“I’ll always be there for you, Sheep.” Now that I’d turned my back on my father, I really had to keep her safe. She had two enemies lurking in the darkness, two monsters that blended in with the shadows. I had to stay on guard and keep watching, protect my little sheep from being eaten.
Protect my little wife.
“You’re all I have in this world…and I’m so glad my father made me marry you.”
She’d despised me when we met. I could see it in her eyes, not just hear it in her words. She was the most combative woman I’d ever known, sparking an attitude from gasoline and flames. She had the fierceness that would make her a good crime lord of the underworld. Now she was singing a much different tune…turning a new key. She’d softened like a rose petal as it fell off the bud. She was delicate without her roots, vulnerable to the world around her. But she let me take care of her…needed me to take care of her. It made my dick hard to listen to her openly need me, to admit I was the only man she could rely on. It didn’t just inflate my ego. It made me feel valuable.
“I didn’t know what I wanted in a husband…until I met you.”
“I didn’t realize how much you liked to socialize.” She rose out of the car and took my hand for balance. She was in a skintight dark blue dress with a mermaid cut. A diamond necklace hung around her throat, complementing the wedding ring on her left hand.
“Can’t stand it.” I tossed the keys to the valet then circled my arm around her waist. “But that’s how the real world works. Money likes to talk to money.” I guided her up the steps and down the long path that led to the front of the house. It was already lit up inside, people chatting in the windows.
“Wow, this place is beautiful.”
“Once belonged to a count.”
“I bet there will be people here who knew my father… Is that a problem?”
“Why would it be?”
“Because he pissed away our family inheritance.”
I stopped before reached the next landing of stairs. “Couldn’t care less. You don’t weigh me down. People appreciate you because of your talent, not judge you because of your father’s stupidity. And don’t forget you’re a very wealthy woman now—as a DeVille.” I guided her up the stairs once more, helping her maneuver in her insane heels. Her hair was in curls and pinned to one side, and she’d done something special to her makeup to make her look particularly gorgeous. She would steal all the attention tonight.
She smiled slightly. “Well, that’s a good way to put it…”
We approached the entrance with my arm around her waist, a beautiful couple that looked happy to be together. I hated these social events, but she made them easier. She stole all the focus, so people didn’t want to talk to me nearly as much.
When we reached the entryway, she stared at the people mingling inside, all wearing beautiful gowns and fine suits. Everyone there was dressed in their finest, working to impress everyone else at the party.
But my wife was definitely the most impressive.
With her beautiful dark hair pinned to the side, her unblemished skin glowed like the bistro lights strung around the property. Her dress had a deep V in the front, showing off the cleavage of her perfect tits. The diamond glittered with rainbows, but it didn’t distract from the beautiful woman who wore it.
It was one of my favorite dresses I’d ever seen her wear because it highlighted every sexy curve she possessed, from her waist to her ample tits. Sometimes I wondered if she was aware of how beautiful she was, if she understood that she was the most gorgeous woman in every room she entered.
It didn’t seem like it.
We walked inside and were surrounded by conversations and music. A grand piano was in the corner, and a musician played light music that fit the ambiance of the party. There had to be at least five hundred people there, holding glasses of wine and champagne while appetizers were passed around.
It was bigger than the last party we went to, so her eyes were wide. “Whoa…this is a lot of people.”
“And I only know about half of them.”
“You know half of them?” she asked incredulously. “How can you remember that many names?”
I shrugged. “When it comes to business, the brain is always a little sharper.” A waiter arrived with a tray, so I grabbed two glasses of champagne for us. “See that guy with the dark-rimmed glasses?”
She followed my gaze.
“That’s Dario Nardello, the mayor of Florence.” I nodded to the woman beside him. “That’s his wife, Maria.” With my hand on her waist, I guided Arwen farther into the room. “The blonde in the black dress is Nadia Contretti, a model known for her iconic images in Florence.” I could have kept naming people, but that would put her to sleep. “They are prominent figures but also acquaintances. Most of the night will just be small talk, bullshit.”