Arranged for the Cold Don

Chapter 2

Chapter two

REINA

I woke up to an empty bed, Mama's side was cold seems she went to her room last night.

Getting up lazily from the bed I went into the bathroom and splashed water on my face before packing my hair up in a ponytail.

I was downstairs, turning a corner in the hall near the library when I collided with something warm and solid.

A breath escaped me as I was

forced a step back.

I knew who I’d run into before I had to look.

Andre, my brother.

I looked up expecting to see his face but I was met with neck. I raised my head up to look more and I saw an unfamiliar but yet familiar face.

Javier Michello—the sexiest bachelor known for now and my soon to be husband.

Unease drifted through my body like a kindled flame. I looked left and right and realized we were completely alone. It was so quiet I

could hear my heart beating in my chest.

I took another step back as if to get some footing, but it was mostly just to put myself out of his reach, some kind of survival instinct kicking in.

He stood there in a gray suit and a smooth black tie. He was larger than this hallway. Or maybe this hall was just small? No, it looked like a

normal-sized hallway.

‘Ugh, get a grip, Reina.’

He regarded me like I was another species and possibly dull entertainment. He had a cell phone in one

hand at his side, so I assumed he must have been making a private call.

“You going to stand here and stare at me all day, or are you going to move?”

I blinked.

“And if I say stand here and stare at you?”

It was out of my mouth before I could stop it, and I instantly wished I could reach out and take my

words back.

I’d never spoken to someone like that—let alone a boss—in my life. My stomach dipped like a tilt-a-whirl.

With the phone in his hand, a thumb came up to run across his jaw. I imagined he did that while thinking of how he was going to kill me.

He took a small step forward.

I took one back.

Impatience flashed across his face, then he dropped his hand to his side, the slightest bit of amusement coming to life in his eyes as if I’d just done a trick that entertained him.

“Thought the Sweet Rain was sweet.”

“Well, I guess we were both fooled then. Here I was thinking a gentleman apologized when running into a woman.”

“Sounds like someone’s been making assumptions again,” he drawled.

“It wasn’t an assumption.”

He took a step forward, and once again I took one back.

“That's what you should do. Apologize.”

He slipped his hands into his pockets as his gaze fell down my body. It was hardly leering and made me realize I was half naked.

I crossed my arms around my chest.

His eyes narrowed on my pink shorts.

“You think you’ve got some proof, huh?”

I nodded, nor ready to back down.

“My mama said you are the perfect gentleman.”

“I act like the perfect gentleman.”

“So, it’s a matter of if you want to be one?”

He didn’t say a word, but his neutral expression confirmed it as his stare

traveled back up from my shorts.

“And I’m guessing you don’t want to be one right now?”I shouldn’t have said it as I was saying it but I was already out.

His heavy gaze reached mine, burning. He gave his head a slow shake.

Okay.

I concluded he was a jerk.

I’d stood my ground long enough, much longer than the Sweet Rain ever would. But now, I just needed to get the heck out of here.

“Okay, well . . . I’ll see you around.”

I only took a step to go around him—but, before I could, He grabbed my wrist. His grip felt rough, calloused fire. A fresh wave of fear mixed with something boiling hot leaked into my

bloodstream.

“Write up a list of your hobbies. Likes and dislikes, shoe size, dress size, and anything else you think will be useful. Yeah?”

“Yeah,” I breathed.

How many men had he killed with the hand wrapped around my wrist? It wasn’t a hard grip, but it was heavy. It made me aware of how much smaller I was and out of place I felt.

“I’ll give the list to you on Friday before the engagement party,”

I managed to say as I pulled my wrist away.

My pulse fluttered when his hand went up my neck and grabbed the necklace lying there.

“I was under the impression the Abelinnis could afford more than a thirty dollars jewelry.”

I glanced at the necklace laying on my neck. It came from one of those children snack pack and had a red teardrop jewel in the center.

“Seems you know a lot about cheap jeweleries.”

His gaze came back to my face, and we looked at each other for a moment. His grip slipped down my neck.

The rough pads of his fingertips brushed my collarbone, and made my heart skip a beat.

“I’ll see you at lunch, Reina.”

He left, disappearing into my papà’s office.

Cazzo . . .

Leaning against the wall, the necklace was a heavy weight on my shoulder. I could take it off, put it somewhere it couldn’t haunt me, but I knew I never would.

Not yet.

His grip still burned like a brand on my wrist as I left the hallway.

The way he’d said my name sounded inappropriate.