Page 74 of Texting the CEO's Obsession
The admission pours out of me in a whisper, leaving me both raw and elated at hearing the words out loud. I’ve hardly let myself think of them since the realization first came to me, and it makes it feel all the more real now. I haven’t even toldTaylor.
The edge of Lucy’s cool demeanor softens just enough for me to notice, the polite smile she’s been wearing all night melting into something more honest. She uncrosses her legs, picking her wine glass up and taking another casual sip.
“Have you told him?” she asks.
A heat rises over my cheeks as I shake my head. “I wanted to be sure he was serious about me.”
Her smile is almost professional this time, not removed, but not personal, either.
“Good.” She sets her glass back down with a snap before pinning me in place with a stern look. “You should be sure of your own feelings before you say anything. I love my boys more than life itself. It would be a shame for something to happen to you if Nicky winds up hurt. Understood?”
I’ve never been on the receiving end of the whole meet-the-parents warning talk before, but I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t have been half as unsettling coming from anyone other than Lucy D’Amico. I have a sneaking suspicion she knows about a hundred ways to kill me and dispose of the body. It’s fucking terrifying, especially knowing that I’m expected to just answer her like that’s a normal thing to say to someone.
“Yes, ma’am,” I say, swallowing nervously. “I’m planning on waiting for the right moment. Or, I guess, wheneverfeelsright.”
Lucy nods, and the threatening aura that shadowed her lifts like a veil. Her smile comes easier this time, and I only barely hold back a sigh of relief.
“You should go find him and talk to him,” she suggests, nodding her chin toward the door with a small grin. “He’s a nervous wreck by now, no doubt.”
A disbelieving laugh falls from my lips before I can stop it.
“Sorry, I just… I’ve never seen Nick nervous about anything before.”
“He’s good at hiding it, but I know my son,” she says, a tinge of fondness in her tone. “He’s never brought anyone home before. He’s certainly never told anyone about the family. You must be important to him for him to go through with all of this for you. Trust me, Riley, he’s nervous.”
I know that bringing me here was Nick’s way of showing me he’s serious about us, but hearing it from his mom makes it feel all the more real. Bolstered by that thought, I smile and stand, smoothing my skirt back down.
“Thank you, Mrs. D’Amico.”
“Lucy,” she corrects me with an arched brow. “You’re family now.”
God, isn’tthata thought?
“Can I ask you something before I go?”
Her brow raises slightly as she nods. “Go on.”
As much as I don’t want to sour any sort of relationship I may be forming with her, I can’t ignore the nagging feeling at the back of my mind over the way Nick’s brother Bruno looks at me. “It doesn’t seem that Bruno approves of my relationship with Nick.”
She stares at me for a moment, her gaze neutral, before she lets out a small sigh.
“It doesn’t matter what he does or doesn’t like. We have a code in our family that he must abide by and if he doesn’t… well, then unfortunately, he will have to face the consequences. Don’t worry, now… go on before Nick comes looking for you.”
A small smile stretches over my lips as I step out of the parlor and head back toward the dining room. Walking down the sparklingly clean halls alone is less daunting than I expect it to be, the soft click of my heels against the hardwood makes me feel kind of powerful.
As I get closer to the dining room, low, angry voices echo down the hall.
I recognize Nick’s voice easily, even if I can’t fully make out what he’s saying, and my blood goes cold when I hear Bruno’s furious response.
“I’m not the only one who doesn’t like how much time you’re spending up her skirt,” Bruno spits, hushed and angry. “Get rid of her before somethingunfortunatehappens.”
If I were thinking straight, I’d stop in my tracks. Two separate threats should be enough to get me to hightail it out of here, right?
Instead, all I can think of is Nick.
Bruno sounds pissed, like he’s seconds away from getting physical, and while I’m sure Nick can handle himself—especially after everything I just heard from Lucy—I can’t help but feel a protective instinct rise in my gut. Without hesitating, I walk past the alcove they’re standing in like I didn’t hear a word and do a fake double take just before I pass them.
“Nick!” I chirp, wrapping my fingers around his wrist just before it can whip up to punch Bruno in the jaw and tugging him out of the alcove like nothing’s wrong. “I thought you’d still be in the dining room.”
