Page 46 of Undeniable

Gio didn’t give me all of the details but whatever is going on must be pretty serious. Obviously, he doesn’t talk to me about Mafia business, which is fine with me. All I want to know is that I am safe and hidden. With this place being practically a fortress, I am hoping that I can pull that off. This will either be the best place for me…or the absolute worst.

Several maids and men come to the car when Gio park and start unloading the bags and ushering us all inside. When we step inside, Ashlynn, Luca, Seraphina and little Antonio are all waiting for us. Alessandro darts past us and grabs Seraphina’s hand before they run off to play, giggling and shouting through the house. Luca steps up and clasps Gio’s arm.

“Thanks again, Luc. We really appreciate it.”

“Of course. You are family,” he says before he turns to me. “Hello, it is nice to properly meet you. Gio and my lovely wife have told me a lot about you. I apologize for not introducing myself when we met.”

I let out a light laugh. “Yeah, well you were a little busy. Completely understandable.”

Ashlynn scoffs. “Please. He was busy? I was the one pushing a watermelon out of me!”

We all laugh as Luca smirks and wraps Ashlynn up into his arms, kissing her head lovingly before turning to us. “Are you guys hungry? Luis has lunch ready.”

I turn to Gio uncomfortably. To be honest, I am starving but I am with my sort of hookup/boyfriend/boss as a tag along houseguest at his friend/boss’s home, and I feel awkward as hell. Gio senses my nervousness and wraps an arm loosely around my waist, his soft touch offering me a small amount of comfort that makes the ball of unease in my chest loosen just a bit.

When I look up, I see that both Luca and Ashlynn track the movement before they both give him teasing grins. Gio rolls his eyes at them but makes no effort to hide the small smile that has crept onto his deliciously full lips.

“We would love lunch,” Gio answers.

Luca nods and ushers us to a large formal dining room that looks like it could seat 15 people at least. Gio walks to one side of the table and pulls out a chair, indicating for me to sit into it. I nod my appreciation when he pushes it in before he takes the seat next to me. When he scoots in, his large hand casually cups the bare knee that my summer dress exposes. My eyes flick up to him and he gives me a devilish smirk before squeezing and drawing light patterns up and down my leg with his fingers. I try to suppress a shiver and have to physically keep my eyes open instead of letting them flutter closed like they so badly want to.

Soon, plates are placed in front of us with an incredible looking chicken and berry salad. Gio and Luca both frown at it, guess the men aren’t used to eating this light. Ashlynn gives Luca a hard look before she picks up her fork.

“I need to get this baby weight off of me, you know the rules. If I diet, we all diet. Sorry guys, looks like you are being subjected to the same punishment,” she says unapologetically to Gio and I.

Gio sighs and I stifle a giggle before I nod and pick up my fork. The raspberry vinaigrette that is used on the salad is so delicious I practically inhale the whole pate without meaning to. Gio, however doesn’t seem to find it as appetizing because he basically just picks at it for a little while before sharing a meaningful look with Luca. The next moment, the men stand up in unison and walk towards the kitchen.

“Where are they going?” I ask Ashlynn.

She shrugs as she takes another bite. “Probably hitting Luis up for some bread or something. Those guys are freaking beasts and have never properly appreciated a good salad. As long as they don’t eat it in front of me, I don’t care.”

I laugh and nod before taking a sip of my water. We quickly fall into easy conversation that Ashlynn dominates, talking about her newest line of wedding dresses that are coming out. She normally would be traveling, meeting with distributors and suppliers but because of everything going on she has opted to work remotely. From how she tells it, it sounds more like Luca demanded it. She doesn’t mention what exactly is going on, maybe she assumed I already know, or maybe she doesn’t have a clue just like me. Either way it doesn’t really matter. The situation only spells one word that I am trained in being sensitive of, danger.

Chapter Seventeen

Tasha

The kids spend the day playing together around the massive property while Ashlynn and I hangout by the pool. The guys hole up in Luca’s office and work until almost dinner time, when Ashlynn has to practically pull them out by their ears. I am suddenly not so sure that Luca is the Boss of the Mariano family, I think that title may belong to his wife.

After an incredible dinner, which to the men’s relief had bread and pasta included, the kids are put to bed and Luca and Ashlynn say goodnight before they head off to their room. Gio walks me to the room that I am staying in, which just so happens to be across the hall from his.

We pause in front of the door, a stupid smile stretching across my face as I notice him watching me with a small one on his own.

“It was really nice of Luca and Ashlynn to let me stay here. I am sure I would have been fine at Becca’s but-”

“You are safest in my arms,” he says lowly as he eats up the space between us and pulls me against his chest, banding his arms around my lower back. I suck in a sharp breath before I melt against his strong hold.

“It is the safest I have ever felt,” I whisper vulnerably against his chest.

I glance up to see something flicker in his eyes before he moves a hand up to my cheek and bends down to capture my lips between his. I let out an airy sigh against his lips before he grumbles low and pushes my door open, nudging me to back inside. As soon as we are both in, he kicks the door shut with his foot before he continues leading us backwards, never breaking the kiss.

When the back of my knees hit the edge of the bed, I fall onto my back as Gio comes to hover over me.

“You are so beautiful, Tasha,” he whispers reverently. “You are…” he trails off as his eyes consume me, his hands skating up the sides of my dress softly.

“Are what?” I ask breathily as a thick finger traces my collarbone before dipping low to my cleavage.

His silver eyes pin me into place as deep emotion fills them.

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