Page 52 of Little Deer
Yeah, I’m not looking forward to that discussion.
“Okay.” The words are soft, and I hope he can’t hear my disappointment. I tell myself that’s because I don’t want to face the inquisition alone and not because I just want to be close to him.
His lips quirk up into that sexy smile of his. “We’re not done, Lucy,” he murmurs. “I’ll be back after I’m done. We’ll talk. Okay?”
Talk? Yeah, I hate that word. He’s probably about to tell me that we can’t do that again. We might have a connection, but he’snot ready for more. Or he’s not ready for it to be with a single mother. “Okay.” What else can I say?
“Lucy.” There’s a warning in his tone. I blink in surprise. “Don’t be letting your imagination run wild,cerbiatta.” He leans down so he can murmur in my ear, “Be a good girl for me, yes? Then we’ll discuss what we’re going to do.” A quick kiss just behind my ear has me shivering, and then a strange emptiness as he releases me, and turns back to stand near the bassinet. “Behave for you mama and yourzia,ometto.” Soren makes a small grunting sound, and Massimo grins. He reaches in and strokes Soren’s head gently before heading for the door.
“Stay out of trouble, Kida,” Zeno warns my sister.
“Or what?” Kida demands, hands going to her hips as she glares at him.
Zeno’s eyes flash with a dark anticipation, but he doesn’t answer. I swear Kida blushes, but she manages to keep her glare in place.
Hmmm, looks like I might not be the only one interested in a Caruso brother.
Zeno and Massimo leave, and Kida rounds on me. “What the fuck?” she practically screeches at me. I glare at her when Soren lets out a cry of distress. Kida winces. “Shit, sorry.” She rushes to the bassinet to soothe and quiet Soren. Who, thankfully, settles quickly. “You can’t expect me to not freak the hell out when I walk in here and your wrapped around the guy like a fucking spider monkey.”
“I could say the same for you with that blush after Zeno looked at you. Care to explain that?”
Her eyes roll. “It’s nothing. He was being an ass. You know, like most of the men around here.” Her lips pull down into a frown. “Look, Lucy, I know you’re smart, but don’t get distracted by all of this or wrapped up in him. Massimo is a nice guy, buthe’s mafia. They don’t play by the same rules. And I don’t want you to get hurt.”
Again.The word hangs between us, unspoken, but just as clear.
“I’m fine, Kida. I’m a big girl. I can handle something like this.” Even to my own ears, my voice isn’t as confident as I want it to be.
Yeah, she doesn’t believe that either. Damn it.
“Lucy, please. You’re hormonal and?—”
“Not everything has to do with fucking hormones, Kida,” I snap. “I’d like to think that I’m not as hormonal as I could be considering.”
“Yeah, you are, but that doesn’t mean that you falling for Massimo right now isn’t just your hormones playing tricks. This is the first time you’ve been interested in a man since Joey died. And he’s exactly the kind of guy you go for too, so there’s that. I just don’t want you to see this as a forever, when he could only be focused on right now, or…”
I already know what she’s trying to imply. “Or he’ll be like Joey and figure out that he can dominate me even if I don’t want him to.”
She nods slowly. “Look, I heard him when he was about to shut the passage door earlier, and I saw the way you reacted. I saw the look in his eyes. The satisfaction of getting you to do what he wanted.”
“He apologized for that. Like, really apologized. Not what Joey used to do, but the kind where I believe he means it. Joey always knew how to sound sorry, but there was that look in his eyes and the way he talked that I knew he didn’t mean it.”
“Or is Massimo just really good at hiding it?”
A sliver of doubt creeps in. Is she right? Is Massimo only telling me sorry so that I’ll just do what he wants?
The visceral feeling of my mind screaming no, almost has me jolting. It’s so sharp, so hard that even if there was any doubt leaking in, it’s been booted right back out.
“No, I don’t think that’s it. Look, Kida, I know you’re worried, but whatever this is with me and Massimo, it’s…it’s not the same as Joey and I. I’m not going to pretend like I know what’s going to happen, or that this isn’t going to end in a fiery crash when all of this mafia shit is over, but for now, I just…I don’t know why but I like the way I feel around him. At the way he treats Soren. Even you. Just, trust me, okay? I’ll be careful, and I won’t rush into anything. I promise.”
She doesn’t look convinced, but she nods. “Fine.” Then she gives me a teasing smile. “At least tell me he’s a good kisser. It’d be a shame to have a man like that kiss you and be terrible at it.”
I smirk. “Oh no, there’s no worry of that.” Definitely not.
She chuckles. “Well, that’s something I guess.”
“Alright, ladies, we need to get back to work,” Sienna suddenly announces from the doorway. We turn and I see her standing there with all the other women. “The men are off to deal with whoever they captured to figure out who launched the attack, but that means we need to figure shit out. And we’re going to use Amara’s salon because it’s open and doesn’t have a bunch of shit on the walls yet.”
“And if she’s up to it, I’d love a wash and blow out,” Sofia adds with a wink at Amara.
