Chapter 12
Sebastian
I smile a little when Mia kicks Enzo out of the house. I walk down the staircase, my eyes meeting Mia’s on the way down. “You ok?”
She appears upset, and I get it. The man came in insulting her and expected her not to react. He doesn’t know Mia like I do.
She’s a fireball.
“I think he’s onto us.”
I sit on the sofa and Mia sits with me. “Why do you think that?”
“Well, he was very concerned with you not fucking Lucia tonight. He didn’t like how I stopped it.”
I lean back on the couch, closing my eyes for a moment. “Do you think Lucia had something in store for me?”
Mia laughs a little. “Oh, I’m sure she had a lot of naughty things planned.”
I sit up, my eyes meeting Mia’s big brown ones. “I don’t mean like that. I think maybe she wanted to pump me for info.”
“Oh, I’m sure she wanted to pump you alright.”
I laugh. Mia’s cute. “Stop. You know what I mean.”
Mia’s laughter dies down. “Maybe they think you know.”
I lean an arm on the back of the couch. “Know what?”
We’re close, almost like a couple of lovers having an intimate conversation. I know I should put some space between us, but I don’t want to. It’s comfortable.
“About the missing money.”
“That’s a possibility.” All I really care about is that they don’t place me. They’ve never met Sebastian Cain. They have no reason to even think I’m him, so I’m hoping that still doesn’t come out. “I can’t wait until we head to Rome. I feel like everyone here has ulterior motives.”
Mia leans her head back, resting on my arm. “I can’t wait until I can go home.”
“I’m sorry you had to be dragged into the middle of this.”
“It’s ok. I’m glad I can help you figure this out.” She smiles, and it makes my heart beat faster.
“You mentioned you had dreams. What are they?”
Mia stares at me with her big, beautiful eyes and I get lost in them for a beat too long. “No, you’ll laugh.”
I scoot a little closer. “I won’t laugh.”
“Promise?”
God, I’d promise this girl anything right now. I move closer, wanting to kiss her lips one more time. “Yes, I promise.”
“I want to open my own event planning business.”
A slow smile spreads across my face. “That’s amazing. I think you should.”
“You’ve met my father, though. There’s no way he’d let me do something on my own.”
“Mia, you’re your own woman. You can do anything you want.”
She rolls her eyes a bit. “He’d never go for it.”
“If we clear my name, maybe I can talk to him for you. I think you do a really good job at the restaurant. Remember the Kellerman wedding?”
Mia smiles up at me, crossing her legs, which draws my attention down south.
I have to touch her.
“Yes, I can’t believe I pulled that together in the last minute. You wouldn’t believe everything that went wrong.”
My hand grazes along her silky skin. “No way. You were amazing. You transformed the whole venue.”
“Sebastian,” she murmurs, her eyes gazing into mine.
“I’m serious. You’d be amazing running your own thing. Being your own boss.”
She laughs a little. “My own boss. That would be nice, because my own boss is kind of a jerk.”
I smile, leaning in closer. “Maybe your boss pushes you so hard because he knows you can do better. Because he knows you’re too good for him...” I cough. “I mean the restaurant.”
“Really?” She stares at me like I’m the moon and I can’t breath.
I brush a stray strand of dark hair from her cheek. “Yeah, you were born to plan events.”
“Thank you,” she whispers.
I’m gripped by this woman, and I stand from the couch before I do something stupid. Like kiss her again. Only this time I wouldn’t stop with a kiss. “I’m going to sleep.”
She stares at me like I’ve done something wrong. “Oh, right. Ok.”
See.
Mia knows that the thoughts I’m having are wrong. That we shouldn’t be exploring each other’s bodies right now.
She’s smarter than me. She’s better than me. And she sure as fuck doesn’t need a man like me ruining her dreams.
So, I smile down at her, bid her goodnight, and head to my bedroom.
Alone.
Sundays on the property of Mario Grotto are not to be taken lightly. Since the sun rose this morning, it’s been a hubbub of activity on the property. Elena awakened us with a loud bang on the door. She said we needed to come to church with the family.
I’m glad I never took Mia to bed last night, because we wouldn’t have been able to hide it in front of everyone.
Sitting here in church, next to Mia, with all eyes of the family and the Lord on me, has me rethinking every thought I had about her last night.
The guilt is definitely thick when I think about what I did to myself after I went to my room last night.
Alone.
With nothing but thoughts of Mia on her knees sucking me off as I made myself come. Her plump lips, her big brown eyes staring at me. My body hardens just sitting here thinking about it once more.
Is it wrong that I’m lusting after my business partner’s daughter here in church?
Yes.
I’m going to Hell.
Do I care enough to stop?
Fuck no.
Mia crosses one leg over the other and the dress falls away from her tanned legs, putting them on full display for me. I shift in my seat, trying to focus on what the priest is saying in Italian.
I glance over at Mario sitting with his family. The way his pride overtakes him as he places an arm around his wife. He appears happy here. Like church is his solace. I find comfort in that, but at the same time, I can’t picture myself coming to church every Sunday.
Mia pays attention to the man behind the podium, like she understands what he’s saying.
I want to wrap an arm around her like Mario has around Elena.
But of course, I can’t.
I want out of this setting. I want to get to Rome as soon as possible. I’m over the pretense of Mia being my daughter. We’ll have to pretend we’re father and daughter around Tony for a bit, but I don’t plan on hanging out there long.
I plan on finding Oliver and clearing my name and getting back stateside, so I can put this mess behind me.
I glance at Mia’s leg, resting so close to mine, and my hand itches to touch her. I’m not sure what my pull is to her. I’ve felt this zap of electricity between us ever since I first saw her at her nineteenth birthday party. It’s her brown eyes, always watching me, always studying. They are the type of eyes to draw you in and make you beg for her to teach you things. I can’t believe how badly I’m wanting her right now.
I’m in a fucking church.
I shouldn’t be having these thoughts.
The priest drones on in Italian, and my mind spins out of control, wanting Mia more than I ever have before.
They say the devil works hardest at people in church, and I believe it. Because the thoughts I’m having are pure evil.
Naughty in every sense of the word.
I push the thoughts away when I catch Enzo texting on his phone. He’s always on his phone, texting to someone, talking nonstop to someone not around.
Who?
It makes me think about what Mia said about if Enzo could be working with Oliver. It’s highly possible.
I stare at Enzo, trying to size him up for what type of man he might be. He’s wearing all black, just like most men in here, but there’s something about the way he wears it that makes him seem like a sleazy car salesman. He’s tall, lean and nothing much to look at. His nose is long and pointy, and he just reminds me of a weasel.
He appears to me like he’s someone who would betray his family in a heartbeat for the right price. But I can’t be too sure.
Enzo gets up and steps out of the church.
“I’ll be right back,” I whisper to Mia.
I stand from the pew and make my way out of the chapel. I spot Enzo in the hallway, on the phone, near the door. I hang back, listening, hidden behind a pillar.
“He won’t take the bait. Lucia’s been throwing herself at him. Maybe he likes men?” Enzo says into the phone. His tone is upset, like the person on the phone is yelling at him.
It’s obvious he’s talking about me.
So, I step a bit closer, making sure not to get too close.
“They’re leaving for Rome tomorrow. Don’t you think you should leave?” Enzo whisper-yells into the phone.
Interesting.
It’s got to be Oliver on the other end of the line.
“Sure, ok.” He hangs up the phone and heads in my direction.
“Hi, Enzo.”
He jumps a little when he sees me, and his eyes go wide. “Mr. Sabatini, sir. What are you doing out here?” He rubs at the back of his neck.
“Just overwhelmed by the Lord. Can I talk to you for a minute?”
Enzo lets out a deep breath. “Yeah, sure.” His eyes dart back to the chapel doors, like he’s checking to see if he can make a run for it.
He can’t.
“I see you’re interested in my daughter, Gia. I appreciate the sentiment, but Gia’s already promised to someone in the States.”
Enzo laughs a bit. “You mean like an arranged marriage?”
“I wouldn’t say arranged. I’d say encouraged.” And right now the thought of Mia with anyone but me suddenly sounds awful.
“Maybe Gianna should make up her own mind.”
“She has, and it’s not you.”
Enzo shakes his head, not really knowing what to say.
So, I put him out of his misery. “It doesn’t matter anyway because we’re leaving tomorrow. We’ve seen enough here.”
“I’m actually going to hitch a ride with you all. I have a few friends to see in Rome.”
I’m not happy. But now I know I can just follow Enzo straight to Oliver. So, I smile, stretch out my hand for him to shake, and encourage him. “I think that’s a great idea.”
He shakes my hand and smiles as well. Just like the weasel he is. It’s like I just bought a used car from him.
Only thing is I know it’s him who’s gotten the rotten end of the deal.
Not me.
I head back into the chapel to resume my seat next to Mia. “Enzo will accompany us to Rome,” I say against the shell of her ear.
Her eyes tell me everything.
She thinks it’s a terrible idea.