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“That was what I was looking at.”
He nodded. “I want to take you out to dinner. Come on.” Boone reached for her hand, and she froze.
“But I’m not dressed.”
At first, Lucia couldn’t believe she had even defied him enough to not move. He had reached for her, Boone was her husband, he was the one in charge. She should never try to stop him in his tracks.
He stopped and glanced down at her, and there was a frown between his brow. “You’re not in pajamas.”
“But I am not dressed to go out.”
She wore a plain blue dress, plain but nice, and comfortable for the hot weather. She didn’t have any makeup on, nor was her hair perfectly styled. She had pulled the locks back into a ponytail at the base of her neck.
Also, her mother would be upset as she wore socks with the dress, and she had on a pair of sneakers, when all women in a dress should wear heels. Again, her mother’s assessment, not her own.
“You look fine,” Boone said.
She wanted to argue with him, but again, that was another big fat no. If she argued with her husband, that would make him angry, and then he was entitled to slap her. She knew that wasn’t normal, but once again, within her own world, that was very normal. Hitting or beating the wife happened. Her own mother had put up with it.
All too soon, it didn’t seem to matter as they were out of his apartment building, and once again Boone was full of surprises as he didn’t go straight to a car. He held her hand, and they walked outside into the glaring sunshine, and it was beautiful.
They stopped and she stood, waiting. He pulled out a pair of sunglasses and slid them on, then held a pair out to her. This was a surprise. She took them, opening them up and sliding them on her nose.
Also, he pulled out a cap, and again, she didn’t know where he was getting these things, but this time he didn’t hand it to her. No, he slid that on her head, to protect her from the sun.
Who was this man? This was ... shocking.
Then, he took her hand. Right there, in the middle of the street. His men surrounded them, but still gave them space. They were close enough that if anyone decided to attack, they would be able to protect them.
But Boone held her hand, and that was what was actually blowing her mind in that very moment. Boone was holding her freaking hand, in public, for others to see.
They walked down the street. Again, something so very normal, and yet, in her twenty-two years of age, she had never done anything this crazy before. It was insane. And it felt so amazing.
She must seem like such a weird person to be so happy to be walking out in the sunshine, but she couldn’t help the smile that filled her face. She was so unimaginably happy.
Lucia breathed in the fresh air, or as much of it as she could, being in the city, filled with the fumes of business, cars, and trucks, but she didn’t care. Back home, she would have no choice but to keep her head down, to not make waves, and not talk to anyone. That was what she was constantly told to do. She hated it.
Now, this was a new taste of freedom, and she loved it. It felt incredible to her. And she didn’t want it to end.
Did he think she was a child? She suddenly realized how happy she felt. It was so quick, and it made her nervous, and then she tried to reel it in. She had to. If he knew how much she enjoyed this, he might take it away from her.
She had no idea where they were going. Glancing from shop window to shop window, she tried to figure out his plan. She watched as he moved in close, and then she felt his lips against her ear.
“You can enjoy yourself. I have no rules against that.” And just like that, he pulled away.
He’d seen. And he wasn’t angry? Lucia didn’t know if she should relax or still be on guard. She didn’t know anything. Her mother hadn’t exactly been very forthcoming.
“You should consider this marriage a blessing, Lucia. No other man has wanted you, and what he wants, he gets. Remember that. If he wants to hit you, stand and get hit. You don’t fight back.”
That was the speech her mother had given her on her wedding day, just before she had gotten married. That she should accept anything from this man, because he had decided to marry her. It was embarrassing, but not entirely surprising.
Her brothers and sister had often used her as the butt of their jokes, literally telling her to her face that she was too ugly to be married. It was like a bucket of cold water on the whole experience.
They continued walking, but all of a sudden, Boone gripped her hand, tightened his hold on her, and they came to a stop. At first, she panicked, because this is not what she wanted. She didn’t want him to suddenly stop. That was scary.
Then ... his guards closed in. Was he about to hit her?
Her father usually waited until they were behind closed doors, as it was always about image. Was Boone suddenly angry with how she was dressed as she tried to change it?