Page 20 of Bastard Prince
Because my wife was a fuckin’ knock out.
She was wearing a floor length black dress that was so slick and shiny it looked like oil had been poured over her curves, the fabric reflecting the lights of the Strip around her. It was tight across her tits and had thin straps that I was already picturing getting my fingers under. The top half was sexy enough, but when she stepped toward me, there was a slit on one side that went all the fuckin’ way up, and I couldn’t help the groan that escaped me, causing her to turn her startled eyes my way.
“Jesus Christ, baby,” I said, loving the way her tanned skin blushed with a hint of pink at my praise. “How the fuck am I supposed to take you in there and not end the night punching some sad fuck’s teeth out?”
She smiled, looking a little shy, which didn’t surprise me one bit. Francesca was all confidence about many things, but letting herself be sexy was new to her, and she was still coming to terms with not wearing her sweater sets. “You like it?”
“I’m sure you’d look incredible in anything you chose,” I said, stepping close and wrapping my hand around her waist, taking a handful of her succulent ass as I did. “But this is just so damn sexy, I may get arrested tonight.”
Francesca laughed. “Well, it would be nice if you could try to avoid jail time, if you don’t mind,” she said sweetly, handing me her phone to slide inside my jacket pocket. Francesca stretched up and placed a kiss on the underside of my jaw, a move she made often, and that I was becoming quite fond of. “It’d be a shame to have to go home and take this dress off all alone.”
I growled, giving her ass one more squeeze for good measure, then withdrew my hand and offered her my elbow. “Seeing as I want to be the one to peel that dress off you later, I guess I need to be on my best behavior right now, don’t I?”
“It would be in your best interest,” she replied, walking slowly beside me in her ridiculous shoes. “After all, it’s the after party I’m looking forward to most.”
As we climbed the stairs, I couldn’t help but love the way Francesca was clinging to my arm, using my body for stability. It was a small thing, but Francesca never really seemed toneedanyone; she was strong and smart and capable in everything she did. But some part of me—some basic, primal, long buried evolutionary trait of the alpha male—needed her to needme.
I wanted to be the one that she turned to, the person who could protect her and provide for her and look after her in a way that no other man on the planet ever had. I had a feeling that once she allowed herself to let someone in, she’d enjoy all the ways I could take care of her.
The issue was getting her to let her guard down long enough to see that I was the man for the job.
I might not have been a good man, but I wanted to be good enough for Francesca Argenti.
We entered the ballroom just as the cocktail hour was winding down, which pleased me just fine. If there was one thing worse than hanging out with these entitled jackasses, it was hanging out with these entitled jackasses while they tried to make small talk with me. Weaving our way through the crowd, I led Francesca toward our assigned table, stopping a few times to shake hands with some folks I knew, and get unwanted introductions with those I didn’t.
Of course, Francesca was the perfect and gracious guest, smiling and making conversation like she’d known these people all her life. She never failed to amaze me with that shit. It was like nothing fazed her.
“Enzo,” cooed a voice from beside me. I spun, disengaging my arm from Francesca’s hold, and found myself face to face with a bleach blonde, statuesque woman, her eyes bright and her smile wide, as she stared at me like I was her long lost grandson. “Darling, it’s been so long. Seeing you is always such a pleasure.”
There was genuine affection in her tone; Jacqueline Holbrook and I had known each other for a long time, and I was always glad to see her, especially at an event like this one. She was actually someone I enjoyed being around, and that was saying something in this crowd.
And, for an older lady, she still knew how to command the attention of everyone in the room.
“Jacqueline,” I said with a smile. “It has been a while, hasn’t it?” I held still while she leaned in, pressing air kisses to my cheeks like she had been raised in France and not Roswell, New Mexico.
“Well,” she replied, reaching out to straighten the lapels of my jacket, brushing away any lint she found, “you could fix that if you’d ever return my calls, silly boy.” The fact that she always called me boy made me chuckle, seeing as how shewasprobably old enough to be my mother.
“Sorry, Jackie. I’ve, uh, been a bit busy.” I laughed, thinking how much of an understatement that actually was.
“Surely, you’re not too busy to have lunch with a fellow business woman?” She said, a little pout on her bright red lips. “I’ve been at this game a while, now, Enzo,” she continued. “There is just so much I could still teach you.”
She wasn’t wrong. Jacqueline had quite the history in this town, having been in Las Vegas since the nearly beginning, and she knew her shit. I’d have to be stupid to turn down an offer like that, and Jacqueline knew it.
The quiet sound of a throat clearing drew my attention back to the present.
“Jacqueline,” I interrupted, stepping back and swinging Francesca in front of me, presenting her like a prize. Jacqueline had been giving me shit for a while now about settling down, and I was weirdly exited to see her reaction when I told her the news.
She eyed Francesca for a moment, then looked to me for answers
“I’d like to introduce you to my wife, Francesca Argenti,” I said, loving the way Jacqueline’s confusion was clear, despite how her face refused to move. “Francesca, this is Jacqueline Holbrook. Her husband is the mayor.”
The look on Francesca’s face never wavered, even though I could imagine her mind was whirling, coming up with all the ways she could use this introduction to her advantage.
It was so fuckin’ sexy.
“Mrs. Holbrook,” Francesca gushed, inserting just the right amount of flattery into her words. “It is such a pleasure to meet you. I don’t know if Enzo has told you, but I am new to Las Vegas and I just have to say what an incredible city you have here. You and your husband should be proud.”
I could see Jacqueline’s eyes softening, her pride in her city shining through, and I once again silently praised Francesca for her incredible ability to read a person and know exactly what they needed to let their guard down.
