Married by Mistake, Desired by Fate

Chapter 8 - Shopping

Sienna Koch

He held my wrist and pulled me around. He climbed up onto a helicopter and fastened my seatbelt for good measure.

“We will be there soon,” he said, and I remained quiet. I didn´t know what to think or what to do around this man.

I knew he was dangerous, he was powerful, and I was his prey… his new plaything. What I didn't understand was why he was being nice to me. Was this a version of him that was normal, or was he trying to show me a version of himself that was far-fetched from reality?

I didn't trust him. The only man I was to trust was Frederick. I was supposed to walk down the aisle tomorrow to become his bride, then my sister happened, and I am here… trying to keep my head afloat from drowning, while my sister goes her merry way with the future I have always dreamed of.

“You are quiet,” he said over the headphones.

“I find that silence is better when you have nothing to say," I replied, trying to be as proper and as polite as possible.

I don't understand why he accepted my mother's proposal. I don't understand why he is following through when he could have any woman… the most gorgeous woman in the bunch, and he is choosing to get stuck with me. I don't have a choice, but he does… UGH! I don´t get it…

The helicopter landed on the roof of a shopping center. “John… we landed,” Salvatore said into the radio, and then we heard back, “Good, Sir, the stores are already waiting for your visit,” John said, and suddenly Sal looked at me, and took a deep breath. I sat there still, frozen.

“Come…” He said, unfastening my seatbelt, and pulling me out of the helicopter. When I took the jump out, he safely kept his hands around my waist. The cutouts on the dress allowed him to caress my bare skin.

I quickly took a step back, confused as to why my body felt warm and bothered. He is an asshole who is taking me as a consolation prize, an asshole who is selling his silence, at a high rate: me.

He cleared his throat, and we took an elevator. A group of security guys surrounded us, and soon we were at the front of a very exclusive boutique. “Welcome, Mr. DiMarco,” A very eager saleswoman greeted us. Her lashes fluttering and her smile sultry. I looked at the woman, perking her breasts, offering more than clothes to the man beside me, and when I looked at him, he smirked and sighed.

“We´ll be needing a blue dress for a beach wedding,” he said, and took a seat on a very fancy couch and crossed his right leg over his left knee.

“Go on,” he said to me, and the woman, for the first time, noticed I was standing there.

I slowly nodded, while he quickly pulled out his phone and started typing on it. Rude.

“This way, Miss…” The sales attendant said, and I followed her. She started pulling several dresses, one more revealing than the other.

“It is a beach wedding, thus you must show what you´ve got!” she said, making me feel uncomfortable. I was not comfortable with nudity, and after the last time I dared show off my body, I am not so sure if I want to go with something that daring.

“I want something feminine but covered,” I said, and she stopped in her tracks.

“You think being covered will keep that man on the couch interested?” she said, and I took a deep breath.

“I want to be covered,” I said, and she sighed.

“Well, he will get bored faster than I thought,” she mumbled, and then she went away to pick some dresses for me.

I looked around and started checking some of the other things that were around the store. Not only some dresses, but also some shoes and bags.

“Try them on, if you like them.” his breath fanned my neck, making my entire body aware of his proximity.

“Keep your distance,” I mumbled, and he brushed his lips on the back of my neck.

“Why would I, my future wife?” he said, and the way he claimed me, without doing so, unnerved my entire system.

I quickly turned around and pushed him away, “Keep your distance,” I locked my furious gaze with his, and he just f*****g smirked.

I walked away, and I saw him calling another attendant. “Take those shoes and bags…” he said in a low voice, and I took a deep breath. I usually can figure people out fast, and I get to identify their real, true motives, but Salvatore DiMarco has proven to be harder to read than anyone else.

I walked past him, and he took a deep breath. I knew I had gotten on his nerves, but he signed up for a woman who was being forced into this; no one said I had to be docile and agreeable. At least I didn´t get that memo.

“I had some dresses for you in the changing room,” The sales attendant smirked, and she pushed her breasts forward when she noticed Salvatore was there.

I huffed and moved to the dressing room. All of the dresses were granny dresses. What the f**k is wrong with this woman? She should be helping me, not trying to f**k the man who is my fianceé.

I took a deep breath, maybe the way I was raised, and the way the world works are completely different. I should not hold back anymore… I should try different things and be a little conceited. I turned around and looked at the sales attendant, “No, none of them.” I said, and she gasped.

“You are just trying to make me look bad…” she pouted and then shimmied her body innocently, looking at Sal.

“Which one do you want me to try first?” I picked at one of the most hideous dresses I have ever seen in my life, and Salvatore choked on his own saliva trying to conceal the laugh he was about to spurt. “Little Red Riding Hood's Granny´s dress or Merryweather Outfit's from the Sleeping Beauty?” I said to Salvatore, and he nodded.

“I guess this store does not have what we need,” He said without batting an eyelash.

“Thanks,” I said, and he nodded.

“What about the bags and shoes?” The attendant protested.

“They are supposed to go with a dress, no dress, no need for the rest,” I said, and Salvatore raised his eyebrows. Something crossing his features, amusement, curiosity? The hell I would know! And that frustrated me tremendously.

“Come,” he said, “There is another store that might have what we are looking for,” he said, and I nodded.

Indeed, at the other shop, a very high-end designer shop, I found a blue dress perfect for the occasion. I wanted to be covered, no cleavage, no sin showing, yet… the big hole in the back gave it a very sexy undertone without being an in-your-face hooker type of dress.

Salvatore patiently waited for me. He asked me to come out to show him the dresses, but I refused. I walked out of the fitting room with a smile.

“I want this one,” I said, and he nodded.

“Do you need anything else? Shoes, purses, a potato sac that goes along with this one?” he said, picking up the very covered dress.

“Charming…” I said and passed by him. “I do need appropriate clothes for the upcoming events, but it does not correspond to you to purchase those; it should be my family, the ones purchasing them, after all, I am throwing my life away for their sake,” I mumbled the last part, venting out, and hoping I didn´t push too hard. I barely knew Salvatore, and I might have chewed more than I could swallow.

He suddenly held my wrist, not forcefully but with enough strength to call my attention. I looked at my wrist, and then looked up… daring, defying him. I should have some limits, but I guess, once the burden of being the perfect submissive wife for Frederick was removed from my shoulders, I was discovering who I really was, and I kind of liked it.

“Careful, Sienna, you don´t want to see my bad side,” he said, and I looked down at my wrist.

“In fact, I don´t want to see a side at all…” I said, and he chuckled. Not a soft smile, but a sardonic one, one that told me he had accepted the challenge, “Now, release me,” I said.