9. Matteo
Matteo
The first time Summer pulled my focus away from work was when a notification popped up on my phone screen from the credit card company. Intrigued, I reviewed the charge, which appeared to be from a store that specialized in developmental learning supplies.
Satisfied she was taking her job as the girls’ nanny seriously, I pocketed my phone and resumed the tedious task of replying to emails. I swear, as soon as I cleared one, ten more popped up in my inbox.
Running a business of this size was no joke, and we were always making big moves.
We were currently in the process of brokering development rights on a property in Denver and had made an offer on a piece of land in Montana that would be perfect for a high-end dude ranch.
That was in addition to our dozens of established real estate holdings, which required constant management and oversight.
My job was demanding, requiring my undivided attention, yet my mind kept wandering to the blonde currently residing in my home, taking care of my daughters.
Before long, I found myself logging into the security camera app on my phone to see how their first day was going. My first peek in showed Summer and Bianca curled up on the chaise in the library, reading a picture book together. Serafina must have been napping.
But once I gave in to that temptation, it became impossible to resist. Over and over, I found myself checking to see what they were doing. I witnessed them doing everything from eating lunch to making paper crowns to having a dance party to using magnetic letters to spell simple words.
There was no other way to say it: I was obsessed with watching Summer interact with my girls.
She was so good with them. Not once had she lost her patience—which was easy to do when dealing with a headstrong four-year-old—and her smile was still firmly in place even while Bianca chatted her ear off.
“Since your mind’s clearly elsewhere, maybe the rest of you should be there too.”
My gaze lifted to find Enzo sauntering into my office, a knowing smile on his face.
Clicking a button on the side of my cell made the screen go black. “Too much to do here.”
“Nothing you can’t handle from the home office after the girls are in bed,” he countered. “If you head out now, you might even make it in time for dinner.”
I shook my head. “We have that shipment coming in tonight.” Guns from our supplier overseas were expected to arrive at a private airstrip at midnight.
Enzo huffed out a laugh. “Believe it or not, I am capable of heading up the team to receive it.”
My head fell back against my desk chair. “You shouldn’t have to, though.”
“It’s my job to support you . And I’ll be the first to admit it wasn’t fair that you got thrown into the deep end with Gio leaving.
If he were here, you’d be at home tonight.
So, go. Enjoy domestic bliss with your hot new nanny.
” He chuckled. “Awfully convenient that you put her in the bedroom that can be accessed via a hidden door from yours.”
“Thanks for making her suspicious as fuck about that, by the way.”
The bastard smirked. “What? All I said was that it was interesting. Which it is. Sweet little Summer has no idea that her employer can sneak in anytime he wants.”
My jaw locked tight. “Stop making me out to be some kind of creep.”
“Aren’t you?” he challenged, one eyebrow raised. “I mean, there’s a reason you all but forced her to move in.”
“I didn’t force her to do anything. She was adamant that she couldn’t accept my repayment of her loans, so I offered her an alternative.”
“Come on, Matteo. Don’t act like you don’t have ulterior motives. I see the way you look at her.”
Groaning, I pinched the bridge of my nose. “Am I really that transparent?”
Enzo shrugged. “Hard to say if anyone else picks up on it, but from where I was standing earlier today, it’s a wonder I didn’t get scorched from the amount of heat that was in your eyes.”
I blew out a breath so heavy my lips buzzed. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say she cast a spell on not only me, but the girls. Bianca’s back to being my sweet angel, and when I peeked in on them having lunch, Serafina gobbled up her rice cereal.”
A low whistle sounded. “Damn, that is impressive. Usually, whoever is feeding her ends up wearing more of that mush than gets inside her mouth.” He eyed me carefully from across the desk. “So, what’s the plan?”
“To be honest, I’m flying by the seat of my pants. Yesterday, the opportunity fell right into my lap for her to move in. And now that she’s there . . .”
“You’re never going to let her go.” Enzo finished my sentence.
Dragging a hand through my hair, I closed my eyes, admitting, “This past year has been hard.”
“I know, man.”
“And the girls have suffered the most. You, me, and Gio, we were all fine without mothers in our lives, but I saw how it impacted Gemma. I never wanted that for Bianca and Serafina.”
When our fathers got married, it was for only one purpose: reproduction. Once their wives provided sons, they’d been sent away, never to be heard from again.
I was the youngest of the four cousins with no recollection of the woman who had given birth to me, and I found it hard to mourn the loss of a person in my life I had never known. But Gemma was the oldest, and though she didn’t remember her own mother, she remembered mine.
Viviana was her name. According to Gemma, she’d loved Gio, had loved me. And she hadn’t wanted to leave us but hadn’t exactly been given a choice.
I understood why. My father, Dominic, and his identical twin brother, Dario, had wanted to raise their boys to be tough, strong enough to carry on the family legacy. They feared the softer touch of a woman had the potential to instill weakness in us—something that had no place in our dark world.
When I married Allegra, I was determined not to repeat the past. She became my partner, valued beyond her capability to produce heirs. Yet a cruel twist of fate stole her from my daughters anyway.
Thoughts of my late wife gave me pause.
“Do you think it’s too soon?” I asked my cousin.
Enzo’s lips twisted in thought before he shook his head. “It’s not like you were in love with Allegra.”
My body jolted in my chair. “Whoa, back it up a step. Nobody’s talking about love.
Lust, sure, but that’s as far as it can go.
” Love was a luxury someone in my position couldn’t afford, and truthfully, I wasn’t sure I was capable of that type of emotion in a romantic capacity, having never experienced it before.
Folding both arms over his chest, my cousin shot me straight. “You’re talking about a new mommy for the girls, Matteo. She’s not going to stick around long term if all you’re willing to offer her is sex.”
I scoffed. “Obviously, I can provide a comfortable life, something she’s never been afforded in the past.”
“So she’ll go from lifeguard to nanny to prostitute? Got it.”
In a heartbeat, my hackles raised. “Watch it.” It was a miracle I could get those words out through gritted teeth.
Enzo didn’t back down. “Tell me I’m wrong. You expect to fuck her and provide money as part of the exchange.”
“It wouldn’t be any different than what I offered Allegra.”
He leaned forward so that his elbows rested on his spread knees.
“Allegra didn’t have a choice. She was a pawn in a game of chess played by powerful men and knew well enough to keep her head down and do her duty.
This girl is innocent; she doesn’t come from our world.
You can’t expect to treat her the same.”
Fuck. He was right.
Summer was a literal ray of sunshine, chasing away the dark cloud that had hung over us for the past year, but I feared that tethering her to our lives would extinguish that light.
Unfortunately for her, I was a selfish motherfucker who was willing to take that risk.
“Papa!” Bianca jumped up from her seat at the tiny table inside the playroom as soon as she caught sight of me.
Once she was within range, she took a flying leap with all the confidence in the world that I would catch her. And just as I had a million times before, as soon as she was in my arms, I spun her around. The sound of her giggles soothed the rough edges of my soul.
Propping my daughter on my hip, I asked, “How was your day?”
Her brown eyes sparkled. “It was the best day ever!”
My smile couldn’t be contained. “Oh yeah? What made it ‘the best day ever’?” I tickled her tummy as I exaggerated her declaration.
Peals of laughter rang out loud and clear, and she begged me to stop. Granting mercy, I held her close while she recovered from my tickle attack, sucking in deep breaths, her tiny body still vibrating.
“We colored and sang and danced and played!”
Pursing my lips together, I made a show of looking impressed. “That does sound like the best day.” I kissed the side of her head. “I’m glad you had fun.”
“Summer’s the best!” Bianca cheered. “I want to keep her forever.”
That’s the plan, kid.
Setting my daughter on her feet, I glanced at the nanny I’d quickly become obsessed with. She was seated on the floor, a tower of foam blocks stacked between her and Serafina.
“Sounds like things went well on the first day,” I remarked.
Summer dipped her chin. “They’re sweet girls. We had a lot of fun together.”
“Good.”
Her brow furrowed. “Thought you said you were working late.”
“That was the plan, but I didn’t feel right leaving you to put them to bed alone on your first night here. I’ll finish up from the home office once they’re asleep, and most likely will have to go in early tomorrow.”
Before Summer could say anything else, Bianca grabbed my hand and tugged me toward the table she’d abandoned upon my arrival. “Come look, Papa!”
I trailed her across the room, and when we came to a stop, she beamed up at me proudly. “I can do nails!”
On the table was a scrap of cardboard, where it looked like Summer had traced both her hands in marker.
There were several discarded bottles of nail polish nearby, but it looked like Bianca had been painting the pretend nails on the outlined hands.
Since she was only four, she lacked the ability to stay within the lines, and the colorful polish was haphazardly spread across the cardboard.
“Wow, great work, principessa ,” I praised.
“Your turn!” Her grip on my hand tightened, and she reached for one of the bottles.
“Uh, I don’t think . . .”
Her rosebud lips pursed into a pout. “But Summer let me do hers.”
My gaze honed in on the woman in question, and I found her sheepishly lifting a hand, a messy paint job coloring the tips of her fingers.
From across the room, she mouthed, Sorry .
“Come on, Papa. I’ll make you pretty!” Bianca insisted, and reality began to sink in that I was stuck. I had many flaws, and being unable to say no to my daughter was undoubtedly at the top of the list.
As I lowered onto one of the chairs that was so small I had to balance on one butt cheek, Summer rose to her feet.
Picking up Serafina, she lifted my baby girl into the air, placing her nose directly against her diapered bottom. “Oh, would you look at that? Someone needs a change.”
I could hear the hint of a smile in her voice, indicating she was stretching the truth as an excuse to leave the room and allow me to hold onto a shred of my dignity as I let my four-year-old give me a manicure.
She began to walk toward the door, but over her shoulder, she said, “Go easy on him, B. I have a feeling this is his first time.”
“Uh-huh,” Bianca murmured, her tongue caught between her teeth as she concentrated on moving the brush over my thumbnail.
Once Summer was gone, I shook my head in amusement that all three of these girls had me wrapped around their fingers.
A scream woke me out of a dead sleep, and muscle memory had me reaching for my gun. By the time my hand yanked open the top drawer of my nightstand, the grogginess cleared enough for me to realize what was happening.
Bianca’s nightmares were back.
Fuck. I thought we’d gotten over this months ago.
Groaning, I rolled out of bed, digging fingers into my tired eyes as I mentally prepared to crawl into bed with my daughter, where I’d get very little sleep as she kicked the ever-loving shit out of me for the rest of the night.
When I stepped into the hallway, I stopped short, seeing that the door to her room was cracked open, a soft light glowing from within.
Quietly padding closer, I peeked inside to find Summer had beaten me to comforting my daughter. The two of them were curled up together on the mattress, sitting up against the headboard. Tear tracks glittered on Bianca’s face, but Summer gently thumbed the moisture away.
Since Summer seemingly had it handled, I kept out of sight, watching their whispered exchange.
“Wanna talk about it? That always helps me when I have a nightmare.”
A soft sniffle sounded from my daughter. “Y-you have bad dreams too?”
“Mm-hmm.” Summer ran a hand down Bianca’s hair. “Everyone does sometimes.”
“What are yours about?”
“When I was little like you, I fell out of a tree and broke my arm. But in my dreams, the tree is very, very tall, and it feels like I’m falling forever. And it’s really scary.”
Bianca’s glassy eyes blinked slowly as drowsiness crept back in, and her head drooped against Summer’s side. Just when I thought she might pass out, she said softly, “My mamma is far away, and I keep running, but I never get closer. I just want to hug her.”
Those words were like a fucking knife slicing through my heart. My beautiful little girl no longer had a mother because of me , and I would carry that guilt around with me for as long as I lived.
“I’m sure you miss her very much, but you know what? I bet she’s watching over you and your baby sister from Heaven.”
Bianca perked up. “Really?”
Summer nodded. “In fact, I’m sure of it. She wouldn’t want to miss a single minute of the incredible life you’re going to have. Even if she can’t be a part of it.”
A tiny smile curved onto my daughter’s lips, and she sighed, relaxing against Summer once more. “Will you stay with me?”
“Of course.”
As they snuggled beneath the covers, I backed away from the door.