Page 67 of Not Mine to Keep

Frankie and Leo were currently with Alessandro’s security team going over things, and Alessandro’s meeting was in an hour, so we didn’t have much more time alone. So if I had questions for him, now was the time to ask them.

I spied a couch that looked out of place alongside one wall, wondering if that was the pull-out bed he’d said he wanted to buy before we arrived. His people really did work fast.

“I should take the couch,” I said at the sight of his king-size bed, which had a gunmetal-gray comforter, a perfect match to his steely eyes.

Facing me, he adjusted the knot of his red tie. It was the first time I’d seen the man wear color. “No. You’ll take the bed.”

“Maybe I don’t want to, considering how many miles it must have on it.” Welp, if Alessandro hid his inner teddy bear beneath layers of “asshole,” then I hid my sweet side with sarcasm and sass.

“Zero miles.” He emphasized his comment by making anOwith his hand. “I had my assistant buy a new mattress in case you had such ideas. Not that I’ve ever slept overnight with anyone in my room.”

“I didn’t mean sleep-sleep.” Trying to push away the unwanted feelings of jealousy that other women had been in this room, moaning out his name, I rasped, “You probably have a sex room, anyway. Or a separate apartment for hookups?”

“Gee, tell me what you really think of me,” he ground out, then began muttering in Italian.

“I just want to make sure I never accidentally walk in on you doing it somewhere in this maze of a penthouse. Is there a certain room I should avoid?”

He stalked across the hardwood and came before me, that angry look he sported so well on display—tense jaw, flared nostrils, and disdain in his eyes.

“I know you can’t let the guards see you with someone else, but I’m not naive enough to think you’re going to go all summer without sex.” I slapped my arms across my chest, feeling the need to put up a guard with him so close and staring at me like I was next on his kill list.

“There’s one thing you need to know about me.” He pointed at his chest. “I may have a certain reputation when it comes to women, but I’m not a cheat. And before you say I don’t do relationships to have ever had a chance to cheat, so I don’t know if I can be faithful—I do, in fact, know,” he gritted out. “And there are no sex rooms here, dammit.” I opened my mouth to say something, but then he leaned in and added, “So let me be crystal clear. I will not touch or so much as look at another woman while we’re married. End of story.”

“But what about your needs? You’re giving up sex for me? For a job? I don’t think I can ask you to do that.” Although, the idea of him being with another woman made me sick, not that I had a right to feel that way.

“Do you plan to have sex with anyone else while you’re my wife?” His bladed jawline became an edge you could sharpen a dull knife on as he stared at me.

“Of course not.”

The slight droop of his shoulders let me know he was relieved to hear that. “As for my needs, I can go three months without sex. It’s not your problem to worry about.”

So our hands will be busy all summer?Thankfully, I kept that comment trapped in my head.

“I have to make a few calls before I leave,” he said after a deep exhalation.

“And I’m safe here?”

“Do you think I’d go if I thought otherwise?”

Fair enough.

“No one would dare mess with my family in this city. My security is also keeping tabs on your father’s men. If they touch you, my men have my permission to kill them,” he quickly shared, no change in his tone of voice. Well, not until he added, “And we have eyes on your aunt.” He cleared his throat, and before I could thank him about protecting my aunt, he threw me off by adding, “Rocco, too, in case he gets any revenge ideas.”

Revenge ideas?

“We’ll talk about him later,” he said, reading my thoughts, then he turned and went for the door, only to abruptly stop and position his hand on the wall instead of leaving. “There’s a gym downstairs if you need to unwind. Release some ... tension.”

Sounds like you do.

“Also, third door down on your left, there’s a music room. I had the team bring your equipment here. And the chef will be here at sixto cook for you. You have my number if there’s a problem. But don’t wait up for me.”

He left before I could summon a response.Music room?He sure as hell was making this an attractive prison, even if he didn’t want to refer to it as one.

I didn’t waste time and followed his directions to get to the music room.

Talk about living inside a fantasy. Not the land of Delulu, either. This room, thislife, was real. Well, temporarily real.

The clouds must’ve only been hanging out on the other side of the penthouse—and he occupied the entire floor—because light streamed in through the ceiling-to-floor glass windows, casting a glow over the instruments.

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