Read Online Blood & Marriage (Dark Mafia Romance) by Miss Merikan - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Miss Merikan
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which made it as revealing as a mini dress. On the flip side, it didn’t
show any cleavage, so there was that.
The banquet room was empty at this point. When I’d first come
here, it had been filled with light-weight furniture and various plants, which
made it a sort of indoor garden, but with the wedding party approaching, a lot
of redecorating for the occasion needed to be done. A team of people hired for
this purpose were hard at work on the other end of the vast space, where they
pinned white curtains to form a background for the bride and groom’s table.
Across from them stood a lone table cluttered with a whole array of baked
goods, each individually wrapped and presented inside pink cardboard boxes.
I instantly smiled at them and started reading the cards with
details about the food. I was excited to find out that the pastry chef did
indeed cater to my tastes, despite the short notice, and had made two dishes
with my favorite Calabrian chilies. A savory tart, and chili chocolate
cupcakes.
As I was about to bite into the latter, a harsh slap on the
ass made my nose dive into the chocolate cream.
“Hey there, sis-in-law,” Vincenzo said with a wide grin, and
my heart sunk. I hated being around him. There was no other way to put it—the
man was a pig. “Look at all this goodness!” He rubbed his hands together as if
he was invited to have any of it.
I spun around and brushed the cream off my skin, trying very
hard not to show my displeasure when I faced him. “Oh, I thought it was Seth
coming over to help me make the choice,” I lied, determined to keep him away.
It was sad that the only thing that made women out of limits was their
connection to another man. Well, most men, because Santo clearly did not
respect such boundaries.
Vincenzo grinned and wiggled his eyebrows as I forced myself
to not cringe at his hair, which had far too much gel in it. “Aah! Sure you
did. I bet you hoped for some action before the wedding. No can do, baby girl,
he’s off limits for you. Me on the other hand…” He laughed as if it was a great
joke, but something about him suggested that if I were interested, he wouldn’t
care I was promised to his brother.
What kind of brother was he? Maybe if he couldn’t have
Seth’s position, he hoped to have his wife at least. Well, too bad for him. I
had no idea how any sensible woman could ever be interested in him. I was about
to tell him off in the politest way possible when I noticed a familiar
silhouette in the garden outside. Walking with his father, Federico, was Santo,
and my heart jumped in gratitude.
“Look who’s outside,” I said, rushing for the terrace doors.
I called out to them, hoping to God they would not decline an invitation to
sample cake.
Federico Villani had to have been at least fifty, but he
always dressed so sharply I could imagine he still turned heads. There was a
strange similarity between him and his son. They were both tall and slim, but
Santo’s shoulders were wider. Federico had salt and pepper hair, another
feature different from Santo’s tar-black.
I waved at them with a smile, and for a moment I thought
they wouldn’t come, and I’d be left with Seth’s sleazy brother, but Santo said
something to his father, and they approached. Federico’s face looked as if it
had never known a smile, but I wasn’t discouraged.
“I need some help with choosing. I can’t judge it all on my
own. I’ve already got Vincenzo here, but a bigger sampling group is in order.”
Santo’s gaze met mine. He must have gotten his green eyes
from his mother, because Federico’s were dark. “I haven’t had breakfast, so I
wouldn’t mind.”
“Because there wasn’t time for breakfast,” Federico said,
with a slight scowl, but he still followed Santo inside.
I took a deep breath and gave him my best smile. “You men
are always so busy. But isn’t it easier to think when you have something nice
to eat?” I asked, raising a pitcher of lemonade in a
show any cleavage, so there was that.
The banquet room was empty at this point. When I’d first come
here, it had been filled with light-weight furniture and various plants, which
made it a sort of indoor garden, but with the wedding party approaching, a lot
of redecorating for the occasion needed to be done. A team of people hired for
this purpose were hard at work on the other end of the vast space, where they
pinned white curtains to form a background for the bride and groom’s table.
Across from them stood a lone table cluttered with a whole array of baked
goods, each individually wrapped and presented inside pink cardboard boxes.
I instantly smiled at them and started reading the cards with
details about the food. I was excited to find out that the pastry chef did
indeed cater to my tastes, despite the short notice, and had made two dishes
with my favorite Calabrian chilies. A savory tart, and chili chocolate
cupcakes.
As I was about to bite into the latter, a harsh slap on the
ass made my nose dive into the chocolate cream.
“Hey there, sis-in-law,” Vincenzo said with a wide grin, and
my heart sunk. I hated being around him. There was no other way to put it—the
man was a pig. “Look at all this goodness!” He rubbed his hands together as if
he was invited to have any of it.
I spun around and brushed the cream off my skin, trying very
hard not to show my displeasure when I faced him. “Oh, I thought it was Seth
coming over to help me make the choice,” I lied, determined to keep him away.
It was sad that the only thing that made women out of limits was their
connection to another man. Well, most men, because Santo clearly did not
respect such boundaries.
Vincenzo grinned and wiggled his eyebrows as I forced myself
to not cringe at his hair, which had far too much gel in it. “Aah! Sure you
did. I bet you hoped for some action before the wedding. No can do, baby girl,
he’s off limits for you. Me on the other hand…” He laughed as if it was a great
joke, but something about him suggested that if I were interested, he wouldn’t
care I was promised to his brother.
What kind of brother was he? Maybe if he couldn’t have
Seth’s position, he hoped to have his wife at least. Well, too bad for him. I
had no idea how any sensible woman could ever be interested in him. I was about
to tell him off in the politest way possible when I noticed a familiar
silhouette in the garden outside. Walking with his father, Federico, was Santo,
and my heart jumped in gratitude.
“Look who’s outside,” I said, rushing for the terrace doors.
I called out to them, hoping to God they would not decline an invitation to
sample cake.
Federico Villani had to have been at least fifty, but he
always dressed so sharply I could imagine he still turned heads. There was a
strange similarity between him and his son. They were both tall and slim, but
Santo’s shoulders were wider. Federico had salt and pepper hair, another
feature different from Santo’s tar-black.
I waved at them with a smile, and for a moment I thought
they wouldn’t come, and I’d be left with Seth’s sleazy brother, but Santo said
something to his father, and they approached. Federico’s face looked as if it
had never known a smile, but I wasn’t discouraged.
“I need some help with choosing. I can’t judge it all on my
own. I’ve already got Vincenzo here, but a bigger sampling group is in order.”
Santo’s gaze met mine. He must have gotten his green eyes
from his mother, because Federico’s were dark. “I haven’t had breakfast, so I
wouldn’t mind.”
“Because there wasn’t time for breakfast,” Federico said,
with a slight scowl, but he still followed Santo inside.
I took a deep breath and gave him my best smile. “You men
are always so busy. But isn’t it easier to think when you have something nice
to eat?” I asked, raising a pitcher of lemonade in a
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