Page 26 of Unforgettable Billionaire (The Hardcore Novels: Special Editions #3)

When we finally return to the stables, the ranch hands stop working and watch as we ride back in.

Paolini comes out of the barn and greets us.

He asks how it worked out. Aurei tells him beautifully, and they agree to do it again tomorrow.

"I will put two men on it at daybreak and have Caesar ready before he is needed.

" We tie the horses up and follow him back to the barn.

As we walk back through the stables, I can feel eyes watching me.

"I think you've impressed the whole lot."

"Fully clothed too!" I take his hand and cinch our fingers.

"I have multiple talents." Then I swing them between us as we walk back to the house.

I feel his phone vibrate in my pocket, and I dig it out.

"You've got a call coming in, Sir," I tell him in my secretary voice.

"Shall I answer it for you, or will you take it yourself? "

"I'll take it." He smirks, then looks down and frowns.

When he answers, he speaks Italian, drops his head, and veers off the path.

He leans against the fence and puts one leg on it.

I can tell this is going to be a long conversation, so I decide to work too.

I dig my own phone out and walk away from him.

I can feel his eyes on me. I set my phone down on top of the fence post and turn on "Happy.

" I review the video, then put it on loop.

I need to make sure I impress James when I do it for him the first time.

I step back into the path and start. My mind fills with the images, my ears hear the melody, and my heart takes up the beat.

My body expresses them all. The hand gestures flow, pouring through me, and I lose myself in the music.

My gift and my talent pour out with passion.

For the four minutes of the song, I become one with it.

Pharrell Williams and everyone else melds into me.

When I reach the most challenging point, I manage to move between the two with lightning-fast reflexes, then pull it off flawlessly.

I know I'm going to fucking own my return!

I bounce right up and give the rest of the wiggling body dance exuberant love!

When I spin around and around at the end, I can hear the crowd clapping.

I finish with a pretend hat pinch and come out of my dance trance.

There's clapping!

I focus my eyes on a table under the giant tent and see two beautiful people clapping. One is a man that looks exactly like my Golden God, only older. The other is a petite black-haired woman.

They must be Bob and Zita. I grin at them and take a bow.

They rise from their chairs, and I glance at Aurei.

He sees what's happening and pushes off the fence.

He hangs up the phone and waves to them.

I stand exactly where I am, frozen to the spot from nerves and fear, waiting for the Moore's to join me.

The moment of truth is here, and I'm not ready to meet the parents.

I'm scared to death to be introduced to Aurei's parents. My heart races, and my palms get sweaty. The label whore echoes around and around in my head.

What kind of impression did my dancing just make? Was I too erotic? I don't know. I wasn't paying attention! Are they going to like me or not? Sweet Zeus! Hurry Aurei! I don't want to do this alone!

I remember Ann and Bob's text that Zita was pissed about me, but I also remember her text, and it didn't sound too pissed. But I remember Mia screaming into the phone too.

Zita doesn't look like a screamer either. She looks quiet and beautiful. Her eyes are the same soft brown as Antonio's. Carmel color. Her olive skin is flawless. She carries herself with excellent posture, and I see where Aurei gets his fluid motion from. She is elegant and graceful.

My attention turns to Bob. He strolls alongside Zita as if he doesn't have a care in the world, but I notice his eyes have the same hawkish alertness that Aurei's have.

Maybe it's the military influence, or maybe it's just who they are, but either way, nothing gets by him. He observes everything, and he is in silent command of everyone around him while appearing to be uninvolved.

Aurei reaches me before they do and says as he puts his arm protectively around me. "Relax, Baby Thang. I got this. I got you."

I look up to see him smiling sweetly down on me, and my heart hurts from loving him so much.

"You look like you are about to run away. Smile. Remember, they love me and want me to be happy. And you make me happy."

I take a deep breath and smile up into his face.

"That's better," he grins.

"I love you," I whisper up to him.

He grins at his parents but whispers back, "I love you too." Then out loud, "Zita, Bob, I want you to meet Siri Wright. Siri, this is my Dad, Bob."

Bob extends his hand. "Welcome, Siri. We are pleased you are here with Aurei and honored to meet you."

I shake his hand. "The honor is mine, Sir."

He takes a step back and looks at his son. He gives him a little wink.

Aurei introduces me to his mother. "Siri, this is my Mom, Zita."

I look at her and find her eyes are narrowed. She is studying me with a perplexed look on her face. Then she looks at Aurei and says, "Siri Wright? Why didn't you tell me? How long have you two been seeing each other behind our backs?"

"Ma'am?" He asks, completely taken aback.

She looks at me and asks, "Does Carrie know, or did you keep it a secret from your Mother too?" She cuts her eyes at Aurei.

My mouth falls open, and I look at Aurei too, who looks as stunned as I am. We share a 'What The Fuck' moment, and then we both look back at Zita while Bob chuckles.

Zita opens her arms to me. "I play tennis with your mother. If she knew and didn't tell me…." She shakes her head. I step into her arms, and she gives me a sweet hug. "How is she? I haven't seen her since the accident."

"She's good as new. She and Daddy are on a sailing trip around the Virgin Islands this summer."

She releases me then hugs her son. Play slapping him, first. "Now it all makes sense. Why you kept going out to Vegas instead of visiting us. You were flying out to see Siri."

"Busted." His eyes crinkle, and he cuts them at me. I smirk at the real truth, and my eyes twinkle into his. "I can't wait to hear how you two met. Isn't it funny how small the world is?"

Bob steps up and takes Zita by the hand. "Marco should have lunch ready by now, Zita. Let's go in, and we can get acquainted while we eat."

She grins at me. "He takes good care of me."

"I can see that." I smile as they walk away.

"See, I told you so. Nothing to worry about." Aurei scoops me off my feet. Zita looks back at us and smiles as big and beautiful as her son.

He spins me around, and I can't help the giggles that come out, but when he sets me down, I fuss at him.

"For the love of Zeus! My mother tells everyone I'm a big shot headliner in a special Vegas dance troupe.

How are we going to tell them I'm a stripper?

They think I'm a good girl from Alabama who made a name for herself from our little redneck town. Not Seary, the Sex Pot."

His eyes laugh at my overreaction. "Don't worry about it."

"Don't worry about it? Are you fucking kidding me? And blindside them? No way! As soon as everyone starts arriving, they will hear the truth. We have to tell them now before they hear it from someone else. I won't have them shocked that way. That's not fair to them. No! We tell them. Now."

"I agree. They want to know how we met, and we will tell them the truth."

"Oh great! The truth! That you saw me giving a lap dance to some other dude in a strip club in Vegas and booked me, but I vanished before we could fuck, only to have Karma bring us together in Alabama months later, and we fell in love at first sight?

Sweet Zeus! Our story sounds crazy even to me!

" He laughs out loud at me, and I swat his chest. "It isn't funny! "

"Yes, it is.

"No, it's not. This is going to shock the shit out of them! I just hope that if they don't die from it, they won't hate me." I lay my forehead on his chest with a thud, and his arms slide around me.

"Listen, Siri. You have to trust me. I got this, ok?" He hugs me tight. "It's going to be ok. A month from now, none of this will matter, and a year from now, we will all be laughing about it."

"You are being naive, Aurei."

He laughs. "No, I'm being real."

My arms slip around his small waist, and I pull him tight against me.

"Why can't erotic dancing be seen as an artistic form of lovemaking instead of an expression of lust?

Why does it have to be perceived as dirty?

" I take a deep breath and let it out with a heavy sigh.

"Why is my life so fucking complicated?"

His hands slide from my ass, up my arms, and to each side of my neck.

His thumbs slide over my necklace, and he kisses the top of my head.

"Look at me," he whispers. I tip my face to his, and he places sweet little butterfly kisses on it as his fingers slide to hold my face captive.

"There is nothing too complicated for two hearts that choose to be together.

It's the choice that makes it work. Your words.

Not mine. We have chosen each other. I know you.

You know me. Everyone else, including my parents, and the entire Liotine family, if they don't like it, fuck 'em! "

I can't help but smile at him. "You state that so eloquently."

"You are mio Bella Signorina, don't fucking forget it!" His lips touch mine, and his kiss shuts out the world. Us. When he lets me go, he smiles his beautiful smile at me. "Better?"

"Yes, Sir. Better."

Inside, Marco has lunch prepared, and the table is set for the four of us in the sunroom just off the kitchen. Zita and Bob are already seated when we enter, holding hands. Their smiles are so warm and happy towards me. I hate the thought that I will be a disappointment to them now.