We walked the rest of the property and stopped at the guest house on the lake.
Rylee: Gram you should take the guest house and maybe ask a certain Dr to move in?
Grams cheeks turned red.
Dante: Actually thats a great idea. We should have a doctor staying here to monitor you.
I cut Dante a cold look. He put his hands up in surrender. Gram went in and checked out the house. It was big enough and comfortable enough for two to three people to live. I could see Grams wheels spinning. He was working on back up plans. He gave me an approving smile. I know he hadn't agreed to me revealing our identities to Dante's men, but I could tell by their body language James and Grams respected each other and they even shared a few laughs. Gram stayed behind to take a more thorough look around the property and the house.
Carlton drove us through a burger joint for lunch before making our way to a furniture store. Once everything was picked out and ordered with a delivery appointment set for Wednesday we headed for the resort. For some reason my nerves were on high alert. It wasn't like me to get nervous before a job. I blamed it on the hormones but in the back of my mind I knew it was something more. When we pulled up Dante helped me apply brown contact lenses and I pulled back my hair to a tight pony tail taking on my Emma Landry role.
Rylee: Who are we meeting?
Dante: The resort manager Bill Smith and one of dads financial guys.
I didn't think anything of it when he said financial guys but when we entered the meeting room I froze in place. No. Fuck no.
Mark Turner stood up from the chair beside the Manager Bill Smith. As quickly as I could I shook it off and held my head up. Today I was Emma Landry Charity manager. Not fucking stripper. But his eyes locked on to mine and his smile was filled with lust as it had been many times in the Platinum room before he'd kiss me and run his fingers over my body. Dante would kill him if he knew how friendly we had been.
Mr. Smith: Dante, good to see you.
They shook hands as Dante introduced me to him. Then Dante reached over to shake Marks hand and slap his arm.
Dante: Good to see you Mark. This is Emma Landry, Banes charity manager and my fiancé.
Marks eyes bugged out of his head as he looked down at the ring on my finger when I held out my hand. I offered a polite smile trying desperately to pretend I didn't know him. He knew how things were with the Santinos so it didn't take long for him to play it off and cover up his reaction.
Mark: Get the fuck out of here! Dante Santino engaged.
He shook my hand and gave Dante a surprised look followed by laughter as he smacked Dante's arm. Dante shrugged it off and pulled out my chair. I went over all of plans and disgust the auction and the amount of guests expected. At some point Dante's hand had made its way to my thigh and every time Mark looked at me a little too long Dante would squeeze it. Not painfully just more of a she's mine back the fuck off squeeze. The table was clear so it was pretty obvious. And just when I thought I was doing better my stomach decided to start rejecting the burger we had for lunch. I ran out with out saying anything making it across the hall to where I had seen a restroom sign and darted in the first door.
Seconds later Dante was knocking on the stall door for me to let him in.
Rylee: This is the ladies room I'll be out in a minute.
Dante: Babe. It's not.
I wiped my face with toilet paper and flushed the toilet. When I opened the door Dante was standing there with a goofy look on his face. I looked past him to see urinals all along the wall. My cheeks flushed with embarrassment. He handed me wet paper towels he had already prepared for me. I wiped my face and washed my hands.
Dante: You ok.
Rylee: I'm good.
He tucked me in his side and walked us out to the car.
Rylee: What about the meeting.
Dante: I asked them if they had all they needed and they said it was enough. They will call you in a few days with a contract to sign.
I rested my head against his chest once we got in the car and fell asleep. That night was a rough one. I spent most of it in the bathroom. Until Dante fixed me a mug of the first tea Dr. Lynn gave me for just the nausea. Sleep finally came but the morning started it all over again.
Dante called Sam telling him I would be staying home the rest of the week and called Dr. Lynn. Since I seemed to do ok with the nausea tea she told him to only drink one cup of the new tea and one or two cups of the tea for nausea. She reminded him that morning sickness was a common thing and the tea wouldn't cure it. Dante was frustrated at her but by Friday I was doing much better and finally holding down food.
Dante: Baby I have to go see me dad about some business. You want me to cancel the meeting with Bill at the resort. We can go together tomorrow.
Rylee: I'll be fine. We can't keep putting it off we only have two more weeks till the Gala.
Dante: Alright. If I get done in time I'll meet you over there.
He kisses my cheek and lingers for a minute.
Rylee: What?
Dante: I don't want to wait to mary you.
Rylee: I don't either. But for it to be legal I have to come back from the dead and then prove I'm me.
Dante: I know.
He kisses my forehead and heads out with James.
At 3 Erik comes up to get me so we can go to the resort. I meet with Bill and Mark in the same meeting room as before. I take my time going over the contract. Once satisfied that it has everything in order I sign. Bills receptionist taps on the door to inform him of another matter he needed to attend to so he signs quickly, and shakes my hand.
Bill: We look forward to the gala Miss. Landry.
Rylee: Thank you Bill for your help and cooperation.
Mark signs as well and gets up to hand the papers to Bill before he leaves. I get up to follow them out when Mark closes and locks the door before turning on me. He catches me off guard and slams his lips down on mine. What the fuck. How could I fuck up this badly allowing him to catch me off guard like this. I slap him so hard the sound has to of echoed out side the door. I back away from him but his hands grip my arms tighter. The look of hurt flashes across his eyes and not just from the red Mark my hand left on his cheek.
Mark: How could you be with a guy like Dante Santino. I thought we had something.
I was utterly confused. This was not the nice guy who was maybe a bit of a nerd that needed to pay for a woman's attention.
Rylee: Mark you're a nice guy and all but you were just a customer.
The look of hurt turned to anger as his grip tightened more.
Mark: Was Dante just a customer too. Does he know how many times you rubbed your tight little pussy against my cock, how many times you made me cum all over your hand. All those times we sat and talked. The way you looked at me. I know you wanted me. I was a fool to tell you I couldn't be with you.
He attempted to kiss me again. This was definitely not nice guy Mark. This guy was down right delusional. I turned my head and tried again to get out of his grip.
Rylee: Mark, any second now my guard will be checking the door and when he finds it locked he will not ask questions first. You said you know the Santino's. If they are what you say they are than please let me go and we'll forget any of this ever happened.
Mark: Better yet, why don't you give me what you know we both want or I tell Dante he's marrying a lions den whore.
Rylee: I gave you a chance Mark. I really did.
I knee him in the balls hard enough that he falls to the floor in a fetal position. Letting out a whimper of breath like he had the wind knocked out of him. I bend down next to him cautiously.
Rylee: I don't usually give guys like you a second chance but I'm feeling generous today. Consider this your only warning. If you want to live, you need to disappear tonight. Leave New York and never come back. Because if I or Dante ever see your face again it will be your end.
I whisper close to his ear before leaving. Apart of me wondered if the walls and doors to the meeting rooms were sound proof. Surely Erik would have heard some of the commotion. But when I walk out the door Erik is across the hall flirting with an employee at the customer service desk.
Rylee: Come on Casanova.
I say like an annoyed younger sister being forced to watch her older brother putting moves on a chick as I walk quickly past and out the front doors.
Erik: everything ok?
Rylee: Yeah why wouldn't it be?
He shrugged his shoulders and opened the back door to the SUV for me. Then closed the door and hoped in the front passenger seat. Back at home the apartment was quiet. Dante text earlier that he was running late but would be home with dinner by 7. It was 6 and my nausea was starting. They call it morning sickness and yet mine hits more at night. I make my tea and sip it while I start the shower water. I needed to scrub Marks touch and smell off of me before I become completely irrational and go kill the guy before Dante does. I wasn't going to willingly tell him what happened but if he asked I would be honest.
The question of if he asked became a when as I undressed to slip in the shower and saw the marks on my arms. Shit. Both arms had three prominent blue dots perfectly aligned with that of someone's fingers griping you. After my shower I tossed on my now baggy pajama pants a cami and tossed on my thin jogging hoodie. I know I couldn't hide my arms for long but I needed food and wanted the chance to eat before the emotions of an argument turns.
Just before 7pm Dante strolled in the door with hot Philly cheese sandwiches from the deli down the block. The smell of warm roast, with melted provolone cheese and caramelized white onion made my mouth water.
He set the bag on the counter and took me in his arms and smothered my lips with his like we had been apart for days. I ran my fingers through his hair and sucked his bottom lip. He pressed his growing erection into my lower belly, sliding his hands down my back into the waist band of my pants. His smile widens when he felt the bare ness. In seconds his eyes darkened like a wild beasts. Shoving the bag to the side he lifted me on the counter. My pants disappear with his jacket somewhere on the floor. His cock buried deep inside me. I hold tightly to his neck while his arms cradle my back keeping me where he wants me as he pounds me until my toes curl with pleasure and my orgasm releases with a breathy moan. Dante's body shivers as his own release ripples through him. He kisses my neck and down my shoulder.
We finally break apart when my stomach began to protest. Dante chuckles and lowers himself to kiss my belly and retrieved my pants from the floor slipping them on one leg at a time.
Rylee: Well don't I feel like a modern day Cinderella.
He kisses my cheek and helps me down. I pull out the sandwiches from the bag while Dante grabs a beer out of the fridge and a water for me.
Dante: Everything went ok with Bill.
I nod as I stuff my face with the still warm melt in your mouth Philly cheese. I know I should just tell him. It's only a matter of time before he sees the bruising on my arms. My deep breaths and refusal to look at him makes him suspicious.
Dante: Did something happen?
Rylee: Nothing I couldn't handle.
I say sweetly kissing his cheek as I wrap up the second half of my sandwich and put it in the fridge. He throws away his trash and chugs the last of his beer before following me out of the kitchen. When he grabs my arm and I wince from him squeezing the bruise It was aIl over. He immediately pulled down my hoodie over my shoulder exposing the blue dots. His nostrils flared. Flames flash across his eyes. I look up at his tall frame towering over me.
Rylee: I handled it.
Dante: Who!