Chapter Seven
Lorena
The air is thick with the aroma of fresh herbs and simmering sauces as Josie chatters away beside me, her words flowing like a river. I have gotten used to her lively banter now. I live for her stories, even if I suspect most of them are spun from her imagination.
“You know, the man I was supposed to marry, Nico, was from Sicilian royalty,” she says, deftly shaping rice balls by my side.
“Really?” I murmur, feigning interest.
“Yes. We were in love. I worked as a maid in his mansion when I was young. He loved me. But when his family members found out about our affair, they sent me away and sent him to study abroad. I never saw him again,” she sighs. “I’m still waiting for him to come back for me.”
I'm inclined to believe her, especially as she fidgets with the pendant around her neck, presumably a gift from Nico.
Until Blanco snorts. “Don’t believe any word from her mouth. That's straight out of some old Sicilian flick we watched as kids.”
I laugh, shaking my head.
Standing at the head of the gleaming marble counter, I’m surrounded by an array of vibrant ingredients. The meal the family is having for lunch today features many dishes. We are to make arancine, savory rice balls; caponata, an eggplant dish cooked with tomatoes and vinegar; grilled seafood; caprese salad; and marinated olives.
We start with the first dish on our menu, which is the arancine, those golden, crispy rice balls filled with savory ingredients. Hilda is unusually quiet today, standing by an opposite stove as she cooks Arborio rice. When it is cooked to perfection, it will be mixed with the rich ragù.
I’m excited to cook this dish. I cooked it first in culinary school, and it has been my favorite Sicilian dish ever since. Josie and Blanco expertly shape the rice balls, their hands moving with practiced finesse, ensuring each one emerges uniform in size and shape.
“Are you okay, Hilda?” I ask her, my voice dripping in concern. I don’t know how it happened, but somehow, I've managed to forge friendships with all my sous-chefs.
“Yeah,” she mumbles, forcing a small smile on her lips. I look at Blanco to see if he knows anything. He merely shrugs.
We then move on to the caponata, a traditional Sicilian eggplant dish bursting with flavors. Without me asking, Josie washes her hands before grabbing a knife and coming to dice the eggplants. I love the way we all work in sync in the kitchen.
“Hilda, are you sure nothing is wrong?” Josie asks.
When Hilda remains tight-lipped, Blanco huffs. “Keeping secrets from us now?”
For some reason, I sense that she's reluctant to spill in my presence. I might take them as my friends now, but to an extent, I am still a stranger to them. We’ve only known each other for a couple of days.
Just then, we hear a howl of laughter coming from the other side of the house. From what Josie told me, Leonardo has friends over. It's a bit startling. How did that asshole manage to have not just one friend, but multiple of them? But then I assume they’re all like him, and it makes me roll my eyes in disgust.
I push away the memory of my last encounter with him, and the way I had him in my mind as Maximo gave me an orgasm. Instead, I focus on preparing the sauce, combining sweet and sour notes with tomatoes, vinegar, and capers. I take the bowl of diced eggplants from Josie when she’s done. The sizzle of the olive oil in the pan is music to my ears as I sauté the eggplant to tender perfection. A tantalizing aroma fills the kitchen, making my mouth water.
Another howl of laughter is heard, and irritation fills me.
“Are they usually this loud?” I ask, unable to hide the disdain in my voice.
“Yes, they are,” Josie offers. “Even though they argue and joke a lot, they are a close-knit friend group.”
“And how do you know the intricacies of their friend group?” Blanco asks.
Josie shoots him a glare. “Quit playing dumb. They're practically inseparable. Always hanging out.”
“And you're an expert on this because?” Blanco prods. “Are you his personal shadow? Following him everywhere?”
I chuckle at Josie’s flustered expression.
“You are just trying to rile me up,” she huffs.
Blanco laughs. “Gotcha. You're a sucker for a good tease. You’re so easy to provoke.”
“From now onwards, I'm officially pretending you don't exist,” she says before dramatically turning her back on him to face me.
As the savory dishes come together, we turn our attention to the seafood. Hilda comes over and meticulously cleans and deveins the prawns, while I delicately drizzle olive oil over the fresh octopus, readying it for the grill. The sizzle and crackle of the seafood on the hot grill give me a sound-gasm.
While the main elements of our meal are taking shape, we begin to assemble the side dishes and garnishes. We slice ripe tomatoes and fresh mozzarella for a classic Caprese salad, drizzling it with fragrant basil-infused olive oil. A platter of marinated olives and cheeses adds an extra touch of local authenticity.
“The twins are back,” Hilda suddenly says.
I’m about to ask her how she knows before I hear a female voice I haven’t heard before. We all glance at the large kitchen door as a girl in a tube top and shorts walks past the door, with a male version of her walking behind her.
“Mm. Something smells nice,” I hear her say.
My head swells with pride before I remember that all the Vitale family members I’ve met are assholes. I didn’t realize it ran in the family until my first encounter with Carmela. The little girl had looked me up and down, said I was too young to be a chef, and accused me of cheating my way through. So, I already know the twins won’t be any different.
Ugh! Thinking about it makes me mad.
With the clock ticking closer to lunchtime, everything falls into place gradually.
“What's cooking, guys?” Carmela's irritating voice breaks the peace.
I inwardly groan as I hear the annoying, scrawny voice belonging to Carmela.
Josie is the one who answers. Her answer earns a huff from Carmela.
“Really? That’s the best you can do? My siblings arrived today. I want you to cook something special, and not just the regular lunch we have on Fridays,” she complains, rolling her eyes dramatically.
I stare at her in disbelief. Surely, she isn't suggesting we whip up another meal.
“Why are you staring at me like that?” she snaps at me.
If she's aiming to intimidate me, she's got a long way to go.
In a bored tone, I say, “We cannot make another lunch, Carmela. If you want something special, perhaps we can discuss it for next time.”
She scoffs, flicking her brown hair backward. “Are you seriously telling me no?”
I bite my tongue to keep from saying something that might cost me my job.
“I'm afraid your request isn't feasible right now,” I respond, wondering where the hell Nina is. She'd know how to handle this little demon's spawn.
Josie and Blanco begin ferrying the dishes to the dining room.
“Fine. I guess I have to take matters into my own hands,” she huffs.
Before I can react, she strides over to the counter and grabs the platter of caponata. She’s about to throw it on the floor when I rush towards her and take it from her hands.
“What's your problem?” I growl, just as she screeches, “Don’t touch me!”
“What's happening here?” A deep voice interjects.
We both turn as a tall man enters the kitchen. Instantly, I recognize him as one of Leo's friends, and I can't help but notice his good looks.
“I told her to prepare something else for lunch, but she snapped at me and insulted me,” Carmela says, folding her hands on her chest.
I release a low groan in exhaustion, placing a hand on my forehead. The man seems to notice my frustration because a small smile appears on his lips.
“I overheard you, Carmela,” he says, his voice deep and soft. I close my eyes, partly from exhaustion and partly to savor the sound of his voice. “And I witnessed you almost throwing the platter on the floor. I don’t think that’s very nice,” he adds, his tone gentle. Oh God, he sounds so soothing.
I don’t hear anything from Carmela, so I open my eyes to see a slightly shy expression on her face.
“But the previous chef prepared this same dish all the time. It’s like that was the only thing he knew how to cook,” she grumbles low in her throat.
“Then, you calmly explain it to the wonderful chef here,” he glances at me, and I catch a glint in his eyes. “Sure, the meal has already been prepared, but if you had explained calmly, maybe she could consider cooking what you want next time,” he says.
Carmela rolls her eyes dismissively. “Yeah, whatever.”
He grins, his hand running through her hair.
“Hey! I spent ages fixing that,” she protests, earning a laugh from him. The sound is deep and rich. I find myself wishing he'd keep laughing forever.
“Why don’t you go catch up with the twins, huh?” he suggests, nudging Carmela out of the kitchen, leaving me and the handsome strange man alone.
His deep blue eyes lock with mine.
“Thanks for stepping in,” I say with a relieved sigh. “I probably would've gotten into trouble if I scolded her.”
He chuckles, making me smile at him. “Yeah. Carmela can be a handful sometimes, but deep down she's a sweet kid.”
Part of me wants to disagree, but I remember he's Leo’s friend. I don't want to risk Leo finding out I don't think his sister is all that sweet.
“Alessandro Mancini,” the handsome stranger introduces himself, extending his hand for a handshake.
“I’m Lorena Romano,” I reply, shaking his hand. His hand envelops mine, and I momentarily let myself get lost in the sensation.
“You have a lovely name,” he compliments, his eyes sparkling. “Suits your beautiful face.”
I roll my eyes, which only makes him laugh.
“I know. That sounded very cliche,” he admits. His laughter is infectious, and soon I'm joining in.
“Yeah, it was. But you made it sound cute.”
“Alessandro!” We both turn as Leo storms into the kitchen, clearly not in a good mood. I don’t realize Alessandro is still holding my hand until he drops it.
“I thought you went to take a call,” Leo says through gritted teeth. Alessandro seems unfazed by his friend's irritation.
“Yeah, I did. But when I passed by and saw Carmela causing a scene, I had to intervene…”
“I have Nina for that,” Leo interrupts sharply, barely concealing his annoyance. “The others are wondering where you are.”
Translation: Get out of the kitchen.
“Yeah, whatever, man,” Alessandro chuckles, his eyes gleaming as he turns to look at me again. “It was lovely meeting you, Lorena. I’ll be seeing you around.”
He exits, leaving me alone with the beast himself.
“You are not to fraternize with anyone while on duty, especially not my friends,” Leo admonishes me, stepping closer.
“I wasn't fraternizing,” I defend myself. “He helped me with a situation. I was just thanking him.”
Leo takes another step towards me, and my breath hitches in my throat. Every time I think I hate him; I am proven wrong by the way my body reacts to him.
“I don't care,” he says, his voice low and commanding.
I refuse to look away from his eyes, so we stare deeply at each other, and I find it more difficult to breathe with each passing second. The smell of his rich cologne wafts into my nostrils, and I wish I could bury my face in his neck, though I'd be catching more than just his scent.
He reads something in my gaze, his eyes darkening with desire. Suddenly, I wonder what it would feel like for him to touch me. He would take me roughly, to release all the pent-up anger and frustration between us in a surge of raw passion.
“The next time you defy me like this, you won't get off so easily,” he warns, his voice husky, and I have a feeling that like mine, his thoughts are far from innocent.
“Really? And what will you do?” I challenge. Not so sure why I did, but it’s already too late.
His gaze flares with desire, his jaw clenched as if restraining himself. Like he wants to do something to me, but he can’t. Then he storms away, taking my breath away with him.