Page 10 of Heartless Vows

“Next time, then. For now, it’s nice to see you again, Aurora,” he says.

His eyes trail up my body as he rises from his slight bow. Bile rises in my throat, but I offer him a polite smile.

As Narciso excuses himself and exits into the sunlight, I take a deep breath to calm myself, but Giorgio’s woodsy cologne fills my nostrils. My heart skips a beat as my mouth waters and sensual thoughts streak through my mind.

“Let’s continue this over lunch, shall we?” Matteo suggests. He takes Bianca by the arm and gestures for my parents to follow them.

My mother gives my father a hate-filled glance as he rests his fingertips on the back of her elbow, but she allows him to guide her down the hall after our hosts.

I flick my gaze up to Giorgio’s face to gauge his reaction, but he’s not watching my parents. With his gaze trained on the front door, he clenches his teeth together before filling his lungs and swinging his eyes to mine. He pierces my soul with his intense stare. The floor drops out from under my feet.

“You won’t faint right in front of me again, will you?”

For an embarrassing moment, my brain relishes the sound of his voice instead of processing his words, but I suck down a steadying breath and swallow my jumbled emotions.

“It depends. Do you plan on starving me, or will you let me go so I can enjoy the meal your mother so graciously planned for us?”

He quirks his brow before shaking his head.

“Neither.”

I scoff at his curt response and try to pull away, but he yanks me toward him so hard I lose my balance. His massive hands close around my upper arms and stop me from crashing into him. For a horrible moment, disappointment streaks through me as his broad chest fills my vision. I want to know how it feels to press against his hard muscles. Common sense kicks in and my anger returns.

I stomp on his foot and shove my fists into his rock hard, unforgiving abs and wince as pain pulses through my knuckles. He snarls and tightens his grip on my arms without giving an inch.

“Really, Aurora? This is what we’re doing?”

Tears of frustration burn my eyes, so I tuck my chin to my chest and pray my hair hides my face.

I can’t breathe. My lungs ache.

This wasn’t at all what I expected from today. Ever since my mother sprung the news on me this morning, I promised myself I’d make it through the day without an ounce of emotion. I would hide behind a mask of indifference and then cry after she locked my door tonight.

I could have done it, too, if it had been any other man besides Giorgio Vivaldi, but it wasn’t.

The moment I saw his chiseled face, my mask crumbled and unwanted memories flooded me. It’s too much.

“But then again, why should I expect anything less from a spoiled little girl who passed out at my feet in the middle of a packed wedding reception?”

His mocking words help me gather and weld together the pieces of my broken mask. I suck down a ragged breath and fight against his hold.

“Just let me go,” I half plead, half demand through gritted teeth.

“No. I’m a man of my word,mia topolina, and I don’t enjoy repeating myself, so make it easier on yourself and stop fighting me,” he rumbles in a voice I shouldn’t find sexy, but the deep vibrations travel straight to my core.

I squeak as he pivots and tucks me against his side. His heavy hand settles on my waist as his massive body dwarves mine.

Every nerve in my body sparks to life as awareness spears through me. He could crush me without even trying. I feeltiny and vulnerable pressed against him. Our size difference astounds me.

Then his words sink in through my lust, and indignant fury wells up from my depths.

“Mia topolina?” I scoff and elbow his side, but bite back a hiss when I realize I might as well be hitting granite. “I’m not a mouse, and I’m definitely not yours, so don’t call me that.”

His only response is a noncommittal hum and a tightening of his fingers around my waist. He starts forward, and with reluctant steps, I follow his lead. Halfway down the hall, I realize he was telling the truth.

He neither plans to starve nor release me.

With a few demeaning words and even less effort, this jerk stole my sense of control and proved his dominance over me.

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