Page 14 of Trapped
“From what?”
I shrugged.“Dimitri was angry about the seating arrangements. We argued. He grabbed me.”
I had a whole routine down for covering up bruises. Smoky eyeshadow to cover up a black eye and deep red lips to hide a busted mouth. But some things were harder to conceal than others. Even foundation wasn’t enough to completely hide them.
“Did he hurt you anywhere else?” he demanded.
“No.”
Santino brushed a finger over the purple shadow. “How many times has he done this?”
“We don’t have to talk. I’d rather you just ripped off my clothes and got it over with.”
“You don’t call the shots,” he said coolly, crossing the room to a console table. He splashed whiskey into a tumbler.
I swiped the glass before he gave it to me, inhaling the alcohol. An earthy taste rolled over my tongue. Not my favorite, but it did the trick. I glanced at the label. Top-shelf brand. So he wasn’t cheap. Good.
I set the glass down. “Thanks.”
He poured himself a drink. “You know, I wasn’t sure if you’d go through with it.”
“I had no choice.”
He grunted. “It went okay?”
“Aside from my stepmom calling you, yeah. I woke up early this morning. Around three. Couldn’t sleep. I was worried it’d all go wrong. A bridesmaid would find out and report to him. Maybe you wouldn’t show up.”
He refilled my glass.
I gulped the alcohol down again, savoring the exquisite burn. As soon as it faded, my body screamed for more. I reached for the bottle, but Santino dragged it away from me.
“That’s enough for now.”
A ribbon of anger worked through me as I stared at the mostly full bottle. “It’ll help with my nerves.”
“You seem fine.”
I snorted. “I’m about to have sex with a man I hardly know.”
Santino drank his whiskey, setting down his glass with a grunt. He stepped closer, and I fought the urge to back off. His eyes were so dark, and they kept eating me up. He leaned in, his breath ghosting my ear. Then he inhaled. I listened to the air whistling in his nose.
Was he smelling me? What a freak.
He reached out, his fingers brushing a strand of hair from my face. Santino’s hungry gaze watched me, his expression ravenous. Some of Dad’s men had looked at me like that. It always creeped me out, but with Santino, the effect was muted. Maybe because he was so handsome. He had a strong jaw and an insanely sensual mouth. His teeth were white and straight, and when he smiled, a dimple popped in his cheek. He was beautiful, but his presence was a loaded gun with a whisper for the trigger.
“So we’re spending the night together, and then what?” I pressed.
“Tomorrow morning, I’ll take you to your new apartment.”
“How can I be sure it’s real?”
“I’m a man of my word, Delilah.”
I met his gaze. “That’s what they all say. Sending a car to deliver me here doesn’t prove much.”
“It’s a little too late to back out.”
“I’m not backing out. I’m clarifying terms.”