CHAPTER 2: CAUGHT IN THE ACT

Marianna

Still confused about the whole news my father just sprung on me, my gaze trailed from my father to everyone in the room one by one.

Their son—Javier—sat beside his parents, still wearing the ugliest smile I had ever seen. I spent a few more minutes accessing his physical features, his stature was small, smaller than Alceo's. He wore a white shirt and a black trousers, his tiny arms being obvious in his clothes.

I compared his with Alceo's arms, they were enough to wrap me in. Alceo was home, my home and even since we've been together I have never pictured myself with another man.

"Clearly you're joking, father," I said, releasing a short laugh afterwards. "You expect me to marry him," I pointed to Javier in a disgusting manner.

"What's wrong with him? He's a good boy," my father looked at him and the smile on his face disappeared.

"You told me to go for men, that I could see you in them and I definitely do not see you in him."

My father—Santo—held my shoulders, rubbing my cheeks together. "I'm so proud of you Maria but it doesn't matter what you see in him, besides I vetted him myself. We need to have strong allies in order to protect ourselves from the Russians. Your wedding is in 2 days," he announced, not caring about my own opinion.

My tongue refused to produce speeches at that time, my legs rooted to a deep spot as I watched all of them rejoice over my heartache.

I raced up the flight of stairs and dashed towards my room, locking my door from behind. I remembered that I had left Alceo on read, I bet he would still be in class so I rang his cell phone. After a few rings, he picked up. "Pretty, I'm in class, I'll ring you up as soon as I'm done," he whispered into the phone.

"Can we see now? It's important and urgent," I needed to see him desperately. "Can we?"

The call went silent for a while. "Okay fine, my place in 30 minutes."

"Thank you," I released the breath I was holding unconsciously. Before the call dropped, I heard him dismissing his class. I smiled and I was sure that I was making the right choice.

I released the rope from the spot I kept it, I always used it to sneak out everytime I needed to see Alceo. Sure that the coast was clear, I gently dropped into the flowers and tried not to create rusty noises.

I peeped at the window and saw my father's guests still enjoying themselves.

"Going somewhere princess?" I yelled out unconsciously. Diego clamped my mouth quickly.

"I'm not a princess, don't call me that and why are you always everywhere I am?" I said, trying to understand his motives exactly.

"Your father has now tasked me with your monitoring and I advise that you stay away from that man, now that you're getting married," he said.

"Rubbish, I'd rather you marry me than that child," I said underneath my breath.

Diego was the closest person to me in the house, growing up together after my mother's death, he had indirectly become the big brother I always wanted whilst still maintaining being the head of the guards.

"That's so sweet of you," I yanked the dark glasses away from his face and checked for some dollar bills in his pocket.

"What are you doing Marianna?" He asked, clearly confused about what I was doing.

"I have a meeting to acknowledge, don't worry my father won't know unless you tell him. If you value your life, don't tell him, you know how much he hates incompetence."

"I hope you are making a very good choice," he said, his voice hinted at care and affection.

I dragged his big heavy body to the back of the fence as the front gate was inaccessible at that time, I climbed on him and heard him grunt a little bit as he supported me to the top of the fence. At the other side of the fence, I winked at him and gently dropped down, running to the edge of the road to stop a taxi.

*****

The sound of a running shower signaled my attention to his presence. I relieved myself of my belongings and stripped my clothes, blushing on the thought of joining him in the shower. His muscular rigid back with different tattoos welcomed me as soon as I entered the bathroom. His hands were placed on the wall of the bathroom, allowing the water to flow freely.

I trailed his wet back with my fingers and wrapped my naked body around him, sharing the water with him. He turned around swiftly, with so much agility, his silky black hair splashed water around.

Blood rushed from every part of my body to my cheeks as I saw how beautiful he was, it was warm. He lifted me off the floor gently into his arms, with my back to the wall, he started kissing me.

One of his arms was situated under my ass, supporting my movement while the other one flickered around my hard rock nipples.

I let out a moan inside his mouth, my coochie throbbed badly, anticipating his touch. Whining in his arms, he fully understood what I wanted. He stopped teasing me and raised me up, gently lowering me on his hard member.

He filled me and my coochie walls widened to accommodate him, I threw my head back and my moans merged with the pouring water.

I looked down at his face and his expression was unreadable. He continued helping me down his member and it was bliss.

"Every..so..fucking..time pretty, I can never get enough of you," he groaned loudly.

I was proud of myself that I made a beautiful man feel the way he felt.

The rest of the few minutes were spent making love to each other in the bathroom and cleaning our bodies.

We laid in bed after cleaning ourselves. He spoke up first, tracing his fingers on my bare skin. "I was so worried, pretty. Your call frightened me, did something happen?"

I didn't know how to form my words, I was disappointed at everything and everyone. Pained that I wasn't free to choose my choices and I had to live the life my father wanted

"I'm getting married Al, my father is insisting I marry one of the family's sons," I dropped the bad news I had come with.

His trails stopped as soon as I finished saying the words. He relaxed back, without saying a word. His eyes mixed with sadness and pain even though he tried to conceal it so badly. Right there I knew that this man was in love with me, just like I was.

"That can't be possible Maria, you can't get married. What would happen to me? Our promises, the life we've always dreamt about?"

"I don't want to get married either, it's just you I want," I rushed to hold his hands but the man I loved was breaking into 2 already.

"Let's run away," I said, meeting his eyes this time around.

"That is not a good idea. Your father will hunt us down for the rest of our lives."

Deep down I knew he was right but I couldn't think of anything else. I looked at him and he seemed to be battling with his emotions.

"Do you have another idea in mind?" I asked.

"What about I come to meet your father, explaining things to him?"

"What?" I sat up straight, pulling the covers on my bare skin.

"There's no need for that," my father's voice said. We both turned around in shock, to see my father standing in the room with some bodyguards. "I'm already here."