By Virtue I Fall (Sins of the Fathers #3)(61)

My mouth watered seeing it, but I kept pleasuring myself with my toy as if I wasn’t dying to feel Santino inside of me. When he began stroking himself, I lost it.

I tossed away the dildo. Santino didn’t need another invitation. He charged toward the bed with a smirk and grabbed my ankles, then tugged me toward the edge of the bed before he plunged into me. I cried out and almost came right away.

I wasn’t sure how long we got lost in each other like that when the bell suddenly disrupted us.

Few people rang the bell so I was a bit confused especially when it rang again. Santino slid out of me with a vigilant look. He grabbed his gun and hurried out of the bedroom.

When he returned a short while later, his expression didn’t bode well. I sat up at once, fearing the worst. If my parents visited now, we’d both be doomed. My bedroom probably reeked of sex and my tousled state didn’t really help.

“Who is it?” I asked as I stood, picking up my panties from the floor and righting my dress.

“Your fiancé.”





I froze. “Clifford?”

“Do you have another fiancé I’m not aware of?” Santino clipped, looking furious.

“What is he doing here?”

“Ask him. I haven’t opened the door yet to find out.”

I swallowed. I couldn’t send him away without talking to him. What if he told my parents he couldn’t reach me? Maybe I could pretend I wasn’t home? “Can you let him in while I try to make myself presentable?”

“Sure,” Santino gritted out.

Before I could say anything else, he stalked away. I slipped into the bathroom and quickly washed and put on a load of perfume to cover Santino’s scent. My hair still wasn’t as straight as I preferred it but I couldn’t do anything about it now, at least I didn’t look like I’d been banging my bodyguard.

Taking a deep breath, I emerged from the bathroom. Santino and Clifford were in the living area. Clifford stood awkwardly beside the sofa, as if he wasn’t sure it was safe to sit down. Which was understandable given Santino’s expression. He leaned against the kitchenette with a murderous look, his arms crossed.

I gave a strained smile, still completely stunned by Clifford’s appearance. I’d have thought we wouldn’t see each other again until I returned to Chicago for the next social gathering. My pulse was still fast. This time however for a vastly different reason than fifteen minutes ago.

I could only hope Clifford didn’t realize what Santino and I had been up to. If he let something slip to his parents and they talked to mine… Paris would be over and Santino would be in major trouble.

“Hey,” I said as I walked over to Clifford. We hugged briefly, which felt completely awkward, especially because Santino was watching us.

“You are here,” I said unnecessarily.

“I wanted to surprise you.”

“I am surprised,” I said, laughing nervously.

I motioned toward our balcony. “Why don’t we sit outside? The weather’s still nice.”

Clifford glanced at Santino then nodded. “Sounds like a good idea.”

Just like Clifford, I was eager to get away from Santino who looked ready to kill my fiancé. And not just that, I felt strangely guilty toward Santino. As if I were cheating on him by talking to Clifford when it should be the other way around.

“You don’t look happy. Am I interrupting anything?” Clifford asked with a glance toward Santino as we sank down on the chairs outside. Because it was getting dark and only March, the temperature had dropped considerably from my stroll with Santino earlier. I shivered but rather freeze to death than bear the strained atmosphere with Santino and Clifford in one room.

“Of course not. I’m just busy with fashion school, that’s all.” I wasn’t even that busy yet. Most of my courses so far were introductory because the Spring semester was only about to begin.

Clifford gave me a boyish smile. Maybe it was because I spent so much time with Santino but Clifford seemed too young. “That’s why I came on a weekend. I thought surprising your fiancée like that was a good start to a marriage.”

It probably was for a love marriage, which ours decidedly was not. The man I was close to falling in love with watched us from the sidelines and would never be my husband. And I feared that the man who’d become my husband and I was supposed to love, would never own my heart, not in the way Santino already did. It wasn’t love because I wouldn’t allow myself to feel that way, but my heart was definitely beating for Santino in a way that wasn’t healthy considering my planned future.

Clifford shrugged. “I suppose I was wrong. Don’t worry. I’ll keep myself busy until my flight leaves on Monday.”

He really flew over all the way from the States for a weekend to visit me? It was kind of sweet. I couldn’t help but feel guilty for not being a real fiancée. “I thought you were seeing someone and being exclusive. Isn’t it weird if you come visit me?”

Though maybe she didn’t mind. After all, they weren’t dating and she knew he was engaged to me, which was strange in itself, but anyway.

“We decided to not see each other anymore. It got weird with you now officially in the picture. I didn’t want to risk emotions getting in the way on her part. A scorned woman is a dangerous woman.”