Page 58 of Bound to Him

“I hope you aren’t too cold out here, princess.”

I could feel my heart beating against my own rib cage. I sincerely hoped Christian couldn’t somehow feel my heartbeat through my shoulders because it would surely give me away. I hated the feeling of him touching me, and I constantly felt like pulling away, but I had to play it just right—I needed to show him that I still wasn’t comfortable with him after our last encounter, but that I was trying. I rearranged my seating, smoothing my dress down, but didn’t move away from him.

“I’m alright; I’ve brought a scarf in case.”

“Here,” he asked for it with his palm out; I pulled it from my clutch, and he flipped it over my shoulders, squeezing and massaging them to warm me up. Still, a chill ran down my arms.

“Thank you.” I smiled shyly, playing the part.

“You are very beautiful, Olivia. If you hadn’t yet noticed, certainly the most beautiful woman here tonight.”

He spent some time flattering me and periodically filling up my wine glass. I took it all in my stride; the more I drank and listened to his obnoxious stories, the more confident I felt about my act.

“Things are going well for me, my love. Soon, you’ll be the queen of this whole city.” He gestured to the city lights we could see from our high vantage point.

I had to ask, “What do you mean, the whole city?”

A sly smile crossed his face. “I mean that I have business with the Morettis now as well. We had a meeting today. Soon, I’ll have the Rossis on board, and then there’ll be no stopping us.”

“You’ll have sole management of all drug sales in the city, then?” I asked quietly.

He leaned in and whispered to me.

“Yes, my sweet. You are brighter than your father gives you credit for.”

Ouch.

“I hear more than he thinks I do.”

Christian laughed, loving this new side I was showing him. “That is perfect. You’ll be my little miss informant, yes?” he said, running a finger through my hair.

I chuckled and shook my head, waving his question off as a joke, then downed my wine.

“So, how did the meeting with the Morettis go?” I asked.

“Very well, thank you.” He nodded. “I have a lot of respect for that Don Antonio.”

“Yes,” I nodded. “He’s capable. When his father died, there was a lot of doubt. There was even an attack on their house the very same day of his funeral.”

“No?” he asked, pulling back in surprise.

“Yes. But they handled it.”

“I’m sure they did.” He smiled, sipping his wine.

“I think it’s a good choice.”

“What is?”

“To go into business with them… They’re more trustworthy than the Rossis, I’ve heard.”

He became thoughtful. “Thank you, my dear. Your opinions on this mean more to me than you know.”

I smiled. “My pleasure.”

With his arm still around my shoulders, he set his glass down and touched my cheek. “I think you’ll be a fine wife, after all.”

His light blue eyes looked softly into mine, and his finger traced my jawline. He had me in a very romantic position, and if I hadn’t known what a sick bastard he actually was, I might have swooned a little. With the confidence the wine gave me and the knowledge that he would soon be dealt with, I decided to play my part even better and give him what he wanted.

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