I leaned back against the sink and she dropped to her knees, her fingers unfastening the front of my pants. I closed my eyes and remembered Olivia on the floor with her hand between her thighs. My cock sprang free as she tugged down my underwear and she opened her mouth, leaning forward.
Wait, I couldn’t do this anymore, I was engaged. My hand shot out to cover her mouth and she jerked back in confusion. Before she could even speak, I’d tucked myself back into my pants and closed the zipper.
“Never mind,” I said hoarsely.
“Did I do something?” Her brows drew together in confusion and I thought I detected a flicker of fear cross her face.
I shook my head. “No, I just got engaged and I forgot. Fucking around on my fiancé probably isn’t the best way to start that relationship.”
She sat back on her heels. “Well, she must be special because I’ve never had a made man think twice about cheating on his woman. I’m…I’m impressed.”
Reaching down, I helped her to her feet. She adjusted her short, black skirt and I allowed my gaze to drift over her. Goddamn it, maybe I should have just let her suck me off. She had a beautiful body with full hips that slid up to a tapered waist and perky breasts. I shifted the front of my pants, trying to find a more comfortable position for my throbbing cock, but it was useless.
“Believe me, I’m no saint,” I said, opening the door. “If you don’t mind, I’ll handle things from here.”
She ducked from the room and I watched her ass sway as she made her way down the hall and disappeared into the kitchen. But it wasn’t her body that I thought of after the door was locked and I was alone. It was Olivia’s slender legs and arching ankles, her pretty, full breasts, and the little hollow at the base of her throat. The soft dip beneath her ear. God, it probably tasted amazing.
When I returned, Olivia stood at the edge of the dance floor looking miserable. Her expression caught me off guard and I wondered briefly if she’d seen me go into the bathroom with the girl. But that would have been impossible. More likely she was just feeling lonely and out of place. I cut across the hall and headed her way.
Before I could reach her, Romano appeared at my side with his son in tow. I’d never liked Aurelio Romano. Perhaps it was his obvious weakness from being raised with a silver spoon in his mouth and a father who praised his every move. Or perhaps it was the arrogant way he carried himself, looking down on every man under his father’s command as if we were dirt beneath his shoes. Someday he would get what he deserved and I would be there to see it happen.
“I know we were going to discuss things later, but Aurelio wanted to talk about Sienna, so lets go and have a chat in the study before dinner,” Romano said.
“Of course,” I said, inclining my head.
I texted Duran on the way up the stairs and asked him to keep an eye on Olivia. As I stepped from the room, I glanced at her stiff form, her arms wrapped around her body and her face turned away. It bothered me how much her demeanor had changed in the last hour.
I followed Romano into his enormous study decorated in trophies of exotic animals and expensive paintings. Aurelio trailed in after us and shut the door, taking a seat. His father poured three glasses of brandy and sat down in the large chair behind the great, oak desk. I accepted one of the glasses and stepped back.
“You may sit,” Romano said.
“I’m fine, thank you,” I said.
The fact that I stood annoyed him, but he composed himself and leaned back in his chair, folding one long leg over the other. As his eyes drifted over me, a strange, satisfied expression crossed his face. Alarm bells went off in my head. Had he said something to Olivia while I was gone? I gazed at him for a long time, unwilling to be the first to break eye contact, and he looked back at me.
“I want to see Sienna,” said Aurelio, breaking the tension. “She was promised to me a year ago and I’ve never even had a conversation with her. Now that I’m graduated, I expect we’ll get engaged soon.”
Sienna was my cousin, orphaned at fifteen, and left in my care. I’d sent her to an expensive, private college on the condition that she agree to marry a made man of my choosing when the time came. She’d traded her virginity, her freedom to choose her husband, and her future over for a degree in classic literature. It seemed like a raw deal to me.
Last year, Romano had approached me to set up a match between his son and Sienna. It would be good for the outfit, strengthen ties and ensure harmony between our families. The idea of seeing my ward on the arm of Carlo Romano’s son turned my stomach, but I agreed to it anyway. Not because I was giving in, but because I wasn’t planning to actually let them stand before the alter and speak their vows.
No, I had bigger plans for Sienna.
“She still has a summer class to finish before she graduates,” I said.
“That doesn’t mean she can’t get engaged,” Aurelio said.
I gazed at him impassively. “Where will you live with her?”
“I’m not sure yet, I might stay here for a bit,” Aurelio said slowly. I could tell he hadn’t thought about this until now.
“I think Lucien wants to see a more concrete plan before he hands over his cousin,” Romano said lightly. “Get a ring, find somewhere nice to live in the city, and then come back and we’ll talk more.”
Aurelio frowned and I could tell he was more than a little annoyed. It didn’t surprise me that he was champing at the bit. Sienna was beautiful, a prize not just in status, for the man who secured her hand. He probably felt insecure having her walk around campus without a ring on her finger.
“When can we expect your wedding, Lucien?” Romano said, turning back to me.
“Christmas,” I said. “I think that’s what Olivia said she wants.”