Chloe slips her palm in his and I watch as he lifts her knuckles to his lips and touches them. The fucking Capo sees himself as a ladies’ man. I snort, watching as he tugs her toward his body. Her eyes widen as she looks up at him and I shake my head. Goddamn, maybe he is a ladies’ man after all?
“How about a game of twenty-one?” Gavino asks, his gaze never leaving Lenora’s. He’s taken it upon himself to already have met her, so I’m not sure why he’s continuing to stare.
She takes a step forward, looking back at me when she does. Her lips turn up into a breathtaking smile and she nods as she walks toward the card table. I watch her ass, my eyes skimming up her entire bare back and then refocus on her ass, again, before she sits down.
Luciana clears her throat, her eyes catching mine and she frowns. “We need to talk, Arlo,” she hisses.
I shake my head. “Not tonight,” I state, refusing to meet her eyes, lifting my hand with a dismissive motion.
I feel guilty as fuck. I’ve just left dinner with my parents and my fiancée only to go on a date with the woman I’m falling for. I’m sure that Luciana is completely disgusted with me, but it doesn’t matter because no matter what she says, I can’t voluntarily give up Lenora.
Brushing past my cousin, I sit on the side of Lenora, Luciana sits on her other side, then Gavino. Chloe and Luca are bellied up to the bar, deep in conversation and for the moment, everything feels right, it feels as it should.
Chapter Ten
ARLO
Luciana and Lenora giggle as they both take another drink from their cocktail glasses. I smile as I watch them. They’re sitting on the sofa. The dealers have left and the only staff that remains in the room is the bartender.
Luca and Chloe are standing in the corner, her back is against the wall and his hand is placed flat next to her head, caging her in. They haven’t socialized with anyone but one another the entire evening and I can’t deny that I’m happy for the connection that they’ve made. Maybe Mia knows more than I thought she did about matchmaking.
“She’s lovely, but you need to cut her loose, cugino.”
Gavino’s voice is a rasp, not loud enough for the women to hear from where they’re sitting and his focus is on them, as is mine. I nod, lifting my whiskey to my lips and taking a sip.
“I know, but I can’t,” I admit.
“When Wynter finds out, it will not be pretty.”
“Yeah,” I confess.
The woman is already suspecting something isn’t right. She asked me some questions tonight on the way home that made it obvious she had suspicions about what I’ve been doing with my time in the evenings. Soon, I won’t be able to hide from her as well, once we’re living in the same house, my freedom will be nothing but a distant memory.
Merda.
“This world can be brutal,” he announces, wrapping his fingers around my shoulder and squeezing.
I nod, looking from Lenora to him. “If something happens, no matter what, tell me that Lenora is protected.”
“You’ve only known her weeks, Arlo. You know that I cannot promise that. I want to, but you know that unless she’s tied to you in some way, I cannot offer her anything.”
“Not the famiglia, Gavino, you. Promise me that you will offer her protection.”
He shakes his head once and I see the regret in his eyes as he looks directly at me. “I am the famiglia, Arlo. I can’t do anything personally that I don’t approve of as the Boss.”
My eyes narrow, I want to tell him that he’s full of shit, but I don’t. It’s up to me to keep Lenora safe, to keep my woman safe. It’s my fault she could be in danger anyway. Maybe she’ll never be in the spotlight, maybe nobody will even be aware of her existence.
Maybe.
Without another word, I glance down at my watch to see that it’s well past one in the morning. I make my way toward Lenora, needing to feel her bare body against mine before the night is through. Before I have to go back to my real life. Before the fantasy is over.
“Lenora,” I murmur, holding my palm out to her.
Luciana looks up at me, a frown on her face, her brows knitted together.
Lenora smiles, telling her goodbye as her hand slips into mine and she stands to her feet. She glances over to Chloe who I already know is in a deep lip-lock with Luca.
“He’ll make sure she arrives home safely,” I say.
She nods, sliding her hand up my arm until it reaches my throat. She wraps her fingers around the side of my neck and I hold my breath when her thumb slides along my stubbled jaw.
“Are you okay, Carlo?” she asks.
Luciana’s breath hitches at the mention of my full name. Nobody calls me Carlo, nobody. I may be a junior, but I’ve never wanted to be one. I’ve always wanted to be myself, not tied to my father that way. I don’t know why, but having my own identity felt really fucking important at a young age.
“I will be after we get home,” I rasp.
“Home?” she breathes.
Fuck, I can’t wait for her and her breathy voice whispering my name when she comes. It’s the best sound in the whole goddamn world.
“Yeah,” I grunt.
Ignoring Luciana and Gavino, ignoring their narrowed eyes, I walk out of the private room with my woman on my arm. Dipping my chin, I touch my lips to Lenora’s cheek as we walk through the casino. My hand is resting against the exposed skin at her lower back.
I have never felt prouder than I do right now with this woman on my arm. It doesn’t have anything to do with her being the sexiest woman in the room. I’ve been seen with plenty of sexy women. It has to do with the fact that it’s Lenora and she’s mine.
Mia is standing at the reception desk as we walk out of the main casino floor. “Arlo,” she croons. Looking back, I notice that she has a smile on her face and dips her chin toward Lenora. “See you later,” she calls.
Lifting my hand, I give her a two-fingered wave as I guide Lenora out of the door. Ugo is standing guard. We pass him and I feel his gaze on us. Turning my head, I notice that his eyes are glued to Lenora’s ass.
“Want to lose your job, Ugo?” I warn.
He lifts his eyes to meet mine and I watch as he visibly goes pale. “No, boss,” he says, dipping his chin as he lowers his eyes to the ground in a show of submission.
Without another word, we walk toward my car. I help Lenora into the passenger seat and then make my way to the driver’s, slipping inside and starting the engine. In twenty minutes, we’ll be across the bridge and at our apartment.
“You gave me a key to your place,” Lenora announces.
“I did.”
“Why?”
My lips twitch into a smile and I reach over, grasping her thigh with my hand, my fingers squeeze her and I enjoy the way her body shivers beneath my touch.
“I want you in my life, Lennie. I want you in my space, in my home, and forever in my bed.”
Her breath hitches and I continue to watch the road as I drive, but all I want to do is pull over and fuck her. My cock has been hard as nails all evening just from watching her. I fucking want her, every part of her, and I want to keep all of her to myself. I never want to share her, not ever, not even her smiles.
ELENORA
Arlo pulls into the parking garage, parking in the same space that he did the day before. I don’t wait for him to open my door, I am too on edge, too needy, and too damn greedy to waste precious minutes on him wasting time opening the car door.
I grasp his hand when he makes his way over to my side and together we walk toward the elevator banks.
“Tell me that you’ll move in, Lenora,” he breathes as he lifts his hand to my cheek.
Tilting my head back, I look into those blue eyes, those eyes that now own me. I don’t know how, but somewhere in the past few weeks, he’s become more than just Arlo. He’s more than this man that I’m seeing. He’s more than any other man I’ve ever had in my life.
I’ve never been one to take a leap, exce
pt when it comes to him. I want to jump, head first, and eyes closed. I want to just let everything that is him wash all over me.
“Are you asking me to move in with you?”
I expect him to look shocked, maybe a little sick. He looks neither. Instead, he dips his chin, his mouth touching mine before he whispers against my lips.
“Yes, tesoro. Move in with me. Be in my bed, always,” he breathes.
My entire body breaks out in goosebumps. “Always,” I agree.
His lips twitch, the elevator car opens and together we walk toward his place, no, our place. I don’t know how it’s happened, how I’ve fallen for him as quickly as I have, but I’m here, he’s here, and my life finally feels—perfect.
Arlo wraps me in his arms as soon as we cross the threshold. He takes what I give him. He takes everything and in return gives himself to me as well. I fall deeper into him with every kiss, every stroke, and every breath we breathe together.
When we’ve both exhausted ourselves, we fall asleep wrapped in one another’s arms. I don’t open my eyes again until the next morning and when I do, I’m naked and wrapped in nothing but a thin sheet. It’s as soon as I gather my wits that I realize that once again—I’m alone.
There’s another note waiting for me on the kitchen counter, this time instead of being accompanied by a key, there’s a blueberry muffin and a to-go coffee with an envelope next to it. I reach for the note first, bypassing everything else, because I want to read his words, I want to have a piece of him.
LENORA-
DECORATE HOWEVER YOU LIKE.
CASH IN THE ENVELOPE.
I’LL TRY TO TEXT YOU TODAY.
-CARLO
Plucking the envelope from the counter, I drop the note and slide my finger beneath the flap. I’m kind of afraid to open it. It’s pretty thick. I bite the corner of my lip, setting the envelope down and reaching for my coffee. Lifting it to my lips, my eyes stay glued to the envelope.
I never asked him about the legality of his casino, about anything last night. I came home, I agreed to move in with him, and I let him fuck me until I was screaming his name. That man has me turning into a mindless idiot the second I lock eyes on him. There’s just something about him that has my good sense taking a leave of absence.
Inhaling again, I set the coffee down and pick up the envelope. Ripping the flap, my eyes widen when I see the fat stack of cash inside. I drop it quickly, as if it could bite me. It must be thousands of dollars, not just a few, but at least ten.
“Holy shit,” I whisper.
Picking up my phone, I do the only thing that I can think of.
I call Chloe.
“Hello,” her raspy voice breathes.
“I think I need advice,” I whisper.
I don’t know why I’m whispering. I know for a fact that I’m here alone. Looking around, I frown, hating the fact that I’ve woken up alone again. I don’t know what kind of business he has before six in the morning, but I’m so damn curious, it’s ridiculous.
“Okay…”
I clear my throat. “Are you home? Or can you come to me?”
There’s a male voice in the background sounding husky and sleepy. I pinch my eyes closed, knowing that it’s Luca from last night. I’ve known Chloe for a while and I’m surprised that she’s spent the night with a man that she doesn’t know.
Though judging by how close they were last night, I shouldn’t really be that surprised.
“Luca will bring me to you. He says he knows where you are?” she says it like a question and I’m honestly not surprised.
There is something going on. Something that I don’t quite understand. She hangs up, so I decide to go ahead and shower before changing back into my dress.
Once my body is clean, but I’m back in my dirty clothes, my stomach growls so I decide to go ahead and eat the muffin.
Warming the coffee up in the microwave, I pace as I eat and drink. The stack of cash stares at me with each move that I make, well, it feels like it does anyway.
Unable to handle it, I march over to the offending envelope and I pull the money out. I count it. All twenty thousand of it. I put it in stacks of one thousand increments and I stare wildly at the twenty, one-thousand dollar, stacks of hundreds that line the countertop.
Chapter Eleven
ELENORA
There’s a knock on the door as I continue to stare at the money in front of me. I jump, then realize it wasn’t the money that knocked, but probably Chloe. The knock sounds again so I tear myself away from the counter and head toward the door.
Looking through the peephole, I sigh when I see her hair in view. Unlocking the door, I tug it open and she’s revealed. She’s wearing the same dress from last night just like I am, her hair still beautiful, but a little messier than last night and all of her makeup is gone.
Luca is behind her, following her through the door and I have a million questions to ask him, but I don’t. It doesn’t feel right to ask him when I haven’t even tried asking Arlo anything at all.
“This place is fucking beautiful,” Chloe announces.
Luca chuckles behind her. I watch as he makes his way over to the fridge and tugs it open. He reaches in and I watch in awe, and shock, as he brings out a bottle of water. I didn’t even know there was anything in there.
“What?” he asks, twisting the lid off.
“How did you know there was water in there?” I ask.
He shrugs, his eyes not giving away a single thing. “Arlo always has water.”
I blink, then turn my gaze back to Chloe. Widening my eyes, I silently convey that I need to talk to her alone. She understands my silent command and grins toward me.
Turning her head, I watch as she walks over to Luca. She places her palms on his chest, much like I do to Arlo, then she murmurs something to him that’s too low for me to hear.
“Okay, I’ll call you, bella.” I watch as his lips touch hers, then without a word, he lifts his chin to me and he’s gone.
Hurrying over to the door, I flip the lock then turn back toward Chloe. “What the fuck is going on? I like your man even more than I did last night, though, this place is fucking beautiful. Like breathtaking.”
I shake my head, pinching my eyes closed, I open them and hurry toward the counter.
“He asked me to move in last night, I said yes, then he left me this,” I hiss, pointing to the money.
“What the fuck is that?” she breathes.
“That is twenty thousand dollars to furnish this home.”
She blinks as she silently stares at the money. It’s not as if we’re poor, I’ve seen twenty thousand dollars before. I do own a store. But this is different. This is cash that he just happened to have on him, cash that he wants me to frivolously spend on furnishings. I don’t think my entire apartment’s furnishings cost more than five thousand dollars and that includes Chloe’s bedroom set.
“So, you’re going to leave me then?” she asks, lifting her gaze from the money to me.
I frown, lifting my eyes to hers. “I guess that I am.”
She takes a step toward me, then wraps her arms around me. “I knew you would leave me, the moment he was at our stoop waiting for you after that movie, I knew,” she whispers.
“Am I making the right choice?” I ask.
She takes a step back, her dark eyes meeting mine. She smiles at me and I just stare, wondering what she’s going to say. I know whatever it is, it’s going to be a no-holds-barred truth. That’s just her, that’s Chloe.
“I think it’s fast, but I also know that there is not a timeframe on feelings. If being with him feels right, then it can’t be a bad choice. It may not work out, but then again it might. We don’t know, and you won’t know unless you give it a go.”
I smile, noticing how one night with Luca and her skepticism has changed. “Was that speech for my benefit, or your own?” I ask.
“Maybe a bit of both.” She winks.
I nod, biting the corner of my li
p again. Lifting my eyes to her, I inhale a deep breath. “Well, the shop is closed today since it’s Sunday, do you want to go shopping?”
“I thought you’d never ask.” She winks again.
Together we leave my new apartment, my new home, wearing our clothes from last night. We head back to our place, change and then go shopping for furniture. I don’t know what style Arlo likes or what he’s going to bring from his current place, but decide anything simplistic and clean would look good next to all of that brick.
“You know this means we can go to like, real furniture stores,” Chloe says.
We’re in the backseat of an Uber ride and I blink as I look over to her. The money is in my purse and it’s making me nervous as hell to have that much cash on my body without heading straight to a bank with it.
“New York Design Center,” we both breathe at the same time.
The driver laughs and lifts his chin as he heads in that direction. Chloe and I love the New York Design Center, with a passion. We always go inside and just kind of stare in awe at the showrooms. I never thought that I would be comfortable dropping that kind of cash in a place like that, but it feels right, it feels like Arlo.
I think that Arlo would like it, everything about it, and it fits his place. But doubt niggles in the back of my mind. Taking my phone out of my purse, I send him a text, just to make sure that he’s really okay with spending everything on just furniture and house things.
I don’t feel right about spending this, Arlo. Are you sure? And what exactly? Furniture only or dishes and everything else too?
Closing my eyes, I inhale a deep breath and I wait. My phone buzzes almost immediately in my hand, and I jump, surprised that he’s contacted me back so quickly.
CARLO: Furniture. Spend it all on furniture. You can get the other stuff later. If you need more, just let me know. I’ll call whatever store and give them my credit card.
“Holy fuck,” I breathe.
Becoming his Mistress: A Zanetti Famiglia Novel Page 8