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“Oh. Very well then. I’ll get that settled for you.”
I turn and look at him.“You don’t have to get it. I don’t have the money to repay you.”
He laughs deep in his chest.“Emelia. Do you still not understand what being the boss's wife means?”
I take a sip of the champagne. “No. I mean, my mother had an allowance, but she had to earn it.” I shiver, but not in a good way. I knew how she had to earn it, and it disgusted me to think about it.
“I'm not your father. Thank fucking hell. But you get what you want, Emelia.”
I give him a onceover.“You want to spend an ungodly amount on a painting for me… after you had your hands around my throat and accused me of being the enemy?”
“I don’t think you are. That doesn’t absolve your family though. I don’t think you have anything to do with the possibility that your father is the one meddling in my business.”
Is my father really doing that? If he is, then what did he need me for? I'm so confused right now. Did I fall and hit my head and am in a coma, dreaming all this up?
“What happened?” I take another sip and turn my body toward him.
“No, no. You don’t get to know about the business, Emelia. It doesn’t concern you.”
“It does if my father is involved.” And whenIwas supposed to be involved. It's only been a recent decision to not do what my father asked, but still, the wound is still fresh.
“No, it doesn’t. If your father is the one behind the things going on back in Seattle, he will be dealt with. And you, Emelia, will decide to either join me or join him, and we both know which one would be the wiser choice.”
I shake my head. I want to yell so loudly that Ididchoose him, and not because I care about him, but so I can rub it in his arrogant fucking face that I had a secret.
“I hate it when you threaten me.” I’ll be dying when we get home anyway. Might as well go out with a fucking bang.
“It’s not a threat. More of a reminder.”
“That’s a threat, Nico.” I scoff, shocked that he really thought that one was going to work.
“You know, I want to go home. I don’t want a honeymoon. I don’t want to be near you, and I don’t want to pretend anymore. Take me home. I want to go home, and that is that. Then you can call my father over and persecute him.” I walk out, and he hollers after me. I ignore him, and when I step out, the guards look at me, gauging me, and my body chooses flight.
I make a run for it. I don’t look back. I can hear them calling after me, and I hear Nico, but I just keep running. I find an alleyway and take it, and when I glance back, I don’t see the guards, but I can hear them coming, so I hide. Squeezing behind a stack of wooden pallets, I hold my breath as I hear them talking.
“Boss, she couldn’t have gone this way. It’s a dead end.” Then they keep running. I slowly emerge and see they’re gone. I walk back toward the entrance to make sure they’re out of sight. I don’t want them to spot me leaving and be back on my trail.
Where do I plan to run? I don’t know, but here we are. I almost make it to the end of the alley, when I’m stopped in place, my body responding instantly to the deep voice in a small alcove I haven’t quite reached yet just inside the alley.
“You tried. You lost. Now what, principessa?” Nico emerges then, like a demon from the shadows, lurking and ready to take what he’s been hunting.
Still trying to catch my breath, I watch him while my body faces the street.
“Nico, please.” I step back slowly as he moves closer.
“Oh, baby, beg me again. Better yet. Run. We can make this really fun,” he taunts, stalking me, making my pulse rise.
I try to think fast about what to do, but I can't get past him. He would catch me with one outstretched arm, and the alley is a dead end.
“Nico, I want to go home. I’ll behave; just let me go home. Please.”
He runs his hand over his five o’clock shadow while looking me up and down. Whatever he's thinking, it's laced with danger and… desire. It's almost a physical entity that radiates off him.
Did it turn him on when I ran from him?
Did it turnmeon?
The throbbing between my legs and the puckering of my nipples tell me it did. I can't hide it or ignore it, and part of me wants to run again so he can catch me. Yet that would go against everything I decided today. That I wouldn’t let him have me physically, because I fear him, and I don’t want him to have any form of power over me.
