My gaze travels to his hands, and I notice there is black ink poking out from his sleeves too. I have a suspicion that myhusband is covered from head to toe in tattoos. Most men in my family have a tattoo or two, but nothing like Enzo’s. My eyes are on his hands, trying to think of what the tattoo could be when he looks up to meet my gaze in the reflection of the window. He holds my stare until he smiles and winks before going back to his phone.
Great, he caught me staring him. I go back to looking at anything but him through the window.
We did not speak for the rest of the drive, and I was fine with that. The car starts to slow down as we approach what I assume is the Ricci home. We pull up to the large black steel gates and his driver rolls down his window and presses a button under a video camera. The gates open to a long driveway with lushes green grass and beautiful floral landscape leading up to the mansion. It’s twice as big as my father’s which I did not think was possible. My eyes take in the structure in front of me. A three-story brick covered estate with the large black trim windows. The black iron balcony in the middle on what appears to be the second floor is the main focal point. Its beautiful. Not anything that I would have pictured.
The car stops and Enzo has placed his phone into his suit jacket inner pocket before the door opens for him. He steps out, buttons his jacket before turning to give me his hand to follow him. I stare at his hand with my mind yelling that if I just run fast enough I might…might be able to escape. But the subconscious part of my mind knows that I will not even make itfive steps without him catching me or even killing me like he did to Ian. I cringe mentally that not even an hour or so ago I was standing next the man my father had chosen for me to marry to his blood covering me. And now, I’m married to a completely different person who my father sold me off too.
“Isabella,” he says my name in a deep growl that breaks my mental inner dialogue with myself.
I blink a few times and don’t accept his hand to help me exit the SUV. I slide across the black leather seats in my dress, grab a handful of stained fabric on each side and wing my body to exit with some grace. He reluctantly dropped his hand, but I did not miss the tick in his jaw.
Once I’m fully out of the vehicle, I let go of the skirt of my dress in my hands. Enzo steps beside me, places a hand on my lower back and the surge of energy hits me again. I bite the inside of my cheek to focus on something other than my new husbands hand.
He leans forward, his lips lightly touching my ear and whispers, “Welcome home, wife.” He lingers before standing straight up.
Not a home. Just a new prison that is a slight upgrade from my previous one.
We climb the steps in silence with only the sound of our footsteps against the stone stairs echoing around us. I keep replaying his words throughout my head, ‘Welcome home, wife,’ and how they sounded coming from his lips. There was a possessiveness in his voice that sent a shiver down my spine.
The two large black wooden doors open as we approach the top of the stairs with a golden light illuminating the entryway. Enzo’s hand has not moved from my lower back since we exited the vehicle. He ushers me inside, the doors shut behind us, and I hear it locking. My mouth feels dry.
I move my gaze to take in my new surroundings. The walls are white with black accents throughout and the floor is a white marble. It reminds me of the color of the first snow fall where it has not been touched. It shines against the Artic sun. The black staircase in the front of the foyer has two entrances with a balcony at the top and the stairs are the same color as the floor. The chandelier hanging in the middle of the ceiling is black iron in the shape of a spiral with twenty-six candles lighting it. It’s breath taking. It’s simple It’s beautiful.
“I’m sure you are exhausted.”
I peer over my shoulder to look at my new husband.
“As much as I love seeing your wedding dress, I’m sure you would like to change.”
I go to speak but no words come out.
“All of your items and belongings were sent over before the ceremony.”
Of course they have been. I knew that after or during the ceremony, everything I own would be packed up and sent to my new home. I would not be surprised that my mother had a hand in making sure not everything was sent over or purchased new items that she thinks would make me more appealing to my new husband.
I feel his hand slip off my lower back as he moves to the end of the staircase, placing his firm, strong hand on the railing, waiting for me to follow him. I shake off the loss of his warm touch against me and will my feet to move. Enzo turns and, starts to climb the stairs one by one. I trail behind him trying to look anywhere but him in front of me. The artwork hanging along the wall matches the theme of black and white. Images of Sicily, some I believe to be his family and Chicago.
We reach the top and turn left down a long hallway. We don’t talk. The only sound is our feet against the floor. I try not sound winded as my heart rate has not slowed down.
He stops at the end of the longest hallway known to mankind. He slowly turns the knob on the door, pushing it open to reveal the room behind the black heavy door.
I go to move pass him to enter the room, but he holds his hand out to stop me. I stumble back before he turns to face me. His chocolate eyes meet mine, and I did not notice before that they have a hint of gold around his irised. His full lips pull into a full smile, showing his perfect white teeth before he bends down to pick me up. I let out a squeal, and I feel him chuckle against my side. One of his arms cradles my legs, and the other around my back. My arms wrap around his neck and my dress is tucked between our connection.
My eyes widen at his sudden movement to pick me up. “What are you doing?” I try to wiggle out of his hold, but he grips me tighter. “Put me down! I’m way too heavy for you to carry or even hold.” I start to panic. My chest rises rapidly.
I feel his fingers dig into my waist when he says, “One, I never want to hear you speak about yourself like that again. Two, you’re not even close to anythingheavy.And three, I thought it was only fitting to carry my new bride over the threshold to our bedroom.”
I stare at him in disbelief because I know that I’m heavy. I weigh at a whopping two hundred and forty-five pounds. Is he for real? There is no way I’m sharing a room with him. I thought at least I would have my own room as I get settled in my new home. Settled in my new marriage. Settled in my new fucking life.
My mouth goes to open, but I shut it as I have no words to say. He does not move his gaze from mine as he carries me farther into the room. Slowly, he removes his tight grip of me. Bending, he places my legs on the ground, and the side of my body slides down the front of his firm body. I close my eyes and count to five before opening them.
When I open them, his dark ones are staring at me with such intensity, like he is trying to see inside my mind.
I’m first to break our gaze to take in the room that I’m now in. Much like the little bit of the massive house that I just saw, the bedroom is warm and welcoming. High ceilings with a large light fixture in the middle in the shape of a wooden circle. There are lights decorating it. The walls are a gray with a deep ocean blue accent wall behind the biggest king-size bed I have ever seen. The bed frame is also gray with a plush backing against the wall with cream-colored bedding that looks like heaven at how fluffy it is.
I shift to the right to see the fireplace that is built into the wall near the middle of the room. Behind that are two large French doors that lead out to a balcony overlooking the property.
“I hope that our room is to your liking. I made sure to have everything just right before you moved in.”
