Borrowed Bride: Chapter 4

Gianna stumbles and I catch her, gripping her arm tightly. I remain possessive, but I find myself hoping she can garner some reassurance from me.

I don’t need her scared. I need her alert and as sharp with my family as she was with me back on the street.

She flashes me a small smile and while her face remains calm, her gorgeous eyes betray her nervousness. I don’t blame her.

I’ve been making this plan up as we go and it all hinges on how this introduction is about to go. While I plan on sticking to this decision, if Gianna crumbles then I will be responsible for breaking the psyche of an innocent woman.

I don’t want that kind of blood on my hands.

We step over the threshold and a servant rushes forward to take my coat from me. He glances at Gianna with wide eyes, and as he’s about to leave, I stop him with a single look.

“Take her to the washroom. Get her a brush for her hair and let her touch up her makeup. Then, bring her to the study. Three minutes, not a second longer.”

“Yes, Sir.” The servant nods quickly and then bows his head at Gianna. “This way, ma’am.”

She shoots me an uncertain look, then slips from my grasp as she follows the servant toward the nearest washroom.

I need her to look perfect.

In her absence, I have time to check my phone, which has been flooded with missed calls and ignored texts ever since I ran into her. This isn’t the time for me to fall off the map and as I read, I can see that most think I was assassinated or fell wounded somewhere in the city.

We’re on the brink of war, so such assumptions are not too wild. This is where my focus should be. Protecting my family and my people. Instead, my father is constantly pushing me toward marriage and a damn baby. This better work.

Three minutes later, Gianna meets me outside the study looking much healthier. Her wild curls are tamed, and her makeup has been adjusted.

I take her arm and lead her inside the study.

A large table stretches out in the middle of the room. The roaring fireplace to the left is surrounded by chairs filled with men. Those not seated stand around with drinks in hand and whatever argument we walk in on falls immediately silent.

“Marco!” The concerned faces and voices of my lieutenants fill the air.

“Where the hell were you, man?”

“We thought you’d been killed!”

“Did you forget that you set this blasted meeting up?”

“You’re lucky we didn’t start a war on your behalf!”

Gianna’s hand suddenly tightens against my forearm at the influx of noises and questions that flood our way.

Those loud demands slowly fade as each man, in turn, spots the beautiful woman on my arm, and a painfully deadly silence falls.

“Who is that?” one man pipes up, and he’s immediately silenced by his counterpart’s sharp elbow in his ribs.

“This is Gianna,” I declare loudly and my heart clenches faintly. “She’s my wife. I know we had a meeting today but I was busy getting married.”

The air suddenly turns cold like a frozen winter breeze has snapped through the room. No one speaks. No one moves. Everyone is frozen, waiting for one reaction in particular.

My father.

He sits by the fire, puffing slowly on a cigar. The trail of smoke from his mouth abruptly ends at my revelation, and he stands slowly. The cigar dangles from his fingertips, and he turns, revealing his handsome salt-and-pepper features to Gianna.

There’s a split second when his face is calm and I contemplate a favorable outcome.

Then he explodes.

“My son!” he bellows like a bull. “Are you trying to send me to an early grave?! What the hell were you thinking? Have you lost all the fucking sense I crammed into that thick skull of yours?”

His eyes widen, revealing the whites all around his irises and his pale skin purples in his fury.

“You?! My son?! Marrying a complete stranger?!”

His anger is explosive, and I shift a half step in front of Gianna as her nails dig painfully into the soft flesh of my wrist.

“Father—”

“Do you have any idea the shit you’ve just landed us in? You selfish bastard!” He rages on, oblivious to my attempts to talk. “Do you have any sense of how many families will be personally insulted to learn that Marco Barrone has overlooked their daughters and married a nobody?” My father turns and launches his smoldering cigar into the fire. “We’ll be in all-out war with every family from here to the coast because you can’t control your fucking dick!”

I sigh, bored as the rampage continues. Several lieutenants turn to their phones, likely beginning the damage control because my father is right. I can think of at least ten families that will be furious to hear I’m off the market, but I’m confident we can weather the storm.

“Your mother would be so ashamed,” Father growls, and tension snaps up my spine.

“Well, she’s dead,” I reply coldly. “And if she was here, this situation wouldn’t even be a damn requirement, would it?”

“You listen here⁠—”

“You act like he just plucked me off the street,” Gianna suddenly speaks, diverting attention to her. “Surely he has more sense than that.”

Cutting my father off is a bold move but Gianna holds her head high as she walks around me, keeping our hands interlocked. “Most parents would be happy their son married for love.”

I didn’t expect her to hold up her end of the bargain immediately, but once she gets started, she’s on a roll.

“From where I’m standing, it seems like Marco has followed his heart swift enough not to disrupt anything so that he can put his focus where it’s really needed.” She smiles sweetly and brushes her hair away from her shoulder.

“You don’t understand,” Father replies tightly. “Bringing this family to the brink of destruction because he didn’t think beyond his dick is immediately disruptive.”

“Are you telling me that the Barrones aren’t as strong as we’re led to believe?” Gianna tilts her head and touches two fingertips to her lips. Then she turns to me and pouts. “Baby, did you exaggerate?”

She’s so quick that I almost burst out laughing at her smooth performance, but I hold it together.

“She knows little,” I say to my father. “And yet she has more faith in me than you.”

“Do you not remember how things were when your sister died?” my father spits out his words and drags one hand through his thick, silver hair. “The fallout was devastating when we were unable to secure a union with the Simone family. How do you see this ending, hm?”

My defenses rise immediately at the mention of my late sister. “That was an entirely different situation,” I growl. “And a different time. I am in charge now, and if any measly Simone has an issue with this, then I will gladly grind them into the dirt like you should have done years ago!”

My father glares at me, then he turns to the gathered lieutenants. “What are you all still doing here? Get out there, make the damn calls, and if any of you fail to smooth over this situation, it will be your head that rolls, understand? The fucking damage control. Get out. Now!”

Each man hurries out of the room, intent on running damage control for whatever family they are assigned to until it’s just me, Gianna, and my father.

“Gianna.” I squeeze her hand. “My apologies but this is my father, Dante.”

“It’s a pleasure.” Gianna’s smile is as sweet as ever. “Quite the temper you have there.”

“Don’t speak on things you know nothing about,” Dante snaps.

“Oh, you think?” Gianna remains unfazed. “Your attention has been split, correct? All this family business which I am sure is so important, plus securing a suitable wife for your son so that you can get the heir you greatly desire.”

As my father returns to his seat, he hesitates at her words. “You told her?” he asks, glancing at me.

“You think I would marry someone who doesn’t want a baby?” I snort. “I’m not as clueless as you think.”

“I get it,” Gianna smiles. “I mean, I can imagine that it’s like one gorgeous dress that everyone wants, and if you pair it with the right person, then it’s a match made in heaven. But then someone brings in a completely different dress and suddenly it’s a betrayal.” She laughs softly. “The key is to be confident in your decision.”

To my surprise, Dante’s whiskery mustache twitches. “Quite the analogy.”

“Well, I can’t pretend to know what you’re talking about, but I picked up on a few things during your rather um … explosive reaction.”

“Well,” Dante sighs. “I suppose the board has been laid out now.”

I remain near the door, watching as my father and Gianna fall into a quick conversation. She describes herself as an entrepreneur between jobs, claiming I swept her off her feet a few months ago and we’d been dating in secret ever since.

This seems to appease my father slightly as it makes this marriage seem less spur of the moment. Gianna talks smoothly, with a practiced ease I wouldn’t expect from a pickpocket.

There may be more to this woman than meets the eye.

I let them talk for ten minutes, and then I take Gianna by the hand and excuse us both, claiming that it’d been a long day. She remains upbeat as I take her up the grand staircase to the third floor.

As we reach my bedroom, I open the door and part my lips, ready to tell her that she can sleep in here until I get a room prepared for her, but Gianna has different thoughts.

She lurches forward and throws herself into my arms, clashing our mouths together in a heated kiss that takes me completely off guard. Her teeth sink into my lower lip, sparking the heat of pain while her hands clutch at my neck and slide into my dark hair.

“Enough talk,” Gianna gasps. “Fuck me already!”

I don’t need to be asked twice.

I kick the door close and wind one arm around her waist. We only make it as far as the wooden dresser before she’s hoisting her dress up to her waist and biting my lip harder. I thrust my tongue into her mouth, grab a handful of her hair, and shove her against the dresser.

She moans deeply and rakes her nails across my neck, creating trails of heat over my skin.

My cock swells immediately and desire punches through my gut. Gianna pulls on my hair, then uses that grip to crash our mouths together once more.

I can’t resist. I feel powerless in the best way.

Spinning her around the dresser, I push her down hard against it while pulling her dress higher with my other hand. She’s already ahead of me with her underwear by her ankles. My cock is ready to burst right out of my pants.

Raising one hand, I slap the perfectly round bubble of her ass, and her moan pitches; then she lifts her head and glances back at me as I wrestle with my belt and zipper.

“Wait—condom,” she gasps. “No condom, no pussy.”

Snorting in amusement, I grant her the request just this once and locate a condom in the bedside drawer.

She turns to face me when I approach her, cock stiff in my hand. With deft fingers, she tears the foil and slides the condom on with one movement that makes my cock jump, and my balls ache.

“Fucking hell,” I grunt, shoving Gianna back against the dresser. She lands with a thump. The drawers clatter, and all the items on top—cologne and a few porcelain decorations–-jump in response.

“Easy,” I growl, draping myself against her. Sliding one arm around her waist, I pull her close and Gianna moans. She rises up and tips her head back onto my shoulder, giving me an opening to kiss her again as I thrust my cock deep inside her soaked pussy.

Three thrusts and I’m fully sheathed inside her. She moans openly with each thrust, then whimpers when we’re pressed firmly together.

I kiss her deeply, and our tongues dance together, weaving silent music between our breathy gasps and whimpers.

I fuck her hard and fast, pouring all my early frustration into each thrust. It works wonders, especially when each thrust punches a moan of delight out of Gianna. Her hot skin burns against my own, and sweat trickles down my back as my muscles tense. Each slam of my hips shoves her against the dresser. Bottles clatter to the ground, knocked clean off while Gianna’s hands scramble over the dresser, seeking something to hold on to.

In the end, she grips my arm and her nails cut me as I fuck her harder and harder.

We come together, and Gianna screams out her pleasure, a sexy sound cut off by how hard her body trembles and shakes in my arms. I pump deep inside her and keep her against me as pleasure overtakes me in a wave.

Holy shit.

Today has been the most unexpected day, but I like this change.

If Gianna is this dedicated to the part, the next part of the plan will be a breeze.