Page 5 of Marry Me Not
And right now, he was reading me.
I swallowed. The marriage was a done deal, but I still wanted to make a good impression on Cosimo. This was the man I was expected to spend my life with. To eventually have children with.
“Cosimo. I hadn’t realized you’d be here tonight.”
He moved closer, his steps measured and unhurried. “I couldn’t resist seeing the event my fiancée has put together.”
So he knew I’d organized tonight. He probably also knew I was the one who’d advised Rafe to purchase this painting. All of this had been some kind of provocation. Why though?
“Guess I don’t need to ask you what you think about the collection.” If he thoughtBride’s Doorwas “unfinished,” I could already guess what he thought about the rest of the art on display tonight.
His lips twitched. “No.” He stepped around me slowly, his gaze drifting over my body in a way that made my skin prickle with warmth.
I tracked his movements. The top few buttons of his dress shirt were undone, revealing a tattoo of a crown of thorns wrapped around the base of his neck.
“Don’t expect me to let you spend my money on things like this once we’re married. Unlike Messero, I don’t throw money at vanity projects and I despise frivolous spending.”
His words landed with a sharp sting. Wow. Vanity project. That was his verdict regarding tonight.
Somehow—miraculously—I managed to maintain my composure. “Rafaele asked me to help him choose a few new pieces. I don’t make a habit of acquiring fine art.” I lifted my chin. “And should I ever decide to indulge in frivolous spending, my trust fund is more than capable of financing it.”
I’d get access to the money once I was married. My father had made it contingent on the one thing he thought my sister and I were good for.
Cosimo completed his slow circle and stopped in front of me again, close enough that I had to tilt my head back to hold his gaze. God, he was tall. When I breathed in, I caught the dark, expensive edge of his cologne, and something low in my stomach tightened.
“Rafaele told me you worked in Geneva. Event planner at the UN.”
“That’s right.”
“You enjoyed it?”
It wasn’t my passion, but I was good at it. I nodded. “I did.”
“Couldn’t have enjoyed it all that much if you’re so eager to come back here to play housewife to a man you’ve never met.”
My nails dug into the flesh of my palms. Rafe wouldn’t pair me with an abusive monster like our father. I knew he’d vetted Cosimo carefully before agreeing to this match. But would he pair me with a run-of-the-mill asshole?
I was starting to realize that wasn’t off the table. Cosimo was prodding at me like I was some strange animal trapped inside a cage.
“Who said I’m eager?”
“Why else come back two months before you were expected to?”
“I had just finished a project at work,” I lied. “Instead of taking on something new I might not get to finish, I thought I could help your mom with the wedding preparations. She’s done so much for us already.”
His gaze darkened for reasons I couldn’t begin to comprehend. “Yes, she’s practically a saint.”
“I’m looking forward to meeting her next week.”
“But you met her before.”
“Yes. In Geneva and then in Paris.” The first meeting had been accidental. We were both guests at a fundraiser, and she was seated at my table. I must’ve made a good impression on her then, since the news from Rafe that I’d been chosen to marry her eldest son came only a few months later. The second meeting was after the contract had been signed. She asked me about my preferences for the wedding before telling me she’d take care of it all so that I could keep my focus on my work. I thought that was kind of her.
“She’s lovely,” I said to him.
“She’s already charmed you the way she manages to charm everyone else.”
I frowned. The mockery in his tone had momentarily slipped, revealing something sharp and bitter underneath.
