Page 82 of Always Mine
“Sec-ond-ly,” she says with an agitated prod to the middle of my chest as she draws out each sound. “Let me set the record straight. I’m nobody’s fool. And no. Not even this impossibly chiseled chest, tattoo on full display, is going to save you today.”
Fuck, she’s got me. I may have tried to thirst trap her by shamelessly flashing her my chest.
“I may have happily agreed to live with you, even let you boss me around when you fuck me, and let’s not fucking forget, let Avery drive me around. But do not mistake that for weakness. I’m capable of seeing the bigger picture. Of making sound decisions to keep harm from coming to me and the people I love and care for.”
I wish I could tell her that Arty finally got a taste of his own medicine this week when he least expected it. Avery ran the security footage we pulled from the fight at Bella Donna through high-tech facial recognition software, and it revealed it was Rizzo’s boys who started the fight at Bella Donna. The clincher? The instruction did not come from Rizzo. Looks like these dirty fuckers were on the take from Arty behind Rizzo’s back. Let’s just say, Rizzo did not take kindly to being double-crossed. He dealt with his men, but he gave AJ free rein to even the score on one condition—fuck him up, but don’t kill him. That’s the thing about the underworld, you’re always just one mutually beneficial deal away from going from enemies to partners in crime. From my debrief with AJ about the injuries Arty sustained in his “mystery fall,” I’ll be surprised if he turns up at the exhibition tonight at all. Sophia mentioned he canceled one of their Law Gala planning meetings this week due to illness. It took all my very best acting skills to keep the Cheshire cat grin from my face—the same one threatening to spread over my face now as I watch my girlfriend try to lay down the rules.
“Which brings me to point number three,” she says, trying to maintain a stern tone, which comes out husky and sexy by account of just having woken instead. “I know we started out on shaky ground after those photos came out, but I have taken Chiara under my wing. Something tells me she doesn’t have many good female friends she can depend on. If she’s hanging out with me and the girls, maybe she’ll tell me what the deal is about why tonight means so much to her. From what I can gather, she doesn’t trust easily. Oh, also, she offered you as tribute—you’re our designateddriver tonight.”
The twitch of a bemused smirk on her lips threatens to crack her tough girl act. I attempt to disarm her with a kiss, lifting my body to try and capture her lips. But she maintains the distance she’s put between us by pushing back on her still braced arms. “Nuh, uh, uh,” she taunts with a sultry swivel of her hips, which sends me slipping and sliding through the spot I’ve been temporarily locked out of. “You’ve gotta earn my kisses back.” Then she dismounts, abandoning me and my now very worked-up dick.
I shake my head and laugh. This woman is a force of nature. For all the ways I crumble her defenses, she still possesses the fire to make me burn in the wake of her defiance. I wouldn’t have her any other way. The push and pull. The way she’ll go toe-to-toe with me, driven by her convictions. It’s always been the biggest fucking turn-on. My only concern is that, when she joins forcesCaptain Planet-style with the three other hellions in her posse, I’m going to be completely out-numbered and entirely out-sassed.
“Oh, and one last thing,” she adds nonchalantly as she strips off my t-shirt and throws me a look over her shoulder that might just give me third-degree burns. “I’ve organized for us to enter the exhibition through the staff entrance via the basement. You know how those paparazzi are. Like flies on shit.” With that, she heads for the shower, locking the bathroom door behind her and sealing my fate. I’m not getting seconds this morning.
Marco:
You’re all coming to the Natalia Hirsch exhibition and then the after party at Bella Donna tonight.
Sebastian:
Yeah, bro. I’ll be there. Probably slip out early to get to Bella Donna before we open the doors for the after party.
Raf:
Hard pass.
Marco:
I think you failed to notice to lack of punctuation. Not a question, Raf. You’ll be there.
Raf:
The. Fuck. I. Will.
Raf:
Notice the use of punctuation to punctuate my firstanswer.
Luca:
I refer to my earlier statement that Raf needs to get fucking laid! Or have his dick sucked! Or both! Note the use of punctuation to highlight the importance of one or all of these things happening.
Sebastian:
Raf, I love you bro, but you have been particularly surly lately. I also refer to what Luca suggested. For your own good. Maybe for ours too.
Marco:
How the fuck did this turn into a sex therapy session for Raf? It’s not a question, you’ll all be there. I need each of you guys to stick to the girls like glue.
Luca:
I promised Arabella I’d be there, so count me in.
Raf:
New year. Same dumb fucking decisions starting and ending with A.
