He looked at my figure, and then cleared his throat. “Marco said you ate your food, but are you hungry now?”
I shook my head. I wasn’t hungry for food. I desired him, I wanted to touch him, know more about him, understand why he picked me to be his wife. Nothing in my life had a reason to be that good. Then again, from the men outside, I had a feeling that he wasn’t all good.
“There are questions in your eyes. Ask me one for now because I have some for you.” I had to consider the question because there were so many and despite my curiosity, one was the most important.
I took a step back from him, so I could see into his eyes without his touch messing with my blood and nerves. “Are you going to hurt me?”
He shook his head and closed the distance again. He took my hand and brought it to his lips. “Never. You’re my wife and the future mother of my children, which means I’d do whatever I could to always protect you and our family.” He caressed my face and pulled me close. “I’ll always protect you. Always. Now that includes protecting you from those bastards you’re afraid of. I need names.”
“I’m surprised you don’t already have them,” I scoffed, tilting my head slightly. The man carried himself like he owned the world.
“Why thank you for the vote of confidence already. However, I don’t have the criminal element completely laid out down here. As for the major families, I spoke to one, and your father doesn’t owe them a dime, so it wasn’t them. They did give me two others, but my priority was getting here to you first.”
A rush of heat filled my face. “Oh.”
“Yes, oh.” His gaze hungrily dropped to my lips. I couldn’t stop myself from licking them since I knew they were dry. “Damn it,” he growled. Quickly, he crushed his mouth to mine. I let out an audible gasp before succumbing to his kiss.
“So tell me, what are the names of the assholes harassing my beautiful bride?” I tried to control my breathing, but the man was making it impossible. He’d stolen my breath with that kissand now he was intentionally burning my body from the inside out with his compliments.
“Tony Perez and Eddy Calhoun.” Elio’s face hardened, those broad shoulders that drew my attention suddenly stiffened, and he did a quick about-face. He left the room without a word.
My stomach twisted as anxiety pooled inside me. “What did I say?” I whispered. I stumbled back a bit in shock and hurt. Wrapping my hands around my waist, I tried to protect myself for the future.
I thought he had several questions for me, but after the one he practically evaporated. The way he disappeared without a look back was almost as shocking as the way he burst through in the first place. The stranger who claimed to be my fiancé was more of a puzzle than I expected, but somehow I looked forward to solving him. That is after I let the anger simmer away.
I didn’t know how long he would be gone, but I decided that I needed to test his word. My uncle promised to help me and then it led him into trouble with Elio. My father abandoned me for a life of drugs. I had no one and no matter how attractive Elio was, I could run as soon as we arrived in Chicago if he was a liar. No one would know me there and it was so massive that as soon as I had some money, I could easily get away. As soon as I heard footsteps, I turned away from the door and sat on the bed, waiting for his reentry and if it wasn’t him, so fucking what.
Chapter Five
Elio
I checked in on my little wife-to-be, and she was sitting on the bed, facing away from the door. She hadn’t bothered to check who entered the room. It actually pissed me off. I wasn’t sure what her motives were for it, but if it was to make me mad, it worked.
“Ana Maria, do you just not care who enters your bedroom?” I asked, my tone a little less than polite.
“At this point it doesn’t seem like I have much of a choice, so I guess you’re peeved that I didn’t give you a special greeting.”
“Wow, you went from meek and afraid to petulant and snotty as if you’re not scared.”
She whipped her head around placing her hands on the mattress so her upper body faced me. “Well, you promised me that you wouldn’t hurt me, so I can be snotty with a man who just walks out without a word or you can go back on your word and prove that you’re no different than anyone else who has let me down.”
“Oh.”
“Yes, oh.” She stood up, facing me like the natural queen she was born to be.
Staring at her in just a pair of shorts and her thin tee with her long, smooth legs looking innocent, made my dick so hard and my chest filled with a profound level of jealousy. “Come here,” I ordered. Lust, hunger, and pride made my voice a bit more aggressive than I meant, but she still did what I asked. Her head dropped, but her eyes lifted. When she came to my side, Iknew that she was perfect. What I didn’t like was how scared she was.
“Amore, why are you so frightened?” She’d lost the bravado she had a moment ago. Was she always intimidated by raised voices? She didn’t answer, but I saw it in her eyes.
“Have my men threatened you?”
“No, of course not. They have treated me wonderful, but I’m just supposed to accept a man that threatened my uncle because he wanted to help me find my father who has been missing for a long time. I don’t know who to trust and this thing between us is definitely interesting, but it doesn’t mean it’s real.”
“Look into my eyes. You’ll always put your trust in me because I will never disappoint you.”
“That is a high bar to meet. We don’t even know each other, and you’re bound to make mistakes that will hurt me even if you don’t mean to.”
I cupped her face and whispered, “Then let me correct myself. I will do my best to protect you and honor you, respect and cherish you as my wife. Is that any better?”
