Filed to story: Submitting to My Bestie’s Daddy Read Online >>???
None of this Don nonsense.
I turned a corner and saw a beautiful rose garden. Deep crimson, vibrant pink, glowing white, they were gorgeous and smelled divine. I found a patch of grass between the bushes and laid down with a sigh, staring at the sky.
What was I going to do?
I wracked my brain, but couldn’t find an answer. I sighed and closed my eyes, tears of frustration leaking out the sides.
D*mn James Valentino anyway!
After a while, I must have fallen asleep, because the sun’s position in the sky had changed. A shadow fell over me, and I tilted my head to see James.
“What do you want?” I grumbled.
“Just taking in the air,” James said, but I knew that was a lie. He was looking for me.
“You want to lie to me again? Really?” I asked archly.
James sighed and sank onto the grass, tailored suit and all. “No. I don’t want to lie to you.”
“Then I’d start with ‘I came to find you’ not ‘I’m just taking in the air,'” I said.
“I came to find you,” James amended, stroking my cheek.
I slapped his hand away. “I’m still pissed off at you.”
“I know.”
“You tricked me into coming here!” I continued.
“I know.”
I thumped him in the chest. “You can’t do things like that, James!”
James shrugged. “I can.”
“WHAT?!” I screeched.
“You told me not to lie to you,” James smirked.
I took a deep breath, tamping down on my temper. “Just because you can do something, James, doesn’t mean you should.”
“I should protect my family. That includes you, Becca,” James said.
“How so?” I asked.
“We’re getting married,” James stated.
I blinked at him. “Have you… lost… your… f*cking… mind?!”
“Your dad will come around eventually,” James said, playing his fingertips up and down my arm. “So will you. I know you love me. I love you. We can make a real life together, Becca.”
I didn’t even know where to begin with him. I rubbed my temples. “James. I’m so mad at you I could scream for days. DAYS. Plus that wasn’t exactly the most romantic marriage proposal…”
“I’m going to give you a real one when we agree you won’t turn me down,” James replied, his lips quirking at the corners. “I just thought I’d get the idea marinating in your head.”
“THAT’S why you’ve come to find me? So I can marinate on marrying you?” I asked, incredulous.
“That and my uncle wants to bring Alessandro to his favorite restaurant. I said we should really check with you first,” James said.
I just stared. “We’re allowed to go outside this place?”
“Yes, of course. With the proper escort,” James responded.
I gripped James by his tie and scowled at him. “I’ve been here a week, and this is the first time you’re telling me I can leave?”
“’Leave’ would be a strong word,” James choked out as his tie tightened around his throat.
“Go out with babysitters. Whatever. You told me Giana would be shopping for the items we needed. I assumed that meant we weren’t supposed to go outside the compound,” I said.
“I was still getting the men back from New Zealand and making sure the compound was still well-fortified. You couldn’t have gone then,” James replied, tugging his tie out of my grip and running his finger around his collar to loosen it.
“But I can go now,” I inferred.
“Yes, Becca. I’d love to show you Florence,” James offered.
It was a tempting offer. “Alessandro is not going to that restaurant without either me or Layla,” I warned James.
James held up his hands. “I will make sure my uncle understands that.”
“Good.” I chewed my lip, then gave in with a sigh. “I’d like to see Florence. With you.”
James’s expression brightened, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “I’m glad. You won’t regret it, Becca. There are so many places to see.”
“I’m sure there are,” I replied, unable to help getting caught up in James’s enthusiasm.
“So, what’s your brand of fun? Gardens? Vistas? Museums? Shopping?” James asked.
“I’d like to go somewhere with a nice view of the city, first,” I said. “Then you can point out what all we should see.”
James snapped his fingers. “The Piazzale Michelangiolo. You can see all the city from there. I mean, you also can from Brunelleschi’s Dome in the Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral, but the Piazzale Michelangiolo has lovely gardens and the San Miniato al Monte church…”
He was so excited, like a kid who was going to get to show off his favorite toy. I smiled at him as he stood and offered me his hand.
I took it and let James pull me to my feet. “I’ll let Tony know we’re going out. Oh, and Giana. She’ll make sure Layla knows. We’ll have to go with a few of the boys, but they’re pretty good at being discreet,” he explained.
“Okay.” I tried to keep up my excitement after his statement about “the boys.” I was going to have to go out under guard now. All the time. I would be under guard now. All the time. It was an unwelcome change.
James kissed my forehead. “You’ll love it. Don’t worry.”
I nodded and let him go off to make his arrangements.
Within the hour, James and I were sitting in the back of a black sedan with two hulking bodyguards in the front. There was another sedan ahead of us with another four men inside it.
We drove up to the Piazzale Michelangiolo behind Bus 12, the car ahead of us angrily honking at the bus’s insufficient speed.