Chapter Three #2
I resist the urge to touch my hair or dust my apron one more time as I unlock the door, pulling it open.
I fully expect to see my bodyguard, but I am instead met by the handsome face of a Rossi brother.
The men of that family are built like boulders, and it's a wonder they don't terrify every living creature they come across.
Lorenzo Rossi is no different. The nerdy glasses he loves to wear don't fool anyone. He's as dangerous as the rest of them.
“Lorenzo, hey,” I say in greeting, my eyes dropping to the bag he’s carrying. “Thanks for coming so quickly. I didn’t expect you until later.”
“Luca made it sound urgent,” he says with a shrug.
“Figured I’d get it done before—hey, what is that smell?
” He pushes past me and into the apartment before I can stop him, zeroing in on the kitchen.
I follow him and can’t help but laugh at how he beams at my charred cookies. “Are these chocolate chip cookies?”
“They’re burnt,” I say, breaking into a laugh when his face falls.
I realize I haven’t laughed this hard in so long, and instead of feeling embarrassed at my flaws being on full display, I find myself feeling at ease around a Rossi.
“You don’t have to look like a kicked puppy.
I have a few cookies stored, and I was about to bake a fresh batch. ”
“Good, because Luca and I didn’t discuss payment, and I demand chocolate chip cookies as payment for my work.”
“Oh, I’ll pay—”
"Don't," he says sternly. "You're practically family, Matilde. Two of my brothers are married to two of your cousins. The only payment I'll accept from you is in the form of unburned cookies. End of discussion."
I smile. “I’ll throw in a chocolate mousse too.”
“You have a deal,” he says, flashing me a charming smile. I wait for my stomach to flutter or my heart to race. Anything to prove that I can be moved by a handsome face and that how I react to Luca is normal.
But…nothing happens.
Not a single flutter in my chest. Not even a weak one.
Is Luca really that special? Why else do I act like a schoolgirl experiencing her first crush?
I shake my head as thoughts of the man slip in.
I force them away and focus on baking a fresh batch of cookies, which I thankfully don't burn.
The smell has Lorenzo, who'd started working, slip in to snag the warm cookies. I pour him some coffee to chase them down, and I soon realize that he’s a bit of a gossip, too.
He tells me nearly everything about Matteo, and the more I learn, I realize that Sofia is well-loved and taken care of.
“What about Luca?” I ask when the conversation shifts to him. “How come he’s guarding me when my sister and cousins were assigned bodyguards from O’Shea Protection Services?”
“You were assigned a guard from the firm, too,” he says, biting into his cookie, completely missing the way my body stiffens at his words.
“When Matteo contracted the firm for bodyguards, all of you were meant to have the best female guards the company had. Most of these women were in the special forces, you know.”
I clear my throat, playing it casual as I toss in the next question. “So, what happened to my guard?”
He snorts. “What do you think happened? Luca found out about the guards and demanded to be yours. It was the first time Luca had ever demanded something from Matteo, and we were all equally shocked and amused.” He reaches for another cookie but stops, eyes narrowing on mine.
“Though I suppose that makes sense, given how I’ve seen how he looks at you. ”
Heat floods my cheeks. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,”
“Uh-huh.” He gives me a look that says he doesn’t believe me for a second, but mercifully, he lets it drop. Anyway, this mousse—can I try it?”
Grateful for the subject change, I hold up a spoonful of the chocolate mousse. “Tell me what you think.”
Lorenzo beams and leans forward for the bite—and that’s the exact moment Luca walks in.
We all freeze: my hand holding the spoon toward Lorenzo, who is leaning close to me, his mouth open. For a full five seconds, no one speaks. I jump when Lorenzo closes his mouth over the spoon and pulls back, taking it with him.
My eyes are on Luca, and I see the moment his face turns stormy. Those gorgeous green eyes darken with intensity, and I feel a shiver roll down my spine.
No one speaks. Not for a minute, at least. Lorenzo must feel the weight of the sudden mood shift because he backs up, snagging another cookie and announcing that he's done with the apartment and will move his work to the bakery. Normally, I would laugh at Lorenzo's clear fear of Luca’s mood, considering Lorenzo is actually Luca’s superior, but there is something about Luca’s intense gaze that wipes the humor out.
“I’ll see myself out,” Lorenzo calls out, but no one responds. I barely notice as he makes his way out, closing the front door behind him. Locking me in alone with one of the most dangerous men in New York City.