Page 6 of Stefano
Chapter Four
First Date
Andrea
I can’t remember the last time I felt butterflies like this.
My phone buzzes again with another message from Luca.We’ve been talking for weeks now, late-night chats that kept me smiling under the covers, teasing texts in the middle of the day, little pieces of ourselves shared back and forth.He’s funny, charming, and he makes me feel ...wanted.Desired in a way I’ve only ever dreamed of.
Not like Stefano, who looks at me with fire in his eyes one second and then freezes me out the next.
No, Luca doesn’t make me guess.He tells me I’m beautiful.He says he can’t wait to meet me.He wants to know everything about me.
Tonight, I finally agreed to see him.
“Are you sure about this?”Guilia asks, perched on the edge of my bed with her arms folded.Her protective-sister stare drills into me as I dig through my closet.
“Yes,” I insist, tugging a dress off its hanger.It’s simple, black, a little fitted.Not too much, but enough that I feel like I’ll walk into the restaurant confident.“It’s just a dinner date.”
Her frown deepens.“Andrea, you don’t even know this guy.What if he’s...”
“Dangerous?”I cut in, arching a brow at her.“Guilia, you’re married to Alceu Cammareri.We live with his brothers.Theyarethe dangerous people.I think I’m already surrounded by more danger than one date could ever throw at me.”
That earns me a glare, but she doesn’t argue further.
When I slip the dress on and smooth it down over my hips, I feel the flutter of nerves in my stomach again.My favorite black heels, a little gloss on my lips, and perfume at my throat.For once, I’m doing something for me.Not for my sister.Not for this family.Not to prove I can survive being Guilia’s little sister or part of the Cammareri household.
No, this is for me.
Still, a small hidden part of me can’t help wishing it was Stefano I was getting ready for.
By the time I make it downstairs, the compound is buzzing.Soldiers move in and out, voices rumbling from the lounge.The air smells like cigars and whiskey.
And there he is.
Stefano.
