I grunt at my brother Rian. “Don’t kill the messenger. She came into the bar,” he states.

Fallon is back. I knew it was going to happen. Her note was a good indication that she was going to try and find her way back here, hoping that I would welcome her back into her comfortable home with full access to my bank accounts again. She doesn’t know that another woman shares my bed. She doesn’t know that there isn’t anything she could threaten, or offer me, to toss Giovanna aside—I love her, not Fallon.

However, Fallon can be a goddamn nightmare, a bitch of epic proportions and her timing is fucking shit. I still don’t know exactly what Giovanna went through at the hands of Blackburn. I don’t want to force her to tell me, and honestly, I don’t really want to know, either. But she needs to talk to somebody. What she doesn’t need is my ex-cunt coming in here and being her cold, callous self.

“Thanks for letting me know. I’m sure she’ll show herself here soon enough.”

He clears his throat, his eyes meeting mine. “And how are you going to handle that with Giovanna living here? She’s moving in today, right?”

Scrubbing my hand down my face, I groan. “She is, and I’ve made an appointment with a decorator to remodel the whole fucking place to Vanna’s liking. Fallon has seriously fucking shitty timing.”

“Fuck Fallon. You have a new life now, if she doesn’t like it, she can crawl back into the hole she came from. You don’t owe her a goddamn thing. She’s the one who spread for every guy in town. Not your fucking problem she regrets being a whore.”

His words strike a nerve and my eyes meet his. Rian must realize what he’s said, and his eyes widen. “Umm, you know what I mean,” he brushes off as he stands. “Have to get back to the bar, when will you be back at work? We have tribute in a couple days.” He quickly turns, walking out of my office and leaving me alone in my thoughts.

What the fuck am I going to do?

Fallon is mean, and although I have no doubt that Giovanna can hold her own, I don’t want her to have to. She’s been through enough lately, the last thing she should have to do is deal with Fallon.

A knock sounds on my office door and I call for whoever is on the other side to enter. My head of security is there, and he informs me that the movers have arrived with Ms. Rossi’s things.

I frown at the way he calls her Ms. Rossi. I know he’s doing it out of respect, but I hate that her father’s name is still attached to her, not when it should be my own.

Leaving my office, I follow behind the guard and meet the movers in the entryway. I explain to them to take the boxes up to my bedroom and stack them against the wall. I’m sure that Giovanna will want her clothing unpacked immediately. Once I have the movers all handled, I go in search of Vanna.

The first place I look is the kitchen, and it’s where I find her. She’s got an uneaten sandwich sitting on a plate in front of her, but she’s gazing out of the window at the backyard. She’s so lost in thought that she doesn’t hear me approach. I’m surprised to see her in one of my undershirt tank tops and a pair of my sweats.

“A rùnsearc, you haven’t touched your food,” I announce as I sit down next to her.

Giovanna jumps slightly before turning her head to look at me. She gives me a ghost of a smile and shrugs. “I thought I was hungry, but I’m not. Do you want it?” she asks.

She seems, not right, and the observation makes me frown. I reach over, picking her up from her chair, and dragging her over to my lap. She makes a sound of protest but relaxes quickly against me. Her head rests against my shoulder as I hold her to me.

“Talk to me,” I demand softly.

She sighs, lifting her head slightly to brush her lips across the underside of my jaw. “I’m just tired, and sore, and sad,” she admits.

I sift my fingers through her hair. “Sad?”

“Sad. I hoped that we could be a normal, happy family, but I know that isn’t the case.”

I snort. “We’ll never be normal, A rùnsearc,” I rasp. “I am Aidan O’Neil and you are Giovanna Rossi, the day we were both born, normal was thrown out the window.”

She sighs, moving her head so that her face is buried in my neck. She kisses my skin, her tongue snaking out to taste me. My cock immediately hardens, and I squeeze her waist. “Don’t, I want you, Vanna, and you aren’t well,” I warn.

She lifts her head, a wicked smile on her lips. I watch as she sinks down to her knees, beneath the table. I fist my hand in her hair at the side of her head and hold her firmly. “Vanna,” I growl.

“I know, I’m not ready for more, but I want to make you feel good, Aidan,” she breathes as she reaches for my belt buckle and quickly begins to unfasten it.

There is a desperation in her movements that I can’t quite put my finger on, but when her hand wraps around my hard cock and she gently pumps me, all other thoughts quickly float away. The only thing I can concentrate on is her touch on my dick.

When her tongue peeks out and tastes the head of my cock, I grip her hair tighter and groan. I feel her lips smile before her mouth completely envelops me. She sucks me in deep, her throat constricting around my cock as she swallows me.

I groan as my eyes slide shut. Giovanna expertly fucks me with her mouth and I allow her. I have the sense that she craves control right now, and I plan on giving in to her craving.

Aidan’s fingers tighten in my hair and he pulls my head down, forcing me to take every centimeter of his cock, then without warning, he comes down my throat. I swallow it all, closing my eyes as I do and enjoying the way he fills me, even my mouth.

My pussy aches, craving attention, but I ignore it. I’m not ready yet. I need a few more days of recovery before I attempt to have sex again, and it seems like Aidan understands that, which I’m extremely grateful for.

“Fuck, Vanna, we shouldn’t have,” he grumbles as I sit back and look up at him.

“We didn’t, I did,” I state, tilting my head to the side while he tucks himself back in his pants.

Aidan shakes his head and cups my cheek with his warm palm. “Sex, right now, it’s not important. You getting better, you healing, that’s what’s important.”

His words are gentle, and he seems to be telling the truth, but I don’t buy it. Sex is everything when it comes to men, and I’ve been trained to please them in every way. Even if Aidan says that our relationship is different now, that desire to please him, it is just part of my make up now.

I nod, giving him a smile, which is what he wants. What he doesn’t want is me confronting him about what I heard, or me telling him that the things Lucian did to me weren’t even the worst he’s ever done. He doesn’t want details, he just wants me to take a few days and relax, and then be all better. It’s the way men are.

Standing to my feet, I reach for the plate of food and hand it to him. “Vanna, you need to eat,” he encourages.

I shake my head. “I’ll eat later. I’m just not hungry right now,” I shrug.

He lets out a heavy sigh, picking the sandwich up and then taking a big bite of it. “Go upstairs, your clothes should all be delivered by now,” he grunts around his mouthful of food.

“Seriously?” I breathe.

He grins. “Yeah, A rùnsearc. Now, hurry, the designer will be here in just thirty minutes,” he winks.

I don’t even hesitate a moment. Whoever this decorator, or designer, or whatever she is, cannot see me dressed like this. When I step into the bedroom, I’m surprised to see all of my things boxed and lined up against one wall in the master. I have yet to venture into the hers closet, afraid that Aidan’s ex-wife’s things could still be in there, or at least something of hers could be left behind.

Without a choice, I wrap my hand around the knob and gently twist it. The closet is gorgeous. There is a chandelier hanging in the center above a chest of drawers, and there are rows and rows of shelving on one side, and bars to hang clothes and dresses on the other.

I’m thankful when I don’t see anything that once belonged to the former lady of the house. Unfortunately, I don’t have much time to poke around, either. I need to find something to wear, and fast. I’m going to have to forego any type of makeup, as I just don’t have the time.

I rip open a couple boxes and let out a sigh of relief when I find some jeans and t-shirts. What I should wear is a dress for this meeting, but I don’t feel like it. I don’t feel like being more exposed than I have to be. Aidan made it clear he wanted me to be myself, and I’m jeans, tees, and high heels. I enjoy dressing up, but not every day.

I quickly pull my jeans up my body, hissing when they scrape along my bruised ass. My t-shirt is loose, so I tuck it in the front of my jeans, and then rifle through a box of shoes. I should really take a picture of how those assholes threw in my expensive high heels, but I don’t. I slip the first matching pair on that I can find, and then hurry down the stairs toward Aidan’s side.

When I walk into the living room, I’m surprised to see a woman sitting next to Aidan on the couch. She’s blonde, young, and extremely pretty. She’s also heavily made up, and her tits are pressed against his arm as she leans over and points at something in his lap.

Jealousy immediately floods my veins. It’s an emotion I’ve never felt before, and I’m taken aback, so much so that I actually take a step backward. Aidan must sense me, he lifts his head and his eyes catch mine.

“Here she is,” Aidan murmurs.

The little blonde turns her head but doesn’t remove her tits from Aidan’s arms. I almost growl, but I quickly school my features. Her lips pull up into a catty smile. I know the type, I remember the girls at Madam Carmella’s brothel when they would fight or scheme. They would get the same look on their face. I’ve never been one for acting that way, so I always stayed to myself and away from the drama. I can tell this little bitch isn’t going to allow that, though.

“Christina, this is Giovanna, my fiancée,” Aidan introduces as he stands and begins to walk toward me.

My eyes widen at his declaration of being his fiancée, especially since he hasn’t asked. He takes my hand, lacing our fingers together, then tugs me toward the sofa. He deposits me next to the blonde bitch before he makes his way to a chair across from us. My lips tug into a grin and he only shakes his head, obviously aware of what was bothering me.

I spend the next hour going over ideas for the new décor, what I want to change and how to achieve the warm classic look that I desire, rather than this cold palace-type thing Aidan’s ex-wife enjoyed.

“I have some ideas. I’ll put together some things and bring them over tomorrow. You’ll be here?” she asks me, but her eyes are focused on Aidan.

“Yes, I’ll be here,” I say, my voice rising a bit louder than needed. I hear Aidan chuckle from across the room, but my eyes are focused on Christina.

She blinks, looking over to me and lifts her chin. “Okay, I’ll be here to show you some new designs then. It’s a shame really,” she sighs. She turns to Aidan who puts his phone up to his ear then walks away from us.

“What is?” I ask, taking her bait. She’s obviously going to be catty, but I’m far too curious for my own good.

She schools her face, trying to look sad, but she’s such a bad fucking actress that it’s laughable. “It’s just I helped decorate this place with Mrs. O’Neil. You know, she was the most beautiful woman I think I’ve ever met. You look a lot like her actually, I can see Aidan has a type,” she winks.

My stomach flips at her words. She wanted to hit me, and she did, a direct freaking hit. “It’s too bad she didn’t realize what she had,” I spit as I stand.

“Well, I mean, you don’t look that much like her. She was much flashier, always dressed to the nines. You seem to enjoy a more relaxed style. Huh,” she shrugs as she stands.

“Huh?” I ask, arching a brow.

I watch as she puts her portfolio inside of her briefcase. “Yes, huh. It’s just Aidan doted on her. I remember him being extremely affectionate, and she was always showing me her new diamonds he bought her. Earrings, necklaces, rings, bracelets. You name it, she had it, and yet, you’re his fiancée and you don’t even have a ring,” she smirks as she loops her strap over her shoulder.

“I didn’t buy her a fucking thing,” Aidan announces from the doorway.

Christina gasps and her head flips around to look at Aidan. I lift my gaze to his and find that he’s focused on me completely. “She bought that shit herself. She bought her plastic surgery, too, and I didn’t fucking dote on her because she was a pain in my goddamn ass. I barely tolerated her, and I only did that because she birthed my fucking kids. Now get your goddamn shit out of my house. You’re fired,” he yells.

Christina doesn’t hesitate, she fucking sprints out of the house as fast as her high heeled short legs can take her. I don’t watch her though; my eyes are on Aidan and Aidan only.