Total pages in book: 136
Estimated words: 128209 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 641(@200wpm)___ 513(@250wpm)___ 427(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 128209 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 641(@200wpm)___ 513(@250wpm)___ 427(@300wpm)
“Are you sure Grace won’t make a scene? You never dumped her in person.”
“I never dumped her because I wasn’t dating her. I fucked her, and other women.” Of course, the other reason why I hadn’t seen her again was that I wanted to kill her for paying Rick to put roofies in Aria’s drink. If she wasn’t a woman and more importantly a senator’s daughter, I would have put a bullet in her head.
“Grace might disagree.”
“I don’t give a fuck. She’d better keep her mouth shut and treat Aria with the necessary respect, or I’ll make her regret it.”
That evening as Aria and I lay in bed, I finally bridged the subject I’d been avoiding. “We’re invited to a party for Sylvester.”
Aria lifted her head from my chest, brows drawing together. “Okay. And you only found out five days before?”
I shook my head. “I’ve known for a while.”
She sat up and peered down at me with confusion. “And you didn’t tell me, why?”
“It’s Senator Parker’s party.”
Aria stiffened and moved to get out of bed, but I grabbed her by the waist.
“Please,” she whispered. “Let me go.”
I released her. That broken whisper was a fucking bullet to the heart. She slid out of bed and walked toward the floor-to-ceiling window overlooking Manhattan, leaving me to stare at her naked back. I got out of bed, moved toward her and stopped close behind. Her face was reflected in the window, but her gaze was distant as if she didn’t see what lay right in front of her. I could imagine too well what memories she was reliving.
I rested my hands on her hips and my chin on the top of her head. “Aria—”
“Grace will be there,” she said quietly, and finally raised her eyes to mine in the window.
“Yes.”
She gave a sharp nod then tried to step out of my hold, but this time I didn’t let her evade me again. “No,” I growled, tightening my grip on her waist. “Don’t make a bigger deal out of this than it is.”
Anger flashed across her face, and she surprised me by ramming her elbow into my side. I let go of her in shock. She whirled around, her eyes furious. “A bigger deal than it is?” She brought her palms up against my chest and shoved hard. I had to bite back a grin. That would have sent the wrong message. When I spotted the hint of tears in her eyes, my amusement died.
“Aria, I don’t give a fuck about Grace, believe me. It doesn’t matter if she’s at the party or not.”
“If it doesn’t matter, then why did you keep the party a secret from me for so long?”
“Because I knew how you’d react, and I was right,” I said.
She frowned.
“Come on,” I said, then took her hand and tugged her toward the bed. She followed and climbed back under the covers. I joined her and pulled her on top of me, but her body didn’t soften as it usually did.
“She will try to rub it in that you cheated.”
I stroked her soft back. “I told you before. She is a fucking rat trying to humiliate a queen. Ignore her.”
Aria sighed. “I’m not sure I can.”
“You are a mafia princess, Aria. You were brought up to brave men like me. You can stand up to a wretched whore like Grace.”
Aria tilted her head. “If you think so little of her, why did you spend time with her?”
“It’s not like I dated her. She was a fuck buddy.”
“I can’t imagine sleeping with someone I don’t have feelings for. I’ve only ever made love.” Her voice was a soft exhale.
I ran my knuckles up her spine. “Before you I ever only fucked, Aria. I didn’t care about any of those women.”
“But if you couldn’t stand their presence, wasn’t it difficult to spend time with them after sex?”
My brows pulled together. “I didn’t stay afterwards.”
Aria’s eyes filled with incredulity. “You slept with them and left immediately after you were done?”
“I fucked them and left, yes. Why would I have stayed?”
She regarded me as if she couldn’t possibly understand my reasoning. “But…what about snuggling? Did you never long for closeness?”
I chuckled. “Oh, principessa, you have a wrong impression of me. This version of me is one only you have ever seen.”
She propped herself up on my chest and peered down at me. “But with me you like it?”
That she still had to ask. “No,” I murmured. “I love it.”
Her lips turned up in a gorgeous smile, then she gave me a soft kiss. As if anyone could ever compete with Aria.
Matteo looked like the cat that got the cream. With his sick fascination for trouble, he’d probably end up enjoying being married to Gianna after all. Thankfully, he wouldn’t marry her until the summer, so I didn’t have to bear their annoying bickering yet.