Total pages in book: 148
Estimated words: 142939 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 715(@200wpm)___ 572(@250wpm)___ 476(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 142939 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 715(@200wpm)___ 572(@250wpm)___ 476(@300wpm)
I almost choke on the sip of wine I’d just drank. Gilly’s fingers grip my thigh harder. I hope they leave a mark.
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. We’re all getting to know one another,” I rush to get out before she and Bianca can start to make wedding plans.
“I’d love to take you wherever you want to go. In style, of course.” Falco gives me one of his charming smiles. It’s too charming, but out of all the men here, he’s the only one that is actually a potential suitor. Too bad I feel nothing. Not a spark or anything. Is it because there is nothing there or that Gilly already has my heart?
I think it was three years ago I really noticed Gilly. He was always at my brother's side when I came home from school. Months I spent away, and still I couldn’t shake what I felt for him. I don’t think a summer in Europe will shake that either. Then again, maybe if I was away from him while others tried to court me, it would be a different story.
“That is very sweet of you. I’ll keep that in mind,” I lie with a smile on my face.
He buys it. Thankfully, my brother takes over some of the conversation at the table. He’s able to pull most of their attention, which makes sense, considering half the reason any of them want to marry me is because of him. It’s ironic that the reason Gilly probably doesn’t want to be with me is because of my brother.
I start to wonder what his type is. Women never came and went from the house. At least they didn’t when I was home. My father loved my mother, and she would have killed him if he stepped out on her. Not that he would have; loyalty was everything to them. It is to Gilly, too. It’s why I’ll never come first to him. Even if my brother did give him his blessing. Anger blooms in my chest at the reality of it all. That same sensation I had to run this morning courses through my body.
“Eat,” Gilly whispers into my ear.
“Fuck off,” I snip back under my breath as I reach under the table to try and remove his hand. He won’t let me. “Think I won’t make a scene?” I catch Bianca watching us out of the corner of my eye. “Try me.” I turn my head to stare into Gilly’s eyes.
“Eat,” he says again before removing his hand finally. I do eat, but not because he ordered me to. The quicker I can finish this meal, the better. I don’t taste a thing. Not even when the dessert comes and it’s my favorite, crème brȗlée.
“Carina.” My brother calls my name as we all get up from the table to move to the parlor. “A word.” Oh shit. I keep a smile pasted on my face while everyone else leaves. Gilly is the last to go.
“You okay?” he asks me, concern etched on his face. Some of my anger starts to dissolve.
“Yeah. It was a bit overwhelming.”
“You clearly have your pick.”
“But do I really?” The words slip past my lips. I hadn’t meant to say them.
“Carina, I would never force—”
“I know.” I cut him off. “Like I said, I'm overwhelmed is all.”
“Is there anything else going on that you want to tell me?” I’m not sure if he means Gilly or my late-night sneak-out activities. Either way, I keep my mouth shut. There is no way I am confessing to either one of those.
“Not at the moment.”
“All right.” He kisses my cheek. “You can always talk to me.” I nod before we both head out of the formal dining room.
“Carina.” I turned to face Falco, who called my name. He comes out of the same powder room Gilly dragged me into earlier. “Can we have a moment alone? If that is okay with you.” He looks to my brother to get his approval.
“That’s up to Carina.”
“Only a few minutes.” He gives me that charming smile again that does nothing for me.
“Okay,” I agree. It’s better than going into the parlor and having a bunch of them all over me.
“Stay close,” my brother orders before he steps away to join everyone else.
“I want to take you out so we can have some time alone to really get to know each other. See if there’s a connection,” Falco says. Even if we did go out, my brother would never allow it to be alone. There would be guards.
“I’m sorry. To be honest, I don’t feel a connection.”
“Maybe not yet. We just met. We need more time together. Besides, our families together would make a wonderful connection,” he counters as if this is a business deal.
“If this was about making a family connection, a marriage would have been arranged. I’m free to choose who I want to be with.”