Chapter 10
Chapter Ten
Marco
Ican smell Ciara’s scent on my fingers. A little sweet and musky at the same time. What would it be like to taste her? To truly claim her as my own?
Ciara is a beautiful woman. That’s not the problem.
The problem is: I don’t trust her at all.
Not after I tried to make Giana Bianchi mine and she fell in love with the hitman I hired to kidnap her.
Not after Ciara wanted her brother to kill me.
Not after she flirted with another man on our honeymoon.
I can’t trust her. I can’t fall in love with her just for her to betray me.
We have a marriage alliance and nothing more. No love and there never needs to be.
But that doesn’t stop me from taking a shower and jerking off with the image of Ciara’s face as she came in my mind.
God, I want to see it again. I loved knowing I was the first to truly touch her like that.
Her father did tell me he never let her date.
I never used to care if a woman was a virgin or not.
But there’s something powerful about being a woman’s first and I want that with Ciara.
I just can’t have it. Getting lost within her will make me forget my mission: to kill Enzo and Will. When I get back to New York, I need to make it happen. I just have to survive this week with Ciara.
God, what a long week it’s going to be.
Ciara is looking cute in her little nightgown when I come down for breakfast. She’s already eating – cereal and nothing more.
“You didn’t make breakfast?” I ask.
She gives me a look like I’m crazy. “Why would I make breakfast? I had a housekeeper all my life to make breakfast for me. I don’t know how to cook.”
“But you’re a woman.”
“So? You’re a man. You can cook for yourself.” She takes a big bite of her cereal. “I’m content with this. If you want me to dote on you, maybe don’t walk away after you touched me the way you did last night.”
So she’s hurt by it. That much is obvious. But why would she care? She wanted me dead and I’m assuming still does.
“Fine. I can make my own breakfast.” I grab out bacon and eggs from the fridge. I had someone stock the whole house so it was ready for us. After frying up the bacon and eggs, I sit down across from Ciara. She makes a point of not looking at me but instead her phone.
“Young people are always addicted to that thing.”
She snorts. “Young people? It’s not like you’re old.”
“But I am. I’m twenty years older.”
“True. So why are you so emotionally stunted?”
I don’t take the bait and instead, eat my breakfast. “We should do something together today.”
“Like what? You want nothing to do with me and I want nothing to do with you.”
“It would be good for us to get out today. Explore the city. Your father wants this marriage to work for the sake of our alliance. We can at least be cordial to each other.”
“But I don’t want to be cordial to you. That’s the thing.”
“We don’t have to talk. Do you really want to sit inside all day?”
“No,” she grumbles.
“Good. Then we’re going out.”
“Fine.”
“Fine.” I sigh. It’s going to be a long fucking day.
Ciara
Marco’s body is distracting on the drive into the city. I keep looking at his hands on the steering wheel, knowing his finger had been inside my body last night. No one has ever touched me so intimately before. I want it again. I’m desperate for it.
My legs press together to stop the arousal from hitting me. I can’t stand Marco and yet, I want him to touch me again. I want to feel close to him despite everything that has happened between us.
But he’s not budging and it’s driving me crazy.
He parks the car and we get out to walk.
The blazing Roman sun is hitting my back, making me feel even hotter than I already felt.
We meander around the city, going to all of the typical tourist areas.
The Colosseum. The Trevi Fountain. It’s all beautiful and exciting…
or it would be if I was with a man who wanted to be with me.
I toss a coin into the fountain and that’s when an idea hits me. Marco got angry last night when another man touched me. That must have made him lose control. Maybe if I flirt with another man, Marco will get so angry that he’ll want to touch me again. It’s the only play I have.
But the Trevi Fountain is surrounded with too many people. Too many eyes. Too many couples. That won’t work here. I need a place that’s more private.
“Why don’t we go in there?” I ask, nodding at a nearby restaurant. “I’m hungry.”
“Right. Let’s eat.”
We settle in at a table inside the restaurant to escape the heat. The waiter who takes our orders ends up being cute. Young with curly brown hair. Around my age. Perfect.
“What’s the best thing here?” I ask him, batting my eye lashes. The waiter takes the bait.
“The pasta alla norma. It’s our best dish.”
“Where is it on my menu?” I hold it closer to him and he leans in and points at it. I make an effort to brush my fingers against his. The waiter’s smile deepens.
“How are you enjoying Rome?”
“How can you tell I’m a tourist?”
“Because of your accent.”
“Right. That would make sense.” I laugh in a higher tone than usual. “Where are the best places to visit? I’m all alone here.”
The waiter looks at Marco with a confused frown. “But aren’t you here with your father?”
Marco scowls. “I am not her father.”
“No. He’s just a friend. I would love to spend time with someone closer in age to me.”
The waiter chuckles. “Once you’re done with your meal, we can meet up behind the restaurant. My shift is over soon. I’m Marco.”
“How funny. His name is Marco too. I’m Ciara.” I shake hands with the waiter Marco. “It’s so nice to meet you.”
“You too.” His smile creates dimples in his chin. He really is cute. Shame he’s not my husband. Waiter Marco walks away after taking our orders.
“What are you doing?” Marco asks in a flat voice once we’re alone.
“What am I doing?” I ask innocently.
“It sounds like you’re flirting with that waiter. But why is the question? I told you last night that you’re mine, Ciara. I don’t like you flirting with other men.”
That’s exactly why I’m doing this. Just to get a rise out of him. But Marco doesn’t need to know that. “You don’t flirt with me. Maybe if you did, then I wouldn’t have to flirt with other men.”
“I don’t trust you.”
“That makes two of us,” I snap back.
Waiter Marco brings our food out to us. I flash him another smile as he hands me a napkin. “My number,” he explains.
“Thank you. I’ll cherish it.”
That makes him chuckle before he walks away to another table.
“You need to be careful,” Marco warns. “You’re playing a dangerous game, Ciara.”
“What game am I playing? I’m just being nice to our waiter.”
“By getting his number?”
“Precisely. What’s so wrong with that?”
Marco and I eat our lunch in silence. Once we’re done, Marco heads for the front door while I head towards the back of the restaurant.
“What are you doing?” Marco asks, grabbing my arm.
“Going out back to meet the other Marco. He invited me. We’re going out to do something together.”
“I told you that you’re not allowed to see other men.”
“Well, maybe if you treated me like you’re actual wife, then I wouldn’t need to see other men.” I rip my arm away from him. “And you don’t get to treat me like I’m your property. I am my own person.” I can feel Marco’s eyes on me as I walk to the back of the restaurant.
After going out the back door, I find myself in a tight alleyway, waiting for Waiter Marco to arrive. I really didn’t plan on going on a date with another man but if it gets Marco’s attention, then so be it. I’ll do anything at this point to not be alone.
Waiter Marco joins me after a few minutes. “Hey. Ready to go?”
“Where are we going?”
“There’s this really nice bar we can go to. Get a drink. Talk some more.”
“I would love that.” I run my hand down his arm. “You’re really cute, you know that?”
He blushes. “Thanks. And you’re really cute too.” He grabs my hand, pulling me in closer. “I’ve never met a more beautiful girl.”
“I’m sure you say that to all the girls you meet.”
“No. Just you.” He tucks my hair behind my ear. I know I’m taking this too far but Marco wants nothing to do with me. What am I supposed to do about that?
“Don’t touch her,” a voice comes from behind us. My husband.
Whirling around, I see Marco standing in the alleyway, glaring at Waiter Marco.
“What?” Waiter Marco asks, pulling his hand away. “Sorry. I didn’t mean any harm.”
“You say that but you flirted with my wife right in front of my eyes.”
Waiter Marco stiffens. “Your wife? She said you were just a friend.”
“My wife likes to lie.” Marco stalks closer to Waiter Marco until his back hits the wall. Marco is much taller, towering over the other man. “I don’t know why she flirted with you but I can’t stand that. I will not lose another woman to some young, fucking punk.”
I smile. So Marco is jealous. Good. Then maybe he’ll take me back home and show me passion once more.
Marco grabs Waiter Marco’s shirt and pulls him in closer. “You need to learn where you put your hands.” He grabs Waiter Marco’s neck and right before my very eyes, snaps the younger man’s neck…
Waiter Marco drops to the ground, not moving. His eyes are wide open. I don’t see his chest rising and falling. It takes a long moment for me to realize that he’s… dead. Marco just killed this innocent young man all because I flirted with him to get Marco’s attention.
“What did you do?” I gasp.
Marco whirls around to face me and grabs my arm. “I told you. I am not a good man. I told you to not flirt with other men. But you just couldn’t listen. Let this be a lesson to you, Ciara. I am not losing you.”
“I just wanted your attention!” I scream. “I just wanted you to care about me. That’s all. I wasn’t serious about flirting with him. He was innocent and you just… killed him. Oh my god.” I bend over and gag but nothing comes out.
Marco looks stunned. “You did all of this just to get my attention? But why?”
“Because I don’t want to be alone forever. But I see that I was mistaken. You are… evil. You just killed that man. He didn’t deserve it.”
“He put his hands on you.”
“He didn’t know I was married. I lied to him.”
“And there lies the problem. You like to lie, Ciara. How can I believe a word you say?” He pulls out his phone.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m calling one of my contacts to come deal with the body. We need to get out of here. Now.” Marco speaks to someone over the phone in a low voice before he puts his phone away, grabbing my arms once more. “Let’s go.”
I’m too numb to object. I follow my husband out of the alleyway, away from the dead body that I ended up causing.