18. Francesca
FRANCESCA
The next day, we went down to a beach club and spent the day in one of the cabanas they had on the beach. It had two loungers with a solid cover to provide shade, along with a server who brought us drinks and food we ordered off the menu.
“This is nice,” I said as I lay on the lounger next to his with a cocktail in my hand. “Why the fuck would I want to run a winery when I can do this every day?”
He released a quiet chuckle. “Amen to that, baby.”
We’d stopped by the bookstore along the way so I had something to read, but I spent most of my time staring at the drop-dead gorgeous, inked, hunky man beside me.
Whenever he got up to put his feet in the water, I stared—and so did everyone else.
It annoyed the hell out of me, but I knew I’d have to learn how to accept it.
Otherwise, it would drive me nuts. He was always going to be insanely hot.
Even when he was in his sixties, he would probably be insanely hot. It was the cross I had to bear.
“Did you have any friends outside of Cosa Nostra?”
“A few. We usually go out to the bars and pick up women together.”
“Then you must not spend a lot of time together.”
It took him a second to catch on to my compliment, and a grin moved across his face.
His eyes were shielded by the sunglasses that sat on the bridge of his nose, so I couldn’t see if there was a smile in that stare.
“We would watch the games, sometimes throw a ball around at the beach, and kinda just swap intel.”
“Swap intel.”
“Yeah, there’s a lot of organized crime here, so everyone knows something. Waitstaff, business owners, carpenters, everyone. So it’s important to keep up relationships with everyone because you never know when it might pay off.”
“So Cosa Nostra aren’t the only ones here?”
“No, there are a few others. Smaller groups that stay out of their way.”
“Such a beautiful city… I wouldn’t have suspected a thing.”
“That’s the difference between crime and organized crime.
We aren’t interested in interfering in the lives of civilians.
We do our thing, we keep our side of the street clean, and we go about our business.
But regular crime, like robbery and grand theft auto and all that bullshit, is right in your face. ”
I chuckled. “All that bullshit, huh?”
“They aren’t the same. You know that better than anyone.” He moved his hand to my thigh. “I’ve seen the mob side of you. It’s fucking hot.”
An uncertain smile moved over my lips. “I don’t have a mob side.”
“Oh yes, you do. I’ve seen it.”
“Fighting for survival has nothing to do with the mob.”
“But when your dad threatened to take everything away, you told him to fuck off. You walked out of there with your head held high and said you didn’t need that shit.” His big fingers gave my thigh a gentle squeeze. “Definitely mob-ish.”
“I don’t know… I’ve always questioned if I’m cut out for the business.”
“And you are,” he said. “But that doesn’t mean you need to be in it. Putting up with me is pretty mob-like.”
“You aren’t hard to put up with, Wolfe.”
He smirked. “I’ll remember you said that next time I lose my shit.”
We fell into comfortable silence, the two of us enjoying the sea air and the rocky beach. His hand remained on my thigh, his fingers moving from time to time to draw little circles on my skin.
“Where would you like to go for dinner?” he asked.
“I don’t know. You’re the tour guide here.”
“Well, what are you in the mood for?”
“I want to go to all your favorite places. I want to experience your Palermo.”
“Alright.” He gave my thigh a pat. “My version of Palermo is also hooking up in a dark alleyway.”
I smirked, knowing he wasn’t kidding, that he’d probably done that with the other girls in his life. But I brushed away the insecurity because I had him in a way they never had. “Don’t threaten me with a good time…”
He turned his head to look directly at me, his eyes hidden behind the sunglasses, but his provoked mood was distinct.
His hand slid farther around my thigh, and he cupped the inside of it before his fingers slid up to the area between my legs, getting dangerously close to where I always craved his touch.
“Be careful, baby. Otherwise, I’ll make you scream my name right here on this beach. ”
We went to dinner at Siciliò Marina Villa Igiea, a restaurant with a terrace that had a view of the sea in the distance.
They had heat lamps all over the patio, along with pots of overflowing flowers.
It was kinda pointless to sit outside during dinner when the ocean couldn’t be seen in the dark, but it was still a romantic atmosphere.
Wolfe pulled out the chair for me before he turned on the heat lamp to make sure I was warm. Then he sat in his chair and grabbed the wine list.
I was heartbroken by my father’s reaction to my relationship with Wolfe, but honestly, it felt like a distant memory now.
I was almost glad it had happened, because this quiet life with Wolfe brought me so much more happiness than work ever did.
I wanted to be close with my family and make my father proud, but once that was off the table, I had no desire to return to that place.
The waiter came over to the table, and Wolfe ordered the wine. Then we were left alone once more, the smell of the flowers hitting my nose every time a breeze came through. He sat with his elbows on the table, absent-mindedly cracking his knuckles as he looked at me.
“What do you think about living here?”
“In Palermo?”
He nodded. “If you aren’t at the winery anymore, then there’s no reason to be in Caltanissetta.”
“True.”
He gave a slight shrug. “Just an idea…”
I knew he loved Palermo, that he’d only moved to be closer to work, and he would be a lot happier here.
The idea of moving two hours away from my family sounded ludicrous momentarily, but once I let that shock pass, I realized it made a lot of sense.
I loved his house, I loved this village, I loved being close to the ocean.
I could walk right outside onto the street and get coffee whenever I wanted.
I could walk to the market and gather everything I needed for dinner every night.
If we continued to live at his new house in Caltanissetta, we would be in the middle of nowhere behind a gate, and that sounded a bit lonely.
When I didn’t answer right away, he added, “No pressure. Wherever you want to be is fine with me.”
“No, I like that idea,” I said quickly. “I just needed a second to think about it.”
“You seem to like this house a lot more than my other one,” he said with slight amusement.
“Well, your other one is just…enormous.”
“And that doesn’t impress you?”
“A couple days ago, I literally got lost.”
He released a quick chuckle.
“I guess I prefer that cozy feeling. I like that your house is right in town. I like that the ceilings aren’t crazy high. When I walked in here, I felt like the walls gave me a big hug. It just feels more welcoming.”
“Then let’s live here,” he said. “The sea suits you.”
“Especially when I’m in a skimpy bikini?” I teased.
His smile widened. “Absolutely.”
“You seem like the kind of guy to break someone’s face if they look at me too long.”
“Do you want me to break someone’s face for looking at you?” he asked. “Because if so, that would be my full-time job.”
“I don’t think men stare at me that much.”
“They do. You just aren’t paying attention.” He grabbed the stem of his glass and swirled it before taking a drink. “The stares don’t bother me because it comes with the territory. If you have a hot woman, people are going to stare. Just how it goes.”
“I wish I could be that mature.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“When I see women stare at you, it drives me fucking nuts.”
He cocked his head slightly, his grin stretching. “It does?”
“Yep.”
“Huh, didn’t notice.”
“Didn’t notice that it drove me nuts? Or didn’t notice the women staring at you?”
“Both, I guess.”
I grabbed my glass and took a drink. “Now look who doesn’t pay attention…”
“I pay attention to men. Women are harmless.”
“I think all those guys I shot would disagree.”
A distinct look of affection moved into his gaze. “Fair point.”
The waiter returned to our table, and we ordered dinner. Wolfe chose the fresh catch of the day, while I got a big bowl of pasta. Menus were handed over, and we returned to enjoying our wine.
“So, that’s settled?” he asked. “We’re going to live in Palermo?”
“Yes, let’s do it.”
He didn’t smile outwardly, but there was a distinct joy to his gaze like that was exactly what he wanted.
He almost looked boyish, excited to wake up on Christmas morning and see all the presents under the tree.
He took another drink of his wine as he gazed at me, visibly high on happiness that removed the tension he normally carried in his shoulders and his arms.
And then all of that disappeared in the blink of an eye.
His stare shifted past me across the terrace and remained there, not like his mind wandered with his eyes, but he saw something that grabbed his attention. He remained still, his eyes only moving slightly. The energy around him immediately became tense and palpable.
But I knew better than to ask.
Footsteps sounded behind me, and my hair started to prickle and stand on end. Judging by the way Wolfe’s eyes shifted upward, the person was right behind me.
“So the rumors are true.” It was a man’s voice.
I peeked a side look to see the person beside me. It was a man in a blazer, decades older than Wolfe but with similar power.
“What brings you to Palermo, Wolfe?”
Wolfe continued to stare him down. “It’s my home as much as it is yours. Now, take a step away from my woman if you don’t want me to sever your carotid with my butter knife.”
“I meant no provocation—”
“I said, step away.”
The man was close enough that I could smell his cologne like it was on my own skin.
He took a step back as Wolfe asked, probably because he knew Wolfe didn’t make idle threats. “Join us for dinner—for old times’ sake.”
“I’m good.”