Page 135 of Brutal Heir

I opened the case to display a pair of cluster diamond chandelier earrings with a large pearl in each center. “Then wear them for the House of Diamanti, not for me.”

Part of me wanted her to object. It would give me the flimsy excuse I needed to throw caution to the wind and abandon all my careful plans for this evening—toss her over my shoulder and carry her to my bed.

She saved both of us by reaching for the earrings with a sigh.

As she put them on, I retrieved her long opera coat in a matching winter-white gabardine.

I held it up as she slipped her arms inside. “Thank you for wearing the outfit I chose.”

She glanced back at me. “Did I have a choice?”

I stroked her cheek before accepting my coat and top hat from a nearby staff member.

Slipping on black leather gloves, I smiled. “No.”

She slid on her own white kid leather gloves and pulled them up her forearms. “Why do you get to say no, but I’m not allowed?”

I nodded to my staff, who opened the palazzo’s double doors to reveal our waiting motorcade. Since my presence tonight had been reported to the public, I’d taken the precaution of arranging additional security.

Placing a proprietary hand at her lower back, I replied, “Because I’m the boss.”

Waving the security guard off, I opened the door for her. After swiping my arm under her long skirt and gently lifting it inside the vehicle, I closed the door and crossed to the other side.

As we settled inside, the motorcade pulled away from the curb.

She turned to me. “Do I at least get to know where we’re going?”

“It’s a surprise.”

Her lips turned down.

I couldn’t help but laugh at her adorable, petulant look. “Don’t you like surprises, little one?”

With a huff, she crossed her arms and leaned back in her seat. “I used to love them—until you came along.”

“And what have I done to ruin your love of surprises?”

Her head turned to watch as the lights of Rome shimmered past the tinted windows. Her voice was barely more than a sigh. “Because with you, it’s never just an innocent surprise. There always seems to be a hidden, cruel element.”

I chuckled, low and amused. “Oh, sweetheart, if you think I’m cruel now, then you’ve severely underestimated me.”

CHAPTER 37

SABRINA

Sebastian would not ruin this evening for me.

I was determined to enjoy myself—despite the uneasy knot in my stomach.

Every time I was with him, there was an unshakable sense that I was walking into a game where he already knew the outcome. The way he watched me, the way his smirk lingered just a second too long, made me wonder if I was being led somewhere I might not want to go.

And yet, I stayed.

Through the tinted window, the soft glow of Rome at night unfolded like a dream.

The Tiber River shimmered in the distance, its surface reflecting the streetlights that lined its banks, while the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica stood illuminated against the dark sky—majestic and serene.

The city lights. A gorgeous new gown. Expensive jewels. A surprise evening of entertainment ahead.