“That won’t be necessary. I had Catarina’s things moved to my house last night. Meet us there at five.”
“You what?” She narrows her eyes at me.
I smirk. “Don’t act surprised. You agreed to live with me, and I wanted to have your belongings at my place so you feel at home when I take you there. You’re a busy woman, and I thought it’d help to take care of that for you.” It wasn’t a chore. She already had her things stowed in moving boxes, so it was merely a matter of changing the date with the moving company.
Her features soften for a split second, granting me a glimpse of the woman I know is hiding behind the stern veneer she shows to the world. I’m determined to break down her walls and discover the true Catarina. “Thank you, Massimo. That was thoughtful.” Her mask is back in place, so I can’t tell if she really means that.
“I’m making a huge concession allowing your team access to my home,” I say. “Very few people know of its existence, but it makes no sense for you to travel back and forth between New York and Philly. I have top-notch security systems and armed guards surrounding the property. You’ll be safe, and I would rather all meetings took place there.” I want to keep a close eye on her, but I’m telling no lie either. “You’re a prominent figure in New York now, which means the target on your back just got bigger. You need to be extra vigilant, and I’d like to propose an additional bodyguard to ensure you are fully protected.”
“We can talk more in the car,” Catarina says, glancing at the time on her cell. She removes her purse from the table, slipping her phone inside.
Ezio and Ricardo stand beside us while I give coordinates to Agessi. My wife’s driver is holding her overnight bag. “Sir, I can take that,” Ezio says, reaching for my bag.
I shake my head, tightening my grip on my wife’s hand. “Thank you, but I’ve got it.” Something akin to admiration glides over his face before we make our way across the room. I’m aware we’re drawing attention from some wedding guests who linger and unfamiliar men with heated stares who are blatantly ogling my woman. I level each one with a dark glare for daring to covet what’s mine.
“I thought you’d be mad,” she says when we step out into the lobby. I tip my head at my driver and bodyguard as they push off the wall and follow behind us to the elevator bank.
“I am mad,” I truthfully reply, guiding her into the waiting elevator. Ezio and Ricardo are stopping other guests from entering. “You drugged me, and if you do it again, I’ll tie you up in my basement and whip the disrespect from your body.” I say it in jest, but her face pales, and she audibly gulps as the elevator descends to the parking lot.
Shit. That was a major fuckup given what she told me last night.
“Mia amata, I wasn’t serious.” Pushing her over into the corner, I cage her in with my body and lean down to whisper in her ear. “That was insensitive. Forgive me. I would never do anything like that unless you wanted it.”
She tips her chin up, and a familiar fire burns in her eyes. “I will never want that.”
This isn’t the right time or place for this conversation, and we are getting way ahead of ourselves. “All joking aside, you drugged me, and I’m not okay with that.”
“I was so angry, but it wasn’t right to do what I did. I am sorry, Massimo, and I promise I won’t do it again. You tried to take something from me for shits and giggles and monetary gain, and I took something from you as payback. Neither action was moral or right.”
“It wasn’t, and I am sorry too.” I brush my fingers along her cheek because I find it hard not to be touching some part of her. “How about we wipe the slate clean?”
“I would like that,” she says as the doors ping and open. My guys get out first to check the area before gesturing us outside. “I would like to start over completely,” she adds, and my eyes pop wide.
“You do?”
A genuine smile crests over her mouth, blinding me with her beauty.
“Fuck, you are utterly magnetic when you smile. You should do it more often.”
“There haven’t been many occasions in my life where a smile has been warranted,” she says, and I suspect she is telling the truth.
Placing my hand on her lower back, I check our surroundings as we stride toward her SUV. “I plan to rectify that,” I promise, looking down at her.
“That would be nice.”
I pause from replying until we are settled in the back seat of her SUV with the privacy screen up. “Not to look a gift horse in the mouth, but what has prompted your change of heart?” I ask as I buckle my seat belt.
She turns her head so she’s looking me in the face. “I spoke with Nicolina, and she helped me to see some things more clearly. I really don’t want to fight with you, Massimo. We are married, and I’d like to know what it’s like to have a decent man for a husband. Someone who treats me as an equal, lets me have my say, and respects it. I have never had that with any man.” She glances down at her lap for a few seconds as she stops to draw a breath. When she looks up, her face is less guarded. “I don’t want to project my past experiences onto you.”
Reaching out, I take her hand in mine and squeeze it gently. “I want our marriage to work. I like that you have your own opinions and you aren’t afraid to voice them. I love that you are powerful and ambitious and smart. It’s wonderful that you have an important job and your own goals and aims. All I’m asking is that you make time in your busy life for me. And open yourself up to the possibility of us.”
“I want that too.”
I wonder if she is being truthful or if this is a new strategy. Until I know for sure, I will play this game while keeping a close watch over her. “Good, because I’m dying to kiss you,” I say, leaning over and pressing my lips to hers. She doesn’t object, readily opening her mouth to accommodate my tongue. She matches my slow, leisurely pace as I familiarize myself with her taste and explore her mouth.
When we pull apart, her cheeks are flushed and her eyes alight, and she has never looked more enticing or more beautiful. “Have you ever been in love?” I blurt, the thought striking me out of nowhere.
“Never.” Her features smooth out into an expression I’m more accustomed to. “I don’t believe in love. It’s an illusion worshipped by weak-minded fools with singular focus.”
