Stone tilts his head to the side, not accustomed to being told what to do. His glare says it all. I don’t fear him anymore. I trust he’ll keep Mama safe. I trust he won’t hurt me, sans the scene on the veranda. We’ll be addressing that. Soon. First, however, Lorenzo.
It doesn’t matter if I refuse, if I try to run or hide, or lock myself in my bathroom. Stone will force me to go. I have two choices. Fight the inevitable or prepare myself for battle.
“I have jet lag and am going to need a nap before lunch. What time should I be ready?” I stand, ending our meeting. If he has more to say, he can tell me later. I need processing time.
Alone.
“Eleven.”
“Does that give us enough time–”
“He can wait.”
I imagine Stone is a man who prides himself on punctuality. Being late will give him the upper hand. Show Lorenzo who’s in charge. I have to trust Stone knows what he’s doing.
“I’ll be ready,” I say with fake bravado.
I ask Maria to make me a mimosa with my brunch. The fruit salad, oatmeal, and champagne are settling heavy in my stomach. I’m not ready for this. I had no idea our marriage deal meant I’d have to actually see Lorenzo again.
As tempted as I am to wear one of my comfortable outfits from Target, I end up selecting a black business suit from my closet. I coil my hair into a simple twist and apply a light layer of makeup. Mostly to cover up the bags under my eyes. The Dolce and Gabbana heels give me an extra few inches and the appearance of confidence.
Marco is at the front door waiting for me. I wonder if Stone and I are going to take separate cars. I haven’t seen him since I left his office this morning. I hear footsteps from the direction of Stone’s office before he appears in the entryway. It’s a large space, but Stone makes it seem small.
He’s not a huge man. Marco, Tio, and Lucca are bigger than he is. It’s the sense of power, how he holds himself, that makes it obvious who is in charge when he enters a room. Only I don’t cower to him.
Anymore.
He wears a suit almost every day. I’ve seen him without a shirt on. Hell, he’s seen me naked. The black suit and black shirt he wears are similar to all the others, but today he seems...more.
More what? I don’t know. The devil is in him, that’s for sure. It shouldn’t be so...sexy. Hell, I clench my thighs and wave my hand through the air. “Ready?”
Stone crosses the space in two long strides and grabs my left hand. “Where’s your ring?”
I haven’t worn it since the wedding. I didn’t even bring it to New York. I didn’t know at the time where we were going, but it isn’t something I wanted to travel with.
“Upstairs.”
“Get it.”
I raise my brow. I’ve made it clear how I feel about being treated like a dog. I fold my arms across my chest and kick out my hip.
Stone’s gaze doesn’t leave mine. “Marco. Get it.”
“He’s not a dog either,” I say loud enough for Marco to hear me.
Stone grips my arm and hauls me to the limo. He opens the door and practically shoves me in. A moment later, Marco returns with my ring and hands it to Stone.
He holds it out for me, which I ignore, turning away from him to look out the window. He reaches across me, picks up my left hand and roughly places it in my palm.
“Put. It. On.”
“You know, no one is going to believe I willingly married you if you keep talking to me that way.”
“Don’t give me a reason to talk to you this way and I won’t.”
“So this is my fault?” I hear the driver side door open and close, then we start moving. “You want me to act a part, yet you’re not doing your part.”
“You’re making it very hard to pretend right now.”