Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 78236 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 391(@200wpm)___ 313(@250wpm)___ 261(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78236 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 391(@200wpm)___ 313(@250wpm)___ 261(@300wpm)
She feels right.
She is mine.
A tap on the door sounds before Mr. Ricci enters.
Rya steps away from me, rubbing at her eyes. Her father looks between us before he calls out to Rya, who obediently follows. I want to grab her, pull her back to me but something stops me. And it might be the glare Mr. Ricci throws me or the weight of how fucked-up this all is.
It was meant to be simple.
Get married.
Sign the contract.
And it would all be mine.
Yet, since returning from New York, the edge of my hunger has wavered. And I know exactly why. It’s all tied to this little vixen who shuts the door behind her.
And once again she is running from me.
CHAPTER 67
Rya
I stare out over the lake.
I’d taken Papa’s most prized Ferrari to my favorite of our many family homes. It’s a nice change of scenery, driving the car through the rolling hills and ending up here. I rest the glass of wine casually on my knee.
When I think back on it, I always liked this house more because it was smaller than the others. We occasionally entertained a few guests here, but this place was meant for the family.
Last night had been a disaster.
Between Honey and Crue, I decided I couldn’t participate in the wedding. They will be having their second engagement party at the Monti house right now, and I sure as hell wasn’t going. In fact, I have purchased an airline ticket back home for tomorrow. Sure, I’d only been here for less than a week, but I wasn’t me here.
Crying in front of Crue Monti, no less, was a new low for me. I haven’t cried since… well, ever. But this man opens me up more than he has the right to. He’s under my skin now as much as I am a part of him.
I’m determined to deny him and this thing between us. But that sudden realization last night when he touched me, the sadness to know he wasn’t mine anymore—if he ever was—was devastating. For so long, I had pushed him away behind excuses.
He’s a criminal.
He’s a killer.
He’s possessive, short-tempered, and all asshole.
But I’ve come to love every single one of those things about him. And that makes me devastatingly aware of the power Crue holds over me. And so I do what I know when a powerful man has control over my life. I flee.
A loud noise comes from behind me. I should be alone out here, so I turn around to see what it was. I step around the house and down the few stairs as I watch, dazed, at Crue’s black sports car pulling up. He gets out, dressed neatly in a black suit.
How did he find me?
I grip my wine glass tightly as he beelines straight for me. When he reaches me, I finally release the breath I was holding. We stand in front of one another, neither of us speaking, just staring at each other.
I love him.
That thought rocks my soul, cracks it wide open, and worse than that it hurts.
I love him.
Fuck, I also hate him.
I can’t love the man my sister is about to marry. I simply can’t. We will not be those people. I will not allow it.
I go to open my mouth, but he steps forward, halting my words.
“We called it off,” he rushes to say.
I’m shocked. Crue told me he had to get married.
We called it off.
“Why?” I ask.
We’re so close now, I can smell him. Everywhere. He is taking over my senses, and he’s all I can imagine and all that I want.
“Because it’s you I want. Let’s lie to each other all you want.”
“That sounds lethal.”
“Give me your lethal vows, princess.”
So much raw emotion bubbles to the surface, but all I can say is, “What about Honey?”
“She sent me here.”
Before I can tell him I love him, he pulls me to him, and his mouth covers mine. His kiss steals my breath, and I drop the wine glass. I hear it smash on the ground beside me, but I don’t care. My arms wrap around his shoulders, and his hands cup my ass, and he lifts me, my legs circling his waist.
“I love you, Miss Ricci,” he says between heavy breaths.
A tear leaves my eye, and he pulls back, his tongue darting out to lick it away before I look up at him with wet lashes. “I think I love you too,” I tell him.
“Think?” he growls, and I watch anger radiate from him. He bites his lip, then smashes his mouth back to mine. Crue takes a few steps away from the glass, and before I know it, my back hits the dirt, and he’s hovering over me. “You think?” he says, standing. Then he’s tearing off his shirt in one swift movement and unbuckling his belt.