Total pages in book: 123
Estimated words: 118245 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 591(@200wpm)___ 473(@250wpm)___ 394(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 118245 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 591(@200wpm)___ 473(@250wpm)___ 394(@300wpm)
My brow wrinkled.
She tilted her head in Dr. Pantona’s direction. The man was currently asleep against his lounger, his untouched drink tipping at a dangerous angle in his hand. “It’s why I brought the doctor. This girl has a… reputation.”
I leaned back, already uncomfortable with where this was going.
She pointed at me. “As do you, so I’m not playing favorites. You both need to get blood tests before any marital relations. We should also be assured the girl isn’t knocked up.”
Well, this just kept getting worse and worse. “Knocked up? Really?”
“Don’t tell me it hasn’t occurred to you that is why they are in such a hurry to shackle this girl to you and ship her across the country to Abruzzo?”
I couldn’t lie. The thought had occurred to me. After all, there were ways to get a subtle message to the capos she was toying with to keep it in their pants and back off without forcing her into a marriage with me.
I looked over at Alfonso, who was resting his forearms on the railing as he admired the view.
He cast a look at me over his shoulder. “Don’t look at me. I’m just the driver.”
Just the driver. Sure. And Aunt Gabbie was just the unrelated aunt.
“The situation is very delicate right now. I don’t think I should cause any waves by insisting on a blood test.”
Her eyes narrowed. “What did you do?”
I broke eye contact as I raised my glass. “What makes you think I did anything?”
“All my experiences with your gender. Now spill.”
I cast a glance over at Dr. Pantona and Alfonso.
Alfonso turned and stretched his arms. “I’m going to get all her luggage.”
She turned. “Don’t think I didn’t catch the inflected tone.”
He winked at her. “I’d be disappointed if you didn’t.”
Alfonso tapped on the doctor’s shoulder to rouse him, and they both left us alone.
Aunt Gabbie quirked a brow over the rim of her martini as she finished it.
Taking her glass, I crossed back to the bar.
She followed. “Quit stalling.”
Stuffing ice into the shaker, I let out a frustrated sigh before blurting out, “I kissed her sister.”
Aunt Gabbie threw her head back and laughed.
My jaw clenched. “It isn’t funny.”
She waved her hand in front of her as if catching her breath from all her laughter. “I disagree.”
“Dammit, Aunt Gabbie. I’m in a real mess here.”
Covering her lips to stifle her chuckles, she nodded. “So why the sister and not the bride?”
I cleared my throat. “I kissed Antonia too.”
Kissed and fucked her with the handle of a riding crop before shoving my cock down her throat. But my aunt didn’t need to know the details.
She bent forward over the bar and rested her forehead on her hands, bursting into laughter again.
Her martini sloshed over the rim as I slammed it down in front of her. “I’m not telling you any more.”
“Okay, I promise I’ll be serious. So you kissed them both. Any chance you mistook one for the other? They are twins.”
I shook my head. “Not a chance in hell. Ella is sweetly innocent and intelligent, with a surprisingly sarcastic wit. Antonia is loud and bold and over the top in every way, from her behavior to how she dresses.”
“Any chance you could convince the father to give you Ella instead of Antonia?”
“This isn’t a market stand in the piazza, Aunt Gabbie. I can’t just switch out my purchase. Besides, as I’ve explained, there are reasons why it needs to be Antonia.”
She lifted her martini as she winked at me. “Her whorish ways.”
I rubbed my eyes as the migraine moved to my temples. “Please don’t refer to my future bride as a whore.” Even if she was one.
“There is no shame in it, darling. Only men have an issue with women's sexuality. Besides, if a rake can be reformed with marriage, why not a whore?”
“You’re not helping. I need to tell Antonia that I kissed Ella.”
“Are you insane? That is the last thing you should do.”
“It’s the right thing to do. I don’t want a marriage built on lies.”
“It’s the stupid thing to do. Besides, you’re marrying for all the wrong reasons as it is. One more won’t hurt.”
When I didn’t respond, she reached over the bar and laid her hand over mine. “Are you sure that is why you want to tell her?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
She patted my hand, her gold bangles jangling again. “I’m just saying it would be a clever way of ruining everyone’s marriage plans if you pissed off the bride by kissing her sister.”
Fuck.
Could that be the real reason I kissed Ella?
After all, despite our issues, I'd had an amazing connection with Antonia the night before. It hadn’t escaped my notice that she seemed to be a completely different person when I got her alone, away from her father’s and other men’s influence.