Chapter 6
Brielle
“And lose the millions you’ve already invested?” I point out.
We’re sitting in Dominick’s downtown office.
I was at my morning Pilates when he texted me, asking me to meet him, Matteo, and Lorenzo to go over what his lawyers told him.
It’s only been two days since Kane threw the bomb at us and walked away, but Dominick didn’t waste a minute trying to figure a way out of this mess.
“I’d rather lose millions than get into bed with that asshole.” Dominick huffs.
“And what about the other investors?” I mention. “You’ll piss them off and burn so many bridges.”
“He’s a smart businessman,” Lorenzo points out, making Dominick and Matteo glare at him.
“I’m just speaking as a businessman,” Lorenzo says, putting his hands up.
“Joseph’s company was failing because our fathers were slowly pushing him out.
When he died, Kane not only saved it, but it’s now a Fortune 500 company with a pristine reputation.
I had Eddy look up his connections.” He whistles.
“Fucking impressive. He’s got contracts with several large development companies, including a few that we work with.
If we pull the plug on this project, it will cost us billions, not millions. ”
“Yet he wants to taint it by joining forces on this project.” Dominick scoffs.
“He wants revenge,” I correct. “And to get what his family was promised. You guys own the largest real estate development companies in South Florida—hell, maybe even the East Coast. He saw a way to hit two birds with one stone and took it.”
“Maybe we can convince him that we’ll do business with him without involving Brielle,” Lorenzo says. “He doesn’t have to marry her to get what he wants.”
“Good luck with that,” I mutter just as there’s a knock on the door.
“Mr. Antonov,” Dominick’s assistant says, “Mr. Morgan is here to see you.”
And speak of the devil …
“Let him in,” Dominick says, his voice tight.
“Gentlemen … and lady,” Kane says, strolling in. “I came to deliver the contracts to Dominick, but it looks like I get to see my soon-to-be fiancée as well.”
“I hope you get hit by a bus,” I deadpan.
Kane grins.
“We were talking, and we’ll agree to your terms,” Dominick says. “You can get in on the waterfront expansion, if you’ll agree to cut the marriage out of the deal. There’s no reason for you to marry Brielle.”
“There’s every reason to marry her,” Kane says. “For one, that was the deal that was made between our fathers.”
“Before your father went behind my father’s back and fucked the woman he was in love with,” Lorenzo points out.
“Is that what Maria said?” Kane tsks. “Let’s get one thing straight.
My dad didn’t do shit behind your dad’s back.
He got fucked up one night, and Maria seduced him.
He didn’t even remember being with her until she came to him and told him she was pregnant.
He tried to tell Giuseppe and Andrey that, but Giuseppe was too emotional and wouldn’t listen.
So, he manned up and took the brunt of it.
“But Maria never stopped fucking around. She just made sure she didn’t get pregnant again. Meanwhile, my dad had fallen in love with my mom, and she got pregnant with Enrique, but it was too late, so she became the mistress. And because she loved him, she accepted it.”
Kane sighs and glances at Lorenzo. “Our dads were best friends, and he hated what it did to their friendship, but since he couldn’t fix it without making Maria look bad, he delved into the business, giving it damn near all of him.
And he thought once the families were unified and blood was mixed, maybe things would be different.
Until he died and you pushed his company out. ”
“It was business,” Dominick says. “Not personal.”
“And so is this.” Kane shrugs. Then he turns his attention to me. “It’s time we’re seen in public. I’ll pick you up at your place on Saturday night.” He pulls his phone out. “What’s your number?”
I consider telling him to go fuck himself, but it will only create more animosity, so instead, I give him my number.
“I’ll text you,” he says before he walks out.
“I hate that fucking guy.” Matteo seethes.
“Yeah, well, you’d better learn to like him because he’s about to become your brother-in-law,” I mutter.
“I appreciate you meeting me.”
Theo smiles softly at me and reaches across the table to take my hand in his. “I care about you, Brielle, and I would do anything for you.”
I swallow the lump in my throat, wishing I could feel something, anything for this man. On paper, he’s perfection personified, but unfortunately, he’s not perfect for me. And since I’ve agreed to marry Kane, I owe it to him to end things for good.
“I appreciate that,” I tell him, “but the reason I asked you to meet me is because—”
“Princess,” a masculine voice says, cutting me off. “I was hoping to run into you, but I must admit, seeing you with your ex only a few days after I was buried deep inside your tight cunt isn’t what I was expecting.”
Theo’s eyes go wide at Kane’s crass words and then morph into something that looks a lot like anger. “Brielle, what’s going on?” Theo accuses.
“Kane,” I grit out as I stand and shove him away from the table. “What the hell are you doing?”
“Reminding you that you’re mine.”
“I’m not anyone’s!” I whisper-yell, then quickly lower my voice, not wanting to draw attention from the other patrons eating their breakfast at the country club. “And I’m especially not yours.”
“You sure about that?” he asks, stepping toward me.
He glides his fingers down my cheek and tucks a wayward strand of hair behind my ear, and a shiver races up my spine. “Because the other night, when I ate your pussy until you screamed my name, it felt like you were mine.”
He leans in, his face so close to mine that I hold my breath, waiting for him to kiss me—equally wishing he would and hoping he wouldn’t.
“And when your pussy was choking the hell out of my cock,” he whispers, his lips grazing the shell of my ear and sending a tremor throughout my body, “it felt a lot like you were mine.”
He stands back as a dark grin graces his features, knowing he’s affecting me. “You came not only on my tongue, but on my cock. How many times did that guy make you come?”
His words are loud enough for Theo to hear, and that pisses me off that much more because the last thing I wanted was to hurt Theo.
It’s why I asked him to meet me in person when he called this morning, asking if we could talk.
I wanted to apologize for everything I’d done and officially end things with him in a calmer manner than me running out in the middle of shitty sex.
“Brielle, is what he just said true?” Theo hisses, showing a side of him I haven’t seen before. “Did you have sex with him?”
“Yes,” I admit, focusing my attention on Theo and ignoring Kane and his knowing smirk. “I’m sorry. I planned to tell you.”
“And this is what you want?” he asks, nodding toward Kane. “A man who would air your dirty laundry out in front of everyone.”
I want to tell him that the last person I want is Kane, but for the sake of my brother’s project, I nod. “I’m sorry.”
Theo shakes his head, then shocks me when he hits me with a look of disgust. “Shouldn’t have wasted my time with you,” he spits. “I knew you were a cocktease but—”
“Enough,” Kane cuts him off. “Take the breakup like a man and walk the hell away.”
Theo leaves, and once he’s gone, I stomp past Kane, shocked by Theo’s harsh words and annoyed that Kane had caused all this. But before I can get away, Kane grabs my wrist and pulls me down the hall of the country club and backs me into the corner.
“Don’t touch me!” I shout, yanking my hand out of his hold. “You already got what you’d wanted. Did you really have to be an asshole about it?”
“Stop acting like I’m coming between you and some crazy love,” he says, crowding my space. “If anything, I’m saving you from a lifetime of self-induced orgasms.”
“Which is what I’ll be stuck with by marrying you.”
“What are you talking about?” Kane scoffs. “We both know I was able to satisfy you better in one night than that guy did during your entire bullshit relationship.”
“And now you’re forcing me to marry you!” I yell, poking his chest with the tip of my manicured nail in frustration. “Now, step aside. I’m done with this conversation.”
Kane grinds his jaw, but moves to the side so I can leave.
Brielle
Shopping trip 911
Nicole
Can’t. It’s rush hour at the coffee shop.
Shit, I forgot what time it was and that, unlike me, she has responsibilities.
Since I don’t want to be alone, I text my sister-in-law Dani to see if she’s up for some shopping. She works with her brother, Lorenzo, at Russo Property Group, but with her due in a month and being married to my overprotective brother, she’s started her maternity leave.
Dani
Sure! Meet you downtown?
Brielle
Sounds good.
I hand the valet my ticket, and I’m waiting for them to bring my car around when Kane walks up next to me.
“I see you’re continuing to stalk me …”
He hands the valet his ticket. “I don’t need to stalk my soon-to-be wife. Speaking of which, do you have any plans on Friday night?”
“I’m drying my nails.”
He chuckles. “Cute.”
“We already have plans on Saturday night. I don’t think I could stomach being stuck with you two nights in a row.”
“Soon, you’ll be stuck living with me twenty-four/seven,” he notes with a smirk.
I open my mouth to argue when what he said hits me—I’m going to be living with him. I’ve never lived with a man before. I barely live with my brother Dominick and his wife, Peyton, since their house is so big that they’re on one side with their kids and I’m on the other.
One time, I tried to spend the night with Theo. Only I freaked out and left in the middle of the night. And now I’m going to have to live with Kane … in a hotel room?
“If you think I’m going to live at the country club, you’ve lost your mind.”