Chapter Eight
Olivia
I had left home with dread in my heart about my future. When panic had crested over me, I made a decision that had resulted in tying myself to Maximus. Roberto was a nasty, violent asshole, and I needed the biggest predator in the room to save me.
That was Maximus Rossi.
He didn’t refuse me, helping me when I had nowhere else to turn. It wasn’t a romance story filled with stories of passion and love, but I knew he wouldn’t hurt me. He was the safe place in the middle of this storm.
The room began to come alive around us, people moving forward to congratulate us. Maximus turned to his father, and Roberto took the opportunity to glare at me, using his eyes to threaten me. My grip on Maximus’s arm tightened, and I felt his body move.
“Problem?” Maximus asked in a low voice.
Roberto’s expression contorted in anger. He had lost a lot of money tonight, and he worshipped at the altar of financial abundance and success. He would ensure he got his revenge against me, and I moved instinctively behind Maximus.
I couldn’t see Maximus’ face, but his jaw tightened for a brief moment.
“I think it would be a good idea to stay at my apartment tonight,” Maximus said. “Since our secret is out, we need to buy an engagement ring tomorrow.” He lifted my hand and pressed his lips to my wrist.
Shivers rippled down my spine and a flock of butterflies erupted in my stomach at that one gesture.
“The females in our family do not leave our family home until their wedding day,” Roberto retorted.
“Someone put bruises on Olivia,” Maximus replied in a low tone.
“I would consider your actions going forward. I have good balance and am not that easy to kill. Olivia is now under my protection, any marks on her body will have consequences.” He let his voice trail off, but the threat hung in the air.
Dale would never have spoken to Roberto like this, he would normally hide when my brother arrived. The contrast between the two men was stark, and my stomach clenched at Maximus’ growly tone.
Mama arrived at my side, her eyes moving between myself and Maximus. She knew he had saved me that night five years ago, and had sung his praises for weeks afterwards. She held out her arms to me, and I stepped into her hug.
“Are you sure?” she whispered against my ear.
I nodded once, hugging her tighter.
She stroked my hair as she had when I was a child. “He has a reputation,” she continued.
“He won’t hurt me,” I muttered, mentally crossing my fingers that he was the same man who had been my friend five years ago.
When Mama released me, weakness radiated through me, making me shiver.
I tried to wrap my arms around myself, but instead found a warm coat with a spicy masculine scent draped over my shoulders to protect me from the gazes of everyone gathered.
Maximus didn’t stop his conversation, fluidly gifting me his coat which I slid my arms into.
His black shirt stretched across his broad shoulders, his dark hair skimming the collar.
His belt accentuated his waist and tight ass, and the gold cufflinks at his wrists added an air of class to him.
This man was a lethal predator, but he was also the only man who had made my pulse race and panties feel too tight.
I had been engaged to Dale, but it had been an arrangement for both of us. We had never even kissed, even though we had been together for five years. Our engagement protected both of us from our families, and I had made my peace with my life.
Maximus was dangerous in many ways because he had always made me feel more than I wanted to, his presence disrupting my inner peace. It was the reason I had stayed away from parties – there were always women trying to cling to him.
A tall man emerged from the shadows at the side of the room. “Our cars are on their way,” he said to Maximus, who merely nodded once in reply.
I didn’t want to be left alone with Roberto, who would punish me for messing with his plans tonight.
He had already warned me what would happen if I misbehaved, and there was a voice that whispered in my head Roberto knew how to hurt me without leaving bruises.
I would be sleeping in the bath again with the door locked.
“You’ll have to excuse us, tonight has been rather taxing,” Maximus said, holding his arm out toward the door, his other arm wrapping around my waist. “Armand, we’ll chat tomorrow.”
Papa nodded, that smug smile I hated playing on his lips. “I look forward to it.”
My brain was a kaleidoscope of emotions, all vying for supremacy. I felt dizzy at all the eyes watching me as I was whisked out of the room. Maximus stopped briefly at the cloakroom and nodded at me. The member of staff disappeared, and reappeared a few moments later with my cape.
I was on a rollercoaster that didn’t stop until I was sitting in the front seat of a large, black car. Maximus slid into the driver seat beside me, his expression fixed as we sped forward.
My hands were clasped in front of me, my legs pressed together.
Everything had happened so quickly tonight that I was still trying to process that I was sitting here.
I watched Maximus out of the corner of my eye, tongue tied by being in such close proximity to him.
The silence engulfed me, my heart beating loudly in my ears in a tribal pulse.
His strong fingers gripped the steering wheel, his scent invading the car, and awakening a need inside me that throbbed low in my stomach. No one had ever supported me without question the way Maximus had tonight.
Dale and I had negotiated a relationship, carefully choreographing our appearances and the information we shared.
He had been asexual, not attracted to either men or women, preferring to live his life dedicated to his career, and the stables he had established over the years.
My life and the path I was supposed to be on had changed dramatically in recent months.
I jumped at a sudden noise, cowering back in my chair with my hand to my chest for a moment before I realised it was Maximus speaking to me.
“Sorry,” I gasped. “I had wandered off in my head for a moment.”
He stared at me for several seconds before returning his attention to the road. “I was asking if you’d had dinner tonight since we left before they brought the food out.”
I shook my head, my appetite had been non-existent lately.
We lapsed into silence again, and I couldn’t help but wonder where all the natural conversation we always had had disappeared.
We had spent hours talking about everything and nothing at the parties over the years.
I had shared my thoughts and feelings, and had looked forward to asking for his advice.
He swung the car into a driveway, pressing a button on the dashboard which opened the elaborate metal gates.
“I thought we were going to your apartment,” I said, finally finding my voice.
“I don’t like people to know my business,” he replied. “I tend to use it only if I’ve been working late to crash for the night.”
He parked at the front of the house, leaving us sitting in the dark when he turned the engine off. I sat, staring at his hands on the steering wheel, waiting as I was still tongue-tied.
His sigh reverberated around the car and settled in my chest, dread creeping through my veins at the tension.
“Let’s go,” Maximus said. He climbed out of the car, and my pulse leapt at the image of him prowling around the front of the car to open my door.
I swear if a black panther was personified, it would be Maximus.
He contained a dangerous energy in every step, as if he was stalking prey.
The door opened, and an image of me as an innocent deer flashed through my mind.
A spark of excitement jolted through me, making my thighs tremble.
My hand fitted into his, the heat travelling up my arm as he helped me from the car. He grabbed my cloak from the back of the car, his hand at the bottom of my back navigating me toward the house.
The lights turned on as Maximus walked in, typing on a panel on the wall.
“I need a drink,” he said, striding through the house, and leaving me standing with my hands shoved in the pockets of his jacket.
After several minutes, I tentatively followed him through the house, trying to navigate my way by the sounds in the background. Maximus paced around the kitchen, opening cupboards, and placing items on the counter.
“What’s happening?” I asked, climbing onto a stool at the island.
Maximus glanced up. “I’m making you something to eat.” He said it so casually that the words confused me.
I chewed the corner of my lip, my fingers fidgeting with the front of his jacket. “I’m sorry,” I blurted out. “You never wanted to get married.”
He stopped, his deep blue eyes focused on me in a way that made all the moisture evaporate from my mouth and manifest between my legs.
“I said I didn’t date within the families,” he replied. “We’re not dating, we’re getting married.”
I sucked in a deep breath, and held it to try and stop the palpitations in my chest, finally letting it out slowly. “What’s the difference?”
He shrugged one shoulder before he removed his cufflinks, and rolled his sleeves slowly to his elbows, exposing tanned, muscular arms. The bottom of a tattoo peeked out from below his right shirt sleeve, teasing me into wanting to see more.
“Dating is getting to know someone, marriage is deciding that is the person you’ll spend the rest of your life with,” he said, so matter-of-fact that it took me by surprise. “Have you shared the things you did with me with anyone else?”
“No.” My head shook automatically. “Never.”
“There you go then,” he replied as if it settled an argument. “Omelette? I don’t have a lot of food in the fridge as I tend to eat in my office.”
What the hell was I supposed to say to that? I looked at the ingredients he had laid out on the counter. I slid off the stool, and moved around to the food, pushing him to the side and rolling the arms of his jacket up.