Chapter 20 Massimo
MASSIMO
Iwas on my way home when Gio texted that he, Gui, and Liana were on their way over. I sped through the city traffic as best I could to make sure I got there before they did.
When I get the notification they’re in the elevator, I meet them by the door.
The elevator dings and the door slides open, revealing Liana standing there wide-eyed and holding two small boxes while my brothers stand behind her with some more.
Stepping forward, I grab the boxes out of Liana’s hands. “Why are you carrying these?” I demand.
“I told you he’d act barbaric over you lifting a finger,” Gio laughs out.
“If you knew what my reaction was going to be, why the hell did you let her?” I snap, backing out of the elevator.
“Oh, stop,” Liana says, moving to grab the boxes I just took from her, but I turn around and take off down the hallway.
Liana’s heels click on the marble floor as she hurries to follow me. “I’m not helpless, you know.”
“I never said you were, but it wouldn’t make me a gentleman if I let you carry your own boxes to our room while my hands are empty.”
I expect some kind of remark from her, fighting me on this, but to my surprise, she remains quiet.
When we reach our room, I walk in and set her things down on the table in the sitting area by the couch.
Turning around, I carefully watch while Liana slowly walks into the room and inspects the area. “Is it to your liking?” I ask with a lift of my brow.
Her gaze moves to mine, and she says, “It’s great.” She nods to the couch behind me. “Your couch looks big enough to fit you too, so I’m sure you’ll love it over there.”
Gui coughs out a laugh, and Gio says, “Yup, I knew you’d keep this guy on his toes.”
The corner of my mouth tugs up into a smile, and my gaze never leaves Liana’s as I say, “You guys can go. Leave the rest of the boxes in the foyer.”
“Oh, come on, we’re already getting kicked out?” Gui says. “I was looking forward to seeing this … dynamic between the two of you.”
“Go,” I repeat, eyes still locked on Liana, who smirks at me then glances over her shoulder at my brothers.
“Thank you guys for helping me bring my stuff over.” She turns back to face me. “I just can’t wait to start unpacking. Really make this bachelor pad a home.”
I narrow my gaze on her but can’t help the smile that forms on my lips when she calls my place home.
Once my brothers leave, Liana says, “I’m assuming you haven’t told them about how you’re forcing me to marry you?”
“I haven’t had a chance to quite yet,” I say, brushing her off. “Come on, let me give you a tour of the place.”
“You don’t have to do that,” she rushes out.
“And what if I want to?”
“Then you really don’t have to do that.” She says it with an attitude, but there’s a slight hint of humor to her tone. I’m wearing her down.
“I wasn’t kidding when I said your couch will fit you just fine.”
“I know you weren’t, but that won’t be happening.”
“And here I thought you were a gentleman.”
“I am, which is why I’ll be sleeping in our bed, next to you, so I can protect you in case anything happens.”
“Please,” she scoffs out. “I saw the security you have in this place. I’m sure safety is not an issue here.”
“You’re right,” I say with a sly smirk. “Because you’ll have me sleeping next to you in case anything were to happen.”
“You’re insufferable, you know that, right?”
“Persistent.”
“Persistence isn’t always a good thing.”
“When it comes to you, I beg to differ.”
She lets out a defeated sigh. “Okay, fine. A tour would be nice … I guess.”
“You guess?” I laugh out, walking toward her. “It’s really difficult for you to acknowledge you’re beginning to realize this isn’t as bad of a situation as you thought it was going to be.”
With a shake of her head, she says, “I definitely wouldn’t say that.”
I take another step toward her, her sweet smell drawing me in like a bee to fucking honey. She sucks in a breath at my intrusive move, and I lean down so my lips brush her ear when I whisper, “Admit it.”
“Not going to happen, Massi.”
Hearing my name dance across her sweet lips does something to me. It fucking excites me.
Brushing her up against the wall, I rest my hand above her head. Her eyes widen when she realizes the intimate position we’re in.
“W-what’re you doing?” she asks.
I tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. The movement makes her shiver, and when I run the tips of my fingers down the frame of her face, goosebumps erupt in their path. Her body is already begging me, I just need that sweet mind of hers to catch up.
“I like when you call me Massi. You should do it more often.”
Our lips are so close, our breaths combine as one in the sheer amount of space between us.
“Tell me, mia moglie, do you still taste like sweet cherries?”
Her mouth bobbles, the heat from her breath searing my lips with an unquenchable thirst.
“I-I …”
Whatever she was about to say seems to get stuck in her throat, and when I take advantage, leaning down to see if she tastes just as sweet as I remember, her phone dings.
Fucking hell.
“Shit,” she hisses out, frantically pulling the interrupting piece of technology out of the pocket of her white blazer.
I let out an annoyed grunt and push off the wall, giving her enough space to check her phone.
“Crap,” she whispers out.
“What’s wrong?”
She shakes her head, shoving her phone back into her pocket. “Nothing. I just forgot I’m supposed to meet a client at the boutique soon. I have to go.”
She hurries out of the bedroom toward the elevator, so I follow her. Pausing in the foyer, she glances around at the boxes my brothers brought in.
“Don’t worry about this,” I say as I approach from behind her. “I’ll bring them to our room.”
She presses the elevator button, then spins on her heel to face me. “Um, yeah, okay, thanks. I … I’ll get everything put away soon.”
“You look flustered.” I can’t help the cocky grin that takes over my face. “Everything okay with work?”
“Perfectly fine,” she says, avoiding eye contact with me.
“Everything okay with us?”
She snaps her widened gaze to mine and, with tight lips, says, “As good as they’ll ever get.”
I cock a brow at her, but before I’m able to say anything, the elevator door opens and she backs into it.
I watch as the doors close, then take my phone out and send her a text.
Me: You won’t be able to run for long. In two days, you’ll be mine, mia moglie. Don’t forget that.