked me. “That makes two unhappy people and one impossible situation.”
“You don’t question Carlo. He said he’d let me know the next step once we got married. All we can do now is wait. Make the best of it in the meantime. But never doubt how much I love you. How in love with you I am.”
“Then show me.”
“Nothing else in this world would make me happier. Except…watching your stomach swell with my child—my children. I want you to be my wife, the mother of my children, the one next to me every single day for as long as we live.”
I wrapped my legs tighter around him until I felt him enter me. I expected hard and fast, but what he gave me caused the air in my lungs to vacate, leaving me dizzy with want and need.
“I fucking love you, Tesoro,” he whispered into my neck as he took his time with me, fucking me slowly until the need burned hot within me. “Come for me. Let me see that flush I love so much. Give this to me, please.”
I’d never heard him beg like that before, so I knew he meant it. I let go of my control, allowing him to take what he wanted. As soon as the waves of euphoria ran through me, his thrusts turned hard and rigid with his own orgasm. The entire time he came, he panted, “I love you” along with a few other filthy words into my neck, his hot breath consuming me.
“I know this doesn’t make anything better, but I promise you, I will make it all better. I will give you everything you want, need…desire. I swear to you, Tesoro. Just give me time. I won’t leave you in the dark about any of it.”
I trusted him, his eyes and tone leaving me with no doubt that he’d meant everything he’d just spoken. After all, he’d never shown me that side of him before—the tender and caring side—so I had to believe him.
He tenderly untied my wrists and lowered me gently. Then he pulled toilet paper from the roll behind me and helped me clean up. After he helped me back into my panties, he took my hand, smiling at me, and led me out.
