I’d considered inviting her to this homecoming dinner, but I’d changed my mind at the last minute, preferring to keep this extravagant part of my life a secret a little longer. She knew me as a conservative young lady from an ordinary family. She thought I was like her, my parents had saved up for years to send me for an overseas education.
My peace was interrupted when I sensed someone’s approach.
I didn’t turn around, hoping whoever it might be was only passing by, but of course, no such luck.
“Princess.”
I gritted my teeth. It was once again, the grating, hoarse voice I’d had to listen to for the last hour. We didn’t have an audience anymore, so there was no need for me to extend basic human courtesy anymore. I gave him a dry look. “My name is Sienna.”
“I know what your name is,” he said, a nauseating smile on his face.
“So why are you calling me princess, then?”
He came over to stand in front of me with a tumbler of what I presumed was whisky in his hand. He took a sip, before he fixed his gaze on me. “You’re going to be feisty, aren’t you? I should warn you I am not turned off at all by that.”
I cringed at his words and took a step back from him, certain now something was very wrong with his brain. Never, had I met someone who was so inept at reading another human being. Could he really not tell I felt repulsed by him?
“I do admit though that when I heard you were returning, I didn’t know what to expect. You certainly weren’t a head turner back then. I didn’t expect much to have changed. In fact, I was prepared for the worst but seeing you now … you have indeed come a very long way from the girl with the ugly haircut and buck teeth.”
The reminder of my less than glamorous past would have made me smile, if not for the offensiveness of his gaze as it ran down my body. I cocked my head and gave him the same condescending once over. I’d met him seated and then been so upset with him I hadn’t noticed his physical build, but now I realized he was solidly built, but he was shorter than me.
Perhaps if I took my heels off, we would be somewhat the same height, but that wasn’t exactly good news for him since I was 5 feet and 5 inches tall. I told myself he was deserving of my sympathy. Perhaps his brutish and overbearing nature was him trying to make up for what he lacked in height.
“You’re exactly the kind of woman I won’t mind having in my bed. Curvy hips, full breasts, that fire in your eyes. You are quite the surprise dearest cousin. I definitely won’t have any problems accepting the marriage proposal.”
I’d been about to cut him down to size for his comments when his words stopped me. “Marriage proposal? What are you talking about?”
He studied me, surprised at my reaction. ‘You’re not aware?”
“Aware of what?”
“That we have been betrothed? This banquet was thrown as an unofficial introduction for us. You didn’t actually believe that it was just to welcome you, did you?”
My blood stopped flowing through my veins. “You’re joking?” I gasped in shock.
He chuckled as he drained his glass. “My darling Sienna,” he said. "Our fathers have settled on a marriage between us, and I for one, very much look forward to our union.”
His hand lifted and before my frozen body could react, it was already on my shoulder and caressing its way down the bare skin of my arm.
“Don’t fucking touch me,” I hissed, as I shoved his hand away.
He lost his grip on the glass and it fell to the stone floor, shattering with a loud sound.
It drew some attention from down below.
“Sienna?” I heard my mom call, but I was too furious and confused to respond.
“Sienna!”
“It’s okay, Aunt Marzia, we’re fine. I dropped my glass,” Fabio explained.
“Sienna,” my mom called once again.
Finally, I came back to my senses.
“Tell her you’re fine,” Fabio whispered through gritted teeth.
I could see the annoyance gathering like dark clouds on his face, but I couldn’t have cared less. “I’m fine!” I called out angrily, and stormed off the balcony.
Chapter 8
Sienna
“He did what?” Charlotte exclaimed.
“Stood right in front of me. Completely naked,” I repeated.
"You’re joking!”
“I wish I was,” I replied, grateful I was finally able to speak with my closest friend in London. “A lot of crazy things have been happening over here. And I haven’t been able to reach you and rant.”
“I’m sorry,” she apologized. “The time difference is impossible. Plus, I’ve been trying to find a room to rent in South Ealing.”
“You’re moving out of your parents’ house?”
“Of course, I am. I’m not going back to sharing a room with my bratty sister. Anyway, back to the guard. How could he do that? Is he shameless or just cocky? Pun intended.”