Dante's Contract Marriage by Day Leclaire Read Free Book Online

time we return, we’ll be more relaxed together.”
    “Like an old married couple?”
    “Something like that.” He lifted an eyebrow. “Now you’re the one who looks upset. You knew we were going to have to convince our grandparents that we’re happily married before gradually going our separate ways. This will help the process along.”
    “They’re going to find out eventually,” she murmured.
    “They’ll find out that the marriage didn’t work out. They won’t find out why we married in the first place.”
    “They’d be crushed if they knew.”
    “Knowing Primo, he’d dispose of Brimstone just to make that point.” Lazz inclined his head toward the head table. “Recess is over, I’m afraid. Time to resume our duties.”
    The rest of the reception passed with a breathtaking swiftness. Before she knew it, Lazz caught her hand and drew her from the ballroom onto a shadow-dipped balcony overlooking downtown San Francisco. When she shot him a questioning glance, he merely smiled.
    “They expect us to leave early. We’re supposed to be eager newlyweds, remember?”
    She shook her head in amusement. “How silly of me. Of course. We’d probably shock our guests if we insisted on dancing the night away. Still…” She crossed to the railing and gazed out at the glittering lights of the city. Fog stretched out stealthy fingers, reaching for the streets closest to the bay. “It was a lovely reception. Thank you for putting it together.”
    “I didn’t—”
    “Please, don’t.” Her smile faltered for an instant before she had it safely back in place. “Please, don’t tell me you weren’t responsible. I’d like that much of an illusion, if you don’t mind.”
    “Actually, I was going to say that I didn’t expect it to turn out as well as it did,” he said gently. “And I was responsible, though I had help.”
    “From Caitlyn?”
    “Among others. Come on.” He dropped an arm around her shoulders. “Le Premier has reserved the honeymoon suite for us tonight.”
    “And tomorrow we fly off to Verdonia,” she said, hoping her nervousness didn’t show. “I guess that means we better get a decent night’s sleep. Tomorrow’s flight will be a long one.”
    “Then I suggest we turn in.” His face slid into shadow, while ambient light caught in the depths of his hazel eyes. “And when we get to our room, you can decide whether you’d care to break one of your marital conditions.”

Three
    From: [email protected]
    Date: 2008, August 05 18:41 CEST
    To: [email protected]
    Subject: Re: Marriage Contract, Premarital Conditions…mine!
    Dear Lazzaro,
    I’m sure you will understand the need for my first counter-condition, especially since our marriage is not permanent.
    Counter-Condition #1: No sex.
    Short and sweet, yes?
    Ciao! Ariana

    P.S. I guess that means we’ll need separate bedrooms. Do you wish me to make that a separate counter-condition?

    A riana didn’t say a word. Not as they left the balcony, nor during the endless elevator ride to their suite. She didn’t dare speak in the face of such overwhelming temptation.
    She hadn’t expected such a strong physical response to Lazz. Perhaps she should have, since she’d been drawn to him every single time she’d been in his presence, starting at the tender age of five. When she’d seen him in Marco’s conference room, some part of her had instinctively sensed the connection between them. She’d even told her father that Lazz was the one.
    The one she’d cried over at five.
    The one who called to her on some visceral level.
    The one who’d connected them with a single touch.
    “Looks like someone’s been here ahead of us,” Lazz commented as they entered the suite.
    Sure enough, flowers covered every available surface, including the huge canopied bed, although in the case of the bed they were deep velvety red petals, with a pair of long-stem roses decorating the pillows.
    “I don’t see luggage anywhere,”