Chapter 6
six
Gabriel
When De Angelo proposed that our families tighten the bond with a marriage, I never expected he would give his sister as a prize. Especially when she's his second in command.
Before, I would have wondered if this was a game. Maybe he found out what happened that night in the club. But Nico doesn’t look like that kind of guy.
I should be happy; I’m attracted to her, but I can’t get the uneasy feeling out of me. I can’t quite grasp what it is. Nevertheless, we agreed, and now I’m wearing a suit in De Angelo’s mansion, ready to enter a new era of my life.
“This is the contract. Valentina has already signed it. Read it, and when you sign it, we can join the rest of the family in the other room.”
I skim through the contract of our agreement and sign my name near Valentina's chaotic signature.
“Now that’s done, it’s time to celebrate.” Nico takes the contract and leads the way to the other room. While he and Salvatore discuss business, all I can think about is her green eyes and those cherry lips as I wonder why she agreed to this marriage
The sound of quiet music and chatter fills my ears, bringing my attention to the entrance of the room, and my eyes search for the woman I just got engaged to.
I don’t have to search for long because she's the center of attention. I stop in my tracks as I take her in in her red, silk, backless dress, showing her defined back and ink on the side of her spine. But it’s not just her looks.
Something is radiating from her that keeps the attention of the surrounding people.
Those people being my family is raising my guard.
What if the marriage doesn’t work out? My family is the one that will get hurt.
Nico takes a glass of champagne and taps his ring on it to draw attention.
“Thank you all for being here today. Even though this is just a small party for our closest friends and family, we gather here today to celebrate the bond between Cosa Nostra and Camorra with the engagement of my sister, Valentina, and Gabriel.” A smile spreads across his face.
“This bond is significant to both families, and knowing that, we also hope Valentina and Gabriel find some common ground for the sake of this bond.”
I narrow my eyes at him. Of course he would joke about this, and the whole room seems to like it. I look around, and it seems I’m the only one not laughing.
“Now, could I please request Valentina and Gabriel join us?”
My eyes meet Valentina’s, and she smiles at me. I don’t make her wait, and in two long strides, I reach her. I inhale her scent, the one that is still engraved in my mind since that night at the club. I bet she still tastes the same.
I offer her my hand, and I watch as her small hand takes mine. It’s soft, and before my mind wanders to how her hand would look wrapped around other parts of me, we walk together toward Nico and Salvatore.
“Now that we can all see our couple, I would like to make a toast.” I take a glass of champagne and pass it to Valentina before taking one myself.
“To Valentina and Gabriel.”
I take a sip of my drink, my eyes never leaving Valentina’s. “Can we talk?”
She smiles and nods. She leads me away from all the eyes surrounding us. I follow her into the room next to the office, where I signed the contract just minutes ago. I look around the room, which I now realize is a library. When she takes a seat on the sofa, I sit next to her.
I’m supposed to give her a ring, but I have questions I need answers to first.
Her green eyes meet mine, and I ask, “Does your brother know?”
She raises her eyebrows. “Know what?”
“What happened at the club.”
She tilts her head to the side. “Why? What did happen at the club?”
I shake my head. “Don’t.”
She smiles. “You mean our make-out session? Why did you run away as soon as you knew who I was? And no, he doesn’t. It isn’t his business.”
“That wasn’t the reason,” I start to argue but stop. “Why did you agree to this marriage? Why you and not any other young woman? I was told there were plenty of others ready to agree to this kind of bond.”
She narrows her eyes. “Why not me?” Her croaky voice fills my ears.
“I thought you weren’t interested in another engagement after your last one.”
“I wasn’t, and if I had any say, I never would have agreed to that bond.” She leans forward. “But this bond is my choice. Anything else?”
“Why? Why is this one your choice?”
“That, I would like to keep to myself.” She leans further until her lips brush my ear. “Maybe I’ll tell you one day.” I inhale her scent deeply, and before I can act on her little stunt, she pulls away. “Now, where is my ring?”
I exhale and take the box from my pocket. I open it, take the emerald ring out, and put it on her finger. “I chose it because it matches the color of your eyes.”
“Thank you. I love it.” She smiles. “So, Gabriel, what are you expecting from this marriage?”
I raise my eyebrows. “Other than the alliance?” She nods. “I don’t know. It should be pretty easy, Mutual respect and agreement. Other than that, I didn’t think about it.”
She narrows her eyes. “You didn’t? But what do you think about the marriage besides the agreement?”
“I didn’t have plans to get married, so I didn’t allow myself to think about it.”
“But you were engaged before, so I think you have thoughts about marriage.” Valentina’s green eyes shine with disbelief.
My stomach dips at the mention of my engagement. It seems like it was in some other dimension a long time ago. Somewhere betrayal and disappointment live. A place filled with hurt, lies, and secrets.
The scene is still vivid, carved deep into my memory, and I blink at the memories and focus on Valentina. “How do you know that?”
“I should know everything; we’re going to be married. Besides, I’m a fighter, my brother is a big fan of MMA, and I used to watch fights with him.”
“I see.” I relax and lean back in my seat. “Why do you fight?”
She chuckles. “I fight because I love the power it gives me. Freedom to express my emotions and frustration.”
“Why do you need to feel power?”
“Because of the world we live in.” She huffs.
“Not that you would know, but being a woman in our world means not having a say in anything.
We live in a patriarchy, where women are expected to be obedient and act as you wish to do what you want.
If a woman is speaking her mind, she's disrespectful.
If a woman wants to take control of her own life, she's too much and needs to be broken.”
I raise an eyebrow. “Aren’t you exaggerating a bit?”
“Oh, and when we say what we think, we’re exaggerating.” She shakes her head, and I imagine smoke coming from her ears at how worked up she is. I try to keep a straight face, but still, a smirk escapes me. “Something you find funny?”
My eyes meet hers. “Actually, no. The fury inside is driving you to be unapologetically you.” She bites her lower lip, observing me. I lean forward, grab her chin between my fingers, and pull down her lip with my thumb. “Nothing to say? Aren’t…”
Before I can continue, she grabs the lapels of my jacket and slams her lips on mine.
It takes me a second to react, but the moment I feel her tongue against my lips, I open my mouth and deepen the kiss.
I wrap my hand around her waist and pull her closer to me.
The taste of her cherry lips overtakes me, and ignoring all the ringing bells in my head, I pull her onto my lap.
I search the skin of her bare thighs between the slit of her dress and follow the silky skin until I reach her round ass cheeks covered with lace.
Her hands grip my shoulders as she lowers herself onto my lap against my already hard cock.
She breathes out a moan and grabs my lower lip between her teeth before sucking on it.
“Fuck!” I curse after she lets it go.
She smirks, and her green eyes shine with lust. My eyes never leave hers as I trace my fingers from her delicate neck down her chest bone to her breasts, where her hard nipples are peaking against the silk of the dress.
She moves her hips and grinds against my cock.
My fingers under her skirt follow the lace between her legs, where I’m met with wetness.
I close my eyes, cursing the alarm bells in my head that are telling me this isn't the right time to fuck her. Maybe not, but I need something. Before I change my mind, I follow the path under the lace and between the warmth of her flesh, where I insert one finger. I open my eyes to her open mouth as another moan escapes her. I pull the string of her dress down, and I’m met with perfect, perky breasts and rosebuds.
I push a second finger inside her tight, hot pussy, and she shudders beneath my hand.
I wrap my lips around her bud and suck on it while I keep working my fingers in and out of her.
Her grip on my shoulders grows tighter, and she rides my fingers while pushing her breast in my face.
I pull on her nipple and suck hard just as we hear a commotion outside the door.
I look at Valentina, and she smirks. I can feel her muscles squeezing my fingers, and just as the sound outside grows louder, she rides the last of the ecstasy and comes all over my hand.
Her lips open, and a loud moan escapes her as I place my lips on hers, swallowing her sounds.
Someone’s hand finds the lock from the outside of the door, and in a second, Valentina is off me and a few steps away, facing the window.
The door opens, and Nico enters. “Dinner is about to be served.” He looks from me to Valentina. “Hope you could talk and get to know each other, even if only for a bit.”
Yes, we did get to know each other. Especially my fingers and my mouth. I clear my throat. “Yes, a bit.”
He narrows his eyes. “Well, come on, then.”
“You two go; I’ll join you in a moment,” Valentina says, still facing the window.
I stand, hiding my hand behind my back, and follow her brother. When he turns his back to me, I put my fingers in my mouth and lick them, tasting her sweetness on them. Even her pussy tastes of cherries.
I smirk as I follow Nico into the dining room, where I take my seat next to Salvatore, who regards me with a questioning look.
“You’ve got to be kidding me.” He smirks.
I raise my eyebrow. “What?”
“I’m afraid to even say it.” He shakes his head.
I lower myself onto the chair just as Valentina enters. My eyes follow her every move. She's composed again, and with a fresh smear of lipstick.
Shit. My fingers trace my lips in search of any evidence, but I get distracted by Salvatore laughing.
“Oh, man, you're so screwed. Your lips are red, but you’re lucky there isn't much lipstick on your lips.”
Valentina takes a seat next to me and smirks.
“You should have told me about the lipstick.”
She chuckles. “And where is the fun in that? How else will I make my mark on you in front of all of these people?” I furrow my eyebrows at her and look around, then I see it. Tense energy fills the room, smirks playing on some faces, while others wear disapproving frowns. My skin burns.
Valentina accomplished her mission. She left a mark on me.