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“You’re right. I’m into men with swollen egos.”
“That’s not the only thing that swells when you’re around.”
She barks a laugh and waves a hand at me. “No, absolutely not, you aren’t ever making an awful boner joke ever again. That’s another stipulation.”
“No sex, no boner jokes, what else are you going to take from me?”
“Whatever I want.” She grins, crossing her legs, and tilts her mug from side to side. “See, I figured something out. You’re taking an enormous risk on this, maybe even bigger than me. What’s my dad going to do, make me marry someone else? It can’t get worse. But you have things to lose.”
I steeple my fingers. “Like what?”
“Positions in your family. If your brother loses confidence in you—” She shrugs and lets me fill in the blanks.
“You don’t need to worry about that.” She really doesn’t. I’m the most profitable Capo in the entire Famiglia by a mile, which means I have a lot of leeway with the Don. It also helps that he’s my brother.
“But my point is, you have things to lose, and you’re doing this anyway. Which means you want to be my husband. I don’t know why and I really don’t know what you think you’re getting, but I’m willing to use you if it means I’m not trapped my entire life. I need you to understand that, Gian. I’m using you. There’s no ambiguity here, no confused feelings, none of that. I am using you for my own purposes and nothing more. There is no you and me. There’s only what I want to get out of this relationship. Do you understand? I need to make sure you get it.”
I study her, trying not to laugh. God, I get it, I understand better than she realizes. My blood’s up, my cock half-hard in my pants, because she’s going to do this—she’s going to be my wife. And she can say whatever she wants about using me, about not wanting anything to do with me romantically, about no babies and no sex and whatever else. She can use all the right words.
But I know Allegra, and I know we have unfinished business.
I fucked up our relationship back in college, but I had my reasons. At the time, they were even good ones, and mostly not selfish. But she doesn’t know that.
She thinks she knows who I am. She’s so sure the guy she was with for one blissful week was just a mask I put on and discarded once I was done with her.
Now I’ll have a year to prove her wrong.
“You don’t need to worry about my feelings, baby. I’m a big boy and can handle myself.”
“Don’t call me baby.”
“Why not? You’re going to be my wife. I should start using pet names now. Get used to saying it again.”
“Another rule. Don’t call me fucking baby.”
I gesture at her. “Whatever you want,piccolina.”
She rolls her eyes. “The Italian is even worse.”
“Would you prefertesorina?”
“I’d prefer Allegra.” She sits up straight, leveling her chin at me. “Alright, no more crap. Are we really doing this?”
“We’re doing it,tesorina.”
“Stop calling me that.” She clears her throat, and for a second, her badass act falters. “What do we do now? I mean, like?—”
I push my chair back and stand. “Come with me.”
“Where are we going?”
“Vegas. In about six hours, you’ll be my wife.”
Her mouth opens. Her eyebrows raise up to her hairline. I’m half sure she’s going to chicken out and run away. I’d probably deserve it.
Instead, I watch her find the steel I know is always hidden in her spine. She hardens, nods to herself, and gets up, ignoring my offered palm.
“Okay, let’s go blow up our families.”
