Arranged Mafia Marriage

Aurora

“What?” Karma glances between us. “Is that true?”

I hesitate. Should I tell her the truth? More to the point, do I have the courage to say the truth in front of his family? I open my mouth, then close it. I shoot Christian a sideways glance to find him watching me with a curious expression. As if he’s almost daring me to say something that would give him the chance to hurt me or my family. Me? I don’t care so much. But my family? Damn him, but I’d never let him do anything to harm them.

“Aurora?” Karma prompts. “Are you going to marry him?”Content © provided by NôvelDrama.Org.

“Yes,” I say without looking away from Christian. “Yes,” I clear my throat, “I’m going to be his wife.”

Something blazes in the depths of his eyes, then he seems to bank it almost at once.

“Christian proposed to me earlier today, and I agreed. In fact…” I move closer to him until the tips of my Ferragamos brush his shoes. “He made me an offer that I couldn’t refuse.” I say the last few words in a deep voice.

“What was that?” Christian scowls.

“That,” I tip up my chin, “was my best Godfather impression. Do you like it?”

His gaze intensifies. “I like everything about you, Flower.” He lowers his voice to a hush, and my insides tremble.

“Oh my god,” Karma breathes, “I knew it! I knew there was something between the two of you.”

He releases my wrist, only to wrap his arm around my waist and draw me close. “Oh, there’s something between us all right,” he drawls, “something I can no longer deny.”

“I’m so happy that we no longer have to hide our feelings for each other.” I force my lips to curve. “He’s positively head over heels in love with me. Isn’t that right, honey-pie?”

He blinks.

Hope you like the nickname, asshole! “In fact, when he proposed, I couldn’t believe it, but you know what he told me?”

“What?” Karma cries. “Tell me, please.”

“That he couldn’t live a minute more without me agreeing to become his wife. That he loves me so much he had to make sure to claim me before anyone else finds me.”

His features wear a look of surprise, then his lips kick up in a smile. “You forgot the part where you insisted that we get married right away. “In fact, the ceremony is set for three days from now.”

What? My gaze widens.

His lips curl in a smirk. “You couldn’t wait to become mine, could you now, honey-pie?”

I try to pull away, but his arm holds me in place. “And you wanted me to announce it today to make sure everyone could make it to the wedding, right?”

I bring down the heel of my six-inch stiletto on his boot; he doesn’t even wince.

His grip turns almost punishing. “Isn’t that right, darling?”

I bare my teeth. “One-hundred percent, darling.”

“Wait, did I hear that correctly?” Nonna’s voice interrupts my thoughts. “Christiano, you’re getting married, and this is the first I am hearing of it?”

Christian pales a little, and I stare. What the hell? Apparently, his grandmother really is a terror.

He loosens his hold on me. I step back, and he applies pressure on my back so I turn to face his nonna.

The older woman peers into Christian’s face. “Well?” She scowls. “What do you have to say for yourself?”

“You are hearing about this now because we only decided to get married this morning.”

“Hmph.” She firms her lips. “And you are getting married in three days?”

He nods.

“In church?”

He nods.

“It takes a lot longer than that to arrange a church wedding in Italy,” I hiss at him under my breath.

He stares at me. I stiffen. Of course, he’s a Mafioso, so he probably has special dispensation on some trumped-up basis or another.

Christian presses his palm into the small of my back. The heat from his touch sinks through the fabric of my dress and into my skin. My heart begins to race. My pulse thuds at my temples. My God, if just his touch arouses me to this extent, how am I going to spend the next thirty days in close quarters with him and not allow myself to give into this attraction between us?

“I know how important a church wedding is to you, Nonna,” Christian murmurs, “and my bride was very particular that we say our vows with God as our witness.”

What the-! This man, he’s milking the situation for all it’s worth. I’m so going to make him pay for this.

Nonna turns her shrewd gaze on me. “Aurora, is it?” She takes in my features. “You’re Doctor Garibaldi’s daughter?”

I nod.

Her brow furrows. “Strange that we haven’t met before.”

Not so strange because I had made sure to stay clear of the Don’s family.

“I was away studying medicine in London,” I offer.

“Hmm…” Her lips purse. “How long have you known my grandson?”

I blink. Umm… What should I say? That he held me captive, then threatened my family so I’d have no choice but to agree? I open my mouth, but Christian beats me to it.

“Not long, Nonna. It was a colpo di fulmine,” he murmurs. A bolt of lightning, as Italians refer to love at first sight.

I shoot him a sideways glance to find him wearing an intent expression on his face. “You know how it is, Nonna. I saw her, and I knew it was her. I wasted no time in asking her to marry me.”

She surveys his features for a beat, another. Then, whatever she sees there must convince her, for she nods. “And you, Aurora?” She turns to me. “Was it a colpo di fulmine for you too?”

More like hate at first sight. I swallow down the words that threaten to tumble out of my mouth. “Yes.” I nod. “I saw Christian, and I knew nothing would ever be the same again.” Which is true; my life has turned upside down since I met him.

Nonna’s gaze intensifies. “And you want to get married in church?”

“I already told you she does,” Christian interjects.

“I want to hear it from Aurora,” Nonna says in a sharp voice.

Shit, this woman sure is astute. I’m going to have to be on my toes if I want to make sure that she believes that our marriage is for real. “Yes.” I tilt up my chin. “I want to marry Christian in church, in front of our families and God.”

“It’s settled then.” Christian pulls me close and brushes his lips over my temple. “The second wedding in the family will take place in three days.”

“Christian,” Michael speaks for the first time since Christian made his announcement. “It’s time you and I had a word, don’t you think?”

Christian kisses my forehead. “Behave,” he murmurs. I shoot him a glance, and he chuckles. “Or don’t.” His grin widens before he leans in to whisper in my ear, “In fact, I rather you don’t. I’ll take great pleasure in punishing you then.”

He pivots on his heel and walks off.