Page 10 of Tormented Diamonds
“Is that what you think?”
“You talk a big game, Marchesi, but we both know taking something I’m not willing to give is a line you won’t cross.”
“Eight weeks in your chair and you think you’ve got me figured out.”
“Don’t I?”
“No, Becca, you don’t. You only know the parts of me I’ve allowed you to,” I warn, my movement tight and wooden as I push off the door. “There are layers no one has seen, even me.”
“What about Cathalina?” she asks, her voice shredding paper-thin. “Hassheseen them?”
Chapter Four
GIANNI
“You followed me.”
“Of course, I followed you. Any logical person would. As you like to point out, this is your world,” Becca says, swinging the bottle out in a wide, sweeping gesture. “I’m just an unwelcome intruder relying on whispers and instinct to keep myself alive while in it.”
“I didn’t invite her here, if that’s what you’re insinuating.”
“I’m not insinuating anything.” Rising to her feet, she crosses the room, the bottle dangling at her side by her fingertips. “You’re digging that hole all by yourself.”
“That’s it?” I clip. “No demand for an explanation?”
“You told me she meant nothing to you.”
“She doesn’t.”
Becca spins around, her fist clenched tightly by her side. “She showed up at your house minutes after our wedding, Gianni. You left me standing on a fucking staircase to cater tothe whims of another woman. Can’t you see how messed up that is?”
“That’s not fair. Cathalina heard what happened and came here looking for answers.”
“No, what’s not fair is you choosing the woman your father tried to force you to marry over the one you actually did,” she counters, slamming the bottle onto a side table. “Then again, youareyour father’s son.” The moment the words leave her mouth, her eyes widen, her lips freezing in a perfect, round “o” as she exhales a slow, labored breath. “Shit. Gianni, I didn’t mean?—”
But it’s too late. The fire inside me turns to ice, those words needling under my skin until my blood runs black with their poison.
Grabbing her arms, I pull her to me. “It’s been a long night, and I have very little patience left, so I suggest you think carefully before testing it.”
“Don’t patronize me, Marchesi,” she challenges, tipping her head back. “Your big, bad wolf act doesn’t work on me anymore. I know you too well. You can’t stand that I can see behind the curtain, so you retaliate by tossing out empty threats.”
“Oh,cara mia…” My laugh is low and dark as I force her backward until she has nowhere left to go. “My threats are never empty.” I drag my hands down her arms, my cock hardening at her sharp inhale as I pin them against the wall. “I warned you I had every intention of taking my wife on our wedding night, and I’m a man of my word.”
Becca meets my stare, a defiant glint in her eye. “You wanted to own me, and now you do. Actions speak louder than words. So command me, Gianni Marchesi. Idareyou.”
It’s the dare that sends me over the edge.
“I assumed you’d learned to be more carefulof what you asked for.” Stepping back, I reach under my jacket and unclip my holster. “Especially after what happened earlier.” I pull my Glock as she watches, then place it on a side table in direct view like a total asshole.
I prepare for a fight. Instead, she strikes a match and lets it drop.
“Maybe I like to play with fire, too.”
Two steps and the distance I created is gone. I say nothing, soaking in the frantic sound of her quickening heartbeat. I brush the back of my fingers down her cheeks and over her jaw, before trailing them down her neck. Becca doesn’t flinch. It’s only when I drag my palms down the bodice of her dress that her façade crumbles. A lusty whimper escapes her throat, testing my control.
“Bold words, Mrs. Marchesi. How long can you play?”
“Until it burns out.”
