Chapter 41

Lucky

If I wasn’t so steaming mad, so mad I can feel my temperature rising I’d find this hilarious. He stands beside me at the door of his black Mercedes, the driver holds the back door open. Patiently waiting for one of us to at least get in.

“Get changed.” I can hear the snarl in his voice, the way his strong jaw ticks, fascinating, it actually gets to me. It’s pretty damn sexy. I cock my head and lick my lower lip.

“No. Besides, I already told you I don’t want to go get the damn license. Why can’t we wait until we’re back in New York? I’ll not turn up on the day, then what will you do? Drag me by my hair?” I laugh softly.

He clenches his fists by his side, his electric blue eyes now looking almost murderous. I will not be one woman he can control. “Fine have it your way you fucking little brat. Go dressed like a whore, see if I care. And as for the wedding day, if I have to drag you by your glorious mane, then so be it. Now get the fuck in the car.”

Did he say glorious mane? Oh, so he loves my hair. Kinda hard not to since it hangs all the way down my back like glossy, black marble grazing the top of my buttocks. I know he’d love to fist it and pull my head back and sink his teeth into my soft neck like a vampire. Yes, that’s it, he does have a vampire vibe going on, especially when he is in a thunderous mood.

The driver shuffles nervously from foot to foot. I glare at Nico then glower at him shooting him daggers with my own emerald eyes. Yeah, have that. I get inside the car moving to the far side and place my over sized Louis Vuitton bag by my left leg so block any closeness from Nico.

“So damn childish, Lucky,” he chides me, grabs the bag and tosses it on the floor. All its contents spilling out including a Tampax because yeah, I am feeling hormonal and am due on any day now. I hate to be caught out. Then he scoots closer to me and grabs my jaw with his thumb and forefinger.

“You better get used to it, Princess. Soon you will be sharing a bed with me, we will be close all the time. Except for business, you will not be out of my sight.”

I slap him. Hard. He doesn’t even flinch, I swear the man is made of steel. Instead, he chuckles, it’s a low, deep rumble. “I can already tell you’ll be like a lioness in the bedroom. It makes my cock hard thinking about entering inside your slick wetness, Princess.”

“Oh, fuck off, Nico. We are never sharing a bed. I will never ask you for anything. You already have taken my life away with this blasted engagement for the last six months. My life has been a living hell having to attend your stupid functions, pretending we’re in love when everyone knows it is nothing more than a fucking lie.”

Nico takes my hand in his large, strong hand. I can feel the warmth radiating off him, electricity pulses straight to my groin. Traitorous pussy, since when was she not on my side?

His eyes glance to the items now in the footwell, he takes in my journal, my lipstick, eyeliner, my purse and of course my Tampax. “You won’t be needing that soon. Once we are married, I want the babies to start.”

His tone is almost business like, it takes me aback. What the fuck? I laugh at him. “I’m not having your babies. You have stolen love from me, Nico and for that I will never forgive you.” I fold my arms in front of my chest and turn my face away from him. He keeps hold of my hand and squeezes it, not hard more in a reassuring kind of way. It takes me by surprise.

“We will have children, Princess. You may despise me right now; you may not forgive me now either for making you have an arranged marriage to me and threatening your father’s life. Trust me, though this is for the best. Sooner or later there will be a war, not necessarily between the Gianluca family and the Santangelo’s but with other families. They are all hungry and greedy for the power. This is the best way. The only way to secure you and your family. The alliance will give me the power I need, the leverage necessary for nobody to go up against me.”

“Oh, yeah? Then why has someone already shot at us? Tell me that then all high o mighty one.”

He says nothing, the silence can be felt, it’s almost tangible. “One day, Lucky your body will overrule your head and you will succumb to me, and I will put a baby inside you. The first of many. I want lots of children, you will make a fine mother. You have it in you.”

I inhale deeply, children have been on my radar but not right now. And certainly not lots of them. Maybe two, maybe three but not a whole brood of them. Is he insane?

“To carry your name and what about the Gianluca name?”

“If you wish them to have your name too, that is fine by me. I have no issues with our kids having Santangelo-Gianluca surnames.”

I suppose I could count that as one to me. We’re driving off the estate, the imposing iron gates close electronically behind us as we begin to now descend the hill along a road lined with magnificent trees, the type I do not know they’re not like anything I’ve seen before with its branches bowing over. It must be a native to this island.

“I don’t want your kids, Nico. I wanted to be married for love not an arranged marriage. I don’t care what your reasons are anymore, this wasn’t on my agenda. Even when I do have to marry you, know, Nico that I will leave you. I have my own plans and kids are not one of them.”

He takes my hand and brushes my knuckles with his soft lips, the touch makes my stomach warm. Holy shit, I’m almost pooling with the romantic gesture. “We will see, Lucky Gianluca. We will see.”

The rest of the journey is in silence. Nico removes his hand and pulls out his mobile and starts tapping away, his face is serious, his jaw his clenched and I can tell just looking at him that he has a lot going on in his mind. Of course he does, just like my own father. Not that he hasn’t been a good father, but business always came first. I sigh and continue to look at the array of beautiful houses, the next more beautiful and imposing than the last. It is a stunning island, but nothing can compare to the main residence of the island set atop the hill. That of Nico Santangelo. I wonder just how rich he actually is.

According to publications and what I have gleamed online before we got to this position, the man is worth billions. His riches make my father’s look like a drop in the ocean and my father is an extremely rich man. We wanted for nothing growing up, yet we were taught the value of money. From the age of fifteen my father had me working on accounts with his main accountant, it’s how I got to learn the business fast. He is mainly in shipping and for the most part his enterprises are legal. I know he has other fingers in other pies so to speak but none of that has ever been presented to me. No doubt my brothers Anthony, Lorenzo and Matthia know more than I do. Sometimes it sucks being not just the youngest but a girl in a male dominated arena.

One day I will show them, I will have my own business and now that I am arranged to be married to Nico, I will have some of his money. If he thinks I will be the good, little wife he has another thing coming.

The car stops outside a spectacular building with pillars out the front, the cream color shines like spun gold as the sun radiates down on it. “Get your bag together, we’re here.” Nico looks up from his mobile, then hits the side button to close it down.

I scurry around in the footwell placing everything back in my bag and release my seat belt. “Let me,” he says as he leans in close and presses the release button. I can smell his expensive musky cologne; it fills my nostrils. I catch myself inhaling deeper. Under other circumstances I might like the idea of fucking Nico Santangelo. However, it is what it is and my anger and disappointment take over.

I slap his hand away, “I’ve got it. I’m not a distressed damsel.” He removes his hand as if I burnt him, making me feel guilty. That’s a new one on me, why do I even care?

His driver opens the car door and takes my hand to assist me stepping out. Dread overtakes my body; my stomach feels as if it has dropped to the ground. Once the document is signed, we will be announced to marry. Nausea floods my body, I feel dizzy, and my legs go weak. This can’t be happening to me. Oh, God please don’t make me have to marry Nico Santangelo. I despise him, he doesn’t love me, he will never love me.

I feel his strong hand on the base of my spine, “it will be fine, Lucky. Do not worry. I will never harm you, nor will I let anyone else hurt you. Love will blossom, trust me, Princess.”

“That’s the thing, Nico. I will never trust you. You’re a Don, you do despicable things, how can I ever trust you?”

“Lucky, I will lay my life on the line for you once we are married. You will be my Queen and I will treat you with respect, you will come to love me.” His voice is as soft as silk, as if he is caressing my body. I become highly aware of his hand pressing on my lower back, his touch is doing things to me as the nausea is replaced by a warmth flooding me.

Perhaps it’s the fierce strong beating down on me. His words caress me, his voice evokes a gentleness, a romance that I never thought he would be capable of. Yet here he stands telling me that he will protect my life with his own.

Is he just saying that, so I don’t create a scene, or does he actually mean it?