AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The waitress returns not long after with our drinks and I roll my eyes as I lift up my orange juice and clink it against Lorna’s champagne flute.
“Dario DeMarco.” Some guy around the same age as my brother stumbles over to sit beside him, uninvited. He’s clearly wasted but Dario shoos away the guard who makes his way over to march the guy away.
“You remember me, Aleto? My uncle and your father are great friends. We spent that summer at his villa in Sicily when we were teenagers.”
“It’s been a while, how is your uncle?” Dario asks him politely.
“Never mind him, what I’ve got for you is going to blow your mind, have you heard of?—”
“Aleto, I am with my wife. Now is not the time to discuss business.” His hand slides back around my thigh anchoring me closer to him, and despite being mad at him I can’t help liking the way it feels.
“I heard you got married, though I was sure it was supposed to be the Fabriano girl?...” Aleto silences himself when he sees the warning look on Dario’s face. “Mrs. DeMarco, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” He stands up and leans across the table. As his lips start heading toward my cheek, Dario’s hand quickly slides between us and grips around his throat. I see the tension in his fingers and the stiffness in his jaw as he forces him back, standing up and keeping Aleto in his grip as he backs him up toward the balcony.
“You’d better tell me that you werenotjust intending to put your mouth on my wife,” he snarls as he bends the top half of Aleto’s body over the edge, then pulls a gun from under his jacket and rests it against his temple. I hear all the gasps thatcome from around us over the music and Lorna takes my hand and squeezes it under the table.
“I was, it was just a greeting. Come on, Dario, we’re practically family.”
“Dario.” I smile nervously at all the people who are watching as I get up and go to him, and when I notice the guy starting to turn purple, I panic. “Dario, it’s fine. He was just being friendly.”
“I don’t appreciate other men beingfriendlytoward my wife.” He takes his focus off the guy to stare back at me.
“Dario, you're hurting him.” I hear Aleto starting to choke and his hands thrash desperately as Dario continues to show his strength and holds him in a one-handed grip. “Please, put the gun away, you’re scaring me.”
His nostrils flare and he makes a low, heavy growl as he slides the gun back into his jacket and drags the man up from over the balcony.
“Attempt to touch my wife again, and her kindness won’t be able to save you,” he warns him, before grabbing the back of his head, spinning him around, and smashing his face into the thick, marble pillar beside us. “Get him out of here.” He looks over to his guard after letting Aleto’s limp body drop to the floor.
“Your nature is far too sweet for this world you find yourself in, Madalina DeMarco.” His fingers slip over my cheek to push my hair back behind my ear and despite the man he almost just killed, bleeding on the floor behind him, I can’t help taking a little comfort from his touch
“Now, aren’t you glad you didn’t drink?” Dario throws me one of his clever looks as a member of his security team loads Lornainto the back of the limousine. She’s wasted, looks like a baby deer on her feet, and can barely string a sentence together. Dario decided it was time for us to leave when she started to try and take her clothes off on the dance floor.
“You know, you two are kinda cute together.” She flicks her finger between us and tries to focus by squinting one of her eyes closed. “And if you have knocked up my best friend, I’m sure your baby will be beautiful,” she slurs, reaching over the seat to open the minibar.
“Lorna.” I shake my head and place my foot over the door to deny her access.
“Your drunk friend speaks the truth.” Dario shrugs, still looking handsome and smug at the same time.
“We are not talking about this now. In fact, we aren't talking about it at all.” I feel nerves stir in my stomach when I think about those three days he came inside me while I was unprotected. I never did anything about it, and he’s right when he says there's a chance of me being pregnant. I’ve just been choosing not to think about it.
“I don’t see anything wrong with a man wanting to give his wife his child, it’s human nature.” Dario slides his arm around me.
“Yes, it is!” Drunk Lorna spurs him on by clapping her hands and I’m surprised that when she reaches forward for a high five, he gives her one. I’d almost go as far as to say he’s having fun.
“Lorna, will you be quiet?” I give her the look that should tell her this isn’t funny anymore.
“You know, she’s starting to grow on me.” Dario looks at me and smiles.
“Come on, girl, he’s hot and you're married, I wouldtotallylet him impregnate me.” She giggles and when the car takes a corner she slides across the seat.
“No one is impregnating anyone.” I roll my eyes, unable to believe how fickle my friend is. Sober Lorna would think the idea of me and Dario having a child together is as ridiculous as I do.
“Baby, as I like to keep reminding you…” Dario wraps his arm around my neck, dragging me closer so his lips are against my ear. “...you could already be impregnated.” His other hand slides over my stomach and his teeth graze over my ear lobe, making a shiver slip down my spine.
MADALINA
“Why do you never sleep in here?” I ask Dario when he starts to get dressed. I don’t want to pick a fight, especially since we’ve been getting on with each other so well the past week, but I am curious. Dario has been home much more, lately, and we seem to be getting more intimate with each other. I’ve left the house to enjoy a few more shopping trips with Lorna, and she’s helped me make use of the facilities here. But most of the time it’s just been him and me. I have to admit, life hasn’t been so bad. It’s amazing what a little bit of reasoning can do for a marriage.
“Because this is your room,” Dario answers as he finishes buckling up his belt.
