Chapter 7

GISELLE

I spent the entire day with Aunt Adrienne, searching for dresses to wear to the dinner. I wanted to look my absolute best.

If there was anything I knew about Italian relatives, it was that they were opinionated, and wouldn't hesitate to comment on something they disliked during family functions like this.

My plan was to be seen and blend in at the same time. It had just been harmless shopping at first with a guard tailing us when Aunt Adrienne suggested something that was bound to annoy Nicholas.

Now, I was dressed for dinner, waiting for Nicholas to come home. The later he was, the more my nerves grew.

I retouched my red lipstick before stepping back to check myself out in the full-length mirror.

I was clad in a black dress that hugged my waist, the skirt flowing down my legs. It had a slit so up my thigh that I was afraid I'd flash everyone if I moved the wrong way.

The top of the dress was cut out in a sweetheart neckline that hugged my breasts, and it was dotted with crystals. To complete my outfit, I hard a pair of black Louboutins on my feet.

Go big or go home, right?

My make-up was light, but I'd gone with a dark red matte lipstick that made my lips look plumper than they were. My manicure matched my matte lipstick.

If seduction was a person, I was her at this moment. I knew my outfit defeated my motive to blend in, but I didn't plan to wear this dress out.

I just wanted to see Nicholas freak out, and then I'd change into another black dress I bought today.

I straightened when I heard footsteps, watching with bated breath as the knob twisted and the door opened.

Nicholas filled the doorway, and I watched as his eyes darkened when they landed on me. "What the fuck are you doing in here, dolcezza?"

***

NICHOLAS

Leaving Evander with Ivan had been a bad idea. Evander spiraled out of control after torturing Ivan for hours. He had to be forcefully removed from the warehouse, and I had to make sure he wasn't going about killing people.

I didn't need the FBI knocking on my doorstep.

I was tired from the day's activities, and I wasn't in the mood to attend the dinner, but I knew Matteo's mother wouldn't let me live it down. She was the only woman I had an inkling of respect for in my family.

I opened my door, ready to shower and dress up for tonight when I found Giselle in my bedroom, looking like every man's wet dream.

My eyes immediately went to her lipstick, subconsciously thinking if it'd smear if I shoved my cock down her throat.

Cristo.

"I moved into your room," she replied, her lips curling into a smile.

Cazzo. Stop. Fucking. Smiling!

"Why would you do that?"

"I'm your wife. Couples share everything, and that includes their bedroom. Money," she added with a smile like she was remembering our interaction this morning. "One of your guards paid for a new mattress, so .you might want to reimburse him."

I walked deeper into my room, pausing in front of her. "A new mattress?"

She jutted her chin forward. Yes, this woman, barely five foot eight jutted her chin forward when men twice her age pissed themselves whenever I got this close to them.

"Yes. I will not sleep in a bed you've fucked other women."

Giselle should never use the word fuck in a sentence, no matter the context, because all it made me think of was tearing this dress off of her and fucking her until the sun rose in the sky.

"Really?"

I walked away from her, throwing the door to my walk-in closet open to confirm. Indeed, she hung up her clothes in one half of the room, arranging mine in the other half.

I checked the bathroom drawers next, and she'd already moved her stuff there, too. Her perfumes, deodorants, moisturizers, and make-up supplies were arranged next to my things on the vanity mirror.

"I liked the navy blue in the room, so I didn't change any of it.," she said as I picked up one of her perfume bottles.

I uncapped it, taking a whiff. Blueberries. This was what she was currently wearing. I replaced the bottle in its rightful place before turning to face her.

What was I expecting when I married her in the first place? A docile, crying woman? She was nothing like that while we were younger, and it made me question my sanity right now. Why would I think she'd be those things when she was nothing of the sort while growing up?

No matter how much she tried to hide it, I could see her fidgeting. She was eager to see my reaction. Two could play that game.

I walked back into the bathroom, leaving the door open as I stripped off my clothes, giving her a full view of my tattooed back as I walked into the shower.

I leaned forward on the glass door as the water cascaded down my back, pinning her with my stare.

Well played, dolcezza. Well played.

***

GISELLE

I got... nothing. Give me something. Anything! But I got nothing!

He didn't react to me moving into his room or my dress. Well, that was partially untrue. I noticed desire slip into his eyes, but I could've imagined it.

At this point, I was convinced he was an unfeeling bastard, but I wasn't deterred. I still had the rest of the night to make him blow up in anger.

"I think we need to work on our marriage," I sighed, gripping his tatted hand he placed on the chair between us.

'This better work,' I thought to myself.

He looked up from his phone. "Did you smoke something?" He asked, staring at me like he was looking for any sign of me being high or on drugs.

"No," I said with an incredulous smile. "I just think we need to work on our marriage. The circumstances that brought us together might not have been pleasant, but we can only make the best of the present."

He glowered at me, his jaws clenching together. "I don't want to work on our marriage. It seems you've forgotten why I'm married to you."

I didn't get to reply because the car pulled into an enormous mansion that put my parents' mansion to shame, but both of them had nothing on Nicholas's house. I still got lost sometimes even after the tour from Sara.

"Fuck," I cursed softly when I saw the cars parked in the driveway. It was as though the entire five Families were having dinner together.

I didn't have a problem with the way I was dressed, and neither did Nicholas. At least, he didn't look like he was bothered, but the men and women in his family were sure to find problems with it.

They'd probably throw comments like whore and slut my way, and that would cause a bad first interaction with my family.

I expected Nicholas to throw a fit about the dress, but when he didn't, I had been too embarrassed to say I wanted to change.

Would his family be mad if I went back to Nicholas's mansion right now?

During my inner panic, I didn't realize Nicholas had climbed out of the car until my side of the door opened, and he stood there waiting for me.

"Problem, Giselle?" He asked with a knowing smile.

He knew. The son of a bitch knew I wasn't comfortable showing up here in this dress, and that was why he said nothing about me wearing it in the first place.

Cazzo. My plan backfired.