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But I couldn't be bothered to care. By the time he finally pulled back from my lips, his forehead pressed to mine, and he hovered there. "You have to know how much I want to take you upstairs and make love to you, Little Dove. But we have to go, and you aren't ready."
"I know," I whispered back, letting him help me slide down from the island.
"Shit, this seems like a horrible time to have this conversation now. I wish I hadn't put it off." He ran a hand through his hair as I shimmied the skirt down my hips.
"Is something wrong?"
"It's nothing that you need to be afraid of. I just, there's the side of the business that Matteo handles. But I'm not clean of it either, and I don't want anything to surprise you. This event at the club, a lot of the people who will be there are associates and allies of Matteo's. You'll be exposed to some things, and I just want you to be prepared." He took my hands in his, holding them and stroking his finger over the birthmark on my palm.
"Okay," I whispered.
"Matteo runs girls. Willing girls, but escorts. Some of them will probably work at the club tonight." My forehead wrinkled, trying to read between the lines of what he wasn't saying.
"Okay. They do the job willingly, though?"
His head jolted back, as if he couldn't believe that I even had to ask. "Of course."
"Then I don't see why I would have a problem with it honestly. You and Yavin aren't exactly pillars of the moral community. It would be hypocritical of me to judge them or you for this, but not the other things. Why? Because they have sex for money? It's their body. If they're comfortable with it, that's not my place to judge. It's frankly just none of my fucking business."
He smiled down at me, looking at me like I was some mythical unicorn. To be honest, with how catty women could be, I couldn't even be surprised. "You're incredible."
"Are you planning on sleeping with them? Is that why you thought I should know? Because we won't be faithful to this marriage?" I asked the question I didn't want the answer to. I knew what he'd said before, but after our little make-out session and I'd left him high and dry, who knew. Men were fickle, and it could have driven him over the edge.
"No. Fuck no. We are both going to be loyal to our marriage, Samara. No other women. No other men. Just you and I, but I'm not a saint. I've been with women, some I found at the club, others I found elsewhere, but—"
"But I might have run-ins with women who've had you before?" I teased, arching a brow up. "I'm not stupid and naïve. I know there were women before we became a thing, but as long as they're part of the past, that doesn't matter to me."
His lips touched mine briefly, and when he pulled away, he smiled down at me. "I don't deserve you."
"Probably not," I agreed. "I'm awesome. Now back off so I can fix my face and we can go."
He stepped back with a laugh. "Next time, I won't dread these conversations so much."
"Good. Because all I expect from you is honesty, Lino," I admitted, heading for the bathroom.
It was as simple as that.
My relationship with Lino revolved around the honesty between us, and so long as we had that, then I had faith that we could be happy together.
If only I could continue to be honest with him too.
???
Rolling up to Indulgence in the back of a limo was not something I'd ever experienced before. In truth, it wasn't something I ever thought I would feel. I'd started purposefully avoiding the club years prior, because while Lino never picked up a woman in front of me, it became obvious that wasn't normal. Watching him be approached time after time by woman after woman and thinking I'd never have the opportunity to stake my claim on him was something that squandered any fun I might have had on the dance floor.
I took my dance nights with friends to rival clubs, even if it meant that I felt like a traitor to Lino. It hadn't lasted long. My relationship with Connor alienated me against all those friends to where I had none. So strolling into the club with his hand on the small of my back was surreal, in a way I'd never thought to experience.
Heads turned our way as we entered, and the crush of people seeking Lino's attention started almost immediately. I had no doubt that his presence had been missed, given he'd only left on rare occasions over the weeks he'd spent taking care of me while I recovered. With my bruises faded to something I could cover up with makeup, I knew the day I returned to work approached rapidly. Even Lino couldn't justify restricting me from going back when the remaining traces of bruises were gone.
The fact that the night was a massive charity event that Matteo had asked Lino to organize to raise awareness about date rape only served to make the event more anticipated. A date rape charity event happening at a nightclub might have seemed in poor taste to some, but Lino explained that Matteo saw it as him making a statement. That shit wouldn't be tolerated at their properties, and anyone who dared would face the wrath of the Bellandi family.
"How are we doing so far?" Lino asked when Enzo met us at the foot of the stairs, walking on Lino's other side like a silent sentry as we made our way up to the VIP level.
"Great. The crooked fucks are donating even beyond the pricey admission tonight. Their statements they'll join him in the fight against date rape and sex crimes in his city. He's drawing quite the line in the sand. I just hope that we're ready to deal with the inevitable fallout," Enzo pointed out. I was inclined to agree. The thought of Lino's life in danger wasn't something I welcomed, even though I believed wholeheartedly in the cause.
I'd never been date raped or drugged, but I had listened to Ivory talking about being drugged once when she explained Matteo's connection to the charity he started. It wasn't something I would wish on anyone.
I just couldn't face the prospect of losing Lino when I only just had him as mine.
