Page 49 of Good Girl Gone Bad

“I paid them.” He’d signed a contract to take care of half of them upon her signature and the other half at the end of their contract. Five days ago, he’d emailed his lawyer and asked him to use his power of attorney and pay the remaining debt. It’d be one less thing to worry about when the time came to say goodbye to Lily.

“You paid them,” Nico said, running a hand down his face. “Of course you did.”

Why did his brother mock him like he was some kind of stupid fool? He felt like a geeky kid with a crush on the cheerleader. “It’s between me and her. I forbid you to mention any of this to her or anyone else. We know gossip runs like wildfire in this family, and I don’t want Nonna to find out. It won’t be good for her, which would defeat the whole purpose.”

“Don’t worry, Marco. Your secret is safe with me.”

“Thank you.”

“You fell for her, didn’t you?”

Marco frowned. “Excuse me?”

“You were always fond of your little contracts or fuck agreements. You always made sure women wouldn’t screw you over after the affair ended. Confidentiality agreement, all that show,” Nico said. “The old Marco would never let a woman come between him and his work.”

Marco’s heart heaved. His brother had completely lost it. He hadn’t fallen for Lily. He ran his fingers through his hair, searching for an appropriate way to say he’d purchased her heavenly pussy for the month. “I can’t tell you all the details of our deal, but I guarantee you I don’t love her,” he said, and for some odd reason his voice lost energy at the end, the thickness in his throat making it hard to choke out the words.

Nico chuckled. “Listen, you don’t have to worry. I won’t tell anyone. You know… I’ve seen how you look at her. Hell, you almost punched me for mentioning her breasts a few seconds ago, when in the past you wouldn’t even care if I dated someone you had screwed.”

Marco plopped on the bed, defeated like someone just told him his dog had died. Couldn’t be. “Lily is different. I enjoy being with her. I’m addicted to her, but that’s the extent of it,” he said out loud, unsure if to himself or his brother.

Nico sat next to him and patted his back. “It’s okay, bro. Zaine got married. Now you. I need to watch out for the signs, so I can skip the same doomed fate.”

Married? Marco snorted. No wonder he’d never told his brother about their deal. Nico enjoyed twisting facts to his advantage. “We aren’t getting married.”

Nico tapped his back, consoling him. “Sure.”

Marco jerked away and rose to his feet. Enough mockery. “It’s not funny. Get out,” he said, pointing toward the door.

Nico stood and made his way out, keeping a smile on his face that Marco felt like punching away. Idiota. His brother knew nothing about him, Lily, or what went on between them.

…

“Happy Birthday, Debora,” Lily said to his grandmother, gently kissing her cheek. She’d bought a small gift in town in the morning, which she’d added to the mountain of presents at the table. The party organizer had done an amazing job. Pictures of each decade of Nonna’s life had been enlarged and displayed on stands across the living room. Even though Lily guessed about eighty guests were in attendance, the soft lighting and textured drapes smoothed the ambience and gave it a quainter atmosphere.

“Thank you, dear. It’s ‘Nonna’ for you. After all, you’re about to become family.”

Lily managed a smile and allowed the person next to her to greet Nonna. She’d been downstairs for one hour, and still no sign of Marco. How long did it take him to get ready?

During the past few days, she’d grown used to watching him shave his chin and cheeks, brushing his hair. She’d helped Arietta with her dress; ever since their chat, his cousin had been really nice to her. How ironic his family members warmed up to her and treated her as if she’d joined the gang, when it was all useless if Marco didn’t. Tonight would be their last in Italy, and in a matter of days, she’d no longer be needed to warm his bed.

Nico walked by her, carrying a flute of champagne and talking to a beautiful woman who strolled beside him. Lily lifted her hand to greet him, and he raised his flute with a kind smile. For the first time since he’d met him, he didn’t seem like he saw right through her lies. Either I’m getting better at it, or he’s already drunk.

A waitress offered her some bubbly, and she took it. Why not? She drank it in one gulp, a refreshing sensation rolling down her throat, loosening her limbs.

“Excuse me,” said a man behind her.

She turned to find Marco’s father. She hadn’t seen much of him, thankfully, during her stay. After all she heard about him, she had to gather her strength to keep from slapping his face. Her blood still boiled in her veins. “Yes?”

“I met you on the first night. You’re Marco’s bride-to-be.”

Wishful thinking.She lifted her chin. “That’s right.”

“I regret we haven’t talked much.”

“Do you also regret not talking to your son?” she said, and immediately second-guessed her spontaneity. But shit, it was too late. She cleared her throat, stretching to her full height so the tall man wouldn’t intimidate her. “I can’t help but notice the two of you have barely exchanged any words in the last few days.”

Calogero’s face didn’t give away much. Unlike his sons, he wasn’t very expressive. When he spoke, he kept his eyes hooded, his expression neutral. “Patricia, is it? You’re quite forthcoming, given you just met me.”

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