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“We'll be there in thirty minutes.”
Relief washes through me. I need Melina happy, and some new clothes might soothe her once she finds out she no longer has anything. The pain that truth will cause her is just another reason to punish Dracos before I take his life. Melina will never want for anything. She will never feel that bite of disappointment again if I have any say about it.
“We?” I ask. “I thought you were taking the day off because you overdid it in therapy yesterday.”
“I can sit my ass on your couch just as well as mine,” he gripes.
“Yeah, but I don't have to be annoyed if it's yours,” I tell him dryly.
I should've known that Niko would follow along. I would do the same if the roles were reversed. I can't blame him. It's hard to wrap my mind around one woman changing how I do things as much as she has, but if my reward is her…I don’t give a fuck.
Niko laughs, “See you soon.” The beep of the ending call hits my ears, and I can't hide my amusement.
Setting my phone down, I look back at Killian and Marco talking across from me. I'm used to doing business and not having others listening in. It’s clear these two have listened to my entire conversation and find humor in the fact I’m doing everything I can to make Melina happy. I shake my head. I’m going to take my frustration out between my wife’s legs later. She owes me that for being nice to her brother.
melina
Why does he want to force me into marriage? That question just keeps playing over and over in my head. Besides, it’s not like there’s anything here to distract me from my thoughts. Everything that has happened since my father found me is weighing on me. It’s just overwhelming. I’m not even sure what I’m supposed to be feeling right now.
I fiddle with the hem of my shirt—Antonio’s shirt really—as I sit on the edge of his bed, staring at the wall. I don't want to be forced into marriage. If I were entirely honest with myself, I do want to marry him. It’s just I’m tired of my entire life being out of my control. I want to wait until I know that I mean more to Antonio than just sex. I’m afraid he will eventually find me as unworthy of love as my family has and the fear of that is stifling. The ache of a possible heartbreak makes me rub my chest as I realize how deeply I care for this man. I wouldn't survive if he cast me aside. It would destroy me.
The man literally sucks the air out of a room when he enters. With his confidence and cool demeanor, he's so far out of my league I'm not sure I believe him when he tells me he wants me. I think maybe I’m afraid to believe. I’m simple and plain compared to him. I’ve been told that often enough and now they just serve as a reminder of the differences between me and this larger-than-life man. Seriously, he's like lightning in a bottle. How am I supposed to hold onto him without getting burned?
A knock on the door makes me jump and pulls me from my wayward thoughts. I right his shirt the best I can, knowing if it was Antonio, he wouldn’t knock.He’d just barge in.
"Come in," I call out, hoping my clothes are being sent up to me. It stands to reason that my potential husband would be too busy to deal with such a trivial issue.I can’t marry him.I let out a trembling sigh, trying to rein in my thoughts once more so I can concentrate. Hopefully that will begin with finally getting dressed.
The door opens and this beautiful woman is standing in the open doorway. She's so pretty that it's hard to look at her because I’m afraid I’ll gawk and make a fool of myself. She’s got dark hair that falls down her back in large waves. Her lips are full and perfect with these high cheekbones that I would die for. She is definitely model pretty. I feel dowdy even standing next to her. The most striking thing about her, however, are her blue eyes which are unlike any color I’ve ever seen before. I'm instantly nervous and on edge, but the woman’s smile is warm and sincere, pushing away my unease. Something I've never experienced before.
“Sorry to intrude Melina. Antonio sent me up. I'm Emilia,” she explains with a soft smile.
“Uh…hi,” I murmur, not sure what else to say.
Emilia laughs and even that sounds pretty. “I'm married to one of Antonio's men. He asked me to bring you some things.”
“Oh...What kind of things?” I ask, still kind of lost.
“I brought some clothes and stuff. Niko, my husband, explained that your own had been damaged.”
It's like a punch to the gut. My breath leaves my body as I stare at her. Damaged? It takes me a second before I can pull in a lung full of air.
“Antonio never mentioned it,” I say, my voice betraying my hurt.
Before it can fully sink in, she steps farther into the room. “He probably didn't think it was worth bringing up,” she says, shaking her head. “Men can be dense at times.”
“Yeah, Antonio has his moments for sure.”
“So does Niko, but he makes up for it in other ways.”
“How about we go through these and see if there is anything that will work?” she suggests, putting her bags on the bed. “I brought comfortable clothes because it's best to wear them while shopping. Niko was being a jerk and didn't tell me any sizes. I brought a nice wrap-around dress, though, because I know they can make actual size fluid, depending on how you cinch them at the waist.”
I pick up the buttery soft dress. It's a pretty light blue that matches her eyes. I'm sure whoever bought it had that in mind.
“I love it, but I don't have any....” My cheeks heat with embarrassment. I can't wear this without any underwear on. I might accidentally flash someone.
“Any...what?” Emilia prompts.
“My panties were...uh...ruined.”
