PREGNANT FOR THE WRONG MORETTI

CHAPTER FIVE: THE ENGAGEMENT DINNER

One would think it was a grand party, the dining room was fully lit, golden lights splashed everywhere, the silverware catching the light, the table was fully set, candlelights spaced correctly in the center of the long, art-crafted wooden table.

Din Moretti walked in, his mother by his side. They looked like they had marched straight out of a fashion magazine. Din, tall and broad-shouldered, his charcoal suit tight around his arms and chest, dark sunglasses over his eyes, pulled it the moment he stepped in.

Two women waited at the foot of the huge stairs,

Marie Valenti’s emerald green silk clung to every curve, almost sinful, black wavy hair spilling over one shoulder, nervous smile trembling on lips he suddenly wanted to taste. Her eyes, warm green, lifted and locked on his.

Everything else vanished. “Oh wow!” he exclaimed beneath his breath “She's a goddess!”

He felt the hit low in his gut, when his Mother talked about this marriage, he had seen it as a chore, one he might never get to be in or maybe become absent, just like his father, but when his eyes fell on Marie, his jaw dropped.

Then the blonde beside her turned. Jessie.

Red dress with a slit to the hip bone, coffee eyes wide with shock. The same girl who had dragged him into the club restroom three weeks ago, dropped to her knees, pulled out his c**k, and made him see stars against a graffiti wall.

The same girl he’d had bent over the hood of his car just two nights ago, screaming his name into the dark. “Interesting..” he muttered under his breath, adjusting the knot of his tie.

Jessie’s mouth opened, but no sound came out. Din’s blood turned to ice. Jessie's heart boiled, Marie was getting married to her sweet club boy? What more would she ruin for her? resentment twitched her stomach.

Claret Valenti floated forward, all diamonds and smiles. “Elena, darling! And the handsome… Din. Welcome to our home.”

Air kisses, handshakes. Din moved like he had been there over time. He shook Claret’s hand, then found himself standing in front of Marie.

She offered her hand, her lips curved in a beautiful smile, he took it.

“Hi,” she said softly, cheeks pink. “I’m Marie.”

Her voice curled around his name like smoke.

He couldn’t let go, his eyes were fixed, his heart throbbed.

Marie's heart was clenching inside of her, when her Mother spilled the news of the arranged marriage to her two days ago, she had flared up, She didn't want her Mom dictating whom she marries and what happens in her life,

“You’ve got no choice right now, Marie! This is the only way out, I told you I was going to fix it, this is it! No other way!” her mother had slammed the door angrily at her.

She had cried to sleep that night, she never imagined her life turning out the way it is, unfolding before her like it was someone else's story, now she's being moved into a loveless marriage?

But she knew there was no other way out of the whole mess, her Mom would never let her have that child out of wedlock, then what if the mystery man Ricardo came to take the child away? She had to give this child a name, to keep Ricardo away.

She had gone on social media to search for “Ricardo”, so many profiles had popped up, with different last names, she spent hours going through pictures but she never found the mystery man.

Nothing ever prepared her for the way her body reacts to his stare now, Din was breathtaking, his blue eyes sent shivers down her spine, she had to try so hard not to look into those eyes of his.

Jessie’s stare burned into the side of his face, her eyes questioning and undressing him at the same time.

They sat. Din directly across from Marie. Jessie on his right.

“Where's Dante Moretti?,” Claret had broken the silence, she stretched to see if he was coming behind,

“Oh! Claret… he sent his regards… You know men and business, he has this business to fix in… Dubai,” Elena had covered up, Dante had never been around, their marriage was the real chore of a marriage.

Every time Marie lifted her water glass, their eyes met again. She’d look away first, lashes brushing her cheeks, then glance back like she couldn’t help it.

He was drowning and he’d only known her ten minutes.

Conversation flowed; mergers, markets, the wedding date. Din barely heard it. He watched Marie’s fingers twist her napkin, watched her bite her lip when her mother bragged about the “perfect match.”

Jessie’s heel suddenly stomped on his toes under the table, he stared at her, tightening his fist, Jessie's red eyes could kill him there and then,

He didn’t flinch. He moved his gaze back to Marie smiling at something his mother said.

Jessie smiled too, sad, dry smile. She moved her left hand down under the table, reached for the bulge in Din’s pants, and massaged the c**k, sharp.

Din vibrated vigorously, then he had to cover his face behind a smile, “I’d need to use the restroom”, then excused himself quietly.

The guest bathroom was down a dim hallway. He stepped inside, closed the door, leaned toward the sink, heart hammering, he splashed water over his face, staring into the square-sized mirror above the sink,

The lock clicked.

Jessie slipped in, shut the door behind her, and stared at him like she wanted to murder him or f**k him… maybe both

“You’re marrying my sister?” Her voice shook with rage.

“I didn’t know she was your sister,” he said, low.

“Why didn't you tell me you were a Moretti? You asshole!” her voice low and deep,

“You never told me you were a Valenti either,” his hands spread, he ran his hand over his head.

She stepped closer, coffee eyes blazing, biting on her lips. “You don’t get to look at her like that,” dragging on his tie.

He opened his mouth to answer.

She grabbed his lapels, yanked him down, and crushed her lips to his.

Hot, angry, desperate. Teeth clashing, her tongue forcing its way in, tasting like jealousy and red wine. One hand fisted his hair, the other grazing on his chest through the shirt.

Din froze.

Marie’s soft smile flashed behind his eyes, her soft green eyes piercing through his heart.

He shoved Jessie back, breaking the kiss.

“Not here, Jessie” his eyes wide with shock “it's going to get suspicious, someone might walk in”

“Do I look like I f*****g care?” She moved even closer.

Her lipstick was smeared, chest heaving.

He stared at her, breathing hard.

And the door stayed locked behind them, she moved to him again, grabbing his neck in both hands, kissing him passionately,

He kissed back, grabbing her sleek waist pressing against the door, just then, footsteps approached the guest toilet, they both froze, eyes fixed to the door.