The Carrero Contract - Finding Freedom (Book 3 of Contract Trilogy)

33

The thought crosses my mind and I immediately push it away again as stupid and impulsive. It's a manipulation for an outcome, and I shouldn't even think of doing it for that reason.

I should want to marry him because I love him. At this point in our journey, we are clawing at some honesty to build something real, and here I'm deviously thinking of a plan to use what he is to me for my own ends.

After everything we have gone through, lies and games, manipulation and misunderstandings. It would ruin us if I used this to get what I want. I don't want to harm what we have growing between us. I want to be trusted and to trust him. I can't ask him to never betray me and then do exactly that.

Isn't that what we are trying to learn to do? Isn't that why he is trying to show me he can be someone else just for me?

It's there though. In my brain swirling around and I wonder about it a little too long. Guilt eating at me rapidly inside as I honestly ponder it with some real depth.

Mico would know if it was a possibility. He wouldn't lie to me. And Mico would carry out the order should I command it as Mrs Carrero. I know he would. He respects the code of their family as much as Alexi does, and now it's in my head, I can't stop turning over the idea with a real invested interest.

"I didn't move you from the south to Vegas to have you give me doubts. Are you sure you are up to the task of taking direction and running my Casino?" Alexi's stern tone wades in over my thoughts, bringing me back to the fact they have still been talking while I zoned out, and I watch the two brothers shift in their chairs. One looks uneasy while the more combative just looks moody. I don't know what else I missed, but that tension is still in the air and Alexi is no more relaxed than when he was delivering death threats.

"We spent years on the outside of the family, it takes some adjusting coming back into the fold and having to toe the line under a younger cousin." Rob has lost that arrogance and seems almost submissive in his approach now and I wonder about the history there. What actually went on in this family to cause a rift.

"Ladies. I suggest you all go powder your nose before dinner comes to the table. We need a few minutes." Alexi casts an eye around the table, obviously needing to chat this out with his cousin away from an audience of inferior women, and I almost jump in fright as the other three leap to it and vacate like scared little rabbits. I guess the tension of the conversation had them all poised to flight. I, on the other hand, raise a brow at my commanding man and catch his eye, with that hint of refusal brewing inside. Despite myself, I just cannot back down and obey him when he throws orders my way, it's a knee-jerk reaction I can do nothing about.

Alexi's stern expression softens as he turns to me smoothly. He leans in close, so his mouth grazes my ear, his breath fanning my cheek intimately; to the men, it looks like a kiss on the cheek as a goodbye.

"Please, baby. I need a few minutes alone with them." It's softly spoken, for my ears only and pulls a huge satisfied smile to my face. Purring like a Cheshire cat as I lean back to lock adoring eyes on my hunky specimen and overflow with stupid joy at such a simple thing.

"He's learning!" I mock sweetly as I too push my chair back and give him an appreciative peck on the cheek to reward him for being a good boy. Slight lipstick marking him for his efforts. Happiness bouncing about ten feet higher.

Alexi just looks indulgently at me, trails his fingers up my leg seductively, out of sight of the others as I get up and swan away merrily, shaking my arse for his benefit because I can feel his eyes following me out the door. Even with a tiny almost nothing touch and a whisper, he melts my knickers and improves my mood tenfold.