Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 98583 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 493(@200wpm)___ 394(@250wpm)___ 329(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98583 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 493(@200wpm)___ 394(@250wpm)___ 329(@300wpm)
“Boss, if you knew who she was the whole time, why the game?”
I smile slightly and shrug. “Because games are fun, and besides, if she wanted me to know who she was, she wouldn’t have kept the mask on. I decided to honor her wishes.”
“What a respectful guy.”
“I doubt she’d agree with that.” I refill my coffee mug. “How’s your sister doing, by the way?”
“Carmela’s good like always. Living her best life.”
“Glad to hear it.” I spend a moment composing myself. Last night’s encounter with my future wife is seared into my memory. Her sweet moans, the taste of her tongue, the way she came for me and begged for more…
I take a deep breath and blow it out.
Attachments are distractions.
My time is fleeting, and I’m going to spend it doing the only thing I care about.
Making my family even more powerful than it already is.
Lucy Willing-Morris is only a means to that end. Her family name will open social doors that are currently closed to me, and her family’s investment firm will be the perfect front for laundering the vast amounts of money currently pouring into my organization’s coffers.
It doesn’t matter if the sex was extremely good. It matters even less that she’s the first woman I’ve touched since my father took an ugly turn.
The Marino Famiglia is everything.
“Let’s get to work then,” I tell my cousin, and we leave the house together.
Chapter 4
Lucy
Istare at myself in the mirror, trying to recognize the girl that looks back.
But she’s a total stranger.
I mean, seriously, that girl banged some random guy last night, and that’s totally not me.
Well, he’s not random. I mean, I’m marrying him soon, so I guess it’s okay?
But it was extremely unlike me. I take a long time to warm up to people normally. I’ve had way too many bad experiences over the years with friendships and acquaintances, and I’ve learned to put up massive, barbed-wire fences all around my heart.
And my vagina.
There’s a knock and my bedroom door opens. “Good morning, sunshine.” Kennedy bustles in and starts arranging my mess. “I hear you were out late last night.”
“Listening to the house gossip now?”
“Honestly, sometimes that’s all I have to do.” She holds up the dress I wore last night, her eyebrows raised. “You left the house in this?”
“I told you, Grandmother sent me on a mission last night.”
“Was it a mission to seduce someone?” When I don’t answer, she bursts out laughing. “My god, I knew your family was messed up, but this is ridiculous.”
I hurry over to close my bedroom door as Kennedy finishes straightening up. She’s my personal maid and really my only friend in this entire world, which is kind of sad if I let myself think about it. We’re around the same age, but where I have a full figure and dark hair, Kennedy’s a petite little blonde with more fire in her than a hot sauce factory.
“It was my future husband,” I say, flopping down on the bed. “And it went—” I hesitate, trying to find the right words. A few dozen run through my head. Amazing. Horrifying. Sweaty and extremely hot. “Somewhat well.”
“That sounds like an understatement, given the dress.” Kennedy sits next to me and leans back, her leg bumping against mine. “You seem a little lost today though.”
I glance away. She’s always been really good at reading my moods. “Just thinking about what my life’s going to look like soon.”
“It won’t be all that different though, will it? I mean, you’ll be married—”
“To a total stranger,” I point out.
She concedes that with a wave of her hand. “But you’ll still have money and comfort and all that. Where I come from—”
“Which is like six blocks west of here.”
“—We’d kill to have even a quarter of what you have.”
Leave it to Kennedy to remind me of all my privilege. “Sometimes I wonder why I don’t fire you.”
“Because you love me too much.” She snuggles closer. “Honestly, Lucy, I know this sucks. I’m just trying to look on the bright side.”
There aren’t many of those left these days. I close my eyes and keep them shut. “Want to hear the saddest part of all this?” I whisper.
“God, yes. Make it depressing.”
“When I marry him, I’ll have to move into his house. And that means you and I won’t be, you know, working together anymore.”
She groans and arches her back. “Fuck, yes, that’s so fucking sad.”
“Don’t be gross. I’m being serious right now. You’re my only friend and you work for me.” I chew my lip, and I can feel myself starting to spiral. “Sometimes I wonder if that’s going to change.”
She sits up on an elbow. “You’re afraid we’re not going to be friends anymore when I don’t work for you?”
“I guess? You won’t have any incentive—”
“Lucille Willing-Morris, you watch your fucking mouth around me.”