Fake Fiance?

To say the proposal had taken Elle by surprise would have been the understatement of the century.

"Danielle Cutting, will you marry me?" Gio had said, looking dashing in a dark suit and blue tie. While she was in a simple button down dress, a bandana holding her hair in place, had like she was about to grab a mop and start working the floor.

She would have bemoaned him not choosing to ask her to marry him when she too was dressed to the nines, but her brain had gone offline.

Shocked by the out of the blue proposal, she had stood there, her mouth opening and closing. Wondering if she had missed something.

Had he been making advances that she had missed because she was too focused on her own issues about falling for him?

Had she somehow missed the fact that they were dating? Actual real dating, instead of a no feelings, just feeling each other up arrangement. Was her whole issue with catching feelings nothing but unnecessary angst?

When had they started dating? When had he started liking her enough to think about marriage? Had all the great sex they had been him confessing his love without her knowing it?

Gio, still kneeling before her, and looking more uncertain the longer she stayed quiet, had finally explained. And in doing so had torn at her fragile heart without even meaning to.

"It is for your protection. Carrying my name will shield you in case it's one of the other families coming after me," Each and every single word out of his mouth had felt like a bucket of ice cold water thrown straight at her face. It had taken every ounce of self control she had to not let him see just how much his words had affected her.

"If it is not enough to deter trouble, then the fact that you will be family will allow me to do whatever it takes, without any limitations should you be harmed," Knowing that he cared enough about her that he would seek vengeance should anything happen to her, had helped ease the pain a bit.

"The other families would be obligated to either lend a hand or look the other way," He had held up the ring. The metal glinting in the light.

"Please, I know it is not much, but it's all I can think of. And using my grandmother's ring will make this more credible," In lieu of saying yes, Elle had held out her hand, tears in her eyes. Whether she was crying in sorrow for the love she would never have, or in joy of having a small part of Gio to herself she was not sure. Most likely it was a bit of both.

When the ring had slid on( a perfect fit) Gio had stood, drawing her into a kiss. Being the two of them, the kiss had devolved into sex. He had held her against her living room and pounded into her. His hand holding hers, the metal of the ring rubbing against his fingers.

He had snapped his hips again and again, his dick stabbing into her. Stretching her out and hitting her sweet spot until she was screaming her release. His own following soon after.

When Gio left, it was after a long drawn out kiss that left them both flushed once more, and then a brief chaste kiss placed on the engagement ring. The mere contact of his lips against the metal enough to clear Elle's mind of her post sex bliss. Reality sinking in as she watched him leave and swallowing her up the moment he was out the door. Now Elle was laying in her bed, hand up, staring at the new addition to her finger.

Engaged, she was engaged to Gio Romano. Just like she had always dreamed. Except it was nothing at all like her dreams.

He was marrying her for her protection, not for love. But the fact that he was willing to go that far meant he had to hold some affection for her.

It was awful how confused her emotions were by the whole thing. He cared enough to want her safe, and that made her happy. But he did not love her, and that dampened her spirits.

Wiping a stray tear, she sat up. Making her way to her bathroom, she got into the shower with a determined step. Now was not the time to be wallowing. She had a hit out on her head, he had a hit out on him. Now was the time to be focused on survival, which was what Gio was doing. So she would be doing the same too.

Survive first, then she would have all the time in the world to worry about whether or not Gio loved her. She showered quickly, then returned to her room and replaced the sheets. That done she threw herself back onto her bed.

Survive, survive, survive. That had to be her primary focus now.

Mind made up, she rolled over, punching her pillow a few times as she tried to get comfortable. But try as she might sleep did not come easy. She stayed up well into the night, thinking. Her fingers rolling her engagement ring as she went over things again and again in her head.

She was engaged, to Giovanni Romano. Sometime in the future, they would get married and she would be his wife.

Elle Romano…it had a nice ring to it. The name fit like she had always had it.

"Hello, I am Elle Romano," She tried it out loud and it sounded even better.

It might be a sham, and it most likely would not last, but for as long as she held the title of Mrs Romano, she would do everything in her power to make sure that she did it justice. And as she finally felt the pull of sleep, the blonde found herself wishing that she got to keep it for life. Not only that, but that they were happy together.