CHAPTER 19
CARA
I was half asleep, peacefully settled against Cal’s shoulder when Terza loudly called through the house for us all to come and eat, later that evening.
I’d spent the entire afternoon with Cal.
We’d started watching a boxset on Netflix and just relaxed casually in the living room together.
It had been laid back and easy. That was how I had started to doze off and ended up leaning against him as my pillow.
I had just felt relaxed, and my fatigue had caught up with me.
I knew Dante had been in a few times, because I had heard him quietly interrogating Cal about how much water I had drunk and what I ate for lunch, but I hadn’t fully roused, soothed just to know the giant was close by.
Arran had slipped into the room just a short while before, and I had heard the low hum of the conversation between him and his brother.
I wasn’t really paying attention to what they talked about, but I loved the sound of Arran’s voice, and the nuances of his Glaswegian accent.
Clearly, he hadn’t lost it in the time he had lived in London, like Cal had, because it came through strongly, but there was something so calming about it to me.
Maybe it was because it was just such an integral part of the man.
I wasn’t sure, but I did know that it did funny things to me when he deeply rolled his ‘R’s’ or called me ‘lass’ as he often did.
When he purred my name, rolling the ‘R’ so deeply, it had me clenching my thighs together each and every time.
It was odd and not like me at all, but also kind of thrilling.
“Come on, sleepy head. Dante will only come to track you down if you’re not there for dinner,” Cal told me as I moaned at the thought of having to move from where I was so settled and comfortable. It had been so long since I got to just sit around and be lazy.
“Aye. It seems our Dante has made ye his latest obsession, lass. Yer’ll nae get away wi’ anythin’ under his stalker like watch on ye,” Arran chuckled as he rose from the armchair he’d been sat in and held a hand out to me in offering.
“Obsession? Stalker? Not setting me at ease with words like that, Arran,” I pointed out. With a groan I sat up and slapped my hand into his, then grunted in pain as he pulled me to my feet.
“Ribs?” Cal asked, getting to his feet too. He looked to me with concern, but I waved him off.
“They’re getting better. I just got stiff from sitting for so long.”
“I’ll get you a hot water bottle after dinner. Maybe some heat will help,” Cal offered.
“Ice would be better, but thanks. It might be worth a try,” I agreed.
When we walked into the dining room Rafe and Dio were already sat down at the enormous circular table.
I had a suspicion Rafe had deliberately chosen the table that shape so there was no head seat.
Growing up, Marcello had insisted we all eat our evening meals together in the lavish dining room, and every night he would sit at the head of that table, lording over his family with the same brutal terror he ruled his men with.
Each and every one of those meals had been torture for all of us.
My Mum hated it because she had to sit still, drink steadily, and act like a human being for the duration.
Rafe was often berated by Marcello for never being good enough at anything he ever did, throughout.
And Gia and I sat in terror, eating politely, as we were expected to, and never daring to make a peep in fear of turning Marcello’s rage on us.
“There you are, Gioia. Sit down. Can I grab you something to drink?” Rafe offered as we walked in.
It was the first time I had sat in there.
We’d eaten every other meal I had been a part of in the kitchen.
I had been a little nervous about any formal kind of meal, but it seemed there wasn’t much formal in that moment.
Rafe and Dio had bottles of beer on the table in front of them.
Terza had just piled the plates in the centre of the table, and beside them were a mountain of cutlery.
Somewhere in the background a radio station was playing loud enough to travel through, and everyone was just relaxed.
“Where should I sit?” I asked, looking to Rafe for the answer.
“Anywhere. We don’t stand on ceremony here, sweetheart. I like to keep things as casual as I can. Most of us spend our days having to put up a stuffy front at the office. We like to just relax when we get home,” he assured me.
Relieved to hear that, I rounded the table and sat beside my brother, leaning in to kiss his cheek as I took my seat.
When he turned and smiled at me happily, I knew it had been the right thing to do.
Dio’s words from the previous night, that Rafe was holding back from showing me the affection he truly wanted to, had been rattling around in my head.
I knew I needed to show Rafe that I had gotten over my distrust of him.
I didn’t want him to feel awkward around me. We were family.
“Did you have a good day, Piccola?” Dio asked as he leaned in front of Rafe towards me.
“I did,” I replied without hesitation. “I tried the gym this morning, which wasn’t my finest half hour, but Cal’s been keeping me company for the rest of the day, which was fun.”
“I discovered Cara can’t swim, so we ordered a swimsuit, and I’m going to start teaching her tomorrow,” Cal added.
He had taken the seat beside me and as he spoke he lifted his left arm and draped it across the top of my chair.
He wasn’t actually touching me, but I felt some comfort in having his arm so close, not to mention he looked hot as hell when he leant back into his seat casually and left his muscular arm draped there over me.
“You can’t swim?” Rafe questioned.
“Not yet, but hopefully soon,” I returned with a smile that was completely genuine. I was happy, I realised, which was new.
“Is Callan qualified enough to be teaching Cara to swim? Maybe one of us should be doing that,” Dante grumbled as he came striding into the room with two bottles of beer in one hand, and a bottle of white wine and two glasses in the other.
“Christ Dante. I think at some point yer gonna have to accept the fact Cal isnae a wee lad anymore. He’s way more capable than ye give him credit fer.
Of course he can teach Cara to swim. Ye know damn well that he swam in competitions when he was in school.
I’ll bet he’s a better fuckin’ swimmer than you,” Arran chuckled.
He made it sound playful, but I definitely detected a note of defensiveness for his brother, which I completely agreed with.
Yes, Cal was younger than the others, but he was an adult, and from all I had seen, a very capable one.
“Arran’s right. Cara will be fine with Cal,” Rafe agreed.
“Fine, but she doesn’t go to the gym again without someone with her. She collapsed earlier,” Dante growled as he sent me a glare.
“I did not!” I argued as I glared right back.
“You collapsed? What happened?” Dio demanded as he looked between me and Dante.
“I didn’t collapse. I did five K on the treadmill, very slowly, and when I was finished I was utterly exhausted, so I laid down on the mats.
I’ll grant you, it wasn’t a graceful descent to the mats, but I was conscious the whole time,” I explained quickly, not wanting Rafe or Dio to worry more than they already seemed to be.
“I saw you. You dropped like a stone. Pushed too bloody hard,” Dante countered.
“Get your eyes tested old man. Might need some glasses to spy on me next time,” I threw back with irritation.
“There is nothing wrong with my eyes. I have perfect vision, and the definition on our cameras is second to none. I know what I saw.”
“Fuck me! Back me up here, Cal, please?” I almost pleaded as I turned to him.
“I have to say, she seemed fine when you sent me hurtling down there, Dante. Tired and out of breath, but definitely conscious.”
“Either way, she shouldn’t be working out down there alone while she’s injured. If she does get hurt, or faints, no one will even know,” Dante dug his heels in.
“Well I won’t be working out again until I’m healed, so you can chill out there, big guy,” I told him. “My ribs are too sore anyway. That’s why Cal suggested swimming. I’m going to try that.”
“That sounds like a good idea,” Rafe agreed.
“No swimming alone until we’re sure you are a confident swimmer,” Dante commanded flatly, and I just growled in frustration. What more could I do? The man was infuriating, but in the sweetest way.
“Come on, pal. Sit yerself down and leave it fer now. Cara is wise enough to make her own decisions. She isnae gonna go swimming by herself when she’s no’ feeling confident in the water,” Arran spoke up.
There was some grumbles from Dante, but he did take a seat across the wide table from me, and I sent him a small half smile, not wanting him to think I was angry with him. I understood, and secretly liked the way he worried a ridiculous amount for me.
“What do you want to drink, Cara?” Rafe asked.
“I brought wine,” Dante said as he held up the open bottle.
“Thanks, but I don’t drink. Living with our mother was enough to put me off of alcohol for life. I’ll just get a glass of water,” I explained as I moved to stand.
“I’ll get it.” Cal placed his large hand over my thigh to still me in my seat, and it sent heat racing through me like I had never known.
His hand was so hot, that I could feel the heat of it through the leggings I wore, and he might as well have been touching my naked skin.
I’d never had a reaction to touch like it.