Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 86883 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 434(@200wpm)___ 348(@250wpm)___ 290(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86883 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 434(@200wpm)___ 348(@250wpm)___ 290(@300wpm)
“Bianca?”
Massimo’s voice is like honey, and I hate that my body responds to it. Goose bumps. An extra kick in my heart. A wave of heat heading south. Jesus, I’m pathetic.
“Hey,” I reply, not making eye contact.
“What are you doing here?”
“Across the road, my almost-fiancé is enjoying his engagement party with the woman he never got over. Where else would I be?” Another swig of wine, but this time it’s followed by a classy hiccup. “Thought I’d come see the happy couple for myself.”
“And how is that working out for you?”
“Crap, if you must know.”
He looks at the bottle in my hand. “I thought so.”
I purposefully take a mouthful in front of him to show that I am fully embracing my pity party for one.
He gestures to it as I drag my hand across my lips to show him just how unfazed I am by my lack of dignity. “Do you mind?”
“Sure, knock yourself out,” I say, passing him the bottle.
I expect him to take a drink. But instead he throws the bottle like he’s a professional quarterback and shoots it so high up into the sky it disappears into the darkness. A few seconds later, I hear it smash on the ground several yards away.
“Hey!” I protest. “What the hell are you doing?”
“Saving you from yourself.” He looks around. “Where’s your bodyguard?”
I look away.
“You ran away from him?” When I shrug, he lets out a low whistle. “Your daddy is going to have his balls.”
He’s right. And now I feel even worse. Fuck. Maybe I really am the spoilt Mafia princess people say I am.
In typical Bianca fashion, I do what I always do when I feel cornered, I lash out. “Feel free to not be standing here. In fact, why don’t you head inside? I hear there is a great party going on in there.”
“I’m afraid I can’t do that. I’m involved now. I can’t just leave you here.”
“I’ll be fine. Go celebrate with your brother.”
But he doesn’t move. He crouches down so we’re eye level. Up this close, he really is too good looking for his own good. And those eyes, so deep and dark and framed with thick lashes. I wonder what it would feel like to run my fingers across his sharp jawline and over those perfect lips, and I shiver at the idea of touching him.
“What did you want to achieve by coming here tonight?” he asks.
“I don’t know.” My shoulders sag. “I guess I just wanted to see what all the fuss was about. She’s gorgeous, by the way. No wonder he picked her.”
“Nico has been in love with Bella since the moment he met her. They grew up together.” He sits on the step beside me. “He chose her because there is no one else for him.”
I sigh because, when he says it like that, I’m reminded of how romantic it is. “I guess I love the idea of that.”
“Of course you do, everyone does. Well, nearly everyone.”
“Not you?”
“Loving someone as much as Nico loves Bella has never been on my radar.”
“You don’t want to fall in love and get married?” I ask.
“Me? God no. Marriage is like setting fire to your life and hoping it doesn’t burn.” He grins. “Look, do you want some advice?”
“If I say no, will you leave me alone?”
He shakes his head with the kind of smile you can’t help but fall in love with. “Like I said, I’m involved now.”
“Then be my guest.”
“You’re better than this. Sitting out here, watching Nico be with someone else. You didn’t want him. Enjoy being free. Have fun. Don’t take it all so seriously. You’re sitting here like you’ve had your heart broken when really it just dodged a bullet.”
I want to stand up to him. To tell him he’s wrong. That Nico marrying Bella is a humiliation to me just like my father says. But he’s right. I don’t love Nico. Hell, I don’t even know him.
“How old are you?” he asks.
“Twenty-two.” I say the lie with confidence. But under Massimo’s knowing gaze, I add, “In two months.”
“You’re young. Go and have fun. Kiss lots of boys. Kiss lots of girls, if that’s your thing. Kiss both at the same time. Just don’t sit here second-guessing yourself because the man you were supposed to marry has decided to marry the girl he has always loved his entire life.”
“That’s the thing, I want to do all of that but…”
I feel Massimo’s curious gaze on me and my cheeks flame.
“But..?”
I huff out a breath.
“It’s hard to do when your father sends you to boarding school and then has guards on you twenty-four seven so no one can even come close to kissing you. Let alone touching your precious Catholic-girl purity.”
I don’t know why I’m telling him all of this, but I can’t seem to stop. It’s like I could tell him anything.