Chapter Nine
Three days later
“I think it’s cute,” Jessica said.
Tessa glanced over at the other woman as Caesar wriggled between them. She’d brought him out into the gardens that afternoon. After ten minutes of him on the grass, Jessica had joined them.
Michele as usual was nowhere to be found. She hadn’t seen her in a couple of days, but other than the nights when Alonzo fucked her brains out in his bedroom, she’d not seen him.
“What’s cute?”
“Alonzo. I saw the flowers on the table, read the card. It’s so sweet that he’s trying to win you over, you know. It is a little funny that he’d try and do it. Most of the time women always fell all over themselves trying to impress him. Not you. You’re outside, taking care of my son.”
“Would you like me to leave?” Tessa said. “I know this job wasn’t supposed to be long-term.”
“You’re not going anywhere, and I can’t help you out. I’m guessing Alonzo considers you a flight risk. All of the guards have probably been threatened with their own death if they allow you to escape.”
“I don’t want to be a prisoner.”
“From what I saw this morning of my brother pinning you against the wall, you weren’t exactly fighting. For a prisoner, you looked really damn cozy.”
“I’m shiny and new. He just wants to play with me until he grows bored.” She averted her gaze.
What was happening between her and Alonzo, she didn’t know. He was everywhere. Even when he wasn’t close by, he seemed to sense her need for him. He’d call her or someone would stop by with a gift for her.
The roses he sent today, they were so sweet.
Dear my sweet,
I’m always thinking of you. Until tonight.
Love, Alonzo
The card had been so sweet, so simple, and yet, it spoke volumes to her.
“My brother does not care about shiny new toys, Tessa. Believe me, he’s not besotted with you because of that. You frown a lot for someone so young.”
“I don’t know what any of this means at all. I’ve never dated, let alone had a boyfriend.” She picked up one of Caesar’s toys. The young boy saw it and came crawling toward her. She smiled as he reached out for it, and she let him take it. “What do you mean about him being besotted?”
Jessica chuckled. “You caught that bit, right?”
Her cheeks heated.
“You know, I really like you, and I can see why my brother likes you. I know I was going to have to marry someone I didn’t want. In our world, we don’t marry for love.” Jessica shrugged. “You’re different. You don’t judge anyone. You take care of Caesar, and you’re nice to everyone. I’ve seen the way Michele is. If they’re not high enough on the food chain, she treats them like shit.”
“I don’t like being mean,” Tessa said.
“It’s not about being mean. You’re a breath of fresh air in a world full of hate and betrayal.”
Tessa stared down at the ground. “But it’s not going anywhere.”
“Why not?”
“You said yourself. This world doesn’t allow love matches, and I don’t want to be the other woman. I don’t bring anything to this relationship. I don’t give him money or power. I’m no one.”
“You’re far from being no one, Tessa. You’re here, and he’s not been with another woman.”
“You don’t understand,” Tessa said.
“I do understand.”
“How can I let him pick me when I know there is someone else who can give him what he needs?”
Jessica picked up Caesar and held him against her chest. “Alonzo won’t marry out of duty, Tessa.”
“You did.”
“I’m a woman. Our father is dead. All the decisions land on Alonzo. He’s the one in charge.”
“I just don’t see marriage being there for us.”
“Why not?”
She didn’t have an answer. Wasn’t it too fast to assume marriage? She wasn’t part of his world, not really.
“I think my brother is falling for you, Tessa.”
“It’s too soon.”
“Just because he’s been pursuing you for a couple of weeks doesn’t mean he wasn’t thinking about it long before then.”
“What do you mean?”
“I know my brother. He’s had his eye on you for some time.” Jessica winked at her. “You were grieving your parents’ loss. Going through so much pain and of course he was dealing with his own stuff. The time was not right, but now it is. Think about it, Tessa.”
Tilting her head to the side, she stared at Jessica.
It seemed surreal to her that she was talking about this with anyone, let alone Jessica.
“Now, I think it’s time that I took you for a nap. Don’t you, sweet boy?”
“I can do that,” Tessa said.
“Nope. I can, and my brother is heading this way.” Jessica got to her feet. “Besides, I think I’d like to try being a mom, even just once.”
Before she could offer again, Alonzo was there, by her side. Tessa had already stood.
Cole and Demetri kept their distance, but like always, they were close.
“Did I miss something?” Alonzo asked.
“Not much. You look like you’ve had a shitty day. I’m taking Caesar in for his nap.”
“I don’t mind doing it,” Tessa said.
“Please, you do enough around here, and I’ve taken up too much of your time already. Take care of her, Alonzo,” Jessica said.
Tessa watched as Jessica carried Caesar into the house.
She didn’t know what to say to him. Glancing over his shoulder before looking at her feet, she wondered what to do.
“I’ve missed you,” Alonzo said.
She returned his gaze. “I liked the flowers.”
“You did?”
“Yes, they were beautiful.”
“Good. I picked them out especially for you.”
“You did?” she asked.
“Don’t sound so surprised. I can do a few things for myself. So, I was thinking we could go out dancing tonight.”
“Dancing?”
“At a nightclub. I’ve already bought you a dress.”
“Do you think it’s safe?” She didn’t want him to get hurt.
“With me around, it’s always safe.”
“Do you really want to take me with you? To be seen with me?” she asked.
This made him stop. “Why do I feel there’s something more going on right now?”
“I’m your … help. I work for you. I’m not stunning or beautiful. Shouldn’t you be seen out with women that stand out?” She hated speaking her doubts and her insecurities. It left a bad taste in her mouth.
Alonzo sighed. He cupped her face, and he was so close she felt his breath fan across her face.
“As far as I’m concerned, Tessa Brown, you are the most beautiful woman in the world. I want to be seen with you because you are mine. I want the world to know who you belong to. I’m not ashamed of who I want. I don’t care what people think about you working for me or any of that bullshit. All I care about is you. Now, go upstairs and get ready. We leave in a couple of hours.”
She chuckled, touched by his sweet words. “I don’t need a couple of hours to get ready.”
“You don’t? How long do you need?”
“Ten, twenty minutes maybe.”
His thumb stroked across her lip, and it was like he reminded her of how good his cock tasted filling her mouth. She touched his thumb with her tongue.
“Do you have anything in mind for how we could spend the next couple of hours?”
“You told me that you’d love to have me in the shower. Maybe you could show me how?” she asked.
“Look at you, my little temptress. Are you trying to seduce me?” he asked.
“That depends, is it working?” She didn’t know where this need was coming from. He touched her, and her body went up in flames. The only man she wanted was him.
Feeling bold, she took his hand and led him past his guards. She didn’t let him go as they walked through the house, past Louise the cook, and up to his quarters.
She didn’t stop until she was in his bathroom.
Letting go of his hand, she pulled her dress up and over her head, letting it fall to the floor. She wore a pair of white panties and a sports bra. Stepping up close to him, she began to work his buttons open, taking her time, watching him through hooded eyes as he let her remove his clothes. The tension rose with every passing second.
Once he was completely naked, she removed her bra and panties. Presenting him her back, she reached out and put the shower on. Without waiting for him, she stepped beneath the warm spray. Tilting her head back, she felt him as he stood behind her. His hands wrapped around her, one moving between her thighs as the other cupped her neck. He held her tight against his body as he kissed her neck. The grip on her was intoxicating as he nibbled on her pulse.
“Baby, I can’t be gentle right now.”
“I don’t need you to be gentle.”
He tilted her hips, and his cock pressed between her thighs. He angled her hips so that he could thrust inside her.
She had no choice but to grip the shower wall as he fucked her.
He wasn’t wrong about not being gentle.
Alonzo held her, his grip on the verge of pain. With every thrust inside her, his hold would tighten around her neck. She had no doubt he wouldn’t hurt her.
He’d promised her he never would, and she believed him.
Putting her life in his hands was a heady experience.
She was at his mercy.
He controlled her.
Fucked her.
Ravaged her body.
His hand continued to tease her pussy as he drove inside her. His lips on her neck heightened her need until she came, screaming his name as her orgasm rushed through her body.
Alonzo wasn’t far behind her, his grip never once loosening from her as he filled her body with more of his cum.
****
When he’d decided to take her out dancing, Alonzo had thought it would be a good idea, to see her outside of the house without the stresses that seemed to often plague her. However, he didn’t sign up for her attracting any other attention. The dress he’d purchased for her was a deep blue one that molded to every single curve. Her ass looked so fucking hot and round. It called to have his hands all over it. Not to mention how her tits looked, squeezed together, showing a beautiful expanse of cleavage.
Jessica had come to the room to curl her hair. The brown locks were now glossy and curled.
She didn’t wear any makeup as she simply didn’t need it. There was no doubt about it. She was fucking stunning.
He’d ordered her an orange soda, as she didn’t drink, and a whiskey for himself.
They were sitting in his VIP section, and they were getting looks from many people. Some of them he knew as sons from important families. Their daughters were not allowed here. Jessica, for instance, had never stepped foot in this place. Most wives were not allowed here either.
Speculation would be rife tomorrow.
His mistress?
His woman?
His whore?
Or just a plaything?
Tessa was everything.
She would be his queen one day.
He, Cole, and Demetri had already gone to pick out the ring. First, he wanted her to admit she’d fallen for him. He saw it in her eyes. The way she smiled at him. The touches, even Jessica had told him to be careful. Their little nanny had a delicate heart.
He knew.
“What do you think?” he asked.
“It’s amazing. So much energy.” She smiled at him. “I think this is my first time coming to a nightclub. Right now, I feel … buzzed.” He took her soda from her, taking a sip. “What are you doing?”
“Checking to make sure I didn’t give you the wrong drink.”
She tapped his chest, laughing. “I’m not drunk.”
He pulled her against his chest, cupping her cheek. “No, you’re happy, and I like it.”
Tilting her head back, he didn’t care that others saw him with her. She was his woman, and he wasn’t ashamed of her. He couldn’t resist a kiss, and so right there, in front of everyone, he kissed her.
She didn’t fight him. Her hand went to his shirt, the other tucked against his chest. She gripped him tightly. The little moan she released, he swallowed down.
So fucking tempting.
All his.
Forever and always.
He kissed down to her neck. “Do you have any idea how much I want to bend you over this table and fuck you?”
She gasped.
“Do you want that too?”
“Only if it was just us.”
“Don’t worry. As much as I want to fuck you, I won’t. I’ll contain my need for you, but be warned, baby, it’s not fucking easy. Not even close.” He growled against her neck, sucking on her pulse. “Come on, let’s go and dance.”
He took her hand, and leaving the VIP section, he took her to the dance floor. Drawing her ass against his dick, he wrapped his arms around her. Swaying from side to side, he placed a hand on his stomach and tilted her head back against him to stare into her eyes.
The rest of the world faded, and all that remained was the two of them. She consumed his entire world. Whenever he was with her, everything else just fell away. Nothing mattered. She filled his soul with everything he never thought it was possible to have.
“You’re my world, Tessa Brown.”
He didn’t know when it had happened, but as clear as the day he was blooded into the mafia at his father’s hand, he was in love with this woman.
No one else would ever be good enough.
Not a daughter of another family.
There’s no way he’d ever shame this woman.
“Alonzo,” she said.
“Yes, baby.”
“I think I could get used to this, and it scares me.”
“Why?”
“Jessica told me that your world doesn’t do love.” She stopped, and he saw her swallow. Saw the tears in her eyes. “And I’m afraid that I’ve already fallen for you.”
“Fallen in love?”
She nodded.
His heart pounded. He’d been waiting so long for her, and it was like he’d already lived two lifetimes already.
“Don’t be afraid.”
“You can’t love me back.”
“Not only do I love you back, but I’m not going anywhere else.”
“But, don’t you have to marry someone important? Someone who will help your family, not hinder it.”
He spun her around so that she now faced him. “There’s no one around to tell me what to do. You’re going to be my wife, Tessa. I love you more than anything else, and your father, he asked me if anything ever happened to him, I’d take care of you. I’m going to do that. Not because he asked me but because I can’t let you go. Do you think I’ve not tried to let you go? Believe me, I have. Bringing you home with me, I wasn’t supposed to keep you. I was going to let you go, but I loved seeing you around the house. Even miserable, I knew I had to keep you safe. All my other plans, they went out the window.”
“I can’t believe we’re discussing this on the dance floor,” she said.
He saw her sniffle, and he wiped the tears from her eyes.
The song changed, and he made her dance with him. He wasn’t going to bring this night to a close just because he wanted to take her to bed. There would be time for that soon.
This wasn’t how he was going to propose.
“Are you going to give me my answer?” he asked.
“To what?” She frowned.
He pulled her in close once again, holding her back. His lips against her hair. “To marrying me.”
“You proposed?”
“When I said you were going to be my wife, I figured I already had?”
She gasped. “I … I … yes, I think so, yes.”
He threw his head back and laughed. “You think so?”
“I’ve never been asked to be married before. What if you’re wrong? What if I’m just new to you and you regret wanting to marry me?”
He sighed. Letting her go, he bent down on one knee.
People on the floor stepped away, giving him room.
The music came to a stop.
All eyes were focused on them.
Tessa stared around the room.
She looked like a deer caught in the headlights.
“Tessa Brown, the hardest woman in the world to date, will you please do me the honor of becoming my wife?” he asked.
They had an audience. If she denied him now, it would be the biggest humiliation to him.
Her lips moved, but he didn’t hear what her reply was.
“I didn’t catch that.”
“Yes. I’ll marry you. Yes. Yes.”
He kissed her finger. “I’ve got the ring at home.” He got to his feet, cupping her face once again. As his lips touched hers, the enter crowd went wild, cheering for the two of them.
“You did that on purpose,” she said.
“Damn right. You’re unpredictable, Tessa. I needed to know you’d say yes.”
“What if your family doesn’t like me? I’m the nanny.”
“Look at my face. I really don’t give a fuck what they think. They have my loyalty, my devotion, and I have proven myself time and time again. I really couldn’t give a shit if they wanted me out. I’d have you. Besides, Jessica already adores you.”
“What about … the Adesso family?” she asked.
“I don’t think you have a fan in any of them.”
She chuckled. “I don’t want to cause you any trouble.”
“How about I worry about the Adesso and the family stuff? You worry about me and we’ll compromise.”
“Okay, deal.”