Chapter 3 ~ Alexander #2
Sebastian tilts his head in a mocking grin and says, “I wouldn’t miss this for the world. I can’t wait to see you sweat.” I pat him on the back and head back to my room to get ready.
Nerves trickle down my spine as I take the elevator alone to meet Isabella in the sitting room. I open the door softly and find her sitting on the loveseat facing away from me looking out the window.
She is wearing an ankle-length red satin dress. It contours to her every curve, and the neckline is a low sweeping scoop that accentuates the tops of her breasts. Her hair is up in an intricate bun, exposing her soft neck.
She is stunning and the ache in my chest eases.
“Hello, bunny? Did you miss me?”
I can’t stop the smile on my face as she ever so slightly stiffens her spine. I take a step towards her and she finally looks up at me and stands.
She wears the same sullen expression on her face as the morning I last spoke to her. I lean in and kiss her cheek softly, breathing in the smell of lilies on her skin.
I pull back slightly and my chest compresses tighter with the look in her eyes. She’s looking at me like I’m a stranger, like someone she’s never met. Her eyes dart across my face, her body stiff, so close to mine. I want to ask what’s wrong, but at this moment I don’t know if I want to know.
She sidesteps around me and exits the room, leaving me standing there as she waits by the dining room entrance. I catch up to her and grab her arm, spinning her towards me.
“Are you not going to say anything? You’re not happy to see me at all?”
She just stares at me and says nothing, and my heart beats a little faster.
Finally, she takes a deep breath and whispers, “No.”
My head tilts back in shock and confusion. She’s never been so direct with me before, or so assured of her answers.
Like a corny teenager, I ask, “You’re not happy to see me at all?”
“No.” She whispers again. She turns and faces the door, dismissing me. Her words burn, causing my chest to heat and the choking sensation in my lungs is back. I stand there watching her chest rise and fall in a slow, steady rhythm. Her body language is calm, and she meant every word she said.
“Then what are you exactly, Isabella?” I cannot help the resentment in my voice.
She loops her arm through mine, not looking my way at all.
“Heartbroken.” Time freezes, and I try to breathe. She looks straight ahead and says, “Smile Alexander, it’s showtime.”
Isabella pulls me along as she opens the door to the room full of people awaiting the arrival of the happy couple. She walks ahead of me, pulling my dazed body in behind her.
The room erupts into applause as we stand there. She’s smiling as if our exchange never affected her. Anger rises in my chest, replacing that constricting feeling around my lungs. I can’t believe she has the audacity to throw my words back in my face.
Finally, I wipe the confused expression off my face and replace it with a smile. I don’t comprehend this heartbreak she is talking about. I don’t understand why she would say that. She doesn’t even like me, so how could she be heartbroken?
She knew the rules going in and I explained them to her, thoroughly. This week was for her protection; it wasn’t like I was trying to be an asshole. Well, maybe I was an asshole, but I was furious. She disobeyed and ran away. For what reason? A few heated words shouted in a room?
My mother comes out of the crowd, holding her hands out to us. I wait for Isabella to grip my arm like the last time she faced our family at dinner, but her hand remains relaxed.
“There they are. The beautiful, happy couple. “
She kisses my cheek and then she kisses Isabella’s, leading us up to the head table, where I pull out Isabella’s chair and she sits down, smiling prettily at the crowd.
I take my seat beside her, and I keep looking at her in confusion. How did she transform from this stoic, despondent girl to this cheerful, smiling woman who acts as if she didn’t just tell me her heart was broken?
The excitement dies down and everyone takes their seat. I grab my glass of champagne and stand up, raise my glass in the air, and look around the crowd, I might as well make a speech now and get it over with.
Settling my hand on Isabella’s shoulder she flinches, making her dress slide marginally off her shoulder, revealing a purple bruise the size of grapefruit. My eyebrows draw together, but I quickly recover and move my hand to the middle of her shoulder blades away from the tender spot.
That must have happened when she landed on the floor.
Clearing my throat, “Good evening everyone, and thank you for coming. On behalf of most of the men in the room, I apologize to our ladies for being late. I’m sure we will make it up to you in other ways.”
I hold up my other hand. “Scouts honor, I swear.”
I wink at Isabella, and the room bursts into laughter.
I expected a blush to rise in her cheeks, but Isabella only shifted in her chair, facing the crowd with that imitation smile still displayed on her face. I turn my attention back to the room.
“On a serious note, we’d like to thank everyone for joining us tonight. It’s been a long week of business, so tonight, I’d like everyone to celebrate with us.”
I urge Isabella to stand with gentle pressure on her back. She gets up and grabs her glass.
“To joining two houses as one!”
I raise my glass high in the air. I turn to Isabella and she raises her glass, leaning in to kiss her, and just as I’m about to touch those soft lips with mine, she turns and quickly kisses my cheek. She raises her glass, smiles at the room, and takes a sip, sitting back down.
Oh really, that’s the game you want to play, little bunny. Let’s play, shall we?
Robert stands up, and my gut clenches. I want to choke the bastard out. The Gallos are nothing but a pain in my ass.
“Here! Here! Let the Russo and Gallo’s houses unite. May you be fruitful and have many little bambinos for us to spoil.” He looks at my father, who also raises his glass, but says nothing and only smiles.
I take my seat once again, smiling politely at the crowd as I place my napkin on my lap. Just to piss her off, I put my arm around the back of her chair. She stiffens and moves slightly away, giving herself more distance from me.
I take a sip, set my glass down, and look at her. The waiter comes and goes. I keep looking at her. The salad is served, and she busies herself with her meal. I reach over and grab a piece of bread, dip it in the seasoned olive oil, and bring it to her lips. She immediately goes still.
“Open bunny, before it drips on your lovely dress.” I smile at her smugly.
She looks at me and then back at the bread. Her eyes are round with apprehension, her face drained of color. She leans forward, opens her mouth, and then closes it again.
I follow her throat as she swallows and opens her mouth again, ready to take a small bite. Her tongue darts out, licking the oil off her shiny lips. I pop the rest of the bread into my mouth, smiling at her as I chew.
Isabella puts a hand to her mouth and turns away from me, forcing herself to swallow.
Righting herself once again, she reaches for her fork to stab at her salad and I take it out of her hand.
Slowly, I fill it and bring it to her mouth once again.
Her face flushes and she looks at me, annoyance burning in her eyes.
I lean into her shoulder, running my nose up the side of her throat up to her ear, “Open bunny, tonight is all about you.”
She doesn’t move. No shivers are running down her body, not a goosebump on her skin. Her breathing doesn’t increase as I had expected, and she looks straight ahead at the room full of people.
I move back and study her. She opens her mouth and takes the salad off the fork swiftly, chewing slowly and turning away again to swallow. I take a forkful for myself, filling it once again for her, but she puts her hand up to stop me and reaches for her water, taking a long drink.
I put the fork to her lips. They tremble as she wraps them around the tines and slides the salad off. I started this game to piss her off, but with each mouthful of food, her submission to being fed by my hand makes my cock ache.
She holds her hand to her mouth again. I can see her struggling to swallow. She reaches for the water and takes another long drink.
I watch her wipe her mouth with the napkin, gently putting it back in her lap. The waiter comes and removes the salad. She watches as he places a plate of steak and potatoes with greens in front of us. Isabella swallows hard again and turns her face away.
What’s with her and food lately?
“Did you pick out the menu, bunny?”
I cut a small piece of steak and hold it out again to her succulent lips. Her head tilts back, she minutely shakes her head no. I move the fork closer and her lips press together, forming a white line.
“Open Bella, you will eat,” I demand it quietly. She looks at me, those once desolate eyes are now full of malice.
She turns and looks at me, speaking softly, “I had hoped we could be civil to each other, that after your speech the other morning, we had an understanding. I see now it was only on my part rules apply.”
She leans in and her scent envelops my nose as she caresses my ear with the tip of her nose. My body reacts to her soft touch, a shiver races down my back straight to my dick and I get hard. I lean my head closer, addicted to her scent, rubbing my stubbled cheek on hers.
Now, this is more like it.
Her hand touches my thigh lightly, her nails inching closer to my aching crotch and tilt my hips forward needing her touch.