Page 75 of Guarded

“I’m sure you can come up with something more endearing than ‘Bruh,’” he says.

“What about Valiente?” I laugh.

“Try harder.”

I purse my lips out to think. I never gave anyone a pet name before, so I wasn’t sure how this went. He had an array of names for me, and I was struggling to find one for him.

“Is it that big of a deal?” I ask, staring at his fallen face. “Are you really pouting over a nickname?”

He rolls his eyes. I walk to him and stand on my tiptoes to kiss his cheek. I cup his face in my palm.

“Ya mi bebé.” I coo, and his lips twitch, fighting to let his smile break through.

That’s enough for me. I knew the light in his eyes when something pleased him. Nero loves to play this dominant man in the bedroom, but the man is a sucker for my romancing ways.

What can I say? I’m a lover girl at my core.

The elevator doors open, and we return to our friendly mannerisms. He walks ahead of me, and I walk cluelessly behind him. When we reach the penthouse door, a man is waiting outside with a bouquet of red roses, a gift box, and a garment bag in his hand.

“Good Morning, Miss Reyes. These are from Councilman Cuevas. For tomorrow night, I need you to sign here.”

I grab the clipboard and sign my name. Nero has already made his way into the penthouse. Guapo barks at me to let him down. When I enter the penthouse, Nero is already in the shower.

I take the items to my room. Roses were not my thing. Unless they were pink, but even then, I would only tolerate them. Carnations were overlooked, but I vowed them as the superior flower. Roses withered quickly, but Carnations endured for weeks.

I set the vase on my end table and open the attached card.

Ariella,

I apologize for not reaching out sooner. My workdays often consume my time, but I am eager for us to meet and begin a life together. I hope you do not mind me taking the liberty to find you a dress for tomorrow’s event.

I look forward to meeting you.

Con Cariño,

Preston

I hang the garment bag up and take out the dress. It’s absolutelynotstunning. I stand there in horror at the maroon evening gown.

Obviously, I preferred pink, but I wasn’t completely opposed to other colors. I also liked white, black, and floral prints, and I could do a maroon.Maybe. But this looked like a mother-of-the-bride kind of dress. My mother wouldn’t be caught dead in this.

I turn it around thinking maybe it was backless.No.

A slit, maybe?Also no.

“That’s the most hideous dress I’ve ever seen,” the dark voice says from behind me.

I turn to see Nero holding Guapo. He makes no effort to hide his repulsion.

“Ya. I mean, it was a nice gesture.” I falter, unsure what to make of the dress.

Nero’s brows pull close, creating a deep crease in his forehead.

“You’re not really going to fucking wear that, are you?” he questions me, taking another harrowing look at the dress.

Something about his tone is unnerving. The same man who keeps reminding me that I’m getting married and that this whole thing is a distraction for him should not be as upset as he is.

“I didn’t know you were so worried about what I wore now.” I walk toward him and grab Guapo before walking past him back to the kitchen.

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