Chapter 2

I walked out of my room wearing a looser dress that hugged me on the top but was loose on the bottom. I didn't bother wearing shoes because I was inside and didn't plan on going anywhere. I was halfway down the steps when Luca peeked around the corner and smiled. "I was just about to go get you. Food is done." I nod. I opened my mouth to reply when a pair of hands placed on my waist. 

"You look beautiful." Dex breathes in my ear. I smile and look at him. 

"When did you get back?" He smiles. 

"Half an hour ago." I gave him a sad look. 

"You didn't tell me." His smile deepens. 

"I didn't think you wanted to be bothered." I nodded. 

"With Luca cooking, I was bored watching tv." 

"I will remember to check in with you next time." I smile. 

"Good." He chuckles. I turn as his hands drop. I finish walking down the steps and get to the kitchen to smell the rich scent of the spaghetti sauce. I hum as I walk up to the table. Luca looks at me. 

"I'm guessing you like spaghetti?" I nod. 

"It's one of my favorite dishes." He chuckles. 

"It's Dex's favorite too." I smile. Dex pulls out a chair and motions for me to sit. I smile and sit down. He pushes it in a bit and sits next to me as Luca sits on my other side. I look at Dex as Luca starts to eat his food. 

"Not that I'm complaining but why don't you have cooks? Why was Luca cooking?" Dex chuckles and looks at Luca. 

"Luca hated the idea of a cook to feed him when he went to school for it and can make the meals taste 100% better." He looks back at me. "Or at least those are his words." I look at Luca who nods. 

"I was at the top of my class." He said. I smile. 

"Well, I like to think nothing turns out the way you want it to unless you do it yourself." He nods and looks at Dex. 

"Exactly what she said." He shakes his head. 

"Eat your damn food." I look down at the food with a smile. I take a bite and hum. I hear a chuckle and I look at Dex who was smiling. I give him a small smile. The front door opens and I look back as Dex glances. "What can I help you with, Kimmy?" He asks as he takes another bite. I look at him as her heels clicking meant she was walking into the dining room. 

"What the hell is this?" She yelled. 

"He is literally next to you there is no need to yell," Luca said. She looks at him and glares. 

"Shut it, Luca." Her head turns back to Dex. "What the hell is this?" She slams a piece of paper on the table and I glance at it. It was in Spanish. 

"You know exactly what it is. You can read it." Dex said calmly. She leans on the table towards him. 

"I have had a long and stressful day, Dex. I'm not in any mood to play games with you so I'm only going to ask you one last time. What the hell is this?" He turns his head at her and glares 

"Did your parents ever raise to respect people in their own homes or were you allowed to do whatever you wanted?" I asked. She turns her head to notice me for the first time. She crosses her arms. 

"Excuse me?" I set my fork down and motioned to Dex. 

"Well, you came in here yelling and got into his face. I'm guessing you were hoping that being dramatic would make whatever that paper says change but by the look of Dex's face, I would say it won't. I'm sure you read that paper very clearly. So I don't see the need to repeat your question as if you have no clue." She lets out a dry laugh. 

"I have no idea who you are but-." I stuck out my hand for her. 

"I am Grace. Dex's fiancee." She sucked on her teeth and let out a dry laugh. She turned back to Dex who looked amused. 

"Your fiancee? This is a joke right?" I let out a dry laugh causing her attention to go back to mine. 

"If it was I would have been just as dramatic as you were but it's not. And if you wish to speak to Dex please do but do not turn your back on me as if I am not here." She places her hand on the table while fake smiling. 

"You don't know me so you don't know how this goes." I sit up straight and smile. 

"Please do tell." Her fake smile drops. 

"You are extremely temporary. Which makes you replaceable which is exactly what is going to happen to you. But I've been here for a very long time and I have no intention of going anywhere." I let out a dry laugh. 

"Come in this house like you did and that will change." She raises her eyebrows as Luca lets out a chuckle. 

"Excuse me?" I smile. 

"Kimmy, leave," Dex said calmly. She whips around to him. 

"Like hell, I will." He looks up at her with a bored expression. 

"I do not have the patience to deal with you. So if you want me to remain civil I would leave while you still can." 

"Tell your whore to stay in her place." He gives her a confused look. 

"The only whore in my house is you as for Grace? She did not overstep her place. She is allowed to speak her mind if she sees fit. If I had a problem with something she said I would have said something. Now get out of my house before I make you regret your decision to walk into my house." She gulps and turns around and walks out without looking at me. I look at Dex as he watches me. He hums. "I am going to enjoy this." He said with a smile. I shake my head and pick up my fork. 

"I did you a favor." He chuckles. 

"You did more than that but I'm not complaining." Luca chuckles. 

"She deserved it." I smile as I look at my food. 

After a while, Dex got up and put his plate in the sink. I watched him. He washes his plate and sets it out to dry. I stand with my empty plate and walk up to the sink just as he turns around. He grabs my plate from me and smiles. "I can wash it," I said. He shakes his head. 

"Luca cooks and I do the cleaning." 

"Where does that leave me?" He glances over his shoulder to look at me. 

"You are welcome to sit in here and keep me company while I clean. But the moment you try to help you are out of here." I nod and sit on the clean counter. He washes me for a moment and goes back to the dishes. Luca comes over with his plate and Dex grabs it from him. Luca looks at me. 

"I'm headed upstairs if you want to hang out with me until he's done?" I shake my head. 

"That's okay. I'm fine right here." He nods and walks out of the room. 

"Can I ask you a question?" I hear. I look back at Dex to see his eyes on me.

"Of course." 

"What exactly did your father do to you?" I give him a confused look as my heart beats uncontrollably. "By the way you reacted when he spoke, were scared of him. And the way you reacted when I touched you meant that you aren't used to being touched gently. It's obvious that you were abused." I look down and clear my throat. 

"Don't take this the wrong way but I don't know you enough to tell you every little detail about me." I hear a dish clink against the bottom of the sink and his footsteps over to me. I look at him as he walks in front of me. He looks at me with a mix of emotions. He looked a bit worried and concerned but the emotion that showed over the others was that my words hurt him. He takes a deep breath and places his hands on my thighs just below where my dress ends. His touch was gentle and wet from the sink water. 

"Grace, I'm going to be your husband. I am trying to get to know you a bit better. I have a hard time letting people in and I have a problem with being blunt. I asked those questions because I want you to know that I won't hurt you like he did. I try not to let my anger get the best of me. I have moments where I can get out of control but I try to walk away."

My throat went dry as I watched his hands squeeze my thighs gently. His eyes went back to mine. "I know you didn't have a choice in this and you probably wouldn't be with me if you had a choice but I beg you to at least try and let yourself like me. Get to know me and open your mind to the possibility that you could be happy with me." I gulp. 

"You want me to try and fall in love with you?" 

"If it's not too much to ask." He breathes. 

"For a dangerous guy, you sure are gentle." He gives off a small smile. 

"I'm different than what you are expecting." I nod. 

"I can see that." He smiles and takes a step back while dropping his hands. He walks back over to the sink and I watch him.