BOUND BY CONTRACT, CLAIMED BY DESIRE

Chapter 7: The Rules

Leonardo's POV

The guest room where Valentina slept was fifteen feet from my bedroom door, and I heard every movement she made. The creak of the bed when she turned over, the soft pad of her feet on the floor when she gave up trying, the quiet click of her door opening at midnight.

I told myself I didn't care and had work to focus on. The IPO timeline was accelerating and I had deals to close and contracts to review and a hundred decisions that needed my attention.

Now it was seven in the morning and I was standing in my study with a headache and zero hours of sleep and a list of rules on paper.

My study was painted grey, and a floor-to-ceiling bookshelves lined two walls, filled with books I had read and some I hadn't.

My phone buzzed, a message from Mrs. Chen.

"Ms. Rossi is awake. Shall I send her to your study?"

"Yes,” I typed back, tapping my foot on the floor softly.

I set the phone down and poured myself a glass of water. My knuckles were still sore from last night's session at the gym.

I had gone six rounds with a trainer half my age and lost the last three, and my body was paying for it now.

“Come in,” I said calmly, as I heard a knock on the door.

Valentina stood in the doorway, wearing jeans and a white shirt. Her hair was pulled back with no makeup which made her look younger.

"Close the door," I said.

She walked to the chair across from my desk and sat down without being asked. Her hands folded in her lap. Her posture was straight but her shoulders were tense.

I stood up and picked up the list and walked around the desk, stopping a few feet in front of her.

"We need to establish some ground rules," I said, my gaze fixed on her.

"Okay,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

“Read it,” I said, handling the paper to her.

She took the list, her eyes scanned the page. I watched her face for a reaction, but here wasn't.

"Four rules,” she said, her gaze drifting to me after a long moment.

"Yes,” I said, my expression flat.

"No personal questions," I read aloud.

"What counts as personal?" She asked.

"Anything about my family, my past, my work outside what you already know as my secretary. Anything I don't volunteer."

"Understood,” she said, looking at me intensely which made me feel adding the rule was something stupid.

"Rule two, maintain separate lives outside public events. You have your own room. Your own schedule. We don't eat meals together unless required for appearances. We don't spend time together unless necessary."

Valentina's jaw tightened, but she didn't say anything.

"Rule three," I continued. "Never enter my bedroom without explicit permission. The west wing is off limits."

"Mrs. Chen already told me this," she said. Her voice was quiet but there was an edge to it.

"I'm telling you again.”

"Rule four, all public appearances require your approval of my outfit."

“What! You want to control what I wear?” She raised her voice slightly.

"Yes. I want to ensure you present appropriately."

"Appropriately for what?” She said, her cheeks red.

"For a woman married to me,” I said, leaning a little closely to her.

Valentina set the paper down on the desk, hands were shaking slightly as she folded them together.

"Anything else?" she asked.

"Yes." I walked back to my desk and leaned against it, arms crossed. "We announce the engagement next week at my parents' dinner. You'll meet my family. Alessandro, Catarina and others."

"You met them briefly, they'll ask questions. You'll need to answer them convincingly."

"What do I tell them about us?" Valentina said, narrowing her eyes.

"My family already know about the arrangement, but tell others that we've been involved privately for the past six months. That we kept it quiet to avoid media attention. That we decided to formalize the relationship now because of the IPO timeline,” I said, heaving a sigh, while I tapped my foot softly.

"They'll believe that?"

"They'll believe what they want to believe." I pushed off the desk and walked to the window. The city stretched out below.

"My Mom, Catarina will be a little bit hard. She always is. But my Dad, Alessandro will be supportive.”

She picked up the list from the desk and folded it in half. "Is there anything else?"

"Yes. The dinner is Friday at seven PM. I'll have Mrs. Chen coordinate your outfit with my tailor. Wear what she selects. Don't deviate."

"Understood,”she said, about to go.

"And Valentina."

She stopped halfway to the door and turned back.

"Don't embarrass me in front of my family," I said.

Her face flushed and I saw the anger flash in her eyes before she buried it. She opened her mouth, but closed it.

"I won't," she said as she turned to leave.

But her heel caught on the edge of the rug, as she stumbled forward.

I moved without thinking, my hands holding her waist, steadying her before she hit the floor while she grabbed my shoulders, her fingers digging into my shirt.

Her waist was smaller than I expected. My hands fit around it easily, her body smelling like vanilla.

Valentina's breath hitched, her eyes met mine, wide and startled. We were close enough that I could see the gold flecks in her brown irises. Close enough that I felt her pulse racing under my hands.

My chest tightened, as something shifted inside me, my hands still held tight to her waist, but I quickly dropped it.

"Careful," I said, my voice came out rougher than I intended.

"Sorry,” she straightened, smoothing down her shirt, her cheeks red.

"The rug is old. I should have it replaced,” I said, touching the back of my head.

"It's fine.”

"Clearly it's not,” I said, almost immediately.

She didn't respond, she just stood there, staring at me like she was trying to solve a puzzle.

I walked back to my desk and sat down, putting distance between us, as I I picked up a file and opened it, pretending to read.

"You're dismissed," I said without looking up, but she didn't move, and I could feel her watching me.

"Is there something else?" I asked.

"No."

"Then close the door on your way out."

I set the file down as the door clicked shut behind her and pressed my hands against my eyes.

Her waist had fit perfectly in my hands…she smelled like vanilla.

I had wanted to pull her closer instead of pushing her away and this was a problem.

I stood up and walked to the window. The city below looked cold and indifferent while I pressed my forehead against the glass and closed my eyes.

Two years, I just had to get through two years without touching her again.

My phone buzzed, a message from Catarina.

"Looking forward to Friday's dinner. I assume you'll be bringing Valentina? Isabetta is eager to meet her properly."

I stared at the message for a long moment. Then I typed back.

"Yes. We'll both be there."

I set the phone down and looked at the closed door where Valentina had stood moments ago.

She's just my secretary, but a secretary doesn't make your chest feel like this right?