She was playing a doubles match with a young girl and two teenage boys. I felt my blood rush through my veins. What the fuck were those boys doing pissing around playing tennis? They should have been busy doing fight training or killing someone.
As Anni flew across the court and hit a forehand shot, the very short skirt of her white tennis dress flipped up, revealing her white lacy panties and the tempting curves of her ass.
And if I could see her ass, that meant that every other man here could see it as well—including the boys playing with her and the numerous soldiers who were on guard duty.I had the unwelcome thought that being on guard duty at the clubhouse was a job the Imperiosi men probably fought over.
“Enjoying yourself?” I snapped, making her head whip around. “I’ve come to collect you to get ready for our engagement party.”
“Lorenzo.” Her face fell when she saw me, but noting my angry expression, she didn’t argue. She turned to her companions. “Sorry, guys. I have to go. But I’ll see you later at the party.”
She walked silently next to me as we made our way back to her parent’s house.
Trying to rein in my anger, I caught her upper arm, pulling her to an abrupt stop in front of me.
I gave her shoulder a caress with my fingers, tracing her skin through her sweat-dampened dress.
Feeling my hand on her body, she let out a rushed breath, her green eyes widening.
I raked my eyes slowly over her body. Her hair stuck to the back of her slender neck, beads of sweat trailing down her skin and disappearing into the front of her dress’s V-shaped neckline.
I dropped my eyes, taking in her tanned legs and pausing at the top of her bare, shapely thighs.
“You won’t wear that tennis dress ever again,” I gritted out. “Not unless you want me to spank your ass and then kill every man who looked at you.”
Her mouth gaped open. “Is this what my life is going to be like from now on—you dictating everything I can and can’t do? What am I supposed to wear when I play tennis?”
“Sweatpants and a hoodie,” I barked. I didn’t want any other Made Men ogling at my wife-to-be.
As soon as we arrived back in the house, she headed for the staircase. As she put her foot on the first step, she turned her face toward me. “I’m going to take a shower.”
I grabbed her wrist and yanked her back down the stairs, making her stumble toward me. “Not so fast. There’s still the matter of the contract you need to sign.”
The door of her father’s study was open, and I could see he was on the phone. But I wasn’t going to permit any further delays.
I put my hand against the small of her back and pushed her reluctant body, urging it toward the dining room where the contract lay waiting.
She looked over her shoulder, probably seeking out someone in her family who could get her out of this.
“Your father had agreed to this. There’s no way out.”
When she reached the table, I pulled out a chair, but she hesitated.
I pushed down firmly on her shoulders, forcing her to sit down at the antique table.
I stood behind her, my hands resting heavily on either side of her neck. I stooped down to be closer to her, inhaling the scent of her hair and noticing the damp tendrils that had escaped from her short ponytail.
I shoved the contract so that it was in front of her.
“Sign,” I ordered.
She looked around at me; meeting my eyes, she took a deep swallow and quickly turned back to the table in front of her. “Look, I’m sorry for what happened and for firing a gun at you,” she said slowly. “I understand that I shouldn’t have done what I did. So, there’s no need for you to insist on this marriage.”
My fingers tightened around the back of her neck. “There’s every point.”
Her eyes remained glued to the table and contract in front of her. “I’ve apologized, so why do you even still want to go ahead with this?”
I bent down so that my mouth was right next to her throat. “I don’t like being questioned.” My lips almost pressed against her ear, making her close her eyes tightly as if to protect herself from me. “You won’t question me again. You know, don’t you, what curiosity killed…?”
“…the cat?” she finished in a whisper, her breaths shallow.