Page 34 of Ruined in Vows

She throws me a knowing look. “I wouldn’t expect anything less. But…” concern flashes in her eyes. “What are you going to do about Riccardo?”

Athena is the only other person outside of my family and the commission that knows about my arranged marriage to Riccardo. I didn’t want to tell her, but after my breaking down one night at her house, I told her everything. She has always been aware of who my family is, and what they do. It’s hard to keep it a secret when anywhere you go on the East Coast, everyone knows the Marchetti name.

“I don’t know. I’m pretty sure that if he isn’t behind this whole thing then he is at least involved in some way. He is one of the only people with something to gain from Dante being dead. I think he knew I wouldn’t go through with it had Dante been alive.”

“Have you voiced your suspicions to Nico?”

Nodding, I answer honestly. “We spoke briefly before we went to the Grand Canyon. Just as I thought, he has the same views. He told me to leave it with him. Until we know what we are dealing with, there isn’t much I can do but try and convince Dante of who he is when he visits again today.”

Athena smiles. “You’ve got this, Allegra. If anyone can do it, it's you. I mean, you never gave up in your pursuit of him and you won in the end.”

Chuckling, I shake my head. She is right. It took years, but I got what I wanted in the end. If I have to start from the beginning, once more, then I will – even if everything feels hopeless right now.

“Yeah,” I murmur my agreement, picking at invisible lint on the comforter.

Athena clears her throat. “On another note.” The uncertainty in her voice has my eyes snapping up to hers. A mischievous look passes in her brown orbs, and my brow raises in silent question. Athena rolls her eyes, grinning. “What do you think the chances of me hooking up with Matteo are?”

Eyes widening in shock, - because frankly, I did not expect that to come out of her mouth - I burst out laughing. This is why Athena is my best friend. Because she always manages to make me laugh when I don’t even feel like smiling.

“Oh, I love you girl,” I say, wiping the moisture under my eyes. “If you want, I can talk to him for you?”

She smiles wide, waggling her brows. “Nah. I think it will be more fun to play with him.”

Shaking my head at her antics, I warn, “Matteo is very loyal to Nico. He might not go for it after all the stuff you pulled with my brother.”

Athena shrugs. “I can only try. And anyway, I can see now that what I felt for Nico was a stupid crush. I feel… I don’t know. There was definitely something there when we sat together at dinner the other night,” she muses.

I search her face, my stomach sinking at the adoration shining in her eyes. Though she had a crush on Nico, this seems different. I just hope she doesn’t get hurt. I wasn’t lying when I said Matteo is loyal to Nic. He has heard every bad word mybrother has said about my best friend and if Nico doesn’t want him getting involved with Athena, then she will have no chance.

I don’t know why Nico has so much animosity toward her. Yeah, she has been blatant in her flirtations with him, even in front of Ocean, but it’s harmless. And after having a word with her about showing respect toward my sister-in-law, she all but stopped going after him. She will never get him, even if he wasn’t married, and Athena knows that. If she is flirty now, it’s more of a joke, to rile him up.

Nico knows that.

Ocean knows that.

My sister-in-law, being the rational person she is, all but laughs it off and has no ill will toward Athena. They are even friendly, and she has joined us on several of our girls’ nights at home. If Ocean thought of Athena as any kind of threat to her relationship, then she wouldn’t be so nice or show any kind of patience toward her.

“Go for it if that’s what you want. I’m just saying, be prepared for him to rebuff your advances.”

She turns to me with a sly smile. “For what I have planned, he won’t be able to resist me.”

Laughing, my voice is a purr when I say, “Get it, girl.”

Athena giggles. “Oh, I will. And you will be my wing woman,” she states, more than asks. “But first we have to get you prepared for your next meeting with Dante. It’s time to pull out the big guns. Did you bring any clothes with you that might jog his memory? Anything special, that he liked seeing you in?”

Wracking my brain, my cheeks heat when I remember something. Though nothing happened past the desperation of wanting each other, I remember when he came back to the estate one night with my brother and caught me on the landing in my sexiest nightwear. A white, lace, Cami nightdress, that finished just above my knees.

Dante sucked in a breath at the sight of me and within mere seconds had closed the distance between us. His chest heaved; eyes were bright with lust. His large hand gripped my neck, as he pushed his face into mine. We were so close, the smell of liquor, whiskey if I were to guess, fanned across my face as my heart beat wildly.

“What are you wearing?” he rasped.

I swallowed, so turned on that I struggled to talk. “My nightdress.”

“Hmm,” he hummed, brushing his nose against mine. His free hand traveled down to my thigh, startling me. Dante had never been this way with me before. Yes, things had changed between us since my eighteenth birthday but this was more. Like he had finally lost all self-control. I wanted him to move his hand higher. Touch me between my legs where he would find me wet. I was so turned on, moisture dripped into my lace panties.

His thumb rubbed small circles on my skin, his forehead pressed to mine. “You look good enough to eat,” he growled.

“Eat me then,” I breathed.

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