Page 33 of Tempt Me
He pulls me in close and takes the glass from me. “No drinking,” he murmurs.
Rearing back to give him a scathing glare, his grip tightens on my arm. I squirm, knowing he will leave a bruise as he ushers me forward to the space reserved for our announcement.
Giving my mother an imploring look, she frowns and blinks, knowing something is amiss, but not sure what because I can’t tell her and Antonio’s grip is loosening now enough to stop any bruising, but not so much that I can slip out of it.
Locking gazes with Isaac, he inhales deeply and then looks away, moving off to the side where he is close but not close enough.
Antonio’s men are all around us. I can count five, six, seven as I keep looking frantically. I’m trapped with no way out but to make a scene. I’m about to pull my knife on him, which is, as always, strapped to my thigh when he grips my right hand and crushes my fingers so hard that my knuckles grind together. Gasping softly, my breath caught in my throat at the audacity; I freeze when he murmurs, still with a smile on his face for the crowds, “One wrong move, Princess, and I will see your lover eaten by sharks.”
My gaze shoots over to Isaac, and I see that Antonio’s men are surrounding him.
How did he know?
Isaac can take care of himself. I doubt he would let a handful of guys take him down, but the thought that he might be hurt or injured in the process gives me a serious pause.
Relaxing my tense arm to show my compliance, I turn from Isaac and grit out, “Get on with it, will you?”
His soft hiss, reminding me of the snake, draws my attention fully away from Isaac.
“Ladies and Gentlemen,” Antonio says loudly. “It is my great honor to announce that the Princess of Arachon, Rue Eleanor Di’Castello, and I will be getting married in the fall.” The crowd erupts into congratulatory claps and murmurs of well-wishes as Antonio lets me go, grabbing my left hand to slip a diamond the size of a large pebble on my finger. It’s heavy and unwieldy, and it feels wrong and disgusting. I want to rip it off and shove it down his throat until he chokes on it, but I can’t do that in case he hurts Isaac.
Dammit!
There are precious few people who I would do this for, but I never imagined he would be one of them.
Fucker.
Fucking fucker.
He has wrapped his way around my heart, and now I would do anything for him, anything to keep him safe.
Accepting kisses from my mom and dad, I grimace my way through a few more personal congratulations, and eventually, when Antonio has loosened his hold on me enough for me to slip away, I disappear onto the terrace outside, the night insects chirping away, the smell of jasmine in the air, the waves crashing down on the shore, the melody that greets me and calms me.
Feeling a presence behind me, I stiffen when a finger hooks into the strap on my right shoulder and pulls it down.
Antonio plants a kiss on my collarbone. “Come back inside.”
“No, I need a minute.”
His fingers trail down my arm, and he grabs my hand crushing it again before he presses his body against mine. His other hand goes around my throat, and he squeezes gently.
“All it takes is one word, and he’s dead. Come back inside.”
“Why are you doing this?” I spit out, fury filling my veins.
“I will be a Prince with you as my wife. I would do anything to ensure that happens. Are we clear, Princess?”
“Fuck you.”
His hand clamps tighter around my throat. “Mind your mouth, or I'll wash it out with soap.”
“Fucking try it and see how far you get.” Struggling in his grip, I can’t get free. He is too close; he has trapped me in again.
“Listen to me, you little cunt. If you want your lover’s head delivered to you in a box, keep fighting me. Is that what you want?”
Clenching my jaw so tightly, I feel it crack and shake my head.
“Then fall in line, Princess,” he hisses.
