The Sexy Enemy: A Fake Relationship Romance (Italian Nights Series Book 3)

22. Natalia

Last night started as a shit show but then ended not at all like I thought it would. I think we may have even come to a mutual appreciation of each other. Ew. Even that thought sends shivers of disgust down my body. I thought at bedtime he would push me again on the sex thing, but he didn’t. He played on his phone for a bit and then rolled over and went to sleep. Not sure if I should be offended or not.

I was up early this morning and thought I would do something nice for Alessandro because even though last night was what it was, he stopped me from getting into a car while I was angry, upset, and over the limit. He could have let me go and ruined me or let me ruin someone else’s life, but he didn’t and I’m thankful for that. Marco told me that Alessandro usually has porridge to go for breakfast as he eats it in the office, but he didn’t explain how he made it. I’ve tried so many times, but it keeps burning and sticking to the bottom of the pot. Urgh.

“What are you doing? Trying to burn the house down?” Alessandro asks, stepping into the kitchen and looking at me bewildered.

I still for a moment taking him in, he’s dressed in a navy blue suit this morning, a white business shirt with no tie, his hair is wet from his shower and tiny droplets have fallen onto his shirt, wetting it. He looks good. I frown at myself for that thought. “I was trying to make you breakfast seeing as I was the reason you lost your chef,” I explain.

He stills. “You’re making breakfast for me?” I nod. “I’m guessing you don’t know how to make breakfast?”

“Your breakfast, I don’t know how to make yours.”

“I appreciate the effort, but I can grab something at the office,” he tells me.

“You shouldn’t have to.”

“I’ll make inquiries about a new chef today.” He grins. Yeah, that’s probably for the best. “I’m sure you have something better to do this morning than making my breakfast, like yoga, or I’m sure you have content to post?”

His flippant comment deflates me, I thought we made some real headway last night, but I guess I was wrong. My eyes narrow on him. “You still think I’m some ditzy socialite, don’t you?”

Those slate-green eyes widen at my accusation. “No, that’s not what I meant. How the hell did you get that from my comment?” he asks.

“Don’t you have something better to do like yoga or posting content,” I say, mocking him.

Alessandro holds up his hands in confusion. “You were literally doing yoga yesterday when I came downstairs in the morning, and now when I ask about it, it’s an insult.”

“Of course it was. I was trying to make you breakfast because I felt bad over you losing your chef and to, I don’t know, give the tiniest bit of an olive branch, but then you look at me like I’m an idiot because I don’t know how to make porridge from scratch because, literally. Who the hell knows how to do that? Maybe some homesteaders online do but certainly not me. But then you tell me, why don’t I go and do some yoga or post some pretty photos instead because I’m useless at making breakfast. That all I’m good for is downward dog and posing,” I yell at him.

Alessandro stares at me blankly. “Someone seems to have woken up on the wrong side of the bed this morning.”

Urgh. “Men,” I yell as I throw my hands up in frustration and walk away from him.

“Natalia,” he says, calling my name. There’s laughter in his tone as if me flying off the handle is amusing to time. He grabs my arm and softly stops me. I let out a heavy sigh, turn around, and cross my arms in front of me. “You should have taken up my offer last night, it might have put you in a better mood. I would happily let you downward dog all over me.”

My mouth falls open at him. “Asshole,” I curse as I stomp away. His deep laugh is all I hear behind me.

“Have a good day, wifey,” Alessandro calls out to me as he leaves the house.

I mentally flip him off. Then an idea pops into my mind, maybe Alessandro is right, and I’m a little tense. I have always had a healthy sexual appetite, and being around him has tainted it. I like to start my day off right by getting off, and I can’t do that knowing he has security watching his home twenty-four-seven, which is creepy, but I guess when you’re a Conti your list of enemies is long. Still, I feel violated that he watched me yesterday without my knowledge. Liar, you thought it was hot but didn’t want him to know that. Maybe. But he still violated my privacy. You moved into his home. True. You violated his privacy. Urgh. Whatever, I’m not going to argue with myself about this.

How long does it take for him to get to the office? It is peak hour, so a while, I would think. I don’t even know where his office is. Grabbing my phone, I search for his head office and then type it into directions. It says it’s going to take him about thirty-seven minutes, that’s enough time for me to sort myself out before he gets to work. He will be none the wiser. I can be stress-free and able to deal with his bullshit better. Yes. Perfect plan.

I rush up the stairs to our bedroom, find my friend, and lay myself down on the sheets, getting comfortable. My heart is thundering in my chest as I quickly scan the room, but I can’t see anything, no camera but it is somewhere. I don’t know how these high-tech gadget things work, but who cares? I have a spare couple of minutes all to myself. Thank goodness I’m still in my sleep shirt as I start sliding my friend between my thighs. I turn him onto the medium setting as I need to get off quickly as I’m starting to panic that I’m going to get caught with my hand in the cookie jar.

Relax, enjoy it, I tell myself as I close my eyes and try to think of something sexy. Except all I can see are those stupid slate-green eyes staring back at me.

“Need some help, wifey?” Alessandro’s voice echoes through the room, making me squeal. I pull the offending toy from me, then it rolls off the bed and starts vibrating violently across the room.

“What the hell?” I scream as I search around the room, trying to work out where the hell his voice is coming from. My heart is thundering at a million miles. How the hell is he in here?

“A little frustrated, princess. You didn’t need to wait for me to leave to rub one out. You know I’m only too happy to help.” He chuckles darkly, the sound echoing around the room.

“You’re a pervert, spying on me like that,” I yell back.

“I told you I take my security seriously.”

I flip him off hoping he can see that. Who the hell has a security system that lets you spy and talk in one like some all-seeing Ring Camera?

All I hear is his stupid laugh. “Just say the word and all this could be over.”

My eyes narrow as I search the room for the camera, but I can’t see it anywhere. He’s doing this on purpose, thinking it will make me quit and run screaming back to my family.

Hell no.

He wants to play, I’ll play. Ignoring him, I grab my toy from the floor and turn it off then walk into the bathroom and give it a quick wash. Once it’s clean again, I walk back into the bedroom and eye the bed. Can I really do this? No. Yes. You going to let this asshole win? He already thinks you’re some vapid yoga-loving, selfie-taking, unable to cook, socialite prude. He wants to play, I’ll play. I jump back onto the bed and settle myself back into the position I was in earlier. As I can’t tell where the camera is in the room, I’m hoping he can’t see up my shirt as I let my legs fall open again.

“What are you doing, Natalia?” he asks through gritted teeth. Ignoring him, I slide my toy back between my thighs and turn it on. A slew of curses dance around the bedroom, but I try to block it out as I close my eyes and try to think of something other than those stupid slate-green eyes, or the way the white business shirt hugged his muscles this morning, or how tightly fitted around his ass his suit pants sat or how his tanned hand slid over his cock and teased the soaked head. “Fuck, Natalia, what are you doing to me?” Hearing the strain in his voice is like some kind of aphrodisiac. As my body responds to his voice, I arch my back and bite my lip. “That’s it, princess, let go. You look so fucking beautiful fucking yourself on my bed.” His deep, timbred voice gives me goosebumps. “I’m going to step into work with a fucking hard-on the size of Everest.” Good. He deserves it. “Today is the first day I’m thankful for Roma’s traffic so I can watch you put on a show for me.”

“Fuck you,” I curse into the air.

“Can’t hear you but I think you said, ‘Harder, Daddy, I can’t be sure.”

Gosh I want to flip him off, but my hands are busy as I turn the toy up a little higher as I chase my release. A moan falls from my lips as the vibrations push me further to the edge.

“Dammit, princess, don’t moan like that, it reminds me of the sounds you make when my dick slides into you.”

Shit.

His filthy words are making me wetter as my thighs start to shake.

“That’s it, let go, Natalia, come all over that toy, like you do my cock.”

And that’s it. The next thing I know, I’m screaming as he pushes me over the edge.

“Fuck, Natalia. Getting stuck in peak hour has never been better. Should have opened the windows and let all of Roma hear those sweet fucking moans falling from your lips.”

I flip him off.

“Guess you were right last night …” he says. Right about what? “… you do always have eyes on you.” He chuckles.

“Fuck you,” I call out to him.

“Here’s hoping.” I hear a beep and I’m going to assume that means he’s signed off. Then it beeps again. “One more thing, the bathroom has no cameras so you’re safe in there.” Then another beep and he’s gone.

A small smile falls across my lips at that.

The limousine pulls upin front of Alessandro’s, the driver opens the door for me, and I get in and greet Allegra, Giada, and Lilly who are smiling at me.

“I’m so freaking excited.” Lilly squeals.

“I’m not picking my real engagement ring,” I tell her.

She waves her hand at me. “No, but because of you, Luca and I had a fight, and I won, so now he owes me diamonds as an apology.”

“You’re welcome, I think,” I say to my sister-in-law.

“I’m excited to spend someone else’s money.” Giada grins.

“Do you know the budget?” Allegra asks.

I shake my head. “He said his assistant would take care of it.” Maybe I should have asked him again this morning, he may have forgotten. “Let me text him. Hold on.”

Natalia: Budget for the ring.

Alessandro: I don’t know. How much does an engagement ring usually cost?

Natalia: How would I know? I’ve never been engaged before.

Alessandro: Neither have I.

Alessandro: I assumed as the fashionista between us you would know.

Natalia: You want old money engagement then?

Alessandro: Pick whatever you want. The ring is yours either way.

Natalia: What do you mean the ring is mine?

Alessandro: I’m not going to be an ass and take the ring back once this is all over. Keep it. Donate it. Sell it. It’s yours.

Natalia: Seems awfully generous.

Alessandro: Guess you’re catching me in a generous mood.

Natalia: Maybe I need to put a show on for you more often.

Alessandro: Does that mean if I buy you diamonds, I get a show.

Natalia: Depends on the diamonds.

Alessandro: Depends on the show.

Natalia: Maybe.

Alessandro: I’ll take a maybe, was expecting a fuck you so I consider that a win.

A smile falls across my face as I bite my lip.

“Um, what is that?” Allegra says, grabbing my cell phone from me.

“Hey, give that back,” I hiss at her, panicked that they are going to read our messages.

“No. What is going on?” my sister says, holding my phone away from me.

“Nothing,” I argue back at her as I try to grab the phone in the moving car. My phone vibrates, and Allegra looks down at the screen and her eyes open widely in surprise.

“Apparently, there’s no budget for today.” She grins, raising a brow at me.

“That’s nice,” I say, making a grab at my phone again. My sister lets me this time and I hold it close against my chest.

“That’s nice? Is that all you have to say? He’s a Conti. He hates us. Why the hell would he say no budget to his enemy?” Allegra accuses.

“He’s playing a game,” I mumble.

“Men don’t play with money, Nat,” Allegra states.

“Are you sleeping with him?” Giada asks.

“What? No,” I answer a little too quickly as my cheeks start to heat up under all their scrutiny.

“Have you slept with him since Vegas,” she pushes.

I stare at her blankly, trying to work out the lie I want to tell them.

“Are you serious, Nat. You’ve slept with the Conti, again. What the hell is wrong with you?” Allegra sniffs at me.

“I was drunk,” I argue.

“We’ve all been there.” Lilly grins.

“Drunk? Did he take advantage of you?” Allegra asks.

“What? No. I … I asked him to,” I confess, biting my lip.

“You asked him to do what?” Allegra pushes.

“Babe, I think you know what she means,” Giada adds.

Lilly giggles as my sister’s eyes widen. “Ew.” She shivers.

“Don’t look at me like that,” I warn her.

“She must have done something right. What man tells a woman he’s fake married to, who he hates, to go wild at the jewelry store,” Lilly adds.

“You little animal.” Giada chuckles, giving me a high-five.

“Babe, ew,” Allegra says, squinting up her face.

“Look, he’s still a Conti,” I say.

“But? You’ve seen a different side to him?” Lilly asks.

My shoulders deflate as I hear her words. “Yeah, I don’t know. It’s confusing.”

“Of course, it’s confusing if you’re sleeping with the man,” Allegra states.

“I haven’t recently.” I just touched myself in front of him. My sister doesn’t look like she believes me.

“Technically, she’s married to the guy,” Giada tells my sister.

“And he’s still a fucking Conti, who is blackmailing her so he can win a business deal. Yeah, he sounds like great husband material.” My sister scoffs.

When she puts it like that, it doesn’t sound great.

“If he’s given her no budget, maybe she should test that limit and get what she needs to get for pain and suffering being married to a Conti,” Lilly suggests.

“Great idea,” Giada says.

“She can spend as much as she wants, he’s going to take the ring back when he gets what he wants,” Allegra says.

“He told me the ring is mine,” I tell her softly.

“Yours?” my sister screeches. I shrug my shoulders, that’s what he said.

Lilly bursts out laughing. “He has to be the best fake husband ever.”

“Or Natalia has some skills in the bedroom we don’t know about,” Giada teases.

“Ew. Would you stop talking about my little sister’s sex life?” my sister says to her partner, cringing, which just has Giada and Lilly cracking up even more.

We arrive at my favorite jewelry store, and we are welcomed with open arms by the staff who are there with glasses of champagne as they usher us into the VIP room.

“Welcome, Princepessa Natalia. We are so honored that you have chosen us for your engagement ring. My staff have selected some rings for you that we thought you might like. Of course, if you would like us to select more, we are so happy to,” the store manager explains as he waves his hand over the table filled with jewels.

Oh wow, so many options and they all look beautiful.

We spend the next hour trying on every single ring, but nothing works, they are all so traditional, and if I’m being honest, this isn’t a real marriage, so I don’t want something that is real. Especially when I know there is an expiration date.

“Do you not like anything?” Lilly whispers to me.

I shake my head. “It feels wrong, when I’m not really married,” I whisper back to her.

“I get that,” she says, wrapping her arm around me. “Leave it with me,” she says, getting up and walking out of the room. I can hear her talking to one of the staff before coming back in again. “I think you might like what they bring in next.” She grins.

Moments later, staff have a tray of rings and place it down in front of me, and I smile. They are all different colors, there are pink, yellow, brown, gray, and even violet diamonds, then there are rubies, sapphires, and emeralds. I turn and give my sister-in-law a wide smile, this is exactly what I am after.

“More brides are now seeking something different for their engagement rings. This is what we have that might be more to your liking,” the staff member explains.

“I love it.” I smile up at them. I can see the instant relief on their faces at my happiness. I pick up a gorgeous pink, emerald cut diamond, and it’s stunning. It’s simple in that it is only a large stone with smaller stones along the band, the showstopper is the singular diamond. It is something I will wear again on my other finger once this is all over. When it slides on it’s as if the ring was made for me, it’s a perfect fit. The girls all gasp as I flash them the ring. I feel giddy with excitement as I stare at it on my finger. “This is the one,” I tell them. They all nod in agreement.

“It’s beautiful and so very much you.” Lilly smiles. I mouth the words ‘thank you’ to her and she waves my thanks away.

“There is a matching wedding band, let me grab that for you,” the staff member says before disappearing out of the room.

“Stunning, Natalia.” Giada grins.

“I like it,” my sister adds.

“This feels right. None of the others did because they were more lifelong commitment whereas this could mean anything,” I tell them.

“Let’s take a photo and send it to your husband.” Lilly grins as I slip the wedding ring on and admire it. I hold out my hand and let her take a photo with my phone, I’ll message him in a little bit.

“How much is the set?” I ask, generally curious.

“Three hundred and fifty-five thousand euros,” the staff member answers.

Turning to the girls, we all burst out laughing at the price.

“I think it’s worth it.” Allegra smirks.

“It’s beautiful, doesn’t matter about the price,” Giada adds.

“I do love it,” I say, holding out my hand and admiring it.

“He did say no budget,” Lilly reminds me. He most certainly did and that’s a dangerous thing to say to a woman in a diamond store.

“True. I’ll take it,” I tell the staff.

I senta text message to Alessandro with a photo of the ring.

Alessandro: Nice. Different, not at all what I thought you would have chosen.

Natalia: Because it’s not traditional. I’m not like other girls.

Alessandro: I know.

Not sure how I’m supposed to take that.

Alessandro: What else do you have planned for today other than to rob me blind at the jeweler?

Natalia: Don’t blame me, Mr. No Budget. Don’t say things like that if you can’t afford it.

Alessandro: Cute, that you think insulting my finances hurt me. The size of my wallet is as big as my dick. I can afford it.

Natalia: You have an unhealthy obsession with the size of your dick. If you must keep telling everyone how big it is you’re not that big.

Alessandro: Want to test that theory out tonight?

Natalia: No.

Alessandro: So, what are your plans then?

Natalia: Going shopping.

Alessandro: Lingerie?

Natalia: No

Alessandro: You sure?

Natalia: I’m sure.

Alessandro: Pity. As much as I like your sleep shirt, it would be nice tomorrow morning on my way to work if you had something a little sexier on when you play with yourself.

Natalia: Never happening.

Alessandro: Why? It was hot and fun.

Natalia: We will never talk of this again.

Alessandro: Don’t be embarrassed, the images will live in my mind rent-free for the rest of my life. It was hot.

Natalia: Stop it.

Alessandro: No.

Natalia: You’re annoying.

Alessandro: And you’re hot. These are the crosses we must bear.

Natalia: Don’t you have work to do or something?

Alessandro: I am. But if someone wants to distract me from my mundane paperwork with images of them trying on lingerie then I’ll be okay with it.

Natalia: * insert flip off emoji *