Chapter 4 #3
“Why don’t you go ask him to take it off, you little perv,” Serafina teases her.
“I can’t help it. I’m ovulating, okay? And the man is so freaking hot, it’s hard not to stare. I mean, look at that bulge in his pants.”
My gaze drifts down the length of his body, and I catch myself checking out what is undoubtedly a large piece of equipment. I’m not surprised, considering what Abella and Gabi have told us about their husbands. It must be a Vitale trait. But why I’m thinking about it, I have no clue.
I really need to stop, but my eyes don’t get the memo. When Cristian racks the weights and lifts his gaze to mine, a rush of heat washes over me.
The air seems to pulse with static as tension radiates between us. His expression doesn’t change, but it feels like something has shifted as he stares at me a beat longer than normal.
Maybe it’s my imagination, or maybe I’m ovulating too.
“This is my life’s curse.” Mariella sighs.
“What, having hot brothers?” Abella jokes.
“Yes.”
“Well, to be fair, you were blessed with the good genetics too,” Gabi observes.
“For real.” Serafina fans herself. “You’re so hot men are willing to risk literal death just to ask you out.”
Everyone laughs, but it isn’t a lie. Mariella has a naturally bronze goddess-like complexion, obsidian-dark eyes, and long raven hair. She’s feminine, mysterious, and also a little terrifying when you see her with a weapon.
“Don’t worry, Tesoro.” Nonna Vitale arrives with a tray of lemonade. “You’ll all be married soon.”
“You say that with such certainty.” Mariella peers up at her. “What happens if I stay single forever?”
“No, no, no.” Nonna shakes her head as she passes a glass to each of us. “I pray to la Madonna. The Vitale fate will kiss you.”
“What’s the Vitale fate?” Lucia asks.
“One true love,” Gabi answers, a shy smile on her face. “I can attest it’s true.”
“See.” Nonna shrugs.
“Okay, then who’s next?” Mariella challenges her.
Nonna glances over at the men, her gaze swinging between Rafe and Michele as she considers them for a moment.
Then Antonella stumbles, and Cristian catches her before she hits the ground.
The near miss startles her, and she starts to tear up, but after a few words of murmured Italian from her uncle, she’s smiling again.
“You can’t seriously be thinking of him?” Mariella snorts. “The man has never even brought a woman home.”
“Ask Romeo if I know these things,” Nonna says smugly.
“I’ll give you that one,” Mariella concedes. “But only because you knew he was in love with Gabi before the rest of us did. Cristian’s a different story, though.”
“Why?” Serafina asks. “Isn’t it expected that he’ll marry?”
“Yes.” Mariella’s tone softens. “But marriage and love are two different things. He saw how losing our mother destroyed our father, and I don’t think he wants any part of something like that.”
Nonna dips her head, making the sign of the cross as she whispers something about their souls resting in peace.
The Vitale family has been through a lot, and the grief of losing their parents still lingers.
It’s affected each of them differently, and I understand why some of them wouldn’t want to marry.
I knew Silvio before he passed, and I can’t forget the devastation on his face when he spoke about his wife.
He was never the same after he lost her.
Cristian has always struck me as more business-minded, so it doesn’t surprise me that he’s not interested in a love match. But Nonna doesn’t seem willing to accept that just yet. She mutters something about cookies in the oven and wanders off, leaving the conversation unfinished.
When my phone buzzes, I check it, only to see it’s another text from Marco. He already sent me a slew of them this morning, ranging from excuses to irritation that I’m not responding. Now, he’s apparently delusional enough to think he can smooth everything over.
Come have breakfast with me. I want to see you.
It’s tempting to send him a string of middle finger emojis, but I have no desire to engage with him again, so ultimately, I just block him.
“Hey.” Abella nudges me with her elbow. “Do you have plans tonight?”
“Not yet. What’s on the agenda?”
“I wanted to see if you’d be up for going to the Seven Deadly Sins party at Eden. Val and Lucia already said they’d come.”
“You’re going?” I ask.
She smirks at the obvious surprise on my face.
“I know, I’m very pregnant, but Angelo’s going, and I could use a night out of the house.”
“Isn’t the party for their clients?”
“Yes, but between you and me, I think they’re working on some scheme to mess with Ares. It’s the feud that never really dies.”
“Oh.” My stomach sinks as I consider that.
I don’t want Ares to think I’m involved in whatever they’re doing, but I also doubt I’ll actually see or hear about it.
“You don’t even have to go home,” Abella says. “We can raid my closet and find something for you to wear. I’ve been working from home, so I need someone to dress up.”
“Well, when you put it like that, how can I refuse?”
She lets out a happy little shriek. “Girls’ night here we come.”