His Forbidden Heir

Chapter 6

Aria's POV

My head hurt from crying so much, and it didn't help that Marco was rubbing my lap the entire ride over with his calloused hand. It was supposed to be a calming gesture — although I'm not really sure, it made me uncomfortable and set me on edge.

"You're going to like it in my place," he said halfway through the ride, "it's spacious and elegant, the kind of life you should get used to as my wife."

He stopped mid stroke, and his grip tightened a bit, and a choked gasp escaped my throat. "You are happy about this marriage, aren't you?" He asked, his tone lower, more dangerous.

I nodded immediately, and he sighed, "I didn't mean to scare you back there, amore. I just dont want these street boys thinking they can lay their hands on my property,"

His property.

That's what I was to him.

Property.

"It's dangerous out there for a pretty lady already, but with my name attached to yours, let's just say it's worse. Im just trying to protect what's mine—" he kept speaking and was only cut off when his phone rang. He stared at the caller ID for a second and then picked it up, "Im in the middle of something," he snapped at the person at the other end of the line.

"Oh," he said softly after a few seconds of listening, "This truce is going to be the end of me. Yes, tell them I will be available for dinner." He said a few things in Italian and then cut the call.

"Looks like we have a dinner with the Carusos to attend." He told me when he cut the call.

"Tonight?" I asked.

"Yes. So when we get home, take a shower and I'll have your dress sent to your room before we leave." He moved closer to me, his hot whiskey breath fanning my ear as he spoke, "and maybe after we can..." he trailed off, his hands slowly moving upwards from my lap.

When I didn't say anything, he planted a kiss on my ear and then moved away.

Suddenly, the fact that I was going to have dinner with both Dante and Don Antonio while pretending we hadn't met earlier today was the least of my problems. It was what would come after the dinner.

~~~

Like Marco had said, a black dress was on the bed of the room he had assigned to me when I got out of the shower.

The second I put it on, I knew he had chosen it to spite Dante or to prove a point to the men he thought also wanted me.

It was short, stopping just above my knees, with an open back design which meant I couldn't wear a bra, and it was tight — free enough so I could move and sit comfortably but tight enough so every inch of my curves was on display.

I was disgusted at the fact that I was going to be put on display like an item, a pretty woman on his arm, a toy that only him owned and other men had to gawk at and envy him, but I was also sad...because this was my life now.

When I descended down the stairs, Marco was at the bottom of the stairs, wearing a very expensive suit like he always did, his brown hair slicked back, and his black eyes trained on me, a mix of pride and hunger as he stared.

"Amore, you look beautiful," he said, stretching out his hand, and I had no choice but to take it.

I was one dress inch away from looking like a hooker.

He pulled me closer, his hand moving around my waist as he planted sloppy kisses on my neck, "I don't know if I would be able to hold myself till we get back," he whispered before pulling away and ushering me outside and towards the car, his men following us.

This was about to be the longest night of my life.

~~~

When we stepped into Don Antonio's mansion, I had to pretend to be surprised and impressed at how big and beautiful it was.

"When I become the Don, we'll get a much nicer place," Marco said, and that was the most decent thing he said all night.

I nodded in response as we walked in.

Their staff ushered us in, handing us glasses of champagne which I took out of courtsey.

We were lead into a large open space in the mansion which i could only assume was intended as a ballroom or a party space, there was soft classical music playing from speakers I couldn't see and men in expensive suits, and pretty women on their arms laughed and talked with each other. The women just stood beside them, not uttering a word, only smiling and accepting complements.

"We should go talk to Don Antonio," Marco said and placed his hand on my lower back as we stepped into the large space.

In that moment, I could feel everyone's eyes on us — well on me specifically - and Marco seemed to be feeding on their stares.

Women stared at me with wide eyes, probably thinking all sort of things, the men whispered among themselves, probably making indecent jokes by the way they grinned and sized me up.

I wanted the ground to swallow me whole.

When we finally got to Don Antonio, my eyes caught the one set of brown eyes I had been avoiding.

Dante.

He was across the room, and even if he was in the same black suit as every other man in there, he looked distinguished. It may have been the way his soft curls dropped over his eyebrows, or his pointed nose, or sharp jawline that I remember kissing several times that night...or maybe it was his stature, his stance, the way he looked like he owned the room, he owned everyone there and yet...it was me he wanted.

The large space suddenly felt smaller.

He looked at me and then at my gown, and then at Marco's hand, which was now gripping my waist, and I could swear I saw a vein bulging in his neck.

Then he started walking towards me, slowly at first and then at a faster pace, he looked determined, like he was going to claim me in the midst of everyone in that room, consequences be dammed.

And I wasn't wrong.