Page 43 of Doll Face

Her mouth dropped open for a moment before sanity returned and she closed it with a snap. What the fuck? Matteo frowned at his father, a look of disgust briefly crossing over his features before returning to that blank mask he seemed to have perfected. It gave her the impression that all wasn’t quite so copacetic between them.

“How flattering,” she said, being careful not to put the revulsion of that idea in her response. This was the man who had beat her, tortured her. He had put the muzzle of his gun in her face and pulled the trigger. If it hadn’t been for Gunner sabotaging it, she’d be dead. The need to pick up the serrated cutting knife resting on the breakfast cart and stab him over and over until he was a bloody pulp on her floor was strong. It took all her strength to not give into temptation.

At that moment, Pietro’s phone rang and he pulled it from his pocket, glancing down at the screen. “I have to take this call,” he said.

“There’s an office through those doors,” she said, pointing to French doors at the far side of the room. Without another word, he hurried to it and entered, closing the door behind him.

Leaving her and her ex-lover alone.

“There’s a third option.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Are you about to say to not get married?”

“Seems obvious. The terms of the contract could be laid to rest with your grandmother.”

She’d like nothing more, but that wasn’t part of the plan.

“Look,” he said harshly, interrupting her thoughts. “There’s no need to prolong this farce of a merger.”

“I’m not sure your father would like that.”

“My life doesn’t belong to my father,” he said roughly. “You’re a rich, beautiful woman who can have anything in the world.”

“True, but that’s not how our world works, is it?”

Anger flared on his face before he quickly blanked it out. “You can’t tell me you want to marry me.”

“No, I don’t,” she admitted. “But there is a caveat to my grandmother’s will.”

His brow furrowed. “What kind of caveat?”

“She wanted me to marry you. Why? I’ve not a clue. But in order for me to gain my full trust fund, I have to follow her wishes.”

“So, it’s about money?”

She folded her arms across her chest. “Isn’t it always? Look, I don’t expect much from you. After we say our I do’s you can resume your life, and fuck whoever catches your fancy.”

His eyes narrowed. “Is that what you plan to do? Fuck whoever you want?”

“I’m not sure why you’re so upset,” she said. “Most men would jump at the chance for their wife to give them the go-ahead on new pussy.”

He rose and headed from the house, through the open bifold glass door to skirt around the pool as he stared at the deep blue sea. Gianna followed, unsure what was going on with Matteo.

“What’s wrong?” she demanded as she stood next to him.

“You,” he muttered under his breath. “You’re the wrong fucking person.” Whether or not he wanted her to hear that was up for debate. He ran his hand through his hair, disheveling the strands. “Fuck it. If this marriage is what you really want, then I’ll agree. But I have conditions.”

She turned to fully face him, crossing her arms over her chest. “And they are?”

“This marriage will be a real one. We can start out getting to know one another, but eventually, I will need children.”

“Need? Not want?”

“I’ll need an heir. So, until I get that, I insist on fidelity. If you have an itch, it’ll be me who scratches it.”

That surprised her. “Seriously? You want me to be faithful while you won’t be? No, I don’t think so.”

“I have no desire to bed any random pussy.”

---