Page 35 of Good Girl Gone Bad

“I’m thinking we should go sightseeing before my cousin gets her claws into you,” he said. What he really wanted to say was how he’d also thought about visiting her salon even after their affair ended. The idea seduced him, slowly, lethal like a poisonous snake carefully dancing her way out of a charmer’s box.

“Sounds great. We can leave after I finish eating,” she said, taking a bite of fette biscotatte, the hard bread smothered in Nutella. “This is delicious.”

“It is,” his brother said behind him, surprising them with his presence. “Nico Giordano,” he said, gazing at Lily.

Lily covered her mouth for a moment, blushing, still eating the pastry, then she quickly swallowed it and said, “Oh. Nice to meet you. I’m Patricia.”

“Patricia. Trust me, the pleasure is all mine.” Nico pulled out a chair and sat. “Hey, brother. You never told me you’d bring your beautiful friend to Nonna’s party.”

“I like to throw a curveball once in a while,” Marco said.

“A hell of a curveball,” Nico said, scratching his five o’clock shadow. “Then Arietta calls me and says you’re engaged. Imagine that. My confirmed bachelor of a brother, getting hitched.”

His throat grew thicker in annoyance. Marco wished he could take his brother into a martial arts studio and solve their differences over there. “I wanted Nonna to be the first one to know.”

“Is that why you didn’t tell me?”

“Yes. Besides, you’re not my mother. I love you, brother, but I don’t need your permission,” Marco said, his voice as firm as his conviction.

Nico hesitated for a moment, probably pondering if fighting Marco was worth it. He settled for a slow nod. “Understood. Well, congratulations to both of you.” Nico smiled.

“Thanks,” Lily said.

“How did you two meet?” Nico asked, darting his gaze from Marco to Lily. “I can’t wait to know all about my future sister-in-law.”

Marco curled his fingers into a ball. The less he told his brother, the better. He didn’t need to be a rocket scientist to know Nico saw through their facade, or at the very least, questioned their relationship. Like Nico gave two shits about how they actually met. “At a bar,” he said. “The rest is history.”

Lily shifted in her seat. “How about you, Nico? Are you seeing anyone?”

“Not currently. You need to tell me the type of bars in New York you’re going to where you’re meeting such gorgeous women. Sorry, I didn’t catch your last name, Patricia.”

“Doors. Patricia Doors.”

Nico frowned. “Interesting.”

Marco pushed his chair and stood up, then swiftly pulled Lily’s out to prompt her to rise as well. “We’ll chat more later. I promised Patricia I’d show her Bellagio today.”

Nico gave her a lingering glance, and Marco could almost see the wheels turning in his brother’s brain. Nico pursed his lips, his neutral expression not fooling Marco for a nanosecond. “Sounds good. See you guys soon.”

He guided her through the house, taking a shortcut to make it out as fast as possible. Once they were inside the car, he let out an exhale. His brother thought he had his back, and if for some reason he didn’t believe their story, Nico wouldn’t rest until he proved his case. Damn him.

“Do you think he bought it?” Lily asked, turning her head around as if to make sure they weren’t being followed.

He chuckled. “This isn’t a spy movie. Relax, Nico isn’t behind us.”

“Does your brother know about your contract shenanigans?”

“I don’t discuss details of my intimacy with him, but he knows I prefer things clearly discussed upfront,” he said. Nico wasn’t exactly the domesticated kind, either. He’d even mentioned once he planned on getting a vasectomy because he didn’t want to inflict pain on his children like his father had done to them.

“Why didn’t you tell him about our fake engagement? You two seem close.”

“Because this is more complicated. If I tell him the truth, he’ll know about the garage. I’ll tell him after everything is said and done.”

“He’ll think you lost it over my heavenly pussy,” she said with amusement.

Marco should have said something and joined the fun, but a growing concern kept him from joking about what had become an almost palpable fear. His obsession over Lily and all her body parts was no laughing matter.

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