IT HAD BEEN TWENTY-FIVE MINUTES since she opened her eyes and found herself dead on the spot. It was a glorious death, though— lying in the middle of a Victorian four-post bed, blankly staring at the expensive chandelier, and being surrounded by a satin bed sheet that must have cost a fortune. The room simply fits a queen. It was just unfortunate that the queen gracing the place was none other than the 'Queen of...' "Scum!" Margaux muttered the word a little too loudly before trashing the comforter above her. Her hands immediately caught her head when it ached. Dizzy is good. Being disoriented is good. But that was only until the initial hangover subsided. She bit her lip when fragmented memories of last night flooded her. More so, upon noticing the wedding ring that was left on her finger. She let out an empty laugh. 'He already ran away! He must have run as if AIDS was after him upon seeing you this morning. Were you really expecting him to wait for you to wake up? You're nothi
"FINDINGS?" [None, Maestro. It’s complicated. I’m still trying to decipher the Alla Mia Amata—] Just like the other nights, Rome found himself shutting his lapel mic off at Lucille. It had been days since he sent her the scanned copy of the music sheet, and each day that passed frustrated him more. He could feel that the paper had something to do with his mission. For Pete’s sake! It was even titled "Alla Mia Amata". How on earth could he be wrong? His jaw was clenched when he looked at Alejandro’s bookshelf again. After adjusting his night-vision glasses, he started scanning all the other books and documents there one by one. He had been religiously sneaking into that room every night, secretly rummaging through his cabinets, and even unlocking his vaults. He had already done everything! But where was the code? 'This is getting fucked up...' Rome shook his head, knowing that being there could be just another waste of time. Nonetheless, he still pulled an old folder from the shelf
MARGAUX WASN'T SURE what happened after she fell on her knees. She was on the ground one second, and the next, she was already back beside the treehouse. Did Rome carry her there? She couldn't tell. All that she could sense was the rough wood behind her and Rome's heady scent as he pinned her to that tree. "Are you drunk?" She shook her head. His breath against her ear was like liquid fire, and her womanhood clenched just at the sound of his voice. 'Back out, Margaux. This is a horrible idea—Oh!' Her thoughts stopped when Rome groped one of her breasts. Shock mingled with desire inside her, making her eyes flutter. 'Ohhh... Shit!’ He clipped her nipple between his fingers and began massaging her. "Who's groping your breast, cara?" He leaned his forehead on hers, and she shivered at how his amber eyes poked holes in her soul. His breath smelled like mint. Hers must be reeking of alcohol. How fair was that? "Answer." He thrust his hips forward, rubbing her fold with the front o
CRAP. What else could best describe sitting in the dark while listening to Alejandro's masterpiece for the hundredth time? It was ten in the evening, and Rome felt like it was going to explode any second. [Did you hear that, Maestro?] "What?" [This part.] Rome heard Lucille's fingers tapping on her computer. She rewound the piece and played a particular segment from it. Same old. He heard nothing but a man trying to kill his piano, not even a symphony or anything he could relate to. [Listen to this part carefully...] "I'm fucking tone-deaf, Lucille!" [Please. Just this one.] "Shut up." He was angry when he stood up from his chair and marched to the open window. He needed to breathe. They had been wasting so much time in search of the Amati. Alejandro might be coming home soon, and he still didn't have any credible leads. He would need to kill the old man as soon as he came. Killing was easy, but it was the add-on assignment that was not. He palmed his face in frustration. "
MARGAUX'S BODY TURNED INTO A MASS of need as soon as Rome's mouth met hers. Biting her lower lips, she opened herself to welcome him more.Just like on the night he became her official outlet, he kissed her with hunger, ravishing her while gripping her hips and pinning her down.For a split second, she asked herself why Rome always tasted like sweet mint. It was even impossible for her to turn down his kisses. Too sweet to resist.'Really, Margaux? Even better than Greg's—'Her thoughts were halted when Rome harshly flipped her body above the bed, making her hang on it with her knees touching the floor. She huffed when his palm pressed her down even more against the soft sheets, making her look like prey under his mercy. "Oh, God...""I can't give you foreplay at this rate, cara ."'Of course you cannot!' Margaux closed her eyes with her thoughts upon hearing his tortured voice. He began kissing her nape and shoulders.Rushing, Rome slipped one of his arms under her belly and caresse
"EYES ON ME, WIFE..."Margaux was forced to stop scanning the function hall when a strong arm snaked around her waist. She felt both irritation and warmth creeping through her when the man beside her tugged her forcefully, closing the space between their bodies.Trying not to look up at him, she discreetly wiggled her way out of his hold and smiled at another guest they passed by. She knew by then that bringing Rome to that celebration was indeed a bad idea.As expected, all eyes were on them as soon as they walked into that place. She couldn't blame them since she intended to shock everyone by bringing a very handsome man as her husband.She saw some of her old friends, familiar faces, and even well-known celebrities with whom their family had connections standing in the crowd. The function room was choked with the number of guests. However, not even one soul dared to approach her as she walked around.How could they when she was gracefully walking around with a 'Doberman' behind her
Margaux's world stopped when the dangerous voice tore through her rants. She felt the air thinning. Then slowly, she lifted her head until she was looking at his face.To her surprise, the man before her wasn't wearing anything fancy at all. Instead, he was wearing a pair of jeans and a black hoodie. But, of course, that shouldn't be since the celebration in the function hall was all about him. He was Mr. Rossu's client—the bridegroom himself."What the—Greg?" She felt a sudden gush of fear and confusion wash over her. He was looking at her disdainfully, and it was making her want to run. "How... Why are you—Isn't this supposed to be your engagement party?""Crowd aren't my thing, baby," he cut her off with a grim smile. And for a moment, she thought she saw a monster in him. He didn't even look like the same man she had loved years ago. "I'd rather have a private party with someone than a crowd full of monkeys." He gave her a malicious once over, and the goosebumps that crawled acros
'OH, MY GOD—UMP!" Margaux's scream could have shaken the walls if Rome's mouth hadn't shut her up. For a moment, she tried to wiggle her way out of his grasp. Her resistance, however, slowly melted when Rome's familiar taste spread in her mouth. He was kissing her slowly. Tenderly even, like a husband who was just giving his wife a simple good morning kiss.She closed her eyes and naturally surrendered to him. She held on to his shoulders, tip-toeing and mimicking every pleasant move his lips made toward hers."Umh…" She hadn't recovered from the pleasant surprise yet when Rome abruptly spun her around to face the tiled wall of her bathroom. Her breasts flattened on the cold surface, while both of her hands ended up supporting her weight. There was a hard piece of flesh poking her from behind and causing her womb to ache. "R-Rome...""Good morning, Cara Mia." He kissed her cheek while pinning her with his hand. She lethargically smiled when his overnight stubble scraped her a bit and