Page 32 of Forbidden Lord
Charles held out his hand to shake like they were equals. “You’re right. Charles Esposito.”
Matteo shook his hand again though he’d done it once when Charles had walked into his house. “Mr. Esposito, how may I help you?”
“Help?” Charles winked. “Ideally I’d love for you to divorce Sheena so she’d come home with me.”
Matteo’s hands curled into fists. Chelsea gently held him still though Stefano stood at his side like he’d help with whatever he chose to do next. Matteo tensed, ready for a fight. “Not going to happen. Sheena is mine and I don’t share, with anyone.”
Charles shrugged his shoulders uncaring that Matteo wanted to throttle him as he said, “I thought as much. I’m hoping you’ll explain to me why you decided to follow your archaic marriage laws?”
Stefano broke the stand-off as he asked, “Are you in line to inherit something?”
Charles had a twinkle in his expression like everything was a joke as he said to all three of them, “Good question and who knows? I was curious about you and why you chose to marry instead of just living your life.”
Nothing about this man was a good match for Sheena. She was clearly better off with him. Matteo recited his pedigree with pride. “I like being a count, and my country estate, and the position. I was raised to be a count.” By someone who had no idea what to do, but Matteo kept that to himself.
Charles sipped his wine and didn’t move off despite the chill coming from Matteo. “Must be nice to know you’re important.”
Matteo saw the princesses and then his wife finally emerge. It was time to end these trivialities. “I’m not important. My people are. Now if you’ll excuse me. My wife is looking for me.”
Chelsea and Stefano didn’t breathe a word as he took a step forward, but Charles laughed. “You clearly live a charmed life, Lord Golchin.”
Charmed? Hardly. Yes, he’d been lucky he’d married Sheena, but now that he had, he refused to let her go. It was time he told her exactly how he felt.
Sheena patted her hair like something was out of place but she seemed perfect to him. She asked, “Were you talking to Charles?”
She’d seen him halfway across the room. His stomach tightened. Perhaps she’d looked for Charles, not him. He offered his arm to stroll the ballroom together. “Yes. It seems he wants you to leave me and go with him.”
She flinched and lost the color in her cheeks. “How silly!”
Doubt was like a plague of gnats that grew in density until he couldn’t see in front of his face. “That’s not what you want?”
She stilled and tugged on his arm. “Absolutely not.”
The surety in her voice made him wrap his arms around her. “Good, because I told him you were mine.”
The brightness of her gaze made him pause and she batted her eyelashes at him. “You said I was yours?”
Sheena looked so very intense that he squared his shoulders and asked, “Is that a problem?”
Her mouth curved into a huge smile as she stood on her tiptoes and said, “No, it’s kind of sexy actually.”
Heat coursed through him and he hugged her but saw how the ballroom was full of guests—guests watching them. He whispered in her ear, “Sh, you’re introducing yourself as the new lady of Avce.”
She met his gaze and in that second she was the only person around him. “You’re saying I can’t find my husband sexy?”
Matteo’s body hardened as he remembered just how large the house was and that she hadn’t mastered the maze yet. He ran his hand up and down her back, near her zipper, and the idea of taking her dress off hit him. “Sheena… you’re supposed to be the epitome of goodness that saved me from my sinful ways.”
Again she went on tiptoes and this time, she kissed his cheek. “That sounds kind of boring. Can’t you teach me to be a little naughty?”
The king and queen walked next to them. His heart beat faster. Would they come and talk to them, right now? Sheena must have seen them as well because she grew quiet too.
However, the king and queen, both dressed in royal blue with the gold and white emblem of the flag, turned toward the ballroom. Clearly they’d decided to dance together. The crowds parted for them.
Matteo wrapped his fingers around her hand and walked backwards a few steps as he dared, “Come with me then.”
“Absolutely.” She followed him.
Perhaps they only had a few minutes, but he needed to touch and hold his new wife. Sheena was his and he meant what he’d said—he wasn’t going to share.
