Page 6 of Isle of Seduction
“I’m in no need of a prisoner, Miss Moretti.”
My gaze travels leisurely from her eyes to her luscious mouth. Her tongue peeks out to lick her lower lip, a nervous tell. I glance back up to meet her stare.
“A wife, on the other hand…”
“I’d rather cut my left tit than fuck you,” she retorts.
“Who said anything about fucking?”
I’m surprised, and pissed she’d think so low of me. I can’t deny how attractive she is, but I wouldn’t ask for her body in exchange for her cousin. I’m a monster but not that kind.
“A girl has needs, asshole.”
“I assure you, I’d be able to satisfy every single one of them,” I whisper just for her.
“You’re disgusting.”
“Your body doesn’t seem to have got the memo, guerrieritta,” I say as I take a strand of her hair in between two fingers and graze her peaked nipple before letting go.
I have laid down the terms of my cooperation, so I go back to sit and let them ponder on my offer, though we all know they don’t have time to reflect too closely on our potential agreement. That will work to my advantage.
Giulia and Pierce exchange a look full of anguish and something more. Like a kinship, the type that only exists between family members that love and respect each other deeply. Their pain brought them closer together.
They seem to have a secret and silent conversation in the matter of seconds and I have to admire their bond. It’s the same I have with my own brother. No one else comes close. How would it feel to have that sort of connection with someone you don’t share blood with, but with someone you chose? I guess I’ll never know.
Giulia finally turns to me. I should feel triumphant, but her resigned demeanour and Pierce’s obvious misery don’t give me the satisfaction I expected.
“Fine. I’ll marry you. Under conditions,” she says.
“You’re not exactly in a position to negotiate.” My comeback is more aggressive than I intend, but I can’t contemplate the emotion churning in my gut right now.
“I can be extremely difficult to deal with when I don’t get what I want, Mr. Capaldi.”
“So can I.”
This doesn’t feel like a game anymore. It’s a battle. I don’t want to lose it but I’m a reasonable man.
“We don’t have time for a pissing contest,” Pierce yells next to us.
Giulia stays silent and Pierce looks at me expectantly after his outburst, like being family will be enough to sway me. And in the end, it fucking is. His pain is too real, too raw and the mirror he presents is too sharp.
I relent. We need to get going to rescue Alana and I have a fucking fundraiser I need to go to—with my wife—in two weeks. This contract needs to be signed as soon as possible.
“My solicitor will draw the contract with your conditions right away. Pierce, you’re not gonna like what I’m about to say.”
I tell them about the dark web ad of sale for Alana, and let them process the information while I call my friend and solicitor, Luca DeRossi, so he can come to my house and marry me.
THREE
WHO WOULD WANT TO SETTLE FOR A MAN
After Andrea tells us about the offer on Lana, all I want to do is puke. I can feel colours leaving my cheeks, fear like I’ve never known before is lacing my heart with ice, freezing my limbs. But I need to be strong. Her survival depends on me. On my marriage. I take what I want to be a fortifying breath and exhale loudly as I let my shoulders drop.
Andrea disappears into the corridor to call his solicitor. In half an hour or less, I’ll be married. My brain can’t compute the information.
I’ve never been romantic enough to think I’d marry for love, and I’ve never been important enough to form alliances for the family. If I’m honest with myself, I thought I’d end up alone with four cats before I’d settle for the same person for the rest of my life. And I certainly didn’t think that if I did settle, it’d be with a man.
And he’s not any man either. That would be too easy. With whiskey eyes, ash brown hair he can wrap in a careless bun and full lips, the casual way he dresses cannot hide the cockiness of a made-man who just got what he wanted.