Dante's Honor-Bound Husband by Day Leclaire Page A

some.”
    Gianna decided to give up on trying to explain the situation to her grandfather. There was no excuse Primo would find acceptable to explain Constantine spending the night with her. “Please don’t take this the wrong way,” she said to him. “But what are you doing here?”
    â€œConstantine called me.”
    Shock froze her in place for an instant as her train jumped the track and completely derailed. She stood amidst the carnage and swung an outraged look in Constantine’s direction. “You. Called. Primo? ” Didn’t he understand the ramifications of that?
    Apparently he didn’t because he appeared neither concerned, nor the least apologetic. “Yes. I explained about d’Angelo. It was my duty.”
    â€œNow that Constantine is your fiancé, it is only proper that he discuss such matters with me,” her grandfather informed her. He turned his attention to Constantine. “I have made some phone calls. My understanding is that d’Angelo has left the country. The claim is urgent business.”
    â€œI’m not surprised.”
    Primo nodded in agreement. “Nor am I.”
    Gianna held up her hands. “Wait a minute. Wait just onedarn minute here. Could we forget about David? If he’s left the country, he’s not of immediate concern.”
    â€œHe’s of concern to me,” Constantine retorted.
    â€œI am also concerned,” Primo added with a nod.
    She refused to allow them to sidetrack her. Her gaze narrowed on her grandfather. “First, Constantine is not my fiancé. And second, it was my place to tell you about last night, not his. I’m not some delicate piece of china to be placed on a shelf while the men take care of business. I’m a woman in charge of her own destiny.”
    Primo gestured toward Gianna’s mug. “More sugar,” he instructed Constantine. “And for the sake of your marriage, I warn you to avoid conversation with our Gianna until after she has had a full cup of sweet coffee. Better if it is two.”
    She gritted her teeth to keep from saying something she’d regret. “Primo—”
    â€œ Ascoltare me, Gianna Marie Fiorella.”
    â€œLittle flower?” Constantine murmured, his eyes filled with laughter. “Somehow I never thought of you that way.”
    She shot him a smoldering look before returning her attention to Primo. “I’m listening.”
    Her grandfather’s index finger thumped against the table. “In the eyes of your family, you are engaged to this man. He proposed to you last night in front of us all. And he has now spent the night with you.”
    â€œBut we didn’t—”
    â€œHe was in your bed?”
    Color burned across her cheekbones. “Primo,” she muttered.
    â€œI’ll take that as a yes.” He nodded as though that sealed the deal and drank a long swallow of coffee. “I will speak to the priest and discuss dates while you and your mother attend to such matters as the dress and flowers. Your babbowill have a conversation with Constantine about his duties as a husband. Are we clear on this matter?”
    She waited a split second to see if Constantine planned to say something helpful. Anything. Apparently he didn’t, since he simply stretched out his long legs and buried his smile in the steam rising from his coffee mug. Gianna shot to her feet, tightening the belt of her robe with a swift jerk that nearly cut off her circulation.
    Fine. She’d just claimed she was a woman in charge of her own destiny. Time to prove it. “I understand why you think we should marry, Primo. But you can’t force me to the altar.” She glared at Constantine. “None of you can. I’m not Luc and Téa to be threatened into a marriage I don’t want.”
    â€œWho says you don’t want it?” Constantine spoke up for the first time. “You know perfectly well this is