Page 36 of Rise To Power

I stabbed my salad and shoveled a bite into my mouth, crunching the crouton as if I chewed up rocks to spit out gravel.

Marco’s fingertips brushed my shoulder. “Was the fitting the first time you saw the dress?”

I hummed a positive sound and stabbed a cherry tomato.

His voice lowered. “Tell me about the dress.”

Unable to form words with his touch chasing shivers from my nipples through my stomach and lower into my clit, I adjusted on the seat.

“It’s white.”

Marco watched me devour my salad.

Deidre and Antonio seemed to be in a heated discussion. Antonio rubbed his temple as Deidre explained why he was wrong that football was played with a soccer ball.

“The dress will look stunning next to your ring,” my mother continued.

I hummed again. Another disappointment for her. The ring was lost to the lake.

The main courses arrived. My mom dominated the conversation with details of the wedding. The food, the guests, the church, and even interrogating Marco on when she could expect his family to arrive.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered.

He slid his hand onto my thigh, leaned back in his chair, and appeared to engage in the conversation. But under the table, his fingers continued to tease. He traced the edge of the knife strapped to my thigh.

I couldn’t focus as I squeezed my legs together. I glanced at his strong profile. Slightly longer than a gentleman’s cut, his dark hair created a wave on top, and shadowed a tight fade on the sides. A short, boxed beard carved the edge of his jaw and cut across his upper lip with a perfectly trimmed ‘stache.

He turned, the look in his eyes taking the breath from my lungs. His dark eyes focused on mine, then dropped to my lips. With a hard swallow, his throat flexed.

I wanted my lips right there, on the column of his neck, touching my tongue to the dark stubble, breathing in the spicy scent of his cologne.

He wiped his mouth and laid his napkin across his plate. “If you’ll excuse us, I’d like to steal my fiancée for the rest of the afternoon.”

Before my mom could protest, Marco stood.

Antonio scooted his chair back.

I guess lunch was over.

Marco

If my wife was anything like her mother, we were going to have a short marriage because I’d fucking kill her.

I slid into the backseat next to Allegra, unbuttoned my jacket, and pulled my tie loose. “Your sister needs to live with us.”

“I survived. She will, too.”

“That you know exactly what I mean is revealing. How the fuck does your father put up with her?” He raked his fingers through his hair.

Ant climbed behind the wheel. “Where to?”

“A million fucking miles away from Elise Jilani.”

Allegra laughed. “You’re going to have mother-in-law issues unless she meets with a tragic accident that leaves her mute.”

“Or we move. We need to find a house.” I leaned my head against the seat. Allegra scooted closer and rested against me. Her eyes slid closed. The silence was beautiful.

I pulled out my phone and did a quick search for a jewelry store. I forwarded the address to Ant. His phone pinged. After he checked the text, he pulled up the GPS and followed the directions.

---