Dante's Wedding Deception by Day Leclaire Read Free Book Online Page A

so he can snitch your meal off your plate.” Nicolò interlaced his hand with hers. “Come on. Why don’t I take you on the grand tour?”
    “I’d love to see the place.”
    With Brutus leading the way, Nicolò escorted her through the lower rooms, featuring a generous-sized kitchen with a small table set in a bow window, a formal dining room off the kitchen, as well as a beautifully decorated living area. Deeper in, he showed her what was clearly his favorite room, a large den with built-in bookcases, a mile-wide plasma TV and a couch with cushions as soft and comfortable as down.
    His cell phone rang right before they headed upstairs and, with a word of apology, he took the call. “What have you found out, Rufio?” He listened for a long minute. “Any family other than…? Got it. No, that’s quite helpful, thanks. Just what I needed.” He flipped the phone closed and offered Kiley one of the smiles that never failed to ignite a flame of intense awareness. “Sorry. Business update I’ve been waiting for.”
    “No problem.”
    Nicolò paused in the doorway of a large bedroom gilded by late afternoon sunlight. Leaning against the doorjamb, he waited while she circled the room. “This one’s yours. I thought you’d be more comfortable having a room to yourself. At least for the time being.”
    Surprise held Kiley frozen for a split second. “That’s very thoughtful of you,” she murmured.
    She didn’t dare tell him that it didn’t feel comfortable at all. Instead, it made her feel all the more alone. On the other hand, did she really want to spend the night in his bed? Despite her instinctive reaction to him—an all-consuming passion that defied understanding—they’d only known each other for a few days, at least to the best of her current recollection. Her husband was being incredibly sensitive by not forcing them into an intimate relationship until she’d had time to adjust to their marriage. This situation must be every bit as difficult for him as it was for her.
    Nicolò crossed to the closet and opened the double doors. “Your clothes are in here, as well as in the dresser.”
    Curiosity filled Kiley and she joined him, eager to see what sort of clothing she normally wore, hoping it might help her pick up clues to her personality. The wardrobe was stuffed full, with something for every occasion, though most of the items still had tags dangling from them.
    “Why is everything brand new?” she asked.
    “You’re a Dante now. You needed clothing to match.”
    She examined the outfits a second time and inhaled sharply. “Nicolò, these are all designer labels. They must have cost the earth.”
    He shrugged. “That’s what you wear. Take back whatever you don’t like. You also warned me that some of them would need to be altered before they could be worn.” He gave her an odd look. “I thought you’d be delighted by a brand-new wardrobe.”
    Did she sound ungrateful? She bit down on her lip, struggling for something appropriate to say. “Thank you,” she managed. “These are all gorgeous.”
    “And yet…” He tilted his head to one side, fixing those unnerving dark eyes on her, eyes that seemed to see straight down into her soul. “I can tell you’re less than thrilled.”
    “It’s just a little overwhelming.” She spared the closet an uncomfortable glance. “I’ll adjust in time,” she said, before adding beneath her breath, “Maybe.”
    So, why the knee-jerk reaction to the unexpected riches? Why did she shrink from the beauty and luxury of what he’d shown her. She couldn’t explain it. It just felt wrong, as if she’d fallen into someone else’s life and didn’t have a clue how to get back to her own.
    Nicolò caught her left hand in his and she stilled, overcome by the burn of The Inferno. This she understood. This grounded and centered her. His touch. Her reaction to his touch. That remarkable kiss they’d shared. The need that clawed at her, insisting that they