the family.”
“Are you Alessandro's cousin?” I asked out of curiosity because they didn't share much physical resemblance, and not one of the guests had yet been introduced to me as a member of Alessandro's family.
Lorenzo burst out laughing like I had said something witty. “Let's say, I'm more of a brother to him.”
“What do you mean?” I asked in confusion.
“Why don't you ask your husband?” he suggested, the sparkle of amusement still glistening in his eyes. “I'm sure he'd be more than happy to explain.”
I wanted to ask him more, but was snatched away by Alessandro who told me it was time for our first dance. With hundreds of pairs of eyes focused on us, he held me in his light embrace and we slowly moved to the rhythm of the music. At that moment, he was the most charming and romantic man on the face of the earth. But I wasn't fooled by the gentle exterior he projected with such staggering ease. Once I'd caught a glimpse of the darkness that ruled under his surface, I couldn’t unsee it, and the burning look in his bottomless, black gaze told me he knew it.
After the dance, the dinner followed, then the cutting of the cake. I endured the whole reception and sipped on my champagne, smiling through numerous introductions and repeated congratulations. Alessandro had been watching me intently the whole night, and when I wanted to grab the third glass of champagne, he gently caught my wrist and stopped me. “No more, tesoro,” he murmured in my ear. “I don't want you drunk on our wedding night.”
A flashback of the time he’d told me he preferred his women conscious and sober appeared before my eyes. Lowering my hand, I swallowed hard, and let the waiter walk away with the drinks. Only now, did I credit that Alessandro would want to consummate our marriage. A shaky breath escaped my mouth. I definitely wasn't ready to be intimate with him. That day when he’d uncovered his intentions to marry me, he implied he'd lay claims on my body right after the ceremony, but all the stress I'd been through in the past few weeks made me forget that scary tidbit. Suddenly, I turned rigid and frightened, stealing glances Alessandro's way and fearing he would force me to sleep with him.
The intent in his eyes didn't alter despite the uneasiness I had projected in front of him. There was no time for me to prepare myself for what was about to happen because in less than an hour, Alessandro secured my hand and motioned for me to follow his lead. We stood and—escorted by the music and cheering from the crowd—he walked me into the solitude of his vast mansion. In the final attempt to amuse our guests, he picked me up in his arms and carried me over the threshold which earned him a round of loud applause.
As we entered the huge vestibule, the clamor of the celebration had been replaced by ominous silence. Even though no witnesses required him to continue the charade of a lovestruck groom, he didn't let go of me. Instead, he carried me up the stairs and all the way to my room where he gently lowered me to the floor.
The spicy scent of his cologne spread through the half-darkness that surrounded us, and my whole body alerted to his threatening presence. More than ever, I was aware I faced a powerful man who was accustomed to always getting his way in everything. In comparison to him, I was weak, defenseless and forever caught in the web of his unscrupulous manipulation.
The soft echoes of the celebration outside penetrated the walls of my room together with the soft sounds of sensual romantic music. Alessandro's gaze slowly travelled down my body, and the atmosphere filled with those same vibrations that always appeared in his presence. Exhaling, he shrugged off his suit jacket and arranged it over the nearby chair. Then, he approached me and I panicked, contemplating my options.
I could have begged, but I had enough experience to know he would show no mercy because he didn't care about my feelings. I could run, but he would end up catching me before I made it to the door. Distract him...a little voice in my head whispered, and I listened to its advice. I parted my lips to ask about Lorenzo's remark about brothers, but some strange instinct told me now wasn’t the time to bring it up. So, instead,