“No, you’ll endanger Frano.”
“I just want to tell my family I’m alright.”
“What will they say when you tell them you want to stay here? How will your husband take that?”
Her face crumbled. “I need to explain.”
I pushed out of bed, taking a sheet with me. “If you want to tell your family you’re alright, then you will have to tell them that you went with Jagger willingly.”
“But I didn’t.”
“Then you can’t call home,” I said, walking towards her, “because you’ll be implicating Jagger.”
“I will just leave a message, telling them I’m alright, and that I wish to stay where I am. That’s it. I won’t speak to any of them.”
“The FBI will trace the call.”
“Then allow me to call from someplace else.”
“I will have to speak to Frano about it.”
“Please do,” she said, wiping her eyes, the inner turmoil she was going through clear.
Wanting to comfort her, I placed a hand on her arm.
She backed up quickly. “I’m sorry, but I just … what you did… I can’t be near someone like you?” She turned and ran out of the room.
I looked over my shoulder as Frano came out of the bathroom, wearing a towel around his hips. “What was that about?” he asked.
“Honey’s upset over her family. If someone escorts her to a different part of the island, will you allow her to leave a brief message for her family, telling them she’s alright and is happy where she is?”
“No.”
“I didn’t think so.”
“Why did you ask then?”
“She asked me to, plus you could’ve said yes. Still, I would have someone watch her closely, because I think she will try to call home regardless.”
He walked up to me. “She is being watched.”
“Good.” I dropped the sheet, his eyes going to my body. “Are you alright?”
Frowning, he looked up at my face. “No, but I will deal with the consequences of my actions.” His frown deepened. “And, I will also do as you suggested.”
“What did I suggest?”
“Not to marry Camila. Instead, I’ll string her along, pretending that I will. But, if I do this you will need to contact your famiglia. Because if I don’t align with the Donatelli, I need to join with the Salvi—if that’s even viable.”
“I will make it happen,” I said, feeling intensely relieved.
He covered his mouth, looking like he was trying to hide a smile. “So, you’re going to marry me?”
I frowned. “What? Where did that come from?”
He dropped his hand, looking extremely happy. “The way families are joined on my island is through marriage, which means you, Sophia Salvi, just agreed to be my wife.”
3
SOPHIA
Frano was standing at what I assumed was his bedroom window. He was looking out at the sea and was ... shirtless! I had come over to speak to Jagger, but his horrible uncle had turned me away. Because of that big ape, I had to hide behind the large tree across the road from their house, waiting for an opportunity to see Jagger. Though, I got sidetracked when Frano appeared at his window. But, who could blame me? He was the sexiest man ever; he totally turned my insides to mush. My mouth watered just by looking at him. Regardless, it made me feel guilty as sin. I enjoyed spending time with Jagger; he was the perfect boyfriend: kind, gentle, patient, everything a girl could ask for, but Frano was just so… so… drop-dead gorgeous. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t get him off my mind. I had fantasized about him last night, touching myself as I imagined what he could do to me. I’d kept replaying yesterday’s encounter over and over again. Although I’d gotten angry with him for treating me like a child, and was shocked that he’d smacked my ass, my anger had quickly turned into arousal. I liked that he’d touched me, and the thought of his hands on me made my pussy throb.
Damn it! Frano had moved away from the window. I wanted to see more of him. Like a lot more of him. I’d never seen a man’s body ... well, except for my brother, but he didn’t count.
The front door opened, cutting off my line of thought. I hoped it was Jagger’s uncle leaving, but instead a shirtless Frano stepped outside with his brother Alberto. The two men couldn’t have looked more different if they tried. Alberto had rough features, a big brow, and an ape-like body, just like his horrible father. Whereas, Frano looked like an Adonis: his face was flawless, and I swear Michelangelo himself must have molded his divine body. He had muscular biceps, well-defined abs, and, unlike Alberto, not an ounce of fat to be found. And not to forget his perfectly rounded ass. My face heated at the memory of sneaking glimpses of it as he’d walked up the staircase yesterday. I just hoped that Jagger hadn’t noticed.
Realization hit me. The brothers had towels, which meant they were heading for the beach, the rocky shore only a few feet away from me. Feeling trapped, I glanced around, knowing I had no way of leaving without being seen, because the hedge was a good twenty feet away. I silently prayed that they didn’t sit near my tree.
I exhaled in relief when they veered in the opposite direction, heading down the deserted road. Ah, they must be going to the lake in the forest or possibly the river. My guess was the lake, since it was closer, though still a twenty minute walk. I wondered why they would go there instead of the beach out front. Maybe because the beach was rocky, but still, why walk further when you had your own personal beach? Well, that was a valid question that deserved an answer.
I glanced at the house, deciding I would see Jagger at school tomorrow instead. My attention returned to the brothers as they headed further down the road. Not wanting to lose sight of them, I ran as fast as I could to the long hedge of trees, relieved when no one saw me. I continued following them down the road. They veered right, heading up the rocky path that led into the forest. Since the road had nothing to hide behind, I patiently waited until they disappeared over the hill. Once I felt they were far enough ahead, I sprinted up the hill, spotting the brothers a second before they vanished into the mass of trees.
Less than a minute later, I entered the forest myself. The smell of lavender hit me, the flowers lining the path. I’d been here before with Jagger, swimming and skipping pebbles across the smooth surface of the lake.
Focusing on the present, I veered left into the main thick of the forest, knowing the trees would keep me well hidden. No one would see me if they happened along the path. Twigs crunched under my feet, making me tread more carefully. I came to a stop behind a large tree and peered out at the lake, watching as... My mouth dropped open and my eyes blinked rapidly in disbelief at the sight before me. Frano stepped out of his shorts and nudged Alberto, who was removing his shirt. He took off, sprinting into the water and diving underneath the surface. Alberto stared after him, then turned around and pushed down his shorts. I screwed up my nose, the guy disgusting. Why on earth was he hard? I flinched as he hit his cock, which looked really painful by his facial expression. He hit it again, his penis getting softer. Man, he was weird.
He massaged his cock, then turned to face Frano, who yelled at him to jump in the lake. Jump in the lake. I sniggered, thinking of the English saying. My face dropped. Oh, crap, I was supposed to be at my English lesson. I had pronunciation today, because my teacher kept complaining I spoke like an American, instead of the British. But I liked how the Americans spoke, especially because that was how they talked on my favorite show, One Tree Hill.
A few minutes later, my heart rate sped up as Frano walked out of the lake—naked as the day he was born. Unlike his brother, he wasn’t hard, but also unlike his brother, his body was perfection. I wiped my mouth, swearing I was drooling, because ... oh man, his body was glistening wet, making me want to lick it dry. I smiled, now knowing the secret to his full body tan.
He scratched his balls, making me giggle. I wondered what they felt like to touch as well as his cock. My best friend said they tasted sal
ty. Salty nuts. Or was that the cock? I sniggered as my eyes continued to admire every inch of him. Frano had a much nicer body than Jagger, who was way too skinny. Plus, Jagger was just a boy, whereas Frano was all man. I wondered what it would feel like if he made love to me, the thought alone causing my pussy to throb. I resisted touching myself down there, which he was making harder by the second. He was drying his glorious body now, running the towel over what I wanted to kiss and touch. After he was finished, he spread out his towel on the ground then turned to look at the lake, giving me a view of his ass. One of his hands moved around to wipe something off it, making me wish it was my hand doing it for him—or maybe smacking it, like he had done to mine.
He sat down on the blanket, while ugly Alberto continued swimming in the lake, probably because he had another hard-on. I sniggered, wondering whether he had the same problem as my math teacher.
I sat down too, wishing I could be his girlfriend instead of Jagger’s. I screwed up my face, guilt hitting me once more, because, again, Jagger was a sweetheart. He wanted to be with me, unlike Frano, who had told me to go away. Plus, Jagger was nice to talk to and had the most stunning face, which I could just stare at for hours. Still, he always looked so unhappy, especially when he thought no one was looking. It made me want to cheer him up.
I pushed to my feet, knowing I needed to see him instead of gawking at his cousin. It wasn’t as though I could ever date a guy like Frano anyway. Sure, I had caught him checking me out, but he also told me to go away, and I would never do that to someone I was interested in. I frowned, wishing he would see me as a woman and not a girl, like that lady with the ringlets in her hair. I’d seen her leave his house earlier when I’d gone up to knock on the door. She had asked me who I was. I’d told her I was Jagger’s girlfriend, and that patronizing bitch patted me on the head as though I was a poodle, telling me she was Frano’s fiancée. I hated her—although I’d give anything to be her. I wondered whether she’d had sex with Frano. I’d kissed boys, even let one suck on my breasts once, but I’d never had sex.
I sighed, beyond jealous. I turned and headed through the trees, my mind working out what excuse I could use to explain why I wasn’t at my English lesson.
“I was watching Frano D’Angelo skinny dip,” I whispered.
I could imagine what Mom would say to that! I’d get a strapping. Though, I was definitely going to tell my friends. They would be so jealous.
A twig broke, making me freeze. I twisted my head in all directions to see where it had come from, but I couldn’t see anything or anyone. Maybe it was just an animal. Please let it be an animal, and not some creepy-looking guy with a chainsaw about to massacre me like in that film I saw the other night.
Another twig broke, the sound of walking coming my way. I quickly bolted behind a tree, praying that I hadn’t been caught. I peered out, my eyes widening as Padre Michael Donatelli appeared. Oh crap, if the priest saw Frano naked, he would get into so much trouble. I watched the gray-haired priest head towards the lake, then stop a few paces from where I’d spied on Frano. He looked out onto the lake, no doubt seeing Frano and possibly Alberto. I hoped Frano had put his shorts back on. An instant later, the thought vanished from my mind as the priest lifted his black garb. My mouth fell open, hitting the ground as he pulled out his dick. He started masturbating, his hand moving up and down the shaft. I didn’t know how long he did it for, but he eventually stopped after cum shot out of it. He dropped his robe, turning to leave. A bird skittered across the ground to the side of me, catching the Padre’s attention. I went perfectly still, almost not breathing as his gaze moved to the bird.
He frowned, then headed off. I waited until he’d left before emerging from behind the tree. I walked over to what he’d been looking at, wondering whether Frano and Alberto had left and some women were there, but no, Frano was still there. He was standing and looking out over the lake, his ass still naked. I watched him for a few more minutes, willing him to turn around so I could see his cock again, but he didn’t. Instead, the spoilsport grabbed his shorts and pulled them on.
Sighing, I turned and headed back through the forest, again wondering why the Padre had done that. It was the grossest thing I’d ever seen, way worse than watching Alberto earlier, and definitely not something I wanted to tell anyone about, not even my friends. They wouldn’t believe me anyway, because he was a priest and they didn’t do that sort of thing.
A hand grabbed my mouth and yanked me to the side, making me scream out, the shock and suddenness unexpected. I was pushed up against a tree, the face before me making my eyes widen.
The Padre glared down at me. “What were you doing in the forest, Daughter of Eve?” he growled, removing his hand from my mouth.
I stared up at him, absolutely terrified. He looked like a gray bear ready to rip me to shreds.
“Answer me,” he hissed.
“I we-went for-for a walk.”
“Lying is a sin, and so is spying on people. You were watching me, you wicked little demon.”
I shook my head. “No, no, I went for a walk.”
“Did you see the D’Angelo boys?” His scowl deepened. “You were spying on them, weren’t you?”
I shook my head.
“I can tell when a sinner is lying, and you are. What would Gabriel say if he knew?”
“Who’s Gabriel?”
“Your previous boyfriend.”
“I’ve never gone out with a Gabriel; I’m Jagger D’Angelo’s girlfriend.”
He grimaced. “They are the same person, Gabriel is his real name, and you are not his girlfriend, and if I catch you near him again I will send my brother to deal with you.”
I froze, fear gripping me. I’d heard rumors about Christo Donatelli. People said he enjoyed torturing people for fun. I didn’t know whether it was true, but I still didn’t want the man near me. He was even more terrifying than the Padre with the way he looked at everyone. It was like he was assessing whether they should live or die.
The Padre yanked me around. “Leave, you whore of Satan.” He shoved me hard, almost making me fall over.
Not needing to be told twice, I took off, praying he didn’t tell my parents I’d been here.
***
I rode into my driveway on my bike, my home shadowing me. It was a two-storied, mottled gray house with a flat roof and vines climbing the side, which stopped just below my window on the second floor. I got off my bike and leaned it against the wall, then headed for the front door, opening it. It was quiet inside, making me wonder whether my mother was out back in the garden. I hoped so.
I climbed the curving staircase and pushed open my bedroom door, stopping at the sight of my mother sitting on my bed. She pushed to her feet, the flat expression on her face telling me I was in trouble. She looked like an older version of me, except for her auburn hair, which was two shades lighter than mine, and out of a bottle.
“Where were you all afternoon?” she snapped.
“Cycling and walking.”
“You were supposed to be at your English lesson.”
“I forgot.”
“You’re lying. I know you were watching that D’Angelo boy.”
I shook my head. “I wasn’t with Jagger; his uncle won’t let me see him.”
“I told you that would happen, but you never listen. And I wasn’t referring to Jagger; I meant Frano D’Angelo.”
“He’s not a boy.”
“He is to me, young lady, and I had a rather unpleasant phone call from Padre Donatelli, telling me he caught you spying on Frano skinny dipping.”
“I didn’t do it on purpose, and he was watching them too. He’s a gross man; he was jerking off in the forest.” I clamped a hand over my mouth, the words that had fallen from it catching up with my stupid brain.
My mother walked up to me, her face furious. “You are already in enough trouble as it is, Sophia, you don’t need to make things worse by defaming a holy man’s name.” She breathed out. “You are to stay
in your room until your father comes home.” She turned and left, slamming my door shut.
I walked over to my bed and slumped down on it, putting my head in my hands. Stupid idiot! I already knew no one would believe what I saw, so why did I open my big FAT mouth? Now my dad would give me the silent treatment, which was worse than my mom yelling at me. God, why couldn’t I learn to shut up?!
Just then, the phone rang. I went to my desk and picked it up. Jagger’s voice came over the line, making me fear that the Padre had told him too.
“Sophia,” he said.
“Sì.”
“Tell me it isn’t true.”
I winced. “What isn’t true?” I asked, making sure he wasn’t talking about something else. Please be talking about something else.
“That you were watching my cousins skinny-dip.”
“Of course it isn’t true,” I lied, feeling like the worst person ever.
He breathed out. “The Padre told me he caught you.”
“He got it wrong; I didn’t even see your cousins. I was just going for a walk, but the Padre didn’t believe me. He kept calling me weird names and warned me not to go near you.”
Jagger breathed out again. “I knew he lied, he always lies to me. I hate him.”
“Then why do you let him visit?”
Jagger went quiet.
“Jagger, you there?”
“I have to go now. I’ll see you at school tomorrow.”
“Okay, ciao.” I went to hang up, but stopped as Jagger called out my name. “Yeah?”
“I forgot; I’ve got vocal lessons at lunch, so I won’t be able to see you. Do you want to go out after school, maybe to the market?”
I screwed up my nose. “I don’t think I’ll be allowed; my mother believes the Padre. He’s a priest, how can I compete with that?”
“Maybe you can hang around a few minutes after school then. I want to give you something.”
My Masters' Nightmare Season 1, Episode 8 Questions Page 4
