by Jade, Ella
“Uncle Gianni.” Gia’s high-pitched voice called to me. My savior! “Look, the princess is here!”
I glanced in Gia’s direction to find Angelique staring at me. She wore a tight pair of leggings, a cropped white sweater, and a short black leather jacket. Hot. She complimented the outfit with a pair of high boots that covered her long legs. I wondered if she’d keep the boots on when we...
“The princess?” Maria turned in Angelique’s direction before glaring back at me. “The Senator’s daughter? Really?”
“What’s that mean?”
“She’s not your type.”
“I have a type?” I’d never had a serious relationship. Come to think of it, I hadn’t been on a date in months, and the last sexual encounter I had was in Vegas at a bachelor party a year ago. The stripper was into mobsters. I fit the bill. Had it really been a year?
“I’m your type.”
“Weren’t you engaged yesterday?”
“Snow White.” She thumbed in Angelique’s direction. “Is definitely not your type.”
“That’s enough.”
“Seriously, have you seen her social media? She’s practically a nun.”
That’s what her father thinks but I’m still on the fence.
“She’s a teacher at a private school,” Maria continued. “She volunteers at soup kitchens for God’s sake. She never posts pictures of her with any guys or for that matter, doing anything fun.”
That’s encouraging.
“She spends her free time in assisted living facilities playing Bingo. I don’t know how she and I ended up following one another.”
“She sounds lovely.”
“Not your type.”
We’ll see.
ANGELIQUE
As I made my way out to the back patio from the main house, I remembered visiting as a child. The Marchellis had always been kind to me and my father especially after my mother was killed in a car accident. Jennie and Dante sent food to our home hours after my mother died. Their whole family came over. I was only nine but the gesture stayed with me.
Gianni was eighteen when my mom died. He didn’t pay much attention to me but he was polite and always had a smile when I was in his presence. All of his brothers did. Santino was three years older than me, so when I came to visit, he spent the most time with me. The brothers had left an impression on me, as they did with most women, but Gianni had always been my favorite.
Even now, as I watched him with Maria, I still couldn’t resist him. They were high school sweethearts but I thought she was engaged to someone else. Why would he have invited me tonight if he had a date? Because he was being polite. He still saw me as a kid. I totally misread his invitation. Disappointment coursed through my naive brain when I realized he wasn’t interested in me.
It wasn’t too late to get out of this. He hadn’t seen me. I could slip away and he would never know I was here.
“Uncle Gianni.” Gia was suddenly standing beside me, taking my hand in hers. “Look, the princess is here!” Her high-pitched voice filled the patio with excitement. “I told him you are here,” she informed me.
Gianni stepped away from Maria and glanced in our direction. The heat burned my cheeks when he stared into my eyes. I smiled at him before crouching down to talk to Gia.
“Hello, sweetie.” I gently squeezed her hand. “Are you having fun at the party?”
“We’re going on a hayride through the woods. Do you want to come?”
“That sounds like fun.” I gazed up as Gianni made his way over to us. Where had Maria gone?
“Uncle Gianni!” Gia jumped into his very strong, muscular arms. “Angelique is going on a hayride with me.”
“Is she?” With one lingering glance, my heart rate sped to a dangerous level. Like I’d done an hour of hardcore cardio. “Sounds like fun.” Just like that, I’d forgotten that he didn’t invite me because he wanted to see me again.
“I have to go get Daddy.” Gia wiggled out of his hold as he quickly placed her on her feet. “I’ll see you on the hayride.” She scampered off, leaving me alone with Gianni.
“She has a lot of energy.” I shifted my feet, trying not to let on how nervous I was to be standing face to face with him. My heart thumped hard and my palms were cool and sweaty. If I checked my watch for my heart rate, I’d probably need to go to the emergency room.
“That she does.” He moved closer to me and kissed my cheek. I shivered when his stubble grazed my skin “I’m glad you could make it.”
“Are you and Maria together?” Why would I ask him that? “I mean, I thought she was engaged to someone else.”
“She was but they broke it off.”
“Oh.”
“We’re not together. We haven’t been for a very long time. Like right out of college, long time.”
“I didn’t mean to pry.”
“It’s better to come to me when you want answers about my life. If you ask Maria, she’ll tell you we’re hooking up or getting married. She doesn’t care which Marchelli brother gives her the last name.” He rolled his eyes. “It’s never going to happen for her but she has quite the imagination.”
I do too when it comes to you.
“This is all so amazing.” I motioned to the bonfires and the backyard elaborately decorated with pumpkins, mums, and cornstalks. “A hayride too?”
“My mother doesn’t mess around.”
“I can see that.”
“Have you heard from Leo?”
“Ah, no, not since that last text you saw. Maybe he got the message.”
“I’m quite certain he did.” He reached for my arm, gazing down at my wrist. “You don’t have to worry about him bothering you but if he does, you come to me.”
“What did you do?”
“I made sure he got your message.” He grinned. “I saw what you did to his face.”
“I’m not really proud of that.” I wasn’t a fan of violence and I hoped Gianni didn’t do anything to hurt Leo. “When he grabbed me, I told him to let go. He didn’t listen so I defended myself.”
“You shouldn’t be ashamed of that. It’s a good thing to know how to defend yourself. The world is full of assholes.”
“Did you hurt him?”
When he let go of my arm, I missed the contact. His touch.
“Come on.” He pointed down the path. “Gia will be disappointed if you’re not on that tractor.”
“You didn’t answer my question.”
“Do you really want to know?” He turned and stared at me, his gaze dark, intimidating. “You know who I am.” He traced his finger along my jaw. “Leo won’t bother you again.”
When he caressed my face, all my focus was lost. Whatever he had done to Leo didn’t matter. In seconds, he went from menacing to comforting.
“Will you come on the hayride with me?” I wanted to spend time with him. Figure out who he was. If that was even possible. He seemed complicated. Powerful. “I don’t know many people here tonight.”
“You only have to know me.” He took my hand and guided me down the pumpkin-lined path. “It’s up there.”
“This property is gorgeous.” I looked out at the trees. “I had no idea it was so big.”
“It’s the Marchelli sanctuary.”
At the end of the path, there was a green tractor hitched to a large cart filled with hay. A few people were still boarding when we arrived.
“Where’s it taking us?”
“Around the perimeter of the property. Salvatore set up a mini wine tasting by the stables. He also has hot apple cider and pumpkin donuts.”
“Sal runs the winery.”
“Boss Wine,” he said. “It’s doing very well.”
“I’ve seen the billboards.”
Gianni helped me up the steps that led to the cart before grabbing a blanket from a table set up where the tractor was parked. Once we were on board, we sat in a corner across from Dominick and Gia. When Dominick smirked at Gianni, I wondered what that was ab
out.
“Hello,” Dominick said.
“Hi.” My throat went dry in his presence. I’d always remembered him as the brooding type. The silent, strong one who held most of the control.
Gia curled up in her father’s lap, as he wrapped his arms around her. She stared up at him and smiled before resting her head on his chest. I didn’t think her mother was in her life but it didn’t seem to matter to the precious girl. As I watched Dominick with his daughter, I gained new perspective. He didn’t seem as scary as I recalled.
“Are you cold?” Gianni asked as he draped the blanket across our laps.
“A little.”
He slithered his arm around my waist and drew me close to him, keeping me tucked to his side. His actions garnered another half-smile from his brother. Their glances didn’t bother me. I was too engrossed with Gianni. Gazing up at him, I studied his rugged profile. A dusting of stubble covered his chiseled jaw. Every so often he tightened his hold on me. I took in the crisp fall air mixed with the scent of the bonfire and fresh hay. I was certain I’d forever associate anything autumn with Gianni.
AS WE WALKED ALONG the leaf-covered path, I wrapped my fingers around the mug of hot apple cider. The cool night wind forced a shiver over my skin. When Gianni put his arm around me, another chill coursed through me. Every time he touched me, I thought my heart would explode. If he could generate that reaction from casual contact, what would it be like if he kissed me? I mentally shook my head. He wouldn’t kiss me. My father had asked him to take care of Leo. He probably viewed me as someone he needed to protect. A man like Gianni, one with experience, wouldn’t be interested in me. Someone whose father asked him to get a creepy stalker to back off. Was he going to be my bodyguard now that my father was amping up his bid for governor?
We stopped walking when we came up to a beautiful house with a stunning porch. There were mums, pumpkins, and bales of hay aligning the steps that led to a realistic scarecrow sitting on a bench by the front door. The large glass windows offered a peek into the massive foyer of the elaborate home.
“Wow.” I stopped and stared at the property. “This looks like something out of a magazine. I could totally see myself living here.”
“Could you?” His lips curved into a delectable grin and I wondered what I’d missed. “My mother insisted on decorating my porch for tonight.”
“Your porch?”
He nodded.
“You live here?”
“I do.” He sat on the steps, patting the spot next to him. “It’s about a quarter mile from the main house. I’m close enough when my father needs me but far enough to have my own space.”
“Dominick and Gia live in the house behind me. Theirs faces the lake.” He pointed over his shoulder. “That’s the fence to their backyard.”
“Do all of your brothers live here?” I sat next to him, wanting to be close but still timid in his presence.
“Not yet.” He stretched out his long legs. “My mother wants all of us on the property. Vincenzo and Santino live in the city but Vincenzo might start building if he and Nadia decide to make things official.”
“I met her earlier. She’s really nice.”
“For the daughter of a rival family but we don’t hold it against her.”
“Where does Sal live?” I set my mug on the step above us. “Here too?”
“At the winery. He’s there so much, he moved into the space above his office. Dominick and I renovated the whole thing. It’s something to see.”
“I still live with my dad.” Did that sound immature? “The school where I teach isn’t far from there. The house is big and he’s in Washington a good portion of the week.”
“It’s like living alone.”
“Erica is with me most of the time.”
“Erica?”
“She was my caregiver growing up but she runs the house. She stayed on after I went to college. My father couldn’t survive without her.” I smiled when I thought about how many times Erica had been there for me through the years especially after my mother had died. “I couldn’t manage without her either. She’s great. The closest person I have to a mom.”
“I’d like to meet her.” When he rested his hand on my thigh, a flow of warm energy charged through me. Unfamiliar, invigorating, exciting... “Your whole face lights up when you talk about her.”
“She’s been a huge part of my life for so long.” I stared into his eyes, swallowing hard when he leaned into my face. “I...”
He placed his hands on either side of the railing beside me, capturing me between his muscular form and the wrought iron spindles. As he threaded his bottom lip through his teeth, he dropped his gaze to my mouth. I froze when I realized no one had ever looked at me that way before.
“You’ve been on my mind ever since I saw you yesterday.” He tilted his head, still focusing on my mouth. “I’m not easily distracted but you’ve stolen some of my time today.”
“Sorry,” I whispered.
“Don’t apologize.” His warm breath danced along my lips. “I’m hoping you’ll provide me with plenty more distractions.”
I rested my head against the railing, creating some distance between us. “You’re really intense.”
“Am I?” He released his hands and placed them on his lap. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to invade your space.”
“You didn’t.” Did he want to kiss me? Did I screw that up? “I didn’t expect you to...” Why couldn’t I be calm and collected and just go with it? “Be interested in me.”
“I’m very interested in you.” He took my hand. “I know my family can be intimidating. I may be intense but I need you to know I would never do what Leo did to you.”
“I didn’t mean that when I said you were intense.”
“What did you mean?”
I glanced down at my hands because I wasn’t brave enough to answer him. At twenty-three, I hadn’t lived much. My father kept me sheltered as a teenager. Even though I lived away during college, he still visited me as often as he could. More than most parents did. We had dinner two nights a week. Sometimes I felt like I couldn’t breathe. He meant well.
“Can I take you home?”
He wanted me to leave? That was disappointing. Did I offend him? “I have my own car.”
“The roads out of the complex are dark. There are deer out here this time of year. I’d feel better if I took you home. Michael could drive your car and I could take you in mine. It’ll give us more time to talk.”
“Michael?”
“My driver.”
“You want to drive me home in your car while Michael follows in mine, and then you’ll drive back here?”
“It’s not a problem.”
“Okay.”
“Yeah?” He seemed surprised.
“I’d like to get to know you better.”
“Getting to know me better might have you running in the opposite direction.”
“I’ll take my chances.”
“A risk-taker?” He stood, extending his hand for me. “A girl after my own heart.”
Chapter Four
GIANNI
I’m About To Get Intense
The ride to Angelique’s house was quieter than I would have liked. Maybe that was my fault. Did I frighten her? What had her father told her about me? My family? Pursuing her might not have been the best idea but she intrigued me and now I couldn’t stop. She was younger but that didn’t bother me. Her lack of experience could be a problem. If what her father and Maria said about her was true, she didn’t belong with me. I had such a bold personality. I took chances and didn’t give many fucks when it came to what I wanted. Then there was my career choice. I wasn’t referring to my construction business. I was a Marchelli through and through. Could someone so sheltered keep up with me? Did I have any right to ask her to?
“What did you mean?” I asked as we pulled into her driveway because I couldn’t let it go.
“Huh?” She jumped when I spoke. I must hav
e interrupted her thoughts. Was she thinking about me?
“When you said I was intense.” I wasn’t sure why that statement bothered me. Normally, I’d take it as a compliment but I wanted, no, I needed her to explain. “On my porch.”
“I remember.” She unbuckled her seatbelt and faced me. “This might sound silly especially to someone like you.”
“What?”
“I’ve had a crush on you for a really long time.”
I didn’t see that coming.
“Maybe I should be embarrassed to admit it, but I’m not.”
God, I like her. Probably more than I should.
“I was an awkward kid when you were a teenager. By the time I was a teenager, you were too old for me. I went off to college but you weren’t far from my thoughts. I’m not a stalker or anything.”
When she smiled, I wanted to grab her face and kiss her until she lost her breath. I felt rather possessive when it came to her.
“Anyway, I thought you were really cute back then.”
“And now?” There was something light and soothing about this conversation. I wanted more.
“You’ve aged really well.”
“I remember when you were a kid.” I rested one hand on her jaw, caressing her soft skin with my fingertips, as I took her hand in mine. “You’ve morphed into a stunning woman. One I’d like to get to know better if you’d be willing to indulge me.”
“Indulge you?” The skin between her eyes crinkled. “How?”
“I think I know what you meant when you said I was intense.” She’d spent years building me up in her head and now she had the opportunity to get to know me. It was probably overwhelming.
“I was afraid you were going to kiss me and I panicked.”
I loved her pure honesty. It was refreshing.
Moving closer to her, I kept her hand in mine. “I’m about to get intense.” I brushed my lips along hers. “I need you to not panic.”
Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath. “I’m ready to indulge you.”
She’s freakin’ adorable. Pressing my lips to hers, I kissed her softly, slowly, taking my time. Control. That was a word I was familiar with in my line of work even if Dominick thought I was extra. Control was also an action I’d be exercising when it came to her.