CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
STEFANO
I swiped to answer, pressing the phone to my ear.
“Hello.” My voice came out gruffer than I’d intended, annoyed at the interruption when all I wanted was to hold Sienna against me, to feel her warmth seeping into my skin.
“Cousin!” Terzo greeted, his voice too cheerful for this early in the morning. I closed my eyes as Sienna chuckled beside me, clearly amused by my frustration.
“Put the phone on speaker phone,” Terzo told me, his voice so loud I was sure Sienna could hear him even without the speaker.
“Why?” I asked, opening my eyes to look at her. She was watching me with that half-smile that always made my chest swell with love.
“So I can talk to my cousin-in-law,” he said.
It was the cousin-in-law part that saved him. Had he said he wanted to talk to his muse, I would’ve hung up. I put the call on speaker and held the phone between Sienna and me.
“Hey, Terzo,” Sienna said, leaning closer to speak into the phone.
“Hello, my muse,” Terzo drawled, his voice dripping with exaggerated affection that made my jaw clench.
“Terzo!” I snapped, unable to help myself. The man knew exactly how to get under my skin.
“Calm down, calm down,” Terzo said, a hint of laughter in his voice. “I got your message. Rome will be back in Italy tonight. Things are good with his brother back home. So, he’s coming here. He’ll be at Tower D tomorrow, working in his office.”
That was good news. Rome’s tech skills were unmatched. If anyone could get into Daniel Abeli’s systems without leaving a trace, it was him.
“I’ll stop by there and tell him about the Abelis,” Terzo continued. “I have a guy who can make it look like the Ruspoli family did what went down at the warehouse. I learned yesterday that Daniel owes the Ruspoli family some money.”
My brows lifted at that information. The Ruspoli family was old money, with connections that ran deep through Italy’s political landscape. If Daniel was borrowing from them, he was more desperate than I’d realized.
“I also learned that Daniel has been disowned by the Abeli family,” Terzo added.
My eyes widened at this revelation. “Shit. For real. Why?” I asked, exchanging a look with Sienna. This changed things. If Daniel was cut off from his family’s resources and protection, he was vulnerable. Desperate. That made him both easier to take down and more dangerous.
“His gambling addiction,” Terzo explained.
“He was embezzling funds from their corporations. One of those businesses even went bankrupt. Now that he’s disowned, he’s been hanging with some unsavory individuals, borrowing money from some of his supposed friends.
But he’s been losing at the gambling dens.
Now those friends have become enemies. One of those enemies is the Ruspolis.
If we make it look like they did it, that will buy us some time for Rome to find out if Daniel is working with the Irish mafia to gather intel on Sienna. ”
“That’ll work,” I said. “How quickly can you have it done?”
“I’ll have it done by lunch. Just leave it to me. You know I’ll do anything for my...” Terzo paused dramatically.
“Careful, Terzo,” I growled, already knowing where he was heading with that statement.
“I was going to say, my family,” Terzo finished innocently. “Damn, Stefano, stop trying to keep Sienna all to yourself.”
“She’s mine,” I stated flatly, wrapping an arm around Sienna’s waist and pulling her closer. “Why the hell wouldn’t I keep her all to myself?”
“Well, she’s mine and Eve’s for an hour on Saturday,” Terzo teased, referring to the cooking class they all attended together.
“When I see…” I started, the threat building in my throat.
“You’re going to hug me because if you hurt me, Sienna will be mad at you. Won’t you, Sienna?” Terzo interrupted, his tone smug.
“Nope,” Sienna answered, making me smile. “As long as he doesn’t kill you, I’m fine,” she told Terzo.
I chuckled, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “I promise not to kill him, love,” I told my Beauty.
“You two treat me so badly,” Terzo complained. “When I find me a wife, I’m going to get her permission to fuck you up, Stefano.”
I burst out laughing at that. The image of Terzo trying to take me down was amusing, but the idea of him finding someone who could put up with his antics was even more so.
“Okay. Let’s talk about it after you find someone to love,” I told him.
“That hurt, bro,” Terzo said, though I could hear the smile in his voice. “I’m hanging up because you two are ganging up on me. Bye. I’ll handle this cover-up with the Abelis.” He paused, then added, “See you tomorrow at Tower D, Sienna.”
With that last jab, he ended the call. Sienna smiled at me, her eyes warm with affection.
“Don’t get mad at him. He’s a sweetie. But you’re my sweetie,” she told me, leaning close to kiss me. “Plus, he’s helping us out,” she added.
“He’s doing what he’s paid to do,” I told her.
But she was right. No matter how silly Terzo was, I knew he was someone I could count on. Someone who would protect Sienna if I weren’t there to do so. I also knew that he was close to her and Eve because they treated him well. He hadn’t always been treated well, damn sure not by his parents.
I remembered plenty of times when we were young, Terzo would run to the old don’s house in the middle of the night, crying, feet bleeding from having run for miles. And the old don would take him in.
When Terzo’s father would come to get him, the old don and his father would end up in an argument, and Terzo would spend the next few days staying with the old don. I’d minded my business back then, so I didn’t know exactly what went on.
But I knew he and his brother hadn’t had it easy. He smiled to hide the pain. No matter what happened, he was my cousin. And I would protect him just as I protected Enzo.
“Penny for your thoughts,” Sienna said, her finger tracing patterns on my chest.
“I was just thinking that I should give Terzo a raise,” I told her, covering her hand with mine.
“Do it. He deserves it,” she exclaimed, her eyes brightening at the idea.
“You’re right, he does.” I nodded, making a mental note to adjust his payment. “Now, what do you want to do today?”
She tapped her lips as she thought, the gesture drawing my eyes to her mouth. I immediately pictured myself tapping my cock against her lips. I looked away, my gaze landing on her breasts.
It wasn’t safe to look there either. Every inch of her pulled at me, igniting a hunger that never seemed to be fully satisfied.
“How about I ride your mouth,” she suggested, her voice dropping to that sultry tone that never failed to harden my cock. “And then we order ingredients so I can make you that lemon cake you never got to taste.”
My gaze jerked to hers, heat rushing through me at the look in her eyes.
“I like the way you think, beautiful,” I told her and proceeded to lie back so she could ride my mouth.
She straddled my face, her thighs bracketing my head. I gripped her body and brought her down until she was seated on my tongue. I proceeded to lick her pussy as she gripped my cock, stroking it as she rode my mouth.
I groaned when she leaned forward and sucked me, taking me deep into her warm, wet mouth.
Our bodies rocked, bucking against the bed as we pleasured each other.
We came together, exploding on each other’s tongues, drinking each other for breakfast. The perfect start to what promised to be a perfect day.
Afterward, we freshened up in the bathroom. Standing side by side in front of the mirror, we brushed our teeth. I used my phone to order the ingredients we’d need for Sienna’s lemon cake, my gaze drifting to her reflection every few seconds, unable to stay away from her for long.
“And get lemon icing,” she told me, spitting into the sink before rinsing her mouth.
“That’s going to be a lot of lemon,” I told her, scrolling through the app to add it to our order.
“Trust me, you’re going to love it,” she said, wiping her mouth with a towel, those eyes of hers holding mine in the mirror.
Even if I didn’t love it, I’d pretend I did. Fuck, I was no better than Enzo’s lovesick ass. After ordering the groceries we needed, I ordered some lunch for us. She went to the kitchen to get what she needed set up, and I worked in my office for a bit before the food arrived.
The knock came sooner than I expected. It was Dante with our delivery because he wouldn’t let the actual delivery guys get close to the house. Smart man. I accepted the items from him with a nod of thanks and carried them to the kitchen.
By the time I stepped into the kitchen, she had already cleared off space on the counter, pulling bowls out, setting things up, ready to bake. As she started doing her thing, I sat down on a stool and unwrapped my food, content to watch her work.
“You’re staring,” she said, reaching for the flour without looking at me.
“I’m eating,” I replied, taking another bite of my sandwich, though my eyes never left her.
“Uh-huh.” She started mixing her ingredients together. After a moment, she glanced at the food bag beside me. “I’m hungry too,” she told me.
“On it, princess,” I stated, causing her to chuckle.
I unwrapped her food and then fed her a fry. She continued working as she chewed. She opened her mouth again, and I let her take a bite of her chicken tender. As she chewed, I ate my own food. We continued that way until she put the cake in the oven and set the timer.
“Now we wait,” she said, wiping her hands on a towel.
I tossed our food bags in the trash and then scooped her up, one arm behind her back, the other under her knees. She made a small sound of surprise but didn’t resist, her arms automatically coming up to wrap around my neck.
“Let’s watch TV while we wait,” I told her and carried her to the living room.
We settled onto the couch and pulled up an action flick. She snuggled up close to me, her head resting against my chest, her body fitting perfectly against mine as if she’d been made for me. We watched in silence until the timer went off, signaling that the cake was done.
I carried her back to the kitchen, reluctant to let her go even for a moment. She pulled the cake from the oven, setting it on a cooling rack. I won’t lie, it looked and smelled good, the scent of lemon filling the kitchen.
“Once it cools, we’ll add the icing,” she told me, satisfaction evident in her voice.
“Since you baked it, do you want me to add the icing?” I asked.
She smiled, her eyes warming. “If you want.”
I did want to help out. So, once it was time, I started icing the cake. I spread it across the top, following her instructions, making sure it didn’t look like shit.
“You sure this icing isn’t going to make it too lemony?” I asked, spreading more icing onto the cake.
“It shouldn’t. Let me taste the icing,” she said, moving closer to me.
I dipped my finger into the icing and held it out to her, not wanting her to put her mouth on the butter knife I was using to spread the icing. She stepped closer, her eyes lifting to mine for a brief second before she leaned in and her lips closed around my finger.
Well damn.
Her tongue brushed against my fingertip, and then she sucked.
My cock jerked in response, hardening instantly at the sight of her lips wrapped around my finger, the feel of her tongue against my skin.
As she pulled back, taking the icing with her, my entire body went still.
My jaw tightened, heat rushing through me.
She stepped back like nothing had happened, like she hadn’t just lit a fire inside of me. “That’s good,” she said, turning away.
Little menace. She knew exactly what she was doing to me.
I finished what was left of the icing, watching her out of the corner of my eye. She cut into the cake once it cooled enough, pulling out a slice and placing it in front of me.
“I want you to be the first to taste it,” she told me.
And I won’t lie, my heart melted a little at that.
I picked up the fork, determined to smile no matter what it tasted like.
I took a bite and paused. Wait. It was..
. good. Damn good. The lemon flavor was bright but not overwhelming, the cake itself moist and light.
I took another bite, then another, genuinely enjoying it.
She watched me the whole time, trying to play it off like she didn’t care, but I saw it. The way she waited. The slight tension in her shoulders. The hope in her eyes.
“How is it?” she finally asked, unable to maintain her indifference any longer.
“It’s good. Really good, babe,” I said, meaning every word.
Her lips pressed together like she was trying not to smile too broadly, to not show how much my approval meant to her. I took another bite, savoring the flavor.
“You’ve got to make this again,” I told her.
At that, she could no longer hold her smile in. It broke across her face like sunrise, lighting up her features.
“Next week, we’ll learn how to make pasta from scratch. Once I perfect it, I’ll make you a pasta dish. Okay?” she said, already planning ahead.
I nodded, still eating the cake. “Are you going to eat some?” I asked.
She nodded and cut herself a piece. As she ate, she watched me, still smiling. And I realized then that she loved taking care of me just as much as I loved taking care of her. We spent the rest of our Sunday relaxing, enjoying the quiet of just being together.
After the Saturday we had, we deserved a day to just lounge in bed and relax. I couldn’t keep my hands off her all day. Mainly because she was irresistible. But also because I knew that I’d have to share her tomorrow with Tower D.
So, that day, I loved on her all day. I kissed every inch of her body.
I whispered promises against her skin. I watched her laugh, watched her eyes darken with desire, watched her face in those moments when pleasure overtook her.
And we fell asleep in each other’s arms that night, both of us ready to face whatever came next.
Together.