by Jade, Ella
“I have to agree.” I moved off her and removed the condom, disposing of it in a tissue. “Can I get you anything?”
“Don’t go.” She reached for my hand, guiding me to face her. “I never expected this to happen tonight.”
“Isn’t that the best way for things to happen?”
“You don’t strike me as an impulsive guy.”
“Not usually but sometimes you have to break the rules.” I took her hand and pressed it to my lips. “I could break a few rules with you.”
“That sounds like fun.” She ran her palm along my chin. “How come you’re the most eligible bachelor around? Why hasn’t anyone swooped you up?”
“I don’t know.”
“I see the way they look at you in the restaurant. All the selfies you star in. You’re a sought-out guy. Those women adore you.”
“I hadn’t noticed.” I rolled my eyes, knowing I could have a different woman in my bed every night if I wanted. Several women tried a few times a week. Most nights my bodyguard’s main job was keeping women away from me.
“I don’t believe that. What gives?”
“I have no desire to be the most eligible bachelor in the city. Too many women think I could be on a reality show and at the end, I’ll choose one of them. When the winery first opened, I went on a few dates but I quickly realized most of the women who seek me out want me for my last name.”
“Some women need to be on a rich man’s arm to validate them.”
“I have to be careful who I trust, who I let in because of who I am. As hard as I try to live a legitimate life, my father still has enemies. People come after us. I can’t let anyone use me to get to him or my brothers. I don’t often let my guard down.”
“You did with me.”
“You don’t want anything from me. You don’t look at me like I’m a prize.”
“You are a prize.” She laughed. “Not because I think I can gain anything by being with you. You’re a good person, Sal. No one has ever treated me the way you do. You believe in me. That means so much.”
“You’re easy to believe in, sweetheart.” I stroked her cheek, endorsing the idea that we could have something together. “We may have moved fast but I want to really get to know you. After tonight, I can’t imagine not exploring more with you.”
When my phone buzzed with a text, I retrieved my pants from the floor, digging my phone out of the pocket. “It’s Joey,” I told her. “Your car is ready.”
“Oh.”
“I’ll tell him you’ll be down tomorrow to get it.”
“I like that idea.” She grinned. “That should give us plenty of time to really get to know one another.”
“I like the way you think.”
THE AROMA OF BACON filled the loft as I opened my eyes, squinting at the sunlight streaming through the windows in my bedroom. Extending my hand along the mattress, I realized Hayden wasn’t with me. I sat up, stretching my tired muscles. It had been a long, passion-filled night of lovemaking and getting to know one another.
“Good morning.” Hayden entered the bedroom, wearing the clothes I had thrown in the dryer for her last night. She carried a tray that held food that smelled delicious. “I made you breakfast.”
“You didn’t have to do that.” I propped the pillows behind me. “It was very thoughtful of you.”
“You’ve done so much for me.” She set the tray on the bed. “This is the least I could do. I borrowed some ingredients from the kitchen downstairs. Joey helped me. I hope that’s okay.”
“It’s fine.” I looked over the tray filled with fresh fruit, coffee, juice and two plates containing some sort of omelets and bacon. “This all looks so delectable.”
She joined me on the bed. “Spinach and feta cheese are in the omelets.”
“Did Joey tell you what I like?”
“He did.” She nodded enthusiastically. “I made him one too.”
“I’m sure he appreciated that.” I took a sip of coffee. “He left here late last night and now he’s already back.”
“When does he sleep?”
“During the week he doesn't stay as late. He’s not on duty all the time.” It had been a while since I’d had twenty-four-hour protection. “He’s around most of the weekend when the winery gets really busy. If I need him to take me into the city during the week, he will. He’s back today because I have to be at my parents’ house this afternoon. All of our drivers get together for a weekly meeting and my grandmother feeds them.”
“Mama Stella?”
“You remembered.”
“You won’t be at the restaurant tonight?”
“Oh, no, I’ll be here. I’m always here.” I tried a bit of the eggs. “We have an early Sunday dinner every week with my family and then I head to work.”
“You eat dinner with them every week?”
“Yes, my immediate family every Sunday. Once a month we invite extended family like aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends but my father prefers when it’s just us.” Gianni was making an announcement today and only wanted the immediate family to attend. I was certain he wouldn’t mind if I invited Hayden. Is it too soon? The last time I brought a girl home I was in college. Gabby Hughes. My mother hated her. In retrospect, she didn’t have any manners and she couldn’t seem to stop staring at Dominick. We didn’t last that long.
“It sounds awesome.” She ate her breakfast, a distance cluttering her gaze. “I love the idea of a close family.”
A dreadful thought came over me. “Do you eat alone every night?”
“I’m usually here, so no, not every night.”
“What about when you’re not here? When you’re off or work the lunch shift?”
“I guess.” She drank her orange juice. “I never really thought about it but I do tend to dine in at places so I don’t feel so alone. I like talking to the servers. Sometimes a chef will come out and talk to me. Although...” When she smiled at me, I couldn’t help but think how beautiful she was. “Now that you’ve made me famous, I get a lot of stares and people asking if I’m Sal Marchelli’s chef.”
“Are you?” I tugged on the end of her hair. “My chef?”
“I take pride in the title.”
“I’d like you to come to dinner with me today.”
“I have to work.” She glanced down at her legs, crossed in front of her. “I wouldn’t intrude on your family time.”
“I already told you I’ll be back here in time for dinner, so you will be too. Rocco won’t mind if you’re not here to prep. We have plenty of help.” I tilted her chin so she had to look into my eyes. “You’ll never be an intruder. I’d like you to come and meet my family. You’ll love Nadia and Angelique.”
“Vincenzo and Gianni’s wives.”
“They’ll be thrilled I’m bringing you to dinner. Trust me.” Like my mother, my sisters-in-law were getting eager to find me a girlfriend. “Will you come with me?”
“Can I go home and get changed? I could grab my uniform for tonight too.”
“We have to be at the main house by one. That’s what time we get together on Sunday. You can leave your car here and Joey can take us to your place on the way to my parent’s house. He’ll get us back here in time for opening.”
“If he doesn’t mind.”
“He doesn’t mind.” I continued to eat. “Thank you for breakfast. It was a pleasant surprise.”
“I see how hard you work.” She bit into a strawberry before offering the rest to me. Placing my mouth on the berry, I took it from her, licking the red juice from her fingers. “I could take care of you,” she breathed out as she watched my tongue.
“We could take care of each other.”
Chapter Seven
Hayden
The Marchellis
“This place is...” As I glanced around the foyer of the main house at the Marchelli estate, words kind of escaped me. “Wow.”
“It’s a little over the top.” Sal took my hand. “Come on, everyone is on the bac
k patio.”
“Are you sure they won’t mind I’m here? I feel like I should have made something.”
“Trust me when I say there will be enough food to feed sixty people. We’re Italian.” He squeezed my hand. “Besides, these flowers are perfect.”
“It was nice of Joey to stop so we could get them.” When I heard chatter in the distance, my anxiety decided to make an appearance. “Are you sure this dress is okay? Maybe I should have worn the purple one.”
“Sweetheart.” He tucked my hair behind my ear, leaving his fingers tangled in it. “You look spectacular. You can wear the purple one next time.”
“Next time?” That sounded hopeful.
“Yeah.” He brushed his lips along my jaw before kissing me. “Today is the first of many dinners with my family.”
“There you are.” A voice startled me before Sal pulled away and winked.
“Here we go,” he whispered before turning around to greet his parents.
“Mom, Dad.” He led me over to them. “We made it.”
“I was starting to wonder.” His mother looked at me. “Hayden, it’s so lovely to see you.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Marchelli. Your home is beautiful.”
“Please call me, Jennie. This is my husband, Dante.”
As if an introduction was necessary. I may not have recognized Salvatore upon meeting him but everyone knew who Dante was. Not only was he strikingly handsome but he commanded the attention of any room he walked into. He possessed the same eye color as Sal with that thread of amber running through them.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Hayden.” When Dante spoke, I hadn’t expected such a tender tone. His presence was large but his demeanor soft, welcoming. “Rocco has nothing but wonderful things to say about you.”
Jennie nodded in agreement.
“Rocco is fantastic to work with. I’m learning so much from him.” I handed the flowers to Jennie. “Thank you both for having me today.”
“How thoughtful of you.” She took the bouquet from me. “I’ll have someone put them in water.” She pointed toward the patio doors. “I know you two have to get to work, so let’s get our Sunday meal underway.”
“Are you ready?” Sal took my hand again. “If you think this house is overwhelming, wait until you meet my brothers.”
“Oh?” A pang of anxiety hit me.
“You’ll be fine.”
We followed his parents to the screened-in patio where everyone was already seated, eating bread, and drinking wine.
“Salvatore.” Gianni stood. “I was worried you weren’t coming.”
“We’re a few minutes late.” Sal glanced at his watch. “Relax.”
“You’re never late. What were you doing?” Gianni smiled at me. “Hello, Hayden.” He turned to the table. “Everyone, this is Hayden.”
His whole family stopped their conversations and focused on me. My stomach flipped. “Not only is she responsible for that delicious shrimp scampi appetizer I had the other night at the winery but she also managed to make Salvatore late. I like her.”
“Shut up!” Sal nudged his brother back to his seat. “Excuse Gianni. He doesn’t have a filter.”
“That’s an understatement,” the beautiful young woman Gianni put his arm around said. “I’m Angelique.”
“Hello.” All eyes were on me now. Don’t screw this up!
“This is Hayden Chambers,” Sal spoke. “You know my parents and Gianni,” he said. “Angelique is his wife and sitting next to her is Erica.”
“Hello,” the woman who looked to be Angelique’s mother said.
As I glanced around the table, I couldn’t help but notice how attractive these people were. The women were stunning and the men looked as if they stepped out of a... I hated to say it, but a mob movie. Their expensive clothing and perfect hair matched with their impeccable style and charming good looks could have landed them right in the middle of Hollywood. Only this wasn’t a set. They were the real deal. And, somehow, I stood in the center of it all. My father would have been impressed.
“This is Vincenzo and his wife Nadia,” Sal continued.
The power couple. Nadia owned her own graphic design business and Vincenzo was a talented attorney with a degree from Harvard law. They were impressive.
“That’s Santino,” Sal said.
“Hey, Hayden,” the youngest Marchelli said. “I’m glad they let you out of the kitchen today.”
“Me too.” Vincenzo and Santino resembled one another. Both well-dressed for a Sunday afternoon and notably meticulous. I would have known they were lawyers even if Sal hadn’t briefed me.
“This is my grandmother.” Sal kissed the older woman on her cheek as she spoke to me but I didn’t understand her. It was a mix of broken English and Italian.
“Yes, Mama,” Sal answered for me. “She’s the chef.”
I listened politely as she continued in her native tongue, hoping I could figure out a word here and there to help me answer.
“She says she cooks for you today,” Sal interpreted.
“I appreciate it. No one ever cooks for me.”
“You’re going to put us to shame,” Nadia said. “Mama Stella has been patient with Angelique and me when it comes to cooking but we’re not that good.”
“Nonsense.” Vincenzo kissed his wife’s hand. “You’re doing great.”
“You weren’t saying that last week when I burnt the sauce.” Angelique laughed. “It was awful. We ended up ordering in.”
“It was a disaster.” Gianni shook his head. “I’m surprised the fire department didn’t show up.”
“I’m sure it wasn’t that bad.” I gave the women a sincere look.
“It was,” Sal whispered as his last brother stood to meet me.
He was tall, dark, and brooding. A total cliche but I could understand why he was the most intimidating one. According to Sal, he looked after them all. He tended to see things the others couldn’t.
“You must be Dominick.” I extended my hand. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”
“Welcome to the Marchellis.” He handed me a glass of wine. “This is Sal’s favorite blend.”
“Thank you.” I took the glass from him. “Boss Wine has become my exclusive brand of choice.”
“It is the best around,” Sal said. “If I do say so myself.”
“Chambers.” Dominick studied me. “Your father’s name was Phillip.”
“Yes.” How did he know that?
“I remember Phillip,” Dante said. “He worked for Antonio.”
“My father?” Nadia asked.
“Small world.” Dominick continued to stare at me.
“I didn’t really know any of my father’s associates.” That wasn’t completely true but I didn’t want to get into this. “He died when I was young.”
“Daddy?” The adorable little girl sitting in between Jennie and Dante called out. “Tell her my name.”
“This is my daughter Gia.” Dominick’s tough exterior softened at the sound of his kid’s voice.
“Hi, Gia.” I took a calming breath, grateful to the kid for getting me out of a conversation about my father.
“I’m five,” she proudly told me. “Are you going to marry Uncle Sal?”
“Okay!” Sal ushered me to my seat as the table quietly laughed at Gia’s question. “Now that the introductions are over...” He sipped his wine. “Are you ready to leave?”
“No.” I glanced around the table at his incredible family. “Thanks for inviting me.”
“Now that we’re all here,” Gianni said. “I have an announcement to make.”
Sal rested his hand on my knee as his brother spoke.
“Angelique and I are having a baby.” Gianni kissed his wife. “In January.”
The table broke out in cheers, smiles, applause and hugs.
“I knew it!” Jennie kissed them both. “Congratulations.”
“That was fast.” Santino toasted them with his wine glass.
/> “I know!” Gianni fist bumped him. “I don’t play around.”
During the excitement, I happened to notice the quick, sullen glance Nadia exchanged with Vincenzo before he took her hand and whispered into her ear.
“Congratulations,” Vincenzo said.
“Wait!” Gianni kissed Angelique’s temple. “We have more news.”
“What could be more exciting than having a baby?” Dante asked.
“How about two babies?” Gianni beamed. “My amazing wife is having twins.”
More hugs and kisses followed.
“You’re so extra.” Dominick slapped the table. “This is wonderful news.”
“When I do something...” Gianni held his wife close. “I do it right.”
“You didn’t do it by yourself.” Angelique rolled her eyes.
“Congratulations.” When Sal raised his glass, everyone followed. “We couldn’t be happier for the two of you. More Marchellis to add to the family. We’re blessed.”
“We truly are,” Jennie agreed.
As I looked around the table, I was in complete awe of these people. All of my life I wondered what it would be like to be part of a family. Today, Salvatore showed me. I took his hand under the table. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“Inviting me here.”
“Thanks for coming with me.” He kept his hand in mine as we celebrated the joyful news with the rest of his family.
SALVATORE
After dinner, my brothers adjourned to my father’s study for a game of pool. My dad took Gia for their daily ride around the property in the golf cart. I’d left Hayden with the other women. She said she’d be fine and I should join my brothers. Dinner had gone well. She’d held her own at the table. Even when Gianni and Santino fired nonsense questions at her. They got the award for the most intrusive today.
As I turned the corner to the study, Vince and Nadia were by the door. He hugged her and kissed her forehead.
“I’m fine,” she said as I approached.
“Sorry.” I held up my hands. “I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
“You’re not.” Nadia kissed my cheek. “I’m going to join the others outside. I want to get to know Hayden a bit before you guys have to leave. She’s so sweet.”