Page 240 of Merciless Desires

His glare dipped across the light pink towel around me, and I knew his thoughts were entirely impure just by his expression when he finally peered back at me.

“We haven’t finished our conversation from earlier.” He moved toward me slowly, and I backed up until I felt the bite of the counter against my spine.

“It seemed pretty finished to me. You told me to leave.”

“I told you to go upstairs.”

“Same thing.”

His jaw tensed. He looked like he wanted to say something, but chose not to. “I bought you a dress.”

My heart thundered in my chest. Matteo would not be the type to buy me a dress without already having a reason for me to wear it.

“What for?”

He ignored my question and reached out to tug on a wave clump that was hooked with another, separating them. “Keep your hair like this. I’ll be back around five to get you.”

“Wait,” I called once he had turned away. “Please tell me what to expect, Matteo. At least give me that much.”

He tucked his right hand in his pocket and faced me again, stopping when he was pressed fully against me. Matteo reached for my left hand and slipped something on my ring finger.

“Our engagement party, amorina.”

I lifted my hand to stare at the solitaire oval diamond on a gold band. It was gorgeous, but not what I had expected from him. The diamond was huge, most likely over two carats, and it was so perfect that I could almost see my own reflection glistening back at me.

“Will you accept this until your ring is ready, amorina?”

My brows furrowed and I gazed up at him. “What do you mean?”

“I’m making you a custom ring. Call this one…” He raised my hand higher to inspect it. “A stand-in.”

“But this one is fine.”

Matteo glared at me. “You deserve more than fine, amorina. And I intend to give you that.” He dropped my hand and took a step back. “Five o’clock, Marcella. Be ready.”

I stayed pressed against the counter as he left the bathroom, not even exhaling until I heard the bedroom door close behind him. Creeping out, I checked if he was still in the room and then peered at the ruby dress.

Clearly Matteo liked me in red.

Chapter Eleven

MATTEO

I entered my fiancée’s room to find her bent at the waist with her incredible ass facing me, wrapped in red.

She straightened and fluffed her untamed waves, frowning at her own reflection, and then at me through the mirror of her vanity table. “I look ridiculous.”

It was my duty to tell her that she was wrong, that she was the most beautiful person I had seen up close, but I couldn’t seem to get the words past my throat. I just made a noise and shook my head.

“You don’t.”

Marcella rolled her eyes. “Even you don’t sound convinced with your own words.”

She grabbed a white bottle of perfume and sprayed her hair, then right between her tits. The scent of sweet lemons carried across the room as she moved toward me, and I wanted to bury my face between those tits and stay forever.

“Are you ready?”

She frowned. “Yes.”

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