“Sure thing, boss.”
“I’ll be right up.”
Jenna’s gaze trails to Sondra. I haven’t made the introduction. What in the fuck am I going to say? There’s seriously nothing I can say that won’t permanently fuck me over with one or both of them.
She doesn’t look suspicious—more curious—but the undercurrent of tension is so thick between us, it’s a wonder we can see through it.
Tony puts a hand on Jenna’s lower back and escorts her away and I blow out my breath.
Sondra’s turned pale, her expression flat.
“She’s the daughter of another don in Chicago,” I say as soon as she’s out of earshot. “I don’t know what she wants, but I have to meet with her. I will keep it brief.”
Alarm flashes over Sondra’s face and I know I’ve said the exact wrong thing.
For the life of me, though, I can’t figure out how to dissipate this burgeoning disaster.
“Sondra?” I tuck a knuckle under her chin.
She jerks away.
“No.” I make my voice firm. I have no idea why I chose to go hard with her, instead of coaxing, but it seems to work. She obeys the authority in my voice and turns back. I shake my head. “You think I’m fucking that girl, don’t you?”
Her head wobbles on her neck. “Are you?” The tremor in her voice kills me.
“I’ve never touched her. Ever. Do you trust me?”
I hold my breath. Of course she doesn’t fucking trust me. If she did, she wouldn’t look like I just killed her kitten.
She shrugs. “I don’t know, Nico. I have a bad history with this.”
“I know.” I step into her space and grip her shoulders, showing how serious I am with the intensity of my gaze. “That’s why I froze when she ambushed us. I didn’t want you to get the wrong impression.”
I see her waver. I’m making headway.
“Please trust me. I’m going to find out what she wants and get rid of her. I will not cheat on you. Ever. Can you believe that?”
Her lips tremble slightly, but she lifts her chin. “I want to. I just don’t know.”
I nod. That’s probably as good as I’m going to get.
“I will prove it to you. Just give me a chance, okay, baby? I can’t lose you now. I can’t.” I try to show her one small fraction of the vulnerability she offers me.
Her eyelashes flutter and she nods. I cup her face and kiss her—the most gentle kiss I’ve laid on her. It’s as sweet as a promise. As sacred as a blessing.
She doesn’t return it at first, but then she softens, moves her lips against mine. I stroke her hair. “Will you be in your suite?”
She nods.
“I’ll find you there.”
I kiss her again and leave.
Fuck. Now if only I can manage not to start a war over Jenna Pachino.
Jenna
My mother wanted to come with me. My father wanted to send Alex as a bodyguard, but I refused. Being sent to visit my fiancé accompanied by the only man who’s ever made my heart beat faster would make a difficult situation impossible.
I have a plan and after what I just saw down in the lobby, I think it just might work.
The trouble is, I don’t know Nico Tacone at all. I’ve seen him at family parties, weddings and funerals, but I avoided him like the plague.
And he seemed to avoid me right back.
At least that’s what I’m banking on.
So I sit in a plush chair outside his office with his pitbull Tony standing bodyguard at the door and try to get my heart out of my throat.
He doesn’t make me wait long. Tacone arrives and holds the door open for me, the picture of gentlemanly manners.
I wipe my hands on my black jean skirt and enter.
“I heard you graduated,” Tacone says politely. “Congratulations.” He waves me into a chair across from his desk and takes a seat.
I swallow down the lump in my throat. “Thank you.” My hands tangle in my lap. My lips feel too dry. “My father says it’s time for us to marry,” I blurt.
Tacone’s face remains blank, but I swear I see a muscle jump in his cheek.
“Are you—” I suck in a breath. “Are you prepared to marry me?”
Shoot. That was the wrong thing to say. Now I put him on the spot. He can’t say no without offending my family.
He blinks at me. “Jenna—”
“Wait,” I cut in. “I don’t want to know the answer to that question. What I want to say, is…”
He’s staring at me with polite brown eyes. There’s really nothing wrong with this man. He seems quite nice. He’s beyond rich. Definitely good-looking.
I should want to marry him. Especially considering how much it means to my father.
But I’m a bad daughter.
I want what I can’t have—Alex.
“Would you consider releasing me from the contract?”
Tacone’s brows shoot up to his hairline. “Yes.” The word bursts out of him. Maybe I’m reading too much into it, but I imagine I hear the relief of twenty years of the same anxiety I’ve felt.