by Nyx, Angel
“Non. Stay the night. I can make you breakfast in bed.”
I arched a brow at that. “You cook?”
“Si. You should see your face. You look so shocked.”
“That’s because I am. I would never have expected it. You’re such an alpha male.” His laughter had me moving back enough to really look at him. “What’s so funny?”
“I may be an alpha male now, but I didn’t spring from my Mama’s womb full grown, Tesoro. Mama made sure all of her bambinos knew how to cook for themselves. She taught me quite a few family recipes. Stay, Carly. Let me hold you tonight.”
The pleading in his voice had me relaxing against him. “Okay.”
“Grazie.”
His arms tightened around me and for the fist time in a long time I felt...safe. “Goodnight, Gio.”
“Goodnight, Carly.”
Sunlight filtered through the curtains and pulled me slowly from slumber. I stretched and frowned. The light in my apartment wasn’t usually so bright in the mornings. My eyes snapped open when I remembered where I was. The bed beside me was empty and I frowned. It would have been nice to wake up in Gio’s arms.
I was just crawling out of bed when the door opened and the scent of fresh brewed coffee reached me.
“Good morning, Bella. I was hoping to surprise you with breakfast in bed.”
I stared at Gio. He stood in the doorway in a pair of pajama pants that hung low on his hips and nothing else. In his hands was a tray and on that tray was, I assumed, a plate beneath a silver dome. “I’ve never had breakfast in bed.” I sat back down and propped pillows behind me. “Far be it for me to disappoint you.”
“Smart woman.”
There was a playfulness in his voice I wasn’t used to hearing. It was different but I liked it. “Have you talked to your mother this morning? How is Eli?”
“Relax, Tesoro. I spoke with Mama a little bit ago and Eli is fine. He had fun last night and they’re all enjoying breakfast before they go swimming again.”
“I’m sorry. I know I sound like an overly protective, paranoid parent. It’s not easy for me to let him stay over at other people’s houses. The only person he ever stayed with was my mother, and even that was only a couple of times before she moved away two years ago.”
“Where is your father?”
“Who the fuck knows? He took off when I was a kid. Left and never looked back. Mama raised me by herself. I guess that’s where I got my backbone from. I knew how hard it was going to be to raise Eli by myself. Mama suggested I either abort or put the baby up for adoption, not because she didn’t want to be a grandmother, but because she didn’t want me to have to struggle the way she did. She told me whatever I decided was my choice. She didn’t let me shirk my duties though, once I decided to keep him. I dropped out of high school and went to work while I was pregnant, then went back – after I had Eli – as soon as my doctor said I could.”
“Oh, Bella. If we’d known, you would not have had to face raising him alone.”
“I wouldn’t have taken the help. I chose to quit school and get a job. I could have tried to find something that would work around school, but I didn’t. I’d decided it was time to grow up. I was even more stubborn at sixteen than I am now.”
“That is hard to believe.”
His laughter made me laugh, too. “Believe it. If you, or anyone in your family, had approached me back then to offer help, I would have told you to go fuck yourselves because I didn’t take handouts from anyone. Now, I’m a little more open to accepting help when I need it.”
“That is good to know. Eat before it gets cold.”
When he lifted the dome I found a mini fritata, a piece of biscotti, sweet Italian sausage, and several slices of fresh baked bread and cheese. “This looks really good. Is the biscotti made by you as well?”
“Si, everything on that plate, except for the cheese, was made by me.”
I gave him a curious look. “Even the sausage?”
“Even the sausage. I can teach you to make your own if you’d like.”
“Huh, I might take you up on that.” With the first bite of the fritata I moaned. “Oh, God, it tastes even better.”
“I’m glad you like it, Tesoro. I will be back momentarily with my own plate.”
I watched him go before I took a sip of my coffee. It was rich, dark, and sweetened just right. They say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. I wonder if the way to a woman’s is with a good cup of coffee.
Chapter Thirty Two
Gio
If I’d had any doubts that Carly was the woman for me, this morning erased them. Waking up next to her felt like the most natural, the most right, thing in the world. I knew I wanted her in my bed every morning. Her wit, her strength, her determination, even her stubbornness, they all pulled me in and made me want her more.
After breakfast, I drove Carly home so she could shower and change, then we headed back to Mama and Pop’s to get Eli. “Let’s have lunch together.”
“I can’t. I already have plans.”
“Another time then.”
We pulled up to the house and I went around to help her out. Yesterday, she’d not gotten to see the inside of the house since the party happened in the backyard. The gasp that escaped her when we entered the foyer had me turning to her.
“Your parents’ home is beautiful. It’s so...elegant.”
“Mama takes great pride in making it both beautiful and inviting to all who enter.”
“That I do, mio figlio. Ciao, Cara Mia. Come, sit. The bambinos are changing from their swim suits.”
“Hello, Carmela. I hope Eli wasn’t any trouble.”
“He was un angelo. You have a good boy, Carly. You should be very proud of him.”
“I am. He’s my world, you know?”
“Si. I know exactly what you mean.”
I watched Mama closely. She’d already developed feelings for Eli and if I was right, she already liked Carly, as well. Not that I could blame her. Both mother and son were easy to fall in love with.
That thought caused the breath to freeze in my lungs for a moment. Love? I didn’t love Carly. I wanted her, yes. I desired her, yes. But love?
“Gio. Your Papa would like to speak with you, later.”
“Sure thing, Mama. Let Pop know I’ll swing back by after I drop Carly and Eli off.”
No sooner had I said his name and Eli came running into the room.
“Mama!”
I watched as he flung himself into Carly’s arms. He was speaking a mile a minute about the sleepover and how much fun he’d had.
“Slow down, Vita Mia. You’re going to run out of oxygen.”
Carly’s soft laughter brought a smile to my own lips. “You two ready to go?”
“I think so. Thank you, Carmella, for letting Eli stay the night.”
“He is welcome here any time, Cara Mia.”
I watched my Mama’s eyes light up when Eli hugged her.
“Thank you, Ms. Carmella.”
“Anytime, Mio Angelo.”
“I’ll be back soon, Mama.” I kissed my mother’s cheek then escorted Carly and Eli out to the car.
The entire way back to their apartment. Eli rattled on about the sleepover. I wanted to tell Mama and Pop about him but I needed to talk with Carly, first.
“We need to talk, Bella.” I murmured the words as I helped her out of the car once we’d reached their apartment building. “It’s important.” She looked like she was going to refuse and I wasn’t letting this drop. Not when my Mama’s heart was already involved.
“Okay. Just give me a few minutes, okay?”
“Of course,” I followed her up to her apartment and inside. Once there, I sat on the sofa and waited for her to get Eli settled in his room.
“What’s going on, Gio? What’s so important?”
“I want to tell Mama and Pop about Eli. They deserve to know that he is blood, that he is famiglia.”
There was
a long pause before, “Okay.”
“For a moment, Bella, I thought you were going to refuse.”
“For a minute there, so did I. But you’re right. They deserve to know.”
“Grazie.. I will let you get to your afternoon plans. See you at Dangerous Curves.” I pulled her to me, dipped my head, and kissed her deeply. It took more willpower than I was willing to admit to, to let go and walk away.
I stood outside my Pop’s office and waited a minute before I finally knocked. I was hoping like hell there wasn’t another problem.
“Come in.”
“Everything all right, Pop?” I stepped inside, closed the door, and made my way to the chairs.
“There have been some questions about the shooting at the restaurant. More precisely, how the shooter died in the hospital and what our connection to it might be.”
“Figlio di puttana!” At the dark look from my father, I swallowed. “Sorry, Pop. I know you don’t approve of such language. There shouldn’t have been anything to suggest a connection to la famiglia. I’ll take care of it. If we’ve got a mole feeding la polizia information, I’ll find them.”
“See that you do.”
I cleared my throat to get his attention. “Can you come downstairs a minute, Pop? I need to talk with you and Mama about something.”
“Si. Of course.”
I waited for Pop to be ready to join me before I made my way downstairs. Once there, I got both Mama and Pop sitting comfortably in the family room before I started. “There is something you both should know. It has to do with Enrico. Before he was killed, he got the girl he was dating pregnant. That girl was Carly.”
“Carly? The Carly who was here today?” There was shock in Mama’s voice, mixed with a little pain. I understood the pain. We were still mourning my cousin’s death nearly a decade later.
“Si, Mama. Eli is Enrico’s son. He is famiglia.”
“Why were we not told this yesterday? Why are we only finding this out now?” Rage flashed in Pop’s eyes and Mama reached out to take his hand, as if to calm him before he snapped.
I understood the anger in my father’s voice. Eli was a Marchetti. He’d spent the night in their home, all while they were unaware of who he really was. I knew how Pop could be when he was angry. I didn’t want him to do something he would later regret so I worked quickly to diffuse his anger. “I’m sorry you weren’t told before now, but it wasn’t my information to tell, Pop. I discussed it with Carly when I dropped her and Eli off at their apartment earlier and she gave me the go ahead to tell you now.”
“Then she knows her son is famiglia? Does she know who we are?”
I shook my head no. “Not yet, Pop.”
“Then you must be even more careful. Should anything happen to either of them...”
“Nothing is going to happen, Pop.” I hoped to hell I could keep that promise.
Chapter Thirty Three
Carly
The plans I’d told Gio I had? Well, they weren’t plans so much as me needing time to process what had happened the night before. The best way for me to do that was to spend the day thoroughly cleaning my apartment from top to bottom. By the time the sun was setting, I was soaked in sweat, my hair hung in my face, and my muscles ached. Oh, yeah, and I was nowhere close to figuring out what I was going to do about Gio.
A knock at my door had me heading to it. “Hey, Risa. Oh, God, that smells divine. Come on in, girl. I just need to take a quick shower.”
“I had a feeling you might be in need of sustenance. I noticed you didn’t come home last night.”
“Yeah. Long story. I’ll fill you in after we eat.”
Fifteen minutes later, I was showered and Risa, Eli, and I sat at the table eating the pasta Risa had brought with her.
“Hey, kiddo. I’ve got something for you.”
I watched as Risa pulled a small package from her bag. “Risa. What did you do?”
“It’s an early birthday present. I might be out of the city next weekend, so I wanted to be sure Eli got to enjoy it while I was here.”
It was a new game for his PlayStation, another one he’d been wanting.
“Oh my gosh, Mama, look! Thank you, Risa!”
I watched as my son flung himself at Risa and hugged her tight.
“You’re welcome, Squirt.”
“You have to finish your dinner before you can go play, Vita Mia.”
“Yes, Mama.”
I couldn’t help but smile a bit at the pout on his face. He knew it wouldn’t do him any good but he had to try. As soon as he’d cleaned his plate, he set it in the sink and took off to his bedroom.
“Okay, girl. Dinner is done, Eli is occupied, now dish. What happened last night?”
I closed my eyes a minute. “Where do I start? I was so stressed when we left here yesterday, knowing that Eli is related to them, and I mean, it was Gio’s parents’ anniversary party. But they were really nice. His mother is a sweetheart. She made me feel so welcome. Eli asked to stay the night, all the kids were having a slumber party, and as hard as it was, I said yes.”
“I figured as much since you didn’t come home last night. Please tell me you took that Italian stallion for a ride.”
I threw my napkin at her before I laughed. “You can be so crass, Risa.” Then I grinned. “He was better than I’d imagined. Mio Dio. The man definitely knows what he’s doing.”
“Oo la la! My girl finally let go and got laid. About damn time. When are you seeing him again?”
“Other than at work? I don’t know. Risa. What if I’m getting in too far, too fast?”
“Carly, babe, stop freaking out. You two click. You’ve got a connection. And you deserve a chance at happiness.”
“It’s hard not to freak out. The last time I let someone get close to me, he died. I don’t think I could go through that again and come out sane.” It felt good to get that fear out in the open. That was my biggest fear about letting Gio in. Getting too close and having him violently taken away from me.
It's funny how quickly a person's life could change. Just a few weeks ago, I'd dreaded going to work. I hated taking my clothes off for a bunch of drunk perverts. The problem was, when the only other experience you had was as a waitress, there weren't a lot of options for change.
Now that I was manager at Dangerous Curves, my attitude had changed. I liked going to work, for the most part. If only Chablis wasn't such a pain in my ass, my nights at work would be smooth as a baby's bottom.
Tonight was one of my four late nights. Camille was leaving as I was arriving and we talked in the parking lot for several minutes before I headed inside.
"Carly, you have to do something about Chablis."
I couldn't even get in the fucking door before the shit started. "What did she do now?" I gave Midori, one of our newest dancers, my full attention.
"I had a request for a lap dance once I got off the stage and she took it instead. This is the third time this week and Candy said she's done it to her, too."
God dammit. I did not need this shit. "I'll deal with her."
I stalked into the dressing room and made a beeline for where Chablis sat touching up her makeup. "Chablis. My office. Now."
"Can't it wait? I'm getting ready to go on stage."
I arched a brow then grinned. "No, it can't wait. Midori and Candy will go on in your place."
"What? Like hell they will!"
"Think very carefully before you say another word. You have two choices. Shut the fuck up and get in my office, or get out."
If looks could kill I'd be dead twice over. I watched as she debated if I was serious before she deflated a little. "Fine. Let's go to your office."
"Smart girl." I turned to where Midori stood watching us. "Midori. Grab Candy, you two are taking Chablis' spot in five."
I waited until Midori nodded then motioned Chablis to go ahead of me. I didn't trust the bitch—no way in hell was I letting her walk behind me.
"What the hell, Car
ly? Giving my spot to fresh meat? What was so damned important?"
"Sit." I moved behind my desk and waited until she did as she was told before I responded. "I hear you've been pinching requests from some of the other girls. Three separate times this week you've taken lap dances that were supposed to go to Midori. You've done it at least once to Candy, as well."
Chablis rolled her eyes and I felt mine narrow at her.
"It's not my fault the men changed their minds when they saw me."
I had to resist the urge to smack her. "Honey, don't flatter yourself. They're horny, they're drunk, and they're men. They'll take whatever is offered to them as long as they can pretend they're fucking you. Even if you're not that hot."
"You bitch!"
"You say that like it's going to hurt my feelings.” I smirked at her. “That’s Queen Bitch to you, puta. This is your one and only warning. You pull another stunt like that and you'll be standing in the unemployment line. Or on a street corner."
I watched as anger filled her eyes. Her skin flushed, her nostrils flared as she breathed rapidly through her nose, and I waited for her to snap.
"Warning duly noted. Can I get back to work now?"
Damn. I was so hoping she'd give me reason to fire her. "Yeah. Just keep what we've discussed in mind."
I waited until she stomped out of the office and the door was closed behind her before I collapsed back in my chair.
I spent the next hour going over paperwork Camille hadn't gotten to. Being a manager had it's pros and cons. The paperwork was a definite con.
As soon as I reached the main floor of the club my eyes sought out Gio. He stood against the rail surrounding the VIP level and my gaze drank in the vision he presented. Black pants that accentuated his toned thighs and tight ass, dove gray t-shirt that clung to his abs and strained across his chest, shoulders, and biceps, and, surprisingly, a pair of dark loafers on his feet, sans the socks.
Just looking at him made my mouth water and my girlie parts wet. Not good. Not good at all.
Instead of heading to the VIP section, which is what I really wanted to do, I made my way to the bar. "Hey, Tony. How's it going so far?"