Page 25 of Bound to Him

No. No. No.

Why was this rejection so much harder than it should be? Christ, I’d only ever kissed her. Was I seriously feeling hurt right now? It boiled inside of me and slowly turned into anger. I banged the storeroom door open and disappeared through the back.

What the fuck was she playing at? I started to wonder if she was purely enjoying the chase—my chase after her, that is. Her sultry looks across the room and fucking mouthwatering skintight dresses were nothing if not signs. Signs saying what, though?I’m a dick tease?

Surely, I wasn’t stupid. She did want this; she did want me. It was obvious. She was just too fucking scared of the consequences, and I blamed her prick of a father for that. I got it, do your duty for your family. It was all I’ve ever heard, and I’m sure it was all she’d ever heard, too. Butcazzo! Can’t we ever do what we want to do? What our souls are begging us to do?

Apparently, Olivia was fine with ignoring the cries of her soul. I was not. I would have broken every rule for her, every duty to my family and hers, just to satisfy my soul and fuck her senseless.

12

Olivia

“Look,amoré mio, a date has been set for Viola’s wedding. Yours will be set soon as well. You can’t expect to put this off forever.”

“Just until you see what kind of a man he really is, Papà! Please!”

“I don’t understand! How can you know? You hardly spoke to him all night!”

“Because I hate him!”

“What, are you a teenager again, Olivia? Throwing tantrums?”

“No, Papà! I’m serious! He’s a slimy pervert! How can you not see that?” I threw my arms out in question.

I’d walked in here with such high hopes, thinking that maybe I could appeal to my father as his concerned daughter after what happened in this exact room the other night. But apparently no, he’s not worried.

“What I see, Olivia Romano, is a spoiled brat who refuses to do anything her father tells her to! No matter who it is! You refuse to marry! If I didn’t know any better, I’d have thought you preferred women!”

I scoffed, shaking my head. “At this point, I think I do.”

“Don’t even make such jokes, Olivia.” He pointed a finger at me. “Christian Reyes is a respectable man in his own community. And he’s quickly becoming an important figure in ours! Nobody else has any problems with him!”

“Because he didn’t try to force himself on them!”

He threw his hands in the air. “Bah! He’s your fiancé. He was only trying to kiss you! I walked in; I saw it! You’re seriously overreacting my girl, and you’ll pay for it again, just like you did last time.”

“Please, Papà, shoot Christian in front of me. I’m begging you.”

He slammed both hands onto the desk, making a loudbangnoise. “Olivia! Watch what you say, or else.” His face was red, like a cartoon kettle reaching its boiling point.

“Or else what? Don’t you think you’ve done the worst to me? Do you really think I have anything else to lose?”

Before he could blow his top entirely, I lifted my hands in mock surrender and stormed out, slamming the door behind me. I didn’t want to hear his answer because it was true—what the fuck did I have left in this world? Both my mother and the guy I loved were taken from me because of him. At this point, I wanted nothing to do with the Romano name, let alone the entire Romano organization!

“Hey, hey, hey.” Tony appeared, speaking gently and walking hastily from the lobby. “I heard you guys from outside.”

I was shaking with anger and tears were welling up, making my vision blurry. He took me into his arms, enveloping me completely, and forcing me to cry it out into his chest. His hand rubbed small circles into my back.

“It’s alright, sis. Cry it out.”

In between my sobs, I tried to explain. “He’s just—hiccup—so stubborn! He—hiccup—won’t even hear me out!”

“Shhh… I know. He can be a real bastard sometimes. But always remember this,” he pulled me away to look into my eyes, “he does love you. Just like I love you because you’re my sister. We Romanos need to stick together, no matter what.”

“Easy for you to say… he’s not marrying you off.” I sniffed, picking at a loose thread in his shirt.

“No, not yet anyway. It wouldn’t surprise me.” He looked toward the office door, then hugged me again with a sigh.

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