Do I?
Fuck… since when do I try to lie to myself?
Cards on the table. I fucking know I want her to want me. I have since that damn ball. That’s why I’m here. That’s why I’ve been avoiding her.
The marriage was my idea, but I was being a ruthless bastard when I thought of it.
I do want her to want me, but I shouldn’t. The second that takes precedence in my mind, I’ll start to care, then I risk this opportunity to screw with her father.
There are essentially two parts left to fulfill in this plan. Marry Emelia, then watch the Syndicate sling his ass out the door. He’ll be nothing without them.
I slump down on my bed in exasperation and gaze through the floor-to-ceiling windows at the sea pulling in and out of the shoreline.
The bright sunlight hits the water, sparkling across the surface like diamonds being scattered over it. Then, like a fantasy, Emelia emerges from the water, making me bolt upright.
My wife-to-be rises with the waves and makes her way to the shore.
Wearing a turquoise bikini, that body of hers is on full display, reminding me how much I want to dirty the virgin up and get nasty with her.
We must be a good thirty feet apart, but I can see her golden skin glistening. Radiant against the sunlight.
I watch her. And I want her. I want to touch her and taste her. Consume and devour her. Lust is overriding my ability to think straight or control myself. I don’t want to resist. I want to give in and feel that attraction and chemistry that sparks when I’m with her.
Pushing to my feet, I loosen my tie and make my way out onto the terrace, going after what I want—her.
Fury fills me when I see Manni walk up to her with a little bag and she hands him something she carried from the sea. Rage consumes me when he says something, and she laughs. I’ve never heard her laugh before, and I certainly never expected to hear the sound being elicited by another man.
To add insult to injury, his fucking eyes are all over her body, lingering on her ass when she bends down to pick something up she dropped. While I’ve known Manni for close to ten years, I feel like ending him right where he stands. He knows better than to be gawking at a woman who’s mine. Lusting after her. What the fuck is he even doing with her?
I make my way to them, not caring that I look like a jealous bastard who’s ready to kill. What I hate more is that Emelia seems fascinated by him. It’s only when my shoes crunch against the sand nearby that they turn and see me.
Manni looks like he’s ready to shit himself, while Emelia gives me a hardened stare. The same one she gave me after she saw me out here with Gabriella.
“Boss,” Manni says, dipping his head for a reverent nod.
“What are you doing out here?” The indignation in my tone tells him his answer better be good.
“I was just keeping Miss Emelia company. She can’t swim very well, and we thought it would be a good idea for me to be out here just in case something happened,” he explains.
Fucker. He’s telling the truth, but he must know I saw the way he looked at her. Knowing the only punishment I dole out is death, his eyes plead with me not to kill his ass. The length of time he’s worked for me and the fact that I’ve been able to trust him more than most will not make him immune to my wrath.
“Get out of my sight. Next time, if Miss Emelia wants to swim and needs someone to watch her ass, I’ll do it,” I answer, much to Emelia’s embarrassment.
Manni knows what I’m talking about, though, and that I’m not mouthing off about shit.
“Yes, sir,” he answers.
“Give me that,” I order, beckoning for him to give me the little bag. He does and practically flees.
I glance into the bag and see that it’s full of seashells. I then look at Emelia and see how upset she is. Because she has her arms crossed under her breasts, though, all I see is the massive swell of her tits and the depth of her cleavage.
“What is the matter with you?” she snaps. “He wasn’t doing anything wrong.”
“Do not question my actions. You did not see the way he looked at you.”
She smirks without humor and brings her hands up to her cheeks. “Unbelievable. Who cares how he looks at me?”
My eyes snap wide, and I have to bite down hard on my back teeth to tamp down my annoyance. It seems that my absence has loosened things up a little too much, and people, including her, have forgotten she’s mine.