I grabbed a plate and loaded it with tiny pieces of food that were decorated in a way that made me almost sad to devour them. I gave Giovanni a smile. “You chose the right place.” I toasted him with a piece of prawn.
It took him a moment to gather himself. “And you didn’t,” he said, straightening and looking more confident now that the attention of half of the room was on us. Did he think that would protect him? I’d kicked people’s asses in more awkward situations before.
“Oh, I have a penchant for the wrong choices,” I said, my voice harder than before. “But I made one perfect decision.” I looked pointedly at Marcella who glanced my way. I could see her confusion and worry over my conversation with her ex.
“Marcella will realize soon enough that you are the wrong choice, White. She wants a man with manners at her side, someone who won’t embarrass her in public.”
“Most of all she wants a man who isn’t too scared to show her how much he appreciates her even if it means pissing off Luca Vitiello.”
The hint of embarrassment crossed Giovanni’s face. “If people find out she’s with you, she’ll be ruined.”
“You don’t know anything about Marcella if you think anything or anyone could ruin this woman.” I ate another prawn before I put my plate down. “Oh and one more thing, don’t go near Marcella if you know what’s good for you. She’s no longer your woman.”
She’s mine. My eyes said what I couldn’t—yet.
I nodded at him and at Luca across the room before I sauntered back over to Marcella, who looked like she needed saving from Giovanni’s parents.
“Please excuse us. We have matters to discuss,” she said and motioned for me to lead the way to the bar before anyone could protest.
We settled at the bar and Marcella ordered a Cosmopolitan for herself, obviously needing something stronger than bubbly wine. I got a whiskey neat for myself which teased a quick grin out of her which she masked quickly, lest someone realized she wasn’t as emotionless as she liked to pretend.
“What?” I asked after I’d taken a sip from my drink.
“None of my other bodyguards would ever drink on the job.”
“I’m not really your bodyguard,” I said quietly. The meeting with Giovanni made me resent this charade even more. I wanted to claim Marcella as mine in front of everyone.
“What are you then?” She stepped closer, an almost challenging gleam in her eyes. I could feel the eyes of half the people in the room settling on us, even the few that hadn’t paid us any attention before.
“Your noble servant, Snow White,” I said with a wry smile and took another nip from my drink. I had only eyes for the woman in front of me now and the way she looked at me, like she considered me hers as much as I considered her mine.
She shook her head, taking another step closer. “More.”
“I’m more, or you want more?” I asked.
“Both,” she said quietly, stopping right in front of me. Now we had the attention of pretty much the entire room.
“Kiss me,” she said, taking me by surprise. Not that I hadn’t been thinking about doing it.
“You sure? Some of these old ladies look as if that’s more action than they got in years. They’ll talk shit about you.”
“I don’t care what they say. You are my man and we’ve hidden it for too long. I’m sick of bowing to their whims, of being a slave to their rules, of hiding. If my family can accept us, then they better do.”
“Snow White, if we do this, I won’t ever let you go. I’ll be yours till I die. You can have my heart, my soul, my life, and everything else you want from me.”
“I’ll take them all,” she said haughtily before her face softened and those luscious lips pulled into a smile.
I set the glass down, wrapped one arm around Marcella’s slim waist and kissed her, and not a chaste kiss either. I laid my claim on the princess of New York before all of their judgmental eyes, hoping they’d choke on their shock.
The kiss lasted only for a couple of heartbeats, a fleeting moment in time, but with consequences for the rest of our lives.
Marcella had made a choice that would earn her many people’s condemnation.
She showed the world that I was the man at her side, no matter what anyone else said.
And their expressions left no doubt to what they thought. I was beneath them, and certainly beneath the princess of New York. I gave them a cold smile. As long as Marcella wanted me by her side, I sure as hell would be at her side. Fuck. I’d probably still stay even if she didn’t want me anymore. That woman had me wrapped around her perfectly manicured fingers and she certainly knew it.