6. Lucy
Lucy
A nother boring day at home. I’m curled up at the bay window with a book in my lap. Reading is my only escape these days. I swear, sometimes I feel like a prisoner here, especially now that I’m engaged.
Grandmother made it clear: no going out, no socializing, no nothing until I walk down that aisle.
She wants to minimize any possibility that I might screw this up ever since I went out to that sex party and failed so spectacularly.
Which is fine, honestly. It’s not like I’d go anywhere anyway. I haven’t gotten any social calls in a long while, not since my family’s financial problems became public a few years back.
That’s the problem with making high-society friends. The second you show any weakness, they’re gone.
“Lucy!” Kennedy comes rushing in through my suite’s door. She slams it closed behind her, out of breath, beaming with excitement. “He’s here!”
I stare at her blankly. “Who?”
“You know!” Kennedy’s smiling like her face might crack in half. “He’s really, really hot too. Kind of scary, but scary in a good way? Like he’s going to grab your hair and?—”
“Kennedy,” I hiss at her, snapping my book shut. “Who are you talking about?”
Her eyebrows waggle. “Adriano Marino’s down in your grandmother’s sitting room right now.”
My jaw drops.
“Right now?” I ask, head spinning. I’m back in his office again, and he’s kissing me, and his hands are on my hips, and he’s fucking me and licking me and making me come— “Oh my god, he’s with Grandmother?”
“They're talking business or something. I’m supposed to bring them tea, but I ran here to warn you.” Kennedy looks at her watch. “Shit, she’s going to chew me out.”
“Stall!” I run to my bedroom and start grabbing clothes. “Do something!”
“There’s nothing I can do,” she says, sounding nervous. “Seriously, Luce, I gotta get that tea. Just come down, okay?”
“What the hell am I going to wear?”
She stares at me and shakes her head. She walks over, puts her hands on my shoulders, and stares straight into my face. “Wear what you have on. You’re beautiful.”
I chew on my lip and glance away. “I’m a mess.”
“Cut it out. You’re Helena Willing-Morris’s granddaughter. That means you’ve already survived the worst. You’re strong and gorgeous. Come meet your future husband.”
“Fair point.” I take a deep breath to steady myself. “You really think this is fine?” I’m in tights and a big comfy sweater.
“Put your hair down. Follow me in like ten seconds, okay? I’m stopping at the kitchen, so hurry.” She gives me a quick hug. “You’ll be okay. Seriously, he’s really hot.”
She has no idea how hot he can be.
Kennedy leaves, and I’m left alone. I consider changing, but I don’t have time.
If he’s with Grandmother, any delay increases the chance that she’ll somehow make my life even worse.
I need to get down there and distract them from whatever discussion they’re having, especially if it’s about my future.
I keep my chin up as I slip out of my room. My hair’s down, and I pause to check myself in an antique mirror. I look, well, not good but mostly fine, and I guess that’ll do. I hurry down the hall, down the back staircase, and toward Grandmother’s formal sitting room.
I approach the door and hear voices drift out.
“… warned me you were involved with Demir Yilmaz. This is going to be a problem.” Adriano’s voice, low and velvet soft. It sends a shiver down my spine.
I should go inside. But his words make me stop. There’s a frosty, sharp tone to him. I don’t think I’ve ever heard someone speak to Grandmother that way before. It sends an excited shiver down my spine.
“Did you tell me about all your business dealings? I don’t know why Mr. Yilmaz decided to involve you with our private dispute, but I promise you, Mr. Marino, it is strictly between us.”
“Then why would he tell me not to marry your granddaughter?”
My eyes widen a touch. An icy fear slips into my stomach. Someone warned him away from me?
“Scare tactic.” Grandmother sounds totally dismissive. “I can assure you, our lawyers will mention this in court. This dispute will be solved via legal channels and will not bother you.”
“The Gray Wolf mafia doesn’t typically deal with their problems via legal channels, much less through lawyers.”
I want to hear more, but a hand grabs me from behind. I yelp but quickly cover my mouth as Kennedy shushes me. She’s holding a tray with tea, and she’s trying not to laugh.
My heart’s going crazy. “You scared me,” I hiss at her.
“Spying?” She nudges me with her elbow. “Or scared?”
A little bit of both.
“I’m just going in.” I glance at the door. The conversation inside went silent, which means they must know we’re out here. I turn away from my friend and enter first, marching with my head held high.
Grandmother is sitting on the edge of her usual couch, her hands folded carefully in her lap. She’s the image of the high-society lady. She’s perfection incarnate. There’s not a single stitch out of place on her thousand-dollar light pink suit.
But Adriano’s the total opposite. He’s in all black.
Where Grandmother wants to be light and dewy, he’s darkness and sinew.
I’m struck all over again at how absolutely beautiful he is.
The scar down his lips makes his mouth pucker in this obscenely sexual way.
It makes me remember him down between my legs, kissing and licking, and oh, shit?—
“Lucille,” Grandmother says primly. “I didn’t know you’d be joining us.”
I clear my throat and do my best impression of her, which is how she likes me to act. “I was informed that Mr. Marino was visiting and thought I would come down to say hello.”
His dark, stormy eyes stare at me. He’s clearly not happy about me interrupting their discussion.
Kennedy enters then. She keeps her eyes on the floor as she lowers the tray down on the coffee table and serves three cups. Grandmother gives her a disapproving look.
“Yes, I suppose you would be informed,” she says.
Kennedy doesn’t even flinch. “Anything else, ma’am?”
“You’re dismissed.” She waves a lazy hand. I’m not worried about Kennedy. Grandmother’s threatened to fire her a thousand times, but she knows I’d lose my mind if she ever made good on that.
Kennedy gives me a wink as she hurries out of the room.
“Well, Mr. Marino, I present to you my granddaughter, Lucille. I suppose it’s time for you two to meet.”
Adriano looks at me, and for a moment, his face changes. His eyes move down my body, lingering on my tights and my lips before meeting my gaze. I swear, he seems like he recognizes me, but that can’t be right. He didn’t know who I was that night. He’s probably just seen pictures of me.
“Nice to meet you, Lucy,” he says.
Fuck, that voice. It kills me. I remember what he said.
I’m vocal .
God, yes, he is.
Grandmother scowls and quickly stands. “I will leave you two alone for a moment to get better acquainted.” She turns and strides past me. “I assure you again, Mr. Marino, our family’s best lawyers are handling Mr. Yilmaz. You will not be bothered again.”
Adriano says nothing. He only watches Grandmother leave. Once she’s gone and we’re alone, I awkwardly move over to her couch, feeling weird and not sure what to do. He watches me the whole time.
“She left fast,” I say lightly, trying to smile. “Did I scare her off?”
“I think she used you as an excuse to get out of an uncomfortable conversation.” He leans forward and plucks up some tea. The contrast between this violent, terrifying man and that little porcelain cup is almost comical. “But it’s good that we’re meeting. Bianca would’ve killed me if we didn’t.”
“Bianca?” My eyebrows raise.
“She’s my sister. She’s planning our wedding.”
“Oh. You have a sister.” I squirm slightly under his gaze. It’s incredible how much we don’t know about each other.
And how much we do.
Though he doesn’t realize it yet.
“And you have a brother. Pierre, right?”
“That’s right. He’s not home, though. Probably off at work, like always.”
“Are you two close?”
I tilt my head side to side and make a face. “Not really. What about you and your sister?”
“We have a good relationship.”
“Great. That’s good.” I smile at him, feeling stiff and uncomfortable. He gives me absolutely nothing—only stares and broods. Whatever he was talking about with Grandmother left him in a rotten mood.
“Colors,” he says suddenly.
It takes me off guard. “Sorry? What?”
“Colors,” he repeats and glares at his tea. “For the wedding. Do you have a preference?”
“Uh—” I’m totally caught off guard. “Anything but peach.”
His lips press together. “Why peach?”
“I hate peaches. Honestly, it’s just the first color that came to mind.” I laugh, totally dying inside. Why is this so strained? The first time we met, sparks practically sizzled in the air around us. But this is like getting stabbed in the face over and over.
“No peach then. What about flowers?”
“No strong preference.”
“I wouldn’t let my sister make too many decisions if I were you.” The barest hint of a smile. He really must be close with her. “Bianca’s something of a control freak.”
“It’s okay, really. I mean, we’re just—” I hesitate, waving a hand in the air. “You know, entering an arrangement.”
“That’s true,” he says, the weight of his gaze like a brick on my chest. “But it’s still your wedding. I want you to enjoy it.”
“I’ll be fine.”
“Good.” He takes another sip of his tea and stands. I sigh with relief and stand with him. “I won’t take up more of your time, Lucy.”
“I’ll walk you out.”
We leave the room together, pausing only when we get very close to each other as we pass through the door.
Adriano’s so big, just like I remember, and there’s that smell again.
Sandalwood, honey, and whiskey. A very, very nice scent.
It makes me think of him fucking me, looking into my eyes, calling me a needy slut.
The man from that night couldn’t be more different from the man here today. Right now, Adriano seems stiff and formal. But that night?
He was a beast. A monster. He destroyed me in all the best ways.
“It was good meeting you,” he says and bends down. He kisses my cheek very briefly, his hand lingering on my hip.
I get a spark. Just the briefest moment. A reminder of what he did to me. Like a shadow of that night.
But he pulls away and any connection is instantly gone.
He turns and leaves.
I watch him go, wondering what the hell just happened. I didn’t expect to get down on my knees and suck him off in the formal sitting room or anything like that, but at least we could’ve enjoyed each other’s company for a few minutes.
Instead, it felt like I was pulling his teeth.
Something’s going on. Whatever he met with Grandmother about must’ve been pretty bad. I’m lost in my head, thinking about how I’m going to ruin this and let everyone down, and I don’t notice the card in my pocket until I’m back in my suite.
I take it out and stare, mouth hanging open.
It’s black, just like the one Luca gave me. That one’s still safe in my nightstand drawer, shoved in the back under a raunchy novel.
Adriano’s name is in white. His number is right below it.
But written on the back is a message.
You haven’t called. Fix that.