Francesca
It was difficult to believe that Gavino and Rosa had sired Alessio.
It made him seem a little more human.
He kept pawing me with his meaty hands, joked, and made it seem like we were a couple in love.
My Nonno wasn't buying it, but my Nonna was lapping it up.
She loved her romantic serials, though, and Alessio was charming when he wanted to be.
He vanished with Nonno for a good twenty-five minutes, and my grandfather returned with a smile. He raised a toast for the ‘happy’ couple.
Me?
I stayed in my pyjamas wearing my pink bunny robe and watched the drama unfold.
Both families were planning the wedding.
The whole time, Alessio sat back with a smug smile plastered across his face.
When they were about to leave, Alessio messaged me and told me to get ready that he would pick me up for dinner, to which I made a puking sign from behind my grandparents' back.
As soon as the door closed, my Nonno was on me like white on rice, which left me no choice but to stick to the cover story because I didn't want them involved in Alessio’s messy criminal life.
“Are you sure he is the one, mia cara? I know what line of work they are in,”
Nonno said when Nonna left the room.
I thought back to two nights ago and ignored every single red flag to nod my head.
“He is the one, Nonno,”
I said because I would do whatever Alessio said if it kept my grandparents safe.
***
“Wow, you look beautiful,”
Alessio said, eyeing me up and down.
“Don’t get too excited. My Nonna made me wear the dress,”
I muttered as he led me to the car.
Nero sat in the driver's seat.
“Ms Nardini,”
he said stiffly.
“I take it you no longer want to kill me?”
I said brightly.
He grunted.
“Nope, wives are always shown respect,”
Alessio said as he sat beside me. “You might as well call her Mrs Caruso now.”
I glanced at him curiously. He did this two days after he found out that I was a virgin. Why would he want to commit to marriage?
“What did you say to my Nonno earlier today?”
“I told him I appreciated him looking after you for all these years, and I would do the same and protect you like they have. I also told him Caruso’s marry for life. There will be no divorce,”
he said, taking my hand, and before I knew it, he slipped a ring onto my finger.
I glanced at the large rock on my finger with smaller diamonds twinkling beside it—every woman’s dream, but not mine.
“And do I get a say in my life plans or did you both represent my best interests?”
I asked sarcastically while trying to pull my hand out of his.
“Nope, you gave your consent away two nights ago,”
he said with a smile. “We will be married by the end of the month.”
“I don’t even know you,”
I said to him tightly as I felt my heart rate increase and it had nothing to do with lust.
“That’s why we are going on a date,”
he said before he leaned over to me. “I need to taste every inch of you before I fuck you on our wedding night.”
I nervously cleared my throat and looked at Nero but he was focusing on the road.
Well, that was one way of getting to know someone.
***
The dinner was a pleasant surprise because Alessio behaved like a semi-normal human. He was gruff with waiting staff but he didn’t maim or shoot anyone. I was about to tuck into a strawberry tart when someone came to our table.
“Hey, sorry to interrupt, but you’re Frannie, right?”
A guy in his mid-thirties said.
It took me a few seconds to realise who it was.
“Hi,”
I said with a smile. “Yeah, but I don’t—”
I stopped talking when Alessio stood up to tower over my ex-Viagra customer.
“Walk away,”
Alessio said, but his face was as hard as stone, and his unadulterated fury simmered in his eyes. I glanced at his hands, which were curled into fists. “Now!”
The poor man looked like a deer dazed by an oncoming car’s headlights. I didn’t think he could move. I wondered how to diffuse the situation, so I took my tart and smooshed it over Alessio’s mouth.
“Taste this,”
I said. “It’s delicious.”
Everything went into slow motion as I became the Beast’s target.
My heart pounded as his furious blazing eyes focused on me, but when I looked down at the strawberry glaze and pastry crust smeared on his mouth, it kinda looked hot.
I leaned over the table and pulled him down so I could lick my dessert off his lips.
I traced my tongue over the crumbs and sticky berry jam until I felt his hands grip my cheeks with a growl.
He pressed his lips over mine and smeared my face with the mess before he pushed his tongue into my mouth.
His kiss started slow, but when I pushed my tongue against his and tasted the sweet dessert, I couldn't prevent the moan from escaping.
When his hand moved down to my ass and someone cleared their throat.
“Boss,”
Nero hissed, and I felt Alessio pull back.
The man was gone, and Nero swiftly turned to face the other diners.
His broad build blocked us from curious eyes, but at least my customer was gone.
My hand was covered with my dessert, and I pulled it away from his neck. Alessio caught my hand and sucked my finger into his mouth. I gulped when I saw his lips wrapped around my finger.
Why was this so hot? Did I have a food fetish?
“Who was he, gattino?”
he asked once he pulled my finger out of his mouth.
I glanced at his shoulder and saw the pastry crumbs had fallen from my hand to his pristine suit.
“I sold him Viagra a few times,”
I whispered.
“Hmm,”
he said as he pulled me around the table to sit me on his lap.
I closed my eyes when I felt his stiff cock rub against my ass. The thought of his fingers, tongue, and mouth on me flashed through my mind.
“You’re a very bad girl, Francesca, and I will enjoy drawing out every last bit of that badness out of you in the filthiest way possible,”
he said as he worked his fingers beneath my underwear out.
I think our first date was going well. There was zero blood spilt—so far.