The Orsini Bride

Chapter 11: The Auction

Plan the sale when you plan the advertisement.

-Leo Burnett

Marco Orsini's POV

"Don't you have better things to do than to slouch here in my office this morning?"

The dry comment that dragged me of my reverie came from my best friend, the duke, Don Lucca Cavelli.

I scowled at him. "Can't I visit a good friend of mine in my free time?"

"Visit?" The duke repeated mockingly, without even lifting his eyes from the paper works he's been so busy reading. "I'm sure you have a million better things to do than visit me, Marco."

"Ouch," I said theatrically, placing both of my hands in my chest. "You wounded me."

"Really, mon amico." Lucca managed to drag his eyes from the boring papers he'd been reading. "What's the catch? Why are you here? You are not the type of person who will slouch here in my office for nothing."

"I'm just bored, Your Royal Highness," I answered a little defensively. In truth, it's been a whole week since the luncheon Francesca and I attended and since then, the icy widow managed to dodge me.

The real reason I visited Lucca was to discreetly inquire about that maddening woman's whereabouts without the duke suspecting anything about my association with the cold woman. Dio, if I didn't know better, I would think that she reduces me with one of her lapdogs.

"Bored?" I heard the duke repeated sarcastically. "If you're bored to tears why don't you call your mistress and do something that you will both enjoy."

I frowned and stretched my legs forward. "I don't have a mistress at the moment."

"You don't have what?" Lucca gaped at me. Astonishment was visible on his aristocratic face. "Care to repeat that, amico? I think I didn't hear you right."

I shifted my position in the leather chair as I tried to remain unruffled from my unexpected slip of the tongue. I took a deep breath. "I said I am not currently attached to anyone."

"When?"

"When what?"

"When was the last time you had a mistress?" Lucca asked without a heartbeat looking at me straight from the eyes.

"Does it matter?"

"When?" The duke repeated his question. From the look on his face, it seems that he will not leave this topic unless I answer him. I cursed myself silently. "When was the last time you had a mistress, Marco?"

I swore loudly. "About the time we rescued your wife from that psycho ex-fiancé of hers in Las Vegas."

Lucca Cavelli's eyes widened. "That long?"

"It's that long," I answered defensively, looking away from his scrutinizing gaze. "I've been just busy that's all—hey, what with that look?"

"Nothing," The duke said casually, returning his eyes on the papers in his hands. "Now, I understand."

"Understand what?" I gave him a thunderous glare.

The duke signed without lifting his eyes on the blasted papers. "What you are experiencing now was just pure sexual frustration. I didn't realize that I will witness this day that you will have a lack of supply with women, amico."

My eyebrows shot upward as I shifted in my position. "Excuse me, Your Excellency. Let me clear this to you. I don't have a lack of supply with women. I just took a break from them."