Page 34 of Ruthless Lord

“She’ll grow on you.” Luca hesitates, head tilting to the side, and shrugs. “Or maybe she won’t. Either way, want to play?”

I consider telling him she already has.

But that’s my secret for now.

“Deal me in.”

Chapter 10

Charlie

After my husband’s little tantrum in front of my bridal party, the wedding is a total blur.

All the major families sent representatives. The reception is a who’s who of the rich and powerful Philadelphia social scene. Politicians from both sides of the aisle play nice with each other, and the police chief mingles at the bar with known gangsters.

My grandfather lords over the proceedings with a cigar and a stern glare. Don Marino remains by his side most of the evening.

The pair of them look like a couple of assholes.

Mercifully, my parents don’t show up.

The ceremony itself is brief and uninspired, at least until Stefano kisses me. I get a brief flashback to our night together, but I pull away before the memory can ignite into something more.

My husband seems bored by everything.

Which is fine. I manage to avoid him most of the night. I’m whisked around from table to table, shaking hands, kissingcheeks, smiling until my face feels like a roasted hot dog, and generally acting like this isn’t the worst night of my life.

I’m in pure survival mode. The only highlight is when I get to chat briefly with Don Marino’s wife, a girl named Lucy who used to hang around my social circle, at least until she was ostracized for some stupid rich person reason. I like her, though, and would love more time to talk, except I get pulled away by the wife of the state treasurer, a ghastly lady named Tricia with more fake diamonds than a glitter bomb. As she talks about her third son,Chester,and his troop of probably asshole friends, I wonder if anyone would care if I jumped out a window, until a shadow comes looming up at my elbow.

Fake Diamond Tricia’s Botox smile manages to relax as a big, strong hand takes me by the elbow.

I look over and find Stefano with a dark, serious expression on his face.

My stomach twists the way it always does when he’s this close.

The man’s too attractive. It isn’t remotely fair. He’s supposed to be a brutal maniac, not a gorgeous god-like being with the jaw of a model and the body of a ruthless killer. He even smells good, which should just be straight up illegal. The man deserves jail for being so hot. At least that way, if he were locked up, I wouldn’t be tempted to jump his bones.

Because the fact is he rattled me earlier.

“Excuse me,” Stefano says in that obscenely hot baritone rumble. “But I need to talklogisticsandbusinesswith my wife.”

Fake Diamond Tricia’s hand drifts to her chest, like she’s about to palm her own tits or something. It’s a little sad, seeing herpractically swoon over my husband. “Oh, yes, ah, of course… logistics… very important…”

“I think so too.” Stefano’s grip tightens almost painfully. “Don’t you,darling?”

“Ilovelogistics.” I beam at Fake Diamond Tricia. “If you’ll excuse me?”

“Come on back,” she says, fanning herself and staring at Stefano.

He pulls me away. I glare up at him, annoyed. “That woman was staring at you like she wanted to suck your toes.”

His eyebrows arch. “Is she into that?”

“I don’t know! Probably!”

“Areyouinto that?” He tugs me closer as we make our way through the crowd. A few important people try to stop us, but Stefano outright ignores them.

“I’m not discussing my kinks with you.”