“Sorry to interrupt, ladies,” a deep voice says, startling both of us.
“Leo. What are you doing here?” I ask, getting up. I glance into the hallway behind him, hope bubbling in my chest.
“I had to collect some documents for the boss, and he asked me to drop these off.”
I can’t be disappointed Ben isn’t with him when he produces a massive bunch of flowers and a smaller box from behind his back. His smile is genuine as he hands them to me. Leo seems to have thawed to me recently, and I’m glad. I know he is Ben’s best friend, as well as his trusted number two, so it’s important we get along. However, I can’t say I know the man, and there is still a distance between us I would like to eliminate someday soon.
I can’t keep the grin off my face as I bury my nose in the fragrant flowers, setting the box down on my knees.
“Wow. I never thought I’d see this day.” Natalia smiles. “Who knew my brother was such a closet romantic?”
“I think that’s supposed to be a secret,” Leo says, staring at Natalia with a look that can only be described as longing.
Interesting.
I thought I caught him looking at her when she was dancing with Ben at the ball, but I didn’t pay much attention to it. I wonder what the story is there. Surreptitiously, I watch the two of them over the enormous bunch of flowers on my lap.
“Of course.” Natalia’s smile fades out. “God forbid any made man outwardly shows love and affection toward his wife.”
A frown appears on Leo’s face, and he opens his mouth to say something when Rowan notices him, cutting him off before he can form a word.
“Leo!” Rowan shouts, bouncing off the trampoline, and almost face-planting on the ground. He races toward Ben’s right-hand man in his socks. “Is my daddy here?”
“Daddy’s at work, buddy. Sorry,” he says, ruffling his hair. He crouches down to his level when Rowan pouts. “He told me to tell you he’ll be home on Friday for Halloween, and he asked me to give you this.” He hands Rowan a large paper bag of candy, and his eyes pop wide.
“Hand the candy here, Firecracker.” I set my flowers down on the floor by the couch, stretching my arm out. If I don’t take the bag from Rowan now, he will throw a hissy fit.
“But, Mom!” he protests, pouting.
“You can have some now, just not the whole bag.” I don’t want to rain on Ben’s parade, not when he’s being super sweet and thoughtful, but a small bag of candy would suffice, and I’ll need to tell him that for future reference.
“I’d better get back,” Leo says, straightening up. “Ben is waiting on these.” He waves a handful of folders in the air.
“Okay. Thanks for stopping by.”
Leo jerks his head in Alesso’s direction, and he gets up, following Leo out of the room.
Natalia is lost in thought while I dispense a small portion of candy into a bowl for Rowan. Rowan returns to the trampoline, emptying the candy onto it as he lies flat on his tummy, munching away.
“I don’t mean to pry, but did anything ever happen between you and Leo?” I ask, as I open the box he gave me.
“Why do you ask?” she inquires, as I peel back the lid of the box, unable to stop the grin spreading across my face when I see the six lush red-velvet, and peanut-butter-truffle, cupcakes.
“I see the way he looks at you,” I say, offering her the box.
“At one time, I entertained thoughts of him and me, but it could never be.” She lifts a cupcake out. “What’s this?” she asks, extracting a folded sheet of paper on the bottom of the box.
I set my cupcake down, unfolding the paper and reading the email Ben forwarded to the local bakery with tears in my eyes. “Oh my God. I can’t believe he did this.”
She leans over my shoulder reading it. “Damn, Benny has it bad.” She squeezes my shoulder. “It must be love if he’s gone to this much trouble to ensure you got your favorite cupcakes.”
“I can’t believe he emailed the old bakery in Glencoe and got the exact recipe for the cupcakes I like. To even remember my favorite cupcakes is enough to have me swooning.” I take a quick selfie with the flowers and the cupcakes and send it to Ben with a loving note.
He is so getting laid when he comes home Friday.
She swipes a stray tear from my eye, and I hate the sad wistful shroud that veils her beautiful face. “You are so lucky, Sierra. Both of you are. Love is so precious, especially in this world. Protect it with everything you’ve got.”
“Don’t worry. I plan to.”
* * *
Natalia left for the city today, and I already miss her. I’m missing Ben so much too. We spent every spare minute together last weekend, and when he left Sunday night, it was as if I was missing a limb. Thoughts of his hands all over my body—and the hours upon hours of catching up we spent in the bedroom—have me flushing all over. Which is most inappropriate, given I’m cycling with Rowan around the grounds of the house.
There is an icy chill in the air, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it was snowing by my birthday.
“Who’s that?” Rowan shouts as he cycles alongside me.
I frown, looking around and not seeing anyone. “Who do you mean?”
“I saw a girl in that window.” His bicycle wobbles as he points at a room on our left.
I reach out to steady his handlebars before he takes a tumble. “Are you sure?”
He vigorously nods his head. “She was staring at me.”
Huh. “Stop here for a sec,” I say, helping him down from his bike.
We walk over to the window, pressing our noses to the glass, peering inside. This is the west wing of the house. The side getting renovated. Though I don’t see any evidence of that as I examine the stunning living room inside. It’s a warm inviting room with a patterned rug, soft comfortable couches, colorful cushions, artwork on the walls, and a modern cream stone fireplace with a large shiny mirror hanging over it. The space is empty of life though, so if there was a girl there, she’s long gone.
“It was probably one of the staff,” I tell Rowan. “Come on. I’ll race you to the tree house.”
That night, I review the tutor files Natalia left for me, shooting Ben an email when I have it shortlisted to three applicants. He replies almost immediately, confirming he will arrange interviews for this Saturday. He is as anxious as I am that Rowan doesn’t miss out on classes for too long. After I shut my laptop down, I head to my studio to work on my new painting before retreating to bed alone. As I snuggle under the covers, stretching my hand across the bed to the cold empty space Ben usually occupies, I comfort myself with the knowledge he will be home tomorrow.
* * *
“Be careful,” I shout after Rowan as he climbs the ladder to the tree house the following day. The tree house is, hands down, his favorite part of the playground.
“Don’t worry,” Alesso says. “I’ll stay with him.” I smile as I watch him climb up behind Rowan into the large enclosed wooden structure. Rowan adores Alesso, and I’m tempted to suggest Frank and Alesso swap assignments. Don’t get me wrong, Frank is a nice guy, just a little more reserved and harder to get to know than Alessandro. It’s a moot point at the moment, anyway, considering Frank left for the city early yesterday. There was an emergency, and Ben needed him. I told him he should keep Frank in New York. The guys are just hanging around the house, bored out of their skulls most of the time. With the number of bodyguards on the grounds, having both Alesso and Frank watching us is excessive.
I decided to bring my easel and canvas outside today to paint. It’s not quite as cold as recent days, and this will probably be my last chance to paint outdoors for a while, if the weather forecasts are to be believed.
I’m lost in my painting, immersed in my own colorful world, so I don’t hear the footsteps approaching until the last few seconds.
My eyes pop wide as a gorgeous girl with long dark-blonde hair walks up to me. I put my paintbrush down, grabbing a wipe to scrub the dried paint off my hands
. “Hello,” I say, regarding her warily as she comes to a stop beside me.
She stares at my painting. “Interesting,” she drawls, sounding like it’s anything but.
She sounds American, but there is a hint of an accent to her voice, and my guard goes up. I glance over at the tree house, wondering if I should call out for Alesso. He and Rowan must be lying on the bean bags, playing a game, as I don’t even see the tops of their heads.
“Do you work for Ben?” I ask, even as I note she’s not wearing the uniform the rest of the staff wear.
She barks out a derisory laugh. “Hardly.”
Alarm bells ring in my ears. Who the hell is this girl, and where did she come from? I wouldn’t put it past the Russians to use women to do their dirty work, and I’m immediately suspicious. I take a couple of steps back from her. “Who are you?” I ask in a sharper tone.
She twirls a lock of her hair as she fixes me with a smug smile. “Didn’t Bennett tell you?”
All the tiny hairs lift on the back of my neck. “Tell me what?”
She closes the space between us, lifting her chin and pinning me with a haughty expression. “I’m Anais. I’m Bennett’s fiancée.”
41
BEN
Something is wrong with Sierra, and I can’t figure out what it is or how it happened. We only spoke this morning on the phone, and everything seemed fine. Maybe I’ve gotten greedy, but I’d expected a much warmer welcome than the frosty one I received. Scrubbing a hand down my face, I sigh. Honestly, I could do without this shit. It’s been the week from hell, and I don’t need the additional stress. I’m reminded of one of the reasons why I’ve avoided relationships for most of my adult life.
Women are complex creatures, and I rarely have the patience to deal with them.
But this is Firefly.
I love her.
I adore her.
If she’s upset, I’m upset.
If something is wrong, I want to know what it is so I can fix it.
I long to pull her aside and demand to know what the issue is, but I don’t want to put a damper on Rowan’s little Halloween party. Sierra has gone to a huge amount of effort to make it special for him so he doesn’t miss trick or treating. She has transformed his playroom with long painted sheets of ghosts, skeletons, witches, and goblins. Fake cobwebs hang in streams across the ceilings, and she covered all the lights in the room with sheer red sheets, casting a bloody haze over the room. The side table holds bowls of candy, chips, and drinks.
Sierra is dressed like an angel, in a costume she made for herself, complete with white and silver wings stuck to her back. She’s a vision of innocence. One I wouldn’t mind corrupting. Rowan is wearing a store-bought Batman costume, and funnily enough, I picked up a devil costume from a place in the city on my way home today.
The angel and the devil. It really couldn’t be more apt. It wouldn’t be as funny if we had planned it, but we didn’t. My decision was a spur-of-the-moment thing.
Leo scowls at me, and I smirk at the sight of him in the too tight Thor costume. It was the only size they had left in the store, and I couldn’t resist. Every so often he adjusts the suit in the crotch area, muttering under his breath, and I can’t help laughing. Alessandro is some kind of ancient gladiator, resplendent with a fake sword and plastic headpiece, and he’s taking it in stride. Even Angelo entered into the spirit of things, dressing as Charlie Chaplin. Ruthie is a USO nurse. Most everyone is in good spirits, feeding off Rowan’s excitement.
Sierra is an amazing mother. Rowan is so blessed to have her as his mom, and I can’t wait to make her my wife. Whatever has happened, I won’t let it come between us. I’ll cut her some slack, even if I want to put her over my lap and spank her bare ass every time she glowers in my direction. I asked Alessandro what is going on when I first arrived and noticed her attitude, but he’s as in the dark as I am. That didn’t give me the warm fuzzies.
What the hell is going on with my most trusted solider? He seems distracted, and that concerns me. He should know if something happened. Perhaps I should have left Frank here and sent Alessandro to Philly instead.
There is no point pondering it now. I can’t do anything about this until I talk to Sierra. So, I do what she does. I plaster a happy smile on my face as we bob for apples, share candy, and watch Casper in our home theater.
After tucking a sleepy Rowan into bed, I strip out of my costume, changing into jeans and a long-sleeved Henley, before hunting down my woman. I don’t have to search far. She is pacing in front of the fire in our living room, looking like she’s ready to shred the world to pieces.
Or maybe just me.
She has removed the angel wings, but she’s still wearing the white and silver dress, and I long to tear it from her body and do all manner of devilish things to her. Her head whips up when I close the door to the hallway, giving us complete privacy. Alessandro has already retreated to his room, wanting to stay out of the line of fire, I’m sure. Though there will be no avoiding it if I find out he is at fault in any way.
Her eyes narrow, and her hands ball into fists at her side, and I’m pretty sure sexy times are off the table right now.
“What is going on, Firefly?” I ask, approaching hesitantly. I love Sierra’s feisty momma-bear side, but the look she is currently giving me is on a whole other level, and honestly, I’m a little afraid.
“You tell me,” she snarls, shoving at my shoulders when I stop in front of her.
“I have no clue what the issue is, but if you tell me what’s troubling you, I will fix it.”
She harrumphs, and I can almost see the steam billowing from her ears. “Why is there another woman, a girl, living in this house, and why does she claim to be your fiancée?” she spits, looking like she wants to rip my throat out.
Oh. Fuck.
“Calm down, Firefly. It’s not whatever you are thinking.”
And that was definitely the wrong thing to say.
“Calm down!” she yells. “Don’t you dare tell me to calm down. You fucking lied to me! You told me you were getting renovations done in the west wing when this whole time you’ve been hiding your other woman in there! Do you have any idea how much it hurt to be accosted by her outside when I had no clue who she was? Yet she appeared to know exactly who I am. How is that? Huh? How does your other woman know about me when I didn’t know of her existence?”
I would like to know the answer to that question too. Anais shouldn’t know anything about Sierra or Rowan, and heads will roll for this. I am going to throttle Alessandro. Where the fuck was he when this was going down? “There is no other woman,” I say, working hard to hold on to my calm demeanor. This is bullshit, and she should know it. What else do I need to do to prove to Sierra that she is the only woman for me?
“Don’t fucking lie to me, asshole!” She shoves my shoulders again, and I’m getting mad. “I saw her! I spoke to her. Anais just loved telling me how she was your fiancée.” She slaps a hand across her chest. “Her! Not me!”
“She’s the liar,” I snap, rubbing a tense spot between my brows. “She—”
“Was any of it real? Or were your professions of love just a ruse to get me back underneath you?”
That’s it. The tenuous hold on my brittle emotions snaps, and I lose it. “You know it is fucking real!” I roar. “And if you’d stop acting like a brat for five seconds and let me explain, you’d realize that!”
Her nostrils flare, and she beats her fists against my chest. “Fuck you, Ben. Fuck you and your condescending cheating ass. I’m out of here tomorrow. I’m taking Rowan, and you can stay the fuck away from both of us.”
She moves to walk away, and I grab her arm. “Like hell you are.” Sweeping her legs out from under her, I toss her over my shoulder.
“Let me down, you fucking asshole.” She beats on my back, but I barely feel it.
I slap her ass firmly as I stride out of the double doors and into the wide hallway. “I’m not letting you down until
you’ve seen reason. This bullshit ends right now.”
She proceeds to fight, thrash, and pummel her fists against my back as I storm across the length of my house toward the west wing. I continue to spank her naughty ass even though it only enrages her more.
Well, I’m fucking pissed too.
Finding an exposed part of my shoulder, she sinks her teeth into my skin, drawing blood. My cock hardens behind my zipper, and I’m a crazy mix of rage and lust as I shove through the doors to the other wing, relieved to find Salerno alone in the living room.
He looks up from his tablet, sending me an amused grin as he watches Sierra wriggle and fight on my shoulder.
I slap her ass one final time. “I’m letting you down, but if you don’t behave, I’ll tie you up and shove a gag in your mouth,” I threaten.
“I’d like to see you try, asshole,” she spits.
Salerno chuckles. “What do we have here?”
I haven’t told Saverio about Sierra or Rowan because I wanted him nowhere near them. I just said I had guests staying for a while to keep him over on his side of the house. The deal was they were to remain inside, within the west wing, and to stay away from the windows.
Something his little bitch of a daughter had an issue obeying.
The instant I met her, I felt relieved the Russians attacked Vegas and Salerno needed to use his favor to secure protection and safety.
I hadn’t given much thought to the favor over the years, especially the longer it went on and he hadn’t called it in. I would have found some way out of it, if he had used it to try to force my hand into a marriage arrangement, because, the second I met Anais, I knew there was no way I could stomach living a fake life with the spoiled Salerno principessa. It’s clear Saverio has indulged her every whim, and it’s done her no favors. Even if his reputation and his territory weren’t in tatters, he would struggle to get anyone to agree to a match unless they went into it blind.
Condemned to Love:  Page 32