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“Understood,” Riccardo agrees from the front seat.
I slide my hand closer to Juliet and she takes it. Her hand is cold and might even still be trembling a little.
“You were right, he’s creepy. Gave me chills.”
“Yeah.”
I squeeze her hand, and she squeezes back. We both realize we’re in this together for survival now.
More importantly, I take it to mean that we’re fine and she knows I didn’t cheat on her last night. Sometimes a man just needs some space to clear his head. I’ll have to show her my place downtown one day. It could be nice to stay there together.
“What’s next?” she asks, and I can tell she’s overwhelmed.
“We’ll take it one day at a time, but tomorrow is Sunday, and my mother always hosts family dinner on Sunday. She’s always on me to get a wife. I guess it’s time to make her happy.”
“Are we doing that?”
“I think we should. I’m your protection against your dad. After we’re engaged, you can have your phone back. I’m sorry it’s taken so long, but I couldn’t risk anything going wrong.”
“I understand. By the way, I never thanked you for the gorgeous watch. It helped a lot.”
I rub my thumb back and forth across the back of her hand while the guys continue to communicate over their headsets to make sure we’re not being followed.
I’ll be relieved when this day is over. And for once, seeing my family tomorrow is actually something I’m looking forward to.
But we have to stop downtown first. If we’re going to sell this, Juliet is going to need a huge fucking ring.
22
Juliet
Sunday morning. It’s an odd situation to go from being the girl no one knew existed to dating the single most handsome and richest man in Florence. It’s a lot to take in and my head is spinning a little, but I know I’m safer here with Dante than with anyone else. So much for having a boring life.
“I want you to move into my room,” Dante mentions casually. He’s standing in the hallway upstairs wearing a pair of Lucky jeans that hit him in all the right places. I never knew what lusting over someone felt like before, but I do now. I would love him to throw me up against the wall again, but we have to get ready to meet his family this afternoon.
I’d protest moving into his room, but when I look at the mammoth of a rock on my finger to sell the engagement, I can’t exactly deny him. Even though the ring came without an official proposal, I’m not at all upset as we don’t love each other. Lust after each other, yes, but I can’t comprehend how I’m going to fit in his world. I also don’t want to know all the things he does and considers to be all in a day’s work.
“Okay.”
“Get Rosario to help you,” he suggests.
I don’t mind Rosario helping me, I like her.
But as far as Dante goes, I still have so many questions. Can I trust him to be faithful to me? Can I live with the fact that the business will always come first? Will he ever share all his secrets with me?
With the craziness of the past week behind us, I can finally reach out to my adoptive family and Ava, which is amazing. But part of my new reality is if I go somewhere, anywhere, I need protection to accompany me. I don’t trust Gio Conti. Putting all their family differences aside, I can understand why Dante doesn’t like the man and would do anything to keep me safe from him. However, what kind of a life am I doing to have?
Riccardo is putting the business plans into effect for the port. I know Dante will always be on edge with that arrangement. Other than that, I would be happy not to get involved in the business and only have him share details on a need-to-know basis. But he seems to want to get me involved in some capacity.
“I know you like art, so would you be interested in working for the company? You mentioned that you applied for waitressing jobs, but I can’t have you doing that. What about studying graphic design or interior design? I think you would be a real asset and, of course, I know I can trust you completely.”
I never dreamed I’d be able to use my creativity like that. Who wouldn’t want such an opportunity? I’d love the chance to have a real job that pays me decent money. As well, I could be financially independent instead of feeling like a kept woman.
But I have doubts. “I don’t know if I’m good enough.”
How can I compare to the team he must already have in place? I don’t want to be given a job just because I’m Dante’s wife. I know Dante likes to have the best of everything, and that includes his employees.
“You’ll be fine,” he reassures me as he ducks back into his room and I follow. He pulls on a casual tee in a bright blue that brings out the color of his eyes. They are such an unusual color that anyone would instantly focus on his eyes, but I like to take in the entire package. I can tell he works out as his torso is toned, and he must use the pool as he has a tan, and that small waistline is just ridiculous.
