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“What do you want to do, dear?” Mrs. DiNardo asked, taking a step back to examine her work. I stared up at her and then looked over at Hailey and Clara, a bit helplessly. I wanted to escape, but I knew that wasn’t what she meant.

“I run a cat shelter and also am involved with a charity for children,” Clara said. “Hailey and Aunt Serena spend most of their time doing political things.” She waved her hand. “They were instrumental in getting the funding for my shelter.”

“Do you have any special interests, dear?” Mrs. DiNardo asked gently. “Things that you enjoy spending time doing.”

A teeny-tiny bubble of hope lifted inside me as I looked up at her.

“I like plants.”

Chapter Fifteen

Tomas

After leaving the don’s office, Jack and I found Gio in the hallway outside one of the guest rooms and scowled. Why was Ivy being put in a guest room? She was supposed to be my wife.

“We’re not allowed in right now,” Gio drawled as Jack and I approached. Leaning with one shoulder against the doorframe, he looked almost as though he was resting, but I knew it was far more likely he was doing his best to listen to what was happening on the other side of the closed door.

“Why isn’t she in my room?”

Both Gio and Jack stared at me, and then Jack shook his head.

“You aren’t married to her yet, Tomas. My mother will have a conniption if you sleep in the same bed in her house without being married first.”

“I’ve already fucked her.” I clenched my jaw, feeling my back teeth grind together. It made no sense. Ivy’s ‘virtue,’ if anyone cared about that, was long gone.

“First, that won’t matter to my mother. She has rules for her house. Second, don’t tell her that, because she might string you up by your balls for taking advantage of a young woman that way.” Jack sighed.

The young woman had pretty much thrown herself at my dick, but Jack had a point, because I wasn’t going to be able to say that to Aunt Serena.

Fuck.

“How fast can we get married?”

Gio and Jack glanced at each other. Both of them looked a little shocked, and I wasn’t sure if it was the situation as a whole, or just me pushing for things to move faster that was giving them the most concern.

“I don’t know. Probably as soon as tomorrow,” Jack said slowly. “If that’s what you want.”

I nodded.

“It’ll be safer for everyone that way,” Gio said, adding his support to the idea. “We’re going to have to put a guard on her tonight.”

“I’ll guard her.” No one was going to be able to argue with me about that.

“As long as you don’t sleep in the bed with her until you’re married,” Jack said sternly. “Mother will have a conniption.”

“I won’t sleep in the bed with her until we’re married.”

That was an easy enough promise to make. I could sleep across her doorway, so she couldn’t get out.

Now that I thought about it, this wasn’t the worst guest bedroom to put her in. It didn’t have any access to anything she could climb down from. The easiest, best way to get out would be to go through the door. Even if she tried something dramatic, like tying her sheets together, it was unlikely to get her down far enough.

Still, I’d make sure of it.

The door opened then and all three of us straightened, turning to see who was there. Aunt Serena was the one who’d opened the door and, fuck, I hope she hadn’t heard anything we’d said out here. I held myself still, but I felt like a naughty child as her gaze roved over the three of us. There was just something about the way she looked at a man that could diminish him without her having to say a word.

“We’re showing Ivy the conservatory,” Aunt Serena announced, as if daring any of us to object. I didn’t react. Both Jack and Gio glanced at each other and then Jack shrugged.

“Very well, all of you?” he asked, and Aunt Serena nodded. “Then we’ll come along.”