Page 26 of Mafia’s Fake Bride

“I’m joking, just joking. Calm down.” Her hand came down over Marie’s wrist and she gave her a conspiratorial wink. “Although, she would deserve it after what she just said.”

“I couldn’t.” Marie paused, saw the hopeful, playful look in Trina’s eyes, and decided that the woman really was only messing around with her. “The knife is too dull.”

Trina laughed that sweet tinkle of a laugh again and winked at Marie. She did a lot of winking this woman, Marie decided. “We’re going to get along fine.”

“Matteo said we would,” Marie responded and pulled back as a woman in a black maid’s uniform came up to fill her glass with red wine. Marie pulled up the glass and tilted it at her new friend. She hoped. “To new friends.”

“To new lives,” Trina added and they both took a sip of their wine before a man in a black suit came out and started to spread food along the table.

Marie ate a few slices of turkey, some cranberry sauce, and a few bites of mashed potatoes before her stomach started to rebel. It wasn’t happy about eating right now, not under this much stress, and she looked over at Matteo. He smiled a smile that was only for her across the black marble table.

Marie didn’t notice the tableware, it might have been white or black, or it could have been solid gold. All she noticed was how the moments ticked by, and how the urge to run away only increased. Matteo noticed she’d stopped eating and stood up.

“Thank you for your hospitality, Aunt Celeste, but I fear my wife may be a little under the weather. Perhaps it’s the same bug my mother has.” The twist of his lips told her it wasn’t the same “bug”, but she wouldn’t pry. She’d already heard one couple whispering about his mother’s fondness for gin. This was just a dig at Celeste then, the cause of the woman’s drinking, or so the whispers had said. “In any case, thank you for the food and your company. I hope to see you again soon. Good night all, merry Christmas.”

Before anyone could say anything else, before Celeste could protest at all, Matteo had swooped Marie up and led her out to the foyer to collect their coats. Matteo was all but running by the time they got there, and Marie giggled. They snatched their coats and ran out of the door to the car without even putting the coats on first.

Matteo hit the button to unlock the doors of the car and they hopped in and sped away. “I’ll pay for that later, one way or another. But you know what? I don’t really give a fuck. I’ve got you all to myself again.”

He kissed her hand in his, then let it go to change gears.

“I hope it was worth it. I could have laughed my heart out at the shock on her face, but I wanted out so desperately that I didn’t care if we were rude or not.”

“Maybe they’ll put it down to young love. Again, I don’t care.” He laughed, but the mention of love was like a bucket of cold water over them both.

“You don’t have to say it, Matteo. I know why we’re married. We’re friends as well as lovers. Maybe that’s better than other kinds of marriages.” She brought the sparkle back to his eyes with that, or maybe it was just the streetlights. This, too, didn’t matter.

They had each other, and love-match or not, they were good together. That was good enough for her, for now.

15

They rushed through the door to the penthouse in a daze of holiday cheer. Marie had made her own stamp on the place over the last few days, with a few dozen holiday scented candles and warming air fresheners that filled the house with the scent of spiced apples and cranberries.

It made her smile even broader as they threw their coats on the pegs on the wall, and she leaned back against the door. “This is absolute heaven, do you know that? When I was a little girl, I’d dream of being able to have a tree similar to this one and to have the house smell so… good.”

“I guess things like that were a luxury for you both then?” Matteo went into the living room and poured two glasses of whiskey.

“It was, and when Mom became bedbound, well, the atmosphere wasn’t always pleasant there. I don’t want to bring the tone down, so let’s leave that in the past, alright?” She pulled away from the door and went into the living room.

She’d already had three glasses of wine that night and she was a little tipsy already. She sipped at the strong liquor and gasped as it took her breath away. It was a nice flavor, though, and she cupped the glass above her breasts as she went to the couch and sat down.

“Matteo?” she asked, her mind turning to that first day when he’d taken her there on the divan in front of that window.

“Yes?”

“Would you, that is, can you…” She felt her cheeks turn red and she looked up at him from beneath her lashes. “Come here?”

“Oh, now, baby, if you want something, you’ll have to ask for it…” He caught the hint of her blush and smiled a knowing smile.

“Fine. I have all of those presents over there, but do you know what I really want for Christmas?” Her legs opened at the knees a little and her voice dropped down a little, the way it always did when she was aroused.

“I have an idea.” He knelt on the floor in front of her and ran a hand up between her thighs. The heat of his skin against her thighs brought her mind into crystal-clear focus.

“You’re going to make me say it, aren’t you?” Normally, Matteo was the dominant one, he directed what happened. But every now and then, like now, he’d let her have her way.

“Yes, baby, you have to say it. You don’t have to ask me, or offer me anything, just tell me what it is you want.” He leaned back on his legs, took off his suit jacket and tie, and then leaned back into her.

“No,” she frowned and waved her hand at him in objection. “I want you totally naked.”