“You know you look good enough to eat,” I growl back, barely audibly.
She pulls out her phone and types something quickly. Mine buzzes in my pocket. I pull it out and grin. It’s a text from her.
“I think I forgot something though.”
“And what is that?” I text back. She squeezes my hand. Then she pulls it closer to her. I touch her bare thigh and grit my teeth. My cock surges. My phone buzzes again.
“Keep checking and you’ll find out.”
I groan and turn to her. But she keeps her face neutral. Micheal, Giovani, Tomas, and Sal are talking away. Vincent and Bellamy are mostly talking with themselves. I glance at Lucia. My hand slips out of hers. I grip her bare thigh. She doesn’t blink.
I push my hand higher on her leg suddenly. Lucia gasps just a little bit. I grin and slide even higher, under her skirt. Her face turns red. I push my hand right between her thighs. My fingers brush her bare pussy. I groan deeply.
Bad girl. She’s not wearing panties. My finger strokes her. She’s dripping fucking wet. I ignore the bag of shit across from us who thinks he’s hers. Fuck him and fuck that. She’s mine, and no one else’s.
I stroke her pussy a little faster. My fingers rub her clit in circles. She grips the dinner table. Her breathing comes faster. Her thighs push together, but I keep my hand right where it is.
“Dom,” she says faintly. I can see her eyes rolling back. Her thighs clench so tightly. Her pussy is leaking all over my fingers, and her body trembles. I keep pushing it. I keep rubbing her clit until her whole body is shaking. I rub her clit harder, and suddenly, I feel it.
I feel her coming for me, right there at the dinner table.
Lucia snatches her napkin up and covers her mouth. She coughs loudly to cover what I know is a moan.
“Lucia?”
“I’m fine!” she blurts. She smiles weakly at Sal. “Yeah, I’m fine. Wine down the wrong pipe.”
“Are you sure you’re okay Ms. Scaliami?” I say it just as I rub a finger over her throbbing clit.
She glares at me, biting her lip.
“Well,” Sal sighs. “As I was saying…”
“Don Salvestro, I’m sorry,” Tomas interrupts. “But I’m afraid something has changed.”
Even I perk up. Hang on, what?
“Si?” Salvestro frowns.
“On the call I was just out there having, I was informed by a source of mine that the Regio family is laying out some strong moves against both you and my father. And it’s coming soon.”
Micheal scowls. So does Vincent. If the Medino family is second to the Scaliamis, the Regios are third. A big part of this “merger” is to completely dominate other, smaller organizations like the Regios.
“The timetable has moved up,” Salvestro says quietly. He turns to Lucia and smiles sadly. “I was worried about this.”
I frown. The timetable?
“What timetable, grandpapa?” Lucia ventures with a frown.
He sighs. “The marriage, mi amore. I mean the timetable for your marriage to Tomas.”
My hand tightens on her thigh. I grind my teeth and try my best not to snarl. Lucia’s face is pale. She ignores Tomas completely.
“When,” she croaks.
Her grandfather glances at Giovani. The portly man nods. Sal sighs and shakes his head. “I am sorry, topolina…”
“When?”
“Tomorrow.”
I stare at him. Tomorrow? He wants this fucking wedding to happen tomorrow?
“What?!” Lucia hisses. “No, that’s not… Grandpapa, no!”
“Lucia,” he growls. He looks sympathetic, even sad. But that voice holds absolute power. “It has been decided. A war is coming to both our family and the Medino’s. If we don’t become one, we will fall.”
“Grandpapa…”
“My mind is made, Lucia,” he growls. “I am sorry, truly but tomorrow, you and Tomas will be married. And that’s final.
Fuck that. My hand grips her thigh tightly. Her fingers lace through mine under the table against her leg.
She’s not Tomas’s. She’s not anyone’s but mine.
16
Lucia
It almost feels like a nightmare. For months, this whole arranged marriage has been in the background. But it hasn’t seemed real. It’s something I could categorize as “later.” But now, it’s later. Now, this is happening.
The only consolation from last night was going home with Dominic. And taking our clothes off and moaning when he took me to bed. I kept him up last night; late. It’s like I needed the physical from him to stop myself from having a breakdown.
I’m half asleep in his arms, in his bed. But I know I hear something. I frown, slowly waking. Did I just…”
“Lucia?”
I sit up straight in a second. My heart is in my throat. It’s my grandpa, and he’s in the apartment. Dom sits bolt upright next to me.
“Holy fuck,” he hisses.
I kiss him quickly and leap from the bed. I wince. I’m a teeny bit sore from last night. But it’s a good sore. I grab my clothes, shoot Dom a grin, and dash through the bathroom that connects our rooms.
In my own room, I throw on some lounge pants and a t-shirt and open the door wide. “Grandpapa?”
He smiles. “I tried to call. I did not wake you I hope?”
“No,” I smile quietly. “No, you didn’t.
He sighs. “I am sorry, Lucia.”
I look down. “I don’t want to marry him, Grandpapa.”
“I know, mi amore,” he says gently. “It hurts me deep to do this. I hate to see you unhappy, and I wish there was another way.” He sighs. “But we do what we must. We do what is necessary. That is life, that is family.”
“Grandpapa…”
“I won’t budge on this, Lucia,” he sighs. “I cannot. There is too much at stake. Our enemies have grown strong. It is time to ally ourselves with another family, or be swept aside.”
I look away. “Anything else?”
He shakes his head sadly. “No, I guess not. But I want you to know how sorry I am.”
I just shrug and keep looking away. “Si, okay,” he sighs. He turns and walks back to the door to the apartment. “I am sorry, mi amore. Truly sorry.”
Dominic’s bedroom door opens and he steps out. “Don Salvestro,” he nods. “Good morning.”
“Good morning, Dominic.” His eyes linger on Dom. Then he turns back to me with pursed lips. “I am sorry, Lucia. I truly am. But tonight, this happens. You will marry Tomas, and this family we be stronger for it.
“Grandpapa…”
“We don’t always get what we want, Lucia,” he grunts. He turns his eyes to Dominic again. They narrow, and then look back at me. “The movers will get your things from here within the hour. I will see you tonight.”
He opens the apartment door and steps out. But suddenly, Dominic is pushing past me to follow him out. The door shuts, but I rush to it. I hold it open with one toe. Dominic and my grandfather are a few feet away at the elevator.
“Sir,” Dominic frowns. “Sir, I just…”