Chapter 363

Alexi told me to expect the worst outcome and then multiply it and that might be close to what he is expecting will happen, to be honest. So, it’s no wonder I’m a bag of nerves.

I fretted over my outfit for so long in a bid to minimise damage, until he asked me what I was doing earlier. When I said I was trying to find something conservative and mother-in-law approved, so as not to make this worse, he walked over to my case and hauled out probably my tightest and sluttiest dress in there. He got pissed at me, raged a little and played tug of war with my clothes.

I guess approval from her is not on his important job list today. It was a ten-minute tiff over what I was wearing before he walked out to go cool down. I got it though, no showing a false me and I chose a favourite dress he couldn’t complain about. Alexi really doesn’t like it when I try to change who I am for anyone.

He then got agitated with me when I toned down my makeup to a neutral, barely there look, and then fully lost his temper when I picked flats instead of my usual stilettos. A little bit of a ‘don’t fucking change for her!’ yelled at me and that resulted in a straight vodka shot before he almost burned a hole in the carpet from pacing like a caged tiger. Trying not to lose his cool with my choices while ranting at me that he didn’t fall for some replica of his mother for very obvious reasons.

I relented, more afraid of ruining our day together than her, and went with my trademark face, heels and a black shift dress. Quickest way to appease my devil is to do as I’m told and fall in line with his requests. It seemed to simmer him back to amicable when I rocked out looking very much like Camilla working the club—my norm. I saw him visibly relax, and I wondered if he needs the familiarity of me beside him when we go to see her. Some complex Alexi reason that this is an issue today more so than normal.

I guess I don’t like seeing him being someone else either, so maybe it works both ways.

We look very coordinated and sleek now that I see what he’s wearing.

Alexi cheered up anyway and tried to take my dress back off to get in a little quickie before he got ready. I may or may not have given in and allowed a semi-dressed foreplay session to help him reel in those chaotic energies of his. Sex is therapy for him and what kind of wife would I be if I didn’t help ease his moods in such enjoyable ways. It was not full-on sex, more of a lot of hands down pants and groping until I finished him off orally. Boy owes me an orgasm when we get home as now my blood is burning hotter than hell and I’m looking forward to that intense relief.

I head out into the hall behind him when we’re ready, and down the stairs looking around for Gino and Alessandra, but the house is silent. All I can hear is the jangle of Alexi picking up keys in the kitchen after we split, and he veered left. I stopped to slip on my lightweight jacket.

“Where is everyone?” I call out to him, looking around the opulent grand hall warily and meet him as he comes out the door again. Surrounding me with that sexy aftershave.

“They were summoned over early to spend some time with my mother alone. She is orchestrating their engagement announcement and no doubt taking over their wedding plans. I get my control freak nature from my mother, by the way.” He sighs, obviously disinterested in his brother’s wedding prep, and my heart sinks further. The woman clearly goes all in for that shit, so this is going to be brutal.

“Ahh. Explains a lot.” I smile sexily, trying not to let my twisting internal organs ruin my mood. Alexi fixes me with a sultry gaze, runs a hand firmly from my thigh, up my side, and under the curve of my breast before finally palming it in his hand with a little squeeze. Eyes devouring me as he traces my curves. Igniting the usual sexual tension, especially now he has me turned on and in dire need of a conclusion to what started upstairs.

“I like this dress. I’ll like it better when I take it off later.” I get a wink and a kiss on the cheek before he extends an arm to gesture it’s time to go.

“You’re such a man, sometimes.” I sigh, batting his hand away as he runs it along my hemline to feel what’s going on under the dress. He has been a little overly horny today, understandably. Sex is his way to unwind and let off steam, so I don’t think it’s a coincidence that a meeting with his mother for lunch is preceded by several quickies before going there, and he’s angling for another. I’m not against it but we’ll be late and that will only make this so much worse.

“Behave!” I brush his hand back again as he tries for another feel of my nether regions and I tug his jacket with me instead. Pulling him to the door and reeling in those wandering fingers.

Sooner we get this over and done with the better. I’m not against a little bit of sex-mad Alexi, but my head and nerves are too preoccupied with the mother-in-law from hell to enjoy it right now. Alexi does as he’s told and lets me yank him out into the fresh crisp day. It’s unusually sunny.

“Promise me you’ll ignore anything she says. My mother can be a bitch and she isn’t shy about using words as weapons.” He stops me when we hit the first step, so he can turn and quickly lock up and I eye him warily. That mass of muscles and good genes, looking stiff and ready to take on the world.

“More so than me?” It’s not exactly a joke as I know I can be a prize bitch at the best of times, but I need him to lighten up a little. His mask is making me nervous.

“Juries out on that. I’ll tell you later.” He smirks and earns himself a nudge in the ribs before we’re blinded by the mid-day sun, leaving the shaded area of the porch, and I spy a gleaming black four by four that someone has deposited on the drive.

I heard him call and arrange for a car drop off this morning, and in true Carrero fashion, here we have ourselves a big black beast, shining and ready to go. Not that we really needed a car, as he said his folks’ house isn’t that far away.

“Well. I can hold my own, I’m a big girl. You wouldn’t have married me if I was a pushover. You needed a daily challenge.” I flash my biggest diva smile his way, lift that chin and slide into the car as he opens my door for me. Holding it wide like a true gentleman and I can’t help noticing that slight furrow of a frown appearing and the tense little tightening of his jawline. He’s clearly anticipating it.

“True. Maybe now I should worry this will be more explosive than I predicted.” He turns to me as I settle into the seat, hands me my seat belt and watches me clip it on. Occupied with tasks and very little words.

“You worried?” I reach out and smooth that furrowed brow back to sexy straightness, a soft caress on a face I adore so much. A moment to remind him I love him. He lifts his hand to mine as I trail it down his cheek tenderly, encapsulating my skin with his warm, familiar touch that always ignites full body euphoria.

“Not about her. You can hold your own though, so maybe I have nothing to worry about after all.” A slight smile, a softening of that muscle in his face.

“Well, let’s get going and see how this pans out.” I have my battle mode connected and firing at the ready just in case. I won’t go down without a fight and if this bitch insults my husband, I may have to tear her a new one. I won’t let anyone disrespect the love of my life.

“Like World War three.”

My sentiments exactly but I don’t want to stress him out, so I smile demurely, toss my hair back and give him a soft look. Trying to transfer some positive thoughts his way in the hopes he aims them right back. No more delaying this. Suck it up, take a deep breath and accept this is happening even if my gut is trying to knot itself into oblivion.

“Funny.”

“Just be you. The only one you need to impress is me. No one else matters.”