“He’s my husband…so yes.” She was in denim jeans and a white blouse, her hair pulled back in an elegant but sexy look.
He leaned toward her. “Between you and me, I don’t know what you see in him. I’m much better looking.” He waggled his eyebrows. “And I’ve got a bigger dick too.”
“Then that must be uncomfortable,” she countered. “Because if Hades were any bigger, he wouldn’t fit.” With her head held high, she got into the back seat of the SUV and shut the door behind her.
Damien’s eyes were wide with shock, and he shifted his gaze to me, his mouth agape.
I winked before I opened the back door. “She’s got a mouth on her, doesn’t she?”
After a short flight, we landed in Rome then drove to our hotel.
A hotel I’d acquired through marriage.
Sofia examined every inch of the lobby, watching the employees behind the counter, checking the freshness of the flowers, and going over everything with a meticulous gaze.
After we checked in, we were given the biggest suite in the place, the presidential suite at the very top of the hotel. We didn’t need five thousand square feet of space, especially when we would only use the room for sex.
We entered the room, and our luggage was placed in the walk-in closet. Then we were left alone, admiring the expansive view of the city from the top of the building. Sofia opened the back doors and stepped outside onto the enormous patio, walking by the private pool and hot tub to the iron railing. It was past noon in the city, so the sun was high in the sky and people flooded the sidewalks as they lived their lives. The Colosseum was visible in the distance.
I came up beside her. “Ever been to Rome?”
“A few times.”
“Beautiful place.”
“Yeah…” A slight breeze moved through her hair, pulling at the loose strands that didn’t stay pinned back.
Rome was one of my territories for my operation. Or at least, it had been until I’d made that deal with Maddox. I’d been thinking about my dilemma every single day since I’d agreed to it, tempted to do exactly what Damien advised. But it was so dangerous…and could blow up in my face. I wanted to fight for what was mine, but I didn’t want to lose everything either.
“What now?” she asked.
Nothing happened during the day, so I’d make my move this evening. I didn’t have a concrete plan for when I approached my brother. No matter what I did, he would be livid to see me, might even shoot me. But that was a risk I had to take. “We could go to lunch. Do some shopping.”
She pivoted her body toward me, her head tilted to the side. “Hades Lombardi shopping? I can’t picture that.”
“I wouldn’t be the one shopping. I would be the one taking you shopping. Buying you pretty things and holding your bags.”
“I can buy my own things, and I can definitely hold my own bags.”
“But why bother when your husband can do those things for you?” She turned me into a weak man, a guy who wanted to bend over backward to give her the world. I could pay someone to escort her around town, but I wanted to be the one to do it.
Her eyes narrowed slightly as she looked at me. “Because I want my husband for other things.”
We had lunch at a small bistro then walked the streets to window-shop. It was the first time we’d spent the entire day together under the sun, doing something normal couples did on a daily basis. I watched her examine clothes and jewelry, rarely buying anything because she was selective in her purchases. Whatever she did buy, she held the bag and never asked for my help.
When we headed back to the hotel, I grabbed her hand and held it in mine.
Her fingers squeezed mine back.
A thrill went up my spine when I touched her, when I felt the pulse of her fingertips. Sometimes I forgot that this was real, that I really had the woman I’d wanted since the moment I saw her. Now that I knew she was destined to share half of my soul, I cherished her even more.
I’d been dreading this confrontation with my brother, but when I held her hand like this, I remembered what I was fighting for. “Still think I came here to have an affair?” I couldn’t keep the smartass remark inside my mouth even though we were having a good moment.
She sighed beside me. “I told you I didn’t mean that.”
“I’m still going to make you regret saying that.” We crossed the street and approached the entrance to the hotel.
“Well, I already do regret it.” She tugged on my hand and made me stop in front of the large doors that led to the hotel. She looked up at me, her bag resting in the crook of her elbow. “I’m sorry, alright?” Sincerity shone in her eyes, and that apologetic look made her even more desirable.