Virgin Bride
Autorzy
Heather Teston
Lektury
1,3M
Rozdziały
34
Chapter 1
LUCA
Luca woke up. Getting out of bed, he put on his briefs and glanced down at the woman lying naked in his bed.
She was a pretty brunette he picked up at the party he attended that night; he couldn’t remember her name. That was nothing new to him; he never bothered to get to know them— they were just a means to satisfy his urges.
After taking a shower and changing, he went down to enjoy a hearty breakfast since he had worked up quite an appetite.
Grazia, his cousin, was already seated at the table with Filippo, his friend and business associate of over ten years.
They also lived with him in his castle. He’d somehow inherited Grazia when her parents were killed in a tragic car accident six years ago.
When his meal was brought to him by one of the kitchen staff, Charles, he instructed him to send some food up to the young lady in his room.
He also told him to tell her a car would be waiting to take her wherever she needed to go.
“Really, Luca, you brought another one of your whores into your home,” Grazia scoffed.
His eyes turned dark, his cold stare meant to send shivers down her spine.
“You’re right. This is my home, and who I choose to bring into it is my business. You’ll do well to remember that, cousin dear. I will be gone for the rest of the day, don’t hold dinner for me.”
“Where are you off to?” Filippo asked, scooping scrambled eggs into his mouth.
“I’m heading to the country. There’s a man, Dan Potter, who has some horses for sale. I’m thinking of getting a couple. Might as well make use of the stable that I paid a small fortune to have built.”
“I could go with you,” Filippo suggested.
“No, I prefer to go alone. Besides, you have that meeting with Hillbrook Winery. Get them to sell their company to me,” Luca ordered.
“Why do you want it so bad?” Filippo asked. “It’s such a small company, and you have your own, the biggest one in the world.”
“I just do. It’s not for you to question me. It’s your job to do as I say.”
“Luca, you are turning thirty soon. Do you not think it’s time to find a wife? You are a wealthy and important man in Rome.
“People are beginning to talk about you and all the women you are sleeping with. It’s time for you to marry—someone with class, refined, a woman who will be an asset to you and your reputation?”
Sitting back, he looked at his cousin. She was tall and slender with dark black hair, the same as his.
She was also a greedy, conniving witch, living off him instead of finding a rich husband to take care of her and her thirst for the finer things in life.
She had it made living here in his castle with her own suite of rooms, household help waiting on her hand and foot.
“Just who would you like me to marry? Your friend Eleonora Gallo I bet?”
“As a matter of fact, yes. Eleonora would make the perfect wife for you. She has class.”
“She is also a stuck-up bitch with no sense of humor, and I’ll bet her legs are so tightly closed no man could get between them. I prefer my women warm and willing to spread their legs and give me great pleasure.”
“Sex is all you think about, Luca. Think about the family business, the one your father built up from scratch and left to you when he died.
“He’s probably turning over in his grave with all your behavior. Not to mention that you are a descendant of royalty. You make a mockery of it all.”
“Quiet, you will not speak to me in this manner.” Tossing his napkin down, he stood and turned to Filippo. “I’ll see you later. Good day to you both.”
Jumping into his new Lamborghini, he sped out of the driveway away from his castle.
He was sick and tired of everyone telling him he had to marry and always pushing women on him. They were all well-bred, rich, and upper-class.
But they bored him; they were cold and had no sex appeal. Sure, most of them were quite beautiful. But god forbid they should mess their hair up during sex, lying there, barely moving, and making no sound.
It was a four-hour drive to where he was going, a small remote place out in the country. Driving along the dirt road, he saw a broken-down sign that read Potter’s Farm.
The place was run-down; the fence needed mending. The house was nothing more than a shack, with horses in the fenced-off area.
Pulling to a stop, he got out and walked over to where there were three horses. He liked what he saw.
They were beautiful animals, they seemed to be well taken care of, and he was impressed, considering how the house and the rest of the place looked.
Moments later, an older man walked over. He was in his late fifties and had on dirty overalls; his hair was thinning, and he had a big potbelly. Two younger men were with him. Luca assumed they were the older man’s sons.
“I’m Luca Mariani. I called about the horses.” He held out his hand for the man to shake.
“I’m Dan. These here are my boys, Jason and John. These here are three of the finest creatures you’ll find around these parts.” He pointed to the horses.
Going inside the gate, Luca checked them out. They were friendly and didn’t run off; that was a good sign. “Yeah, they look healthy. I think I’ll take them,” he said, patting them.
Dan grinned, showing his missing teeth. The ones left were yellow and stained with tobacco smoke. “Good, good. Come inside and have a cold beer and we can discuss the money.”
The sons went off to do chores while he followed Dan inside. Something he regretted when he saw the inside.
It was so run-down. The floors creaked, the furniture—a sofa and two ripped chairs—was old, torn, and tattered, and the kitchen was small with a table and three wooden chairs. A cot lay in the corner of the living room.
As run-down as the place was, at least it was clean.
He hesitated when Dan pointed to a chair and told him to sit. Finally sitting, he pulled out his checkbook.
“Robin, get your scrawny ass out here and fetch me a couple of cold beers,” Dan yelled as he flopped down across from him.
Luca looked over at the fridge and wondered why he didn’t just grab them himself while he was there.
A moment later, the door to what Luca figured was the bathroom opened, and a girl walked out. Her hair looked dirty, as did the rest of her.
She wore a long baggy dress and a sweater that had holes in it; he couldn’t tell if she was a child or a woman. Her eyes locked with his before she lowered them to the ground and walked further into the kitchen.
“Get us two beers, girl,” Dan barked at her.
She took out the two bottles and reached into the cupboard and grabbed two glasses. Setting them down in front of Dan, she turned to leave, accidentally knocking one of them over.
The beer ran down the table onto the floor. Standing up, he slapped her across the face and yelled at her.
“You stupid girl, clean up this mess.” He shoved her to the floor, tossing a rag at her. “The girl is as useless as tits on a boar,” he said, looking at Luca.
Luca was shocked to see such violence toward one so young. “Mr. Potter, it was an accident, no need to hit the girl.”
Dan scoffed as he went and took another beer from the fridge. “The girl has been nothing but trouble from the day she came to live here. She’s my brother’s girl, and when he and his wife died, the county dumped her off on me.”
He talked about her as if she wasn’t even there while she washed up the mess.
She went to the sink, rinsing out the cloth.
After taking a swig of his beer, Luca opened his checkbook, looked over at her, and then set his pen back down.
“I want to buy those horses. I’ll pay triple what you’re asking.” His eyes went to Dan, and he saw the greed in the old man’s eyes as his Adam’s apple bobbed up and down.
“Triple, well sure, if you want to. I’m sure as hell ain’t going to say no.”
“There’s one catch, though,” Luca said, looking back over at the girl, who he now could see was a young woman.
“What would that be?” Dan asked.
“I want the girl.” He saw the way she turned sharply to look at him, fear showing in her eyes.
“What would you be wanting with the likes of her?”
“Well, now, that would be my business. Do we have a deal, Mr. Potter?”
Dan wiped the drool from his mouth and looked from her back to Luca. “Oh, I see, it’s a sex thing. I think you’ll be pleased to know she’s a virgin, fresh, untouched. Okay, Mr. Mariani, I’ll throw Robin into the deal.”
He held out his hand to Luca, waiting for a handshake which he never received. He greedily took the check from Luca, went over to Robin, and told her to go with the man who had just paid him a lot of money.
When she shook her head and tried to run out, he grabbed her, raising his hand to strike her, but Luca grabbed his wrist, stopping him.
“You will not strike this girl again, is that clear?” He looked at her. “Get your things, you’re coming with me now.”
Dan laughed. “All that is hers she is wearing.”
This took Luca by surprise. How can anyone not own another set of clothes?
He took her arm, and when she tried to pull away, he tightened his grip. “I’ll send someone in a few days to pick up the horses.”
He then led her out to his car, opened the door, and ordered her to get in. She still had not spoken a word, and if it weren’t for her uncle, he wouldn’t even know her name.
Going around to the driver’s side, he got in and fastened his seat belt, ordered her to do the same, and took off down the long dirt driveway.
