Page 11 of Untamed Billionaire
“Seriously!” he whispered right back. Damn, if Dash, Kasim, Angela, or Callum ever caught him being this flirtatious with a woman, they wouldn’t ever stop teasing him.
“Oh, thank you!” she screamed, then threw her arms around his neck, hugging him with all her strength. She even bounced up and down slightly, causing his body to react predictably. Her soft breasts pressed against his chest and Marco almost groaned at the delightful pressure. But as his hands gripped her waist, he felt something else that he wasn’t expecting.
She was too thin. He could literally feel her ribs through the material of her dress. He wasn’t sure why she tried to remain so thin, but it wasn’t healthy. Perhaps she was just naturally slender. But Marco suspected that there was more to it.
“When?” she gasped, pulling away but left her hands on his shoulders. He liked that, enjoyed the feeling of her fingers on his shoulders as well as the fact that she felt comfortable enough around him to touch him.
Of course, he didn’t want her feeling too comfortable. In fact, he wasn’t comfortable in any way! With her touching him like this, and the memory of those pert breasts against his body, he was feeling decidedly uncomfortable.
“When do you want the wedding to take place?” he asked.
Chloe pulled back, as if only then realizing that she was touching him. “Sorry,” she whispered, then started to nibble on the side of her thumb. Not her nail! God forbid she mess up the perfect manicure!
He took her hands and said, “Don’t apologize for touching me, Chloe. I like it.”
Chloe heard the words, but she couldn’t process them completely. Touching was forbidden in her world. She couldn’t ever remember her parents hugging her for any reason. Boyfriends had touched her in the past, but she’d hated their version of affection. She’d shuddered with revulsion at every man’s touch. Usually, the men she’d casually dated were too rough, or their hands were clammy. One of the men her father had set her up with had breath that reeked of onions. Not just on their first date, but on all three dates!
But with Marco…she hadn’t felt that way. Her eyes glanced over his broad chest and those incredible arms…her fingers itched to touch him. And his hands? Her body ached to experience more of his touch and wondered if his hands were calloused or smooth, hard or soft?
She smiled slightly, lowering her lashes. When she lifted her eyes upwards again, she started to say something, then obviously decided against it. She inhaled sharply, but released the breath slowly as if contemplating something deep and dark.
When she finally spoke, her voice was tentative, not sure if she believed him. “You…like it when I…?”
He laughed softly, moving slightly closer. “Yes. I like it when you touch me, Chloe.”
“But…” she stared up at him for a long moment, shaking her head. “You do?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
He was stunned, but realized that she wasn’t merely asking for vanity. “Because you are a beautiful, desirable woman,” he told her plainly. He took her hands and stepped back. “Now tell me what is required for a wedding in these parts. I’m guessing that flying off to Las Vegas won’t be an acceptable wedding plan for your family. Am I right?”
Chloe laughed and she looked more relaxed than he’d ever seen her. Granted, this was only the second time he’d seen her, but both times, she’d been tense and anxious.
“No, my parents would disown me if we got married in Vegas. Plus, I don’t think you’d be accepted in Charleston society if we eloped. And that’s the whole point of this endeavor, isn’t it? At least, on your part.”
Marco didn’t disabuse her of that notion, but soon he would teach her about her own value. She wasn’t simply a means to someone else’s hopes and dreams. She was good enough to live only for herself.
“So what do we need to do, if Vegas is a non-starter?”
She shrugged. “Well, you might not realize this, but I am an expert at organizing a party.” She smiled confidently, her shoulders pulling back and her chin in the air. There was a glimmer in her eyes as well that warned him that she was already planning things out. “I learned from the best.”
Marco laughed. “You think your mother is the best party planner?”
“Everyone says so,” Chloe replied, a small bit of that confidence dimming slightly. She tilted her head slightly, considering. “Although, it seems as if every party we attend or every dinner party she throws is exactly the same. The guest lists at all of our society’s events is very…” she paused, trying to figure out the right word.
“Incestuous,” he filled in for her.
She gasped, then laughed but covered her hand with her mouth. “Yes!” she laughed again, horrified by her amusement. “It’s very incestuous.”
“Well, then let’s mix things up a bit.”
“I have four cousins that my mother will require to be my bridesmaids. Can you come up with four friends who…?” she paused, biting her lip slightly. “If not, I can try and get my mother to trim the number slightly.”
“I have a small group of friends that would be up for a bit of rabble rousing. And,” he paused, winking at her, “wouldn’t your mother be horrified if one of my grooms-people is a woman?”
Chloe’s mouth fell open and she stared at Marco for a long moment. “A woman as a groomsman?” she whispered, as if just saying the words were heresy. “Is that even allowed?”
