Chapter 4

Have you ever been in a situation where it feels like nothing about that moment makes sense, and you wish that that moment wasn't happening at the same point you wished it were all real? That was exactly what I felt as I watched Giorgio an arm's length away from me. I watched his eyes and his slightly parted lips and almost wanted to slap him. Because I saw all the confidence that emanated from his stares, the pride that sat on his shoulders as he watched me. 

Was he joking? Was he out of his mind or was this the newest way of saying "I wanna have sex with you?"

His eyes dilated as they watched me. They moved as if they searched for the answer to his absurd question in my eyes.

I hadn't realized he'd inched closer and placed a hand over my shoulder as I choked on the pepper in my mouth until I was fighting to get out of his grip and set the food down, rising up with all the energy I could muster.

"What the hell, Giorgio?" I asked, upset.

He rises up immediately, his height towering over mine.

"It's a simple question I asked you, kitty." 

"Don't call me that, Giorgio!"

"You never seemed to have a problem with that before..."

I didn't know what to say. I just let out an unbelievable air as I tried to speak, my lips banting and closing shut unbelievably.

"What the actual fuck, Giorgio?"

He tries to speak but stops and looks to the side before watching me again.

"Listen I'm sorry okay? I know I'm acting like an asshole right now but I am just as..... Scared as you are, okay?"

"Are you? Who the fuck tells a woman he just met in a couple of months that he wants to marry her?"

"Okay, I need you to listen to me okay? I know what I said is absurd especially since we barely know each other but if you hear me out, I think we're both gonna need each other's help."

"Wha....?" I was confused but knew this was getting serious.

"Please, sit." Giorgio said calmly as he lowered himself to pat the spot where I'd been seated a few seconds ago, like a father trying to make a child sit down for a prep talk.

I sat down, putting a distance between us. Did he think getting married to someone was such an easy thing that he'd easily say to my face? Some other girls would probably be happy, say yes on spot without caring to know why he's asking them to marry him and you wouldn't blame them. Because he is Giorgio Mahone. And I for one just discovered he owned a couple of bodyguards and so much money in his bank account and what else? He probably lived in some Mansion in Canada or Italy or wherever. I was those girls. But instead of blushing, I felt uneasy.

"Katherine I'm really sorry about how I threw that question at you, I'm an asshole okay?" He started, calming me down "as you must have guessed, I don't belong at that school. I don't fit in at all..."

That's not true.

".... My father, ah... He made me come to school. I dropped out a few years back. There's a lot of things I'd rather not talk about cos.... None of it concerns you, so I'll just say the part that concerns you. My father, he's a very very, very rich man, Katherine. Very rich. He's fucking rich..."

When he said that with his face thrown away, I instantly put meaning to every word that left his mouth. I imagined this father of his to be a young man dressed in suits, a scowl on his face as he turned around in the distance to watch me. Then I imagined Giorgio Mahone in suits as he watched me, a frown on his face too. And a chill ran down my spine, pulling me back from my thoughts and letting his words invade my thoughts.

"..... He thinks I'm irresponsible. I don't give a fuck. But now he wants me to get married or else he's gonna remove my name from his will."

"Why would he do that?" I asked confused.

"Because Katherine, " he looked at me, his gaze holding mine "I'm a very reckless person."

I gulped. Couldn't argue with that. But I was caught in his gaze, couldn't look away. There was something about what he just said. It felt so true, like he was confessing to me but he was also holding back. There was more to him just being reckless.

I watched his eyes fall on my lips and watched his lips twist into a smile before his eyes moved up to find my eyes again and he continued.

"My father never goes back on his words, Kitty," he adds "and he is going to cut me off completely. I have my own personal goal asides all of this that's why I need you to marry me."

I scoffed. "You think I would marry you just like that?"

"No, but you've got everything to gain here too. Phoebe told me everything that I needed to know. Plus, you've been job hunting. I'm willing to pay more than any of those hard jobs could ever pay you. Think about it, I'd be merely paying you to do the easiest job in the whole world. Just pretend to be my wife. Easy. Free money."

I thought about it for a second. A contract marriage? "Why don't you just go ahead and get married to your girlfriend?" I asked.

His eyes instantly found mine and I saw the change in them. "I don't love, Kitty."

I felt chills run up my thighs but I decided it was just from the fact that I was seated here with someone as gorgeous as Giorgio Mahone and I couldn't believe I was about to agree to being his fucking wife. What am I even thinking?

"So? Will you be my wife?"

"How much are you going to pay?"

He shrugs and replied "I was going to tell you that when we talk about the terms and conditions over dinner where you sign the contract to be my legally married wife but since you asked, the payment is ten thousand dollars," my lips dropped open "for a start." He added, a smile tucking at his lips.