Page 16 of Bound to Him

“Ah but it’s more than that,amoré mio” my dad stepped in, “you’re like a mother to your younger sister, you’re a friend to your cousin Ziggy, you put the men in place when they walk in and dirty the clean floors.” He looked at Christian, winking.

“Oh, I like that.” Christian smiled. I couldn’t stand the way older men made these jokes that they seriously believed to be funny, but actually made a girl extremely uncomfortable.

“She truly carries this household. I’ll need to appoint a housekeeper once she’s gone, I think!” He laughed coarsely, turning into a coughing fit before he decided to stand up again. “You know what, I’ll get us some drinks, you two get to know each other better!”

I nodded slightly to him and looked back at Christian. His eyes were glued to my body.

“So, tell me… Olivia.” His gaze lifted to my face. He wasn’t trying to hide anything. “Do you enjoy these kinds of events?”

“Um, well with the right people it can be fun, sure.”

“You do look so amazing, princess. I hope there will be many more parties like this, so I can see how good the rest of your dresses look on you.” The corner of his mouth lifted into a smile, his eyes teasing, testing me. My eyes flicked to the door, wondering how long my father would take with the drinks. “You’ll be glad to know that we throw quite a few parties at my home. A lot of popular people like to attend—celebrities, congressmen, very influential people. I’m sure you’ll have a wonderful time with them.”

“Sure…”

He noted my unwillingness to talk and stood up. My breathing picked up when he came to stand behind me and put his hands on my shoulders. “Don’t worry, I won’t rush you into it. You can take a few weeks to settle in before I expect anything like that from you.”

Gee, thanks.

His fingers brushed my hair over my shoulder and began to massage my neck. I swallowed deeply, feeling a sense of disgust already.

Just keep your cool, Olivia. This is the first time we’ve met, surely he’ll be—

His hand traveled up my neck and caressed my cheek, before running his fingers through my hair.

What the fuck?

I stood up and walked around my father’s desk, hoping to put some kind of a barrier between us. Christian smiled, as though I was playing some kind of game.

“So, Christian. Tell me more about yourself?” I tried to initiate conversation. Christian leaned against the armchair.

“Well, I am from Columbia, I own a lot of businesses, both there and here in New York.”

“Do you go back there often?” I wondered if maybe I wouldn’t see him very often.

“Yes, I do. But don’t worry, I'll take you with me wherever I go.” His eyes glinted as he stared at me. I sent him a tight smile, pretending to be flattered, but hopefully not urging him on. It turned out to be the latter because a dark need came over his face, and his gaze traveled down my body. With a lick of his lips, he approached me, taking my arm and turning my body to face him—the desk now against my ass—so much for my protection plan; it backfired, and he had me cornered in now.

“Um, Christian—”

He stepped even closer to me, running his hands up my arms. “Shh… it’s okay, little one. I’ll be gentle.”

I wanted to shout out, or kick him in the nuts, or punch him in the face; I couldn’t even make up my mind at that point. All I knew was that this creep of a man was touching me and leaning in to kiss me, and I did not want that. I wondered if my father was expecting me to do so? Then I wondered where the fuck he was with our drinks? I began turning my face away from him, leaning back as far as I could. He put his fingers around my chin, intending to force the situation, when luckily my father barreled through the door, holding three champagne glasses between his hands.

“Here we are!”

Christian took a swift step back, smiling at me as if we had this secret to share. He knew that I wouldn’t say anything because he knew that I was promised to him, and I would need to do whatever my father expected me to. Swallowing my nerves, I realized I was trembling.

“Everything alright here?” My dad looked between us, noting the tense silence.

“Perfectly well, Enzo! I was just admiring your daughter’s unparalleled beauty.”

I rubbed my arms, trying to mask the trembling. “Thanks, Papà. I think I’m going to say no to the champagne, for now. I just need some fresh air.” Smiling politely, I dropped my head and walked out before anyone could protest.

Once I reached the corridor, I tried to catch my breath. I wasn’t lying, I really did need fresh air, but not due to the alcohol. I turned right and headed for the balcony doors, closing them behind me once I’d stepped outside, and leaning back against them with closed eyes and a sigh.

“Rough night?”

My head jerked up, my eyes quickly adjusting to the low balcony light. The voice was familiar, but not one I knew very well. There was a deepness to it that sent a different kind of shiver down my spine than Christian’s did. I stepped away from the door and squinted at the figure leaning against the balcony wall, with smoke pluming from his mouth. His silhouette was wide and towering.

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