Enzo #2
It appeared I was following in my father’s footsteps more than I realized. All it took was a woman who wasn’t impressed or fearful of who I was and what I did for me to home in and patiently and slowly work my way into her good graces until her no’s slowly turned to ‘yes’.
I’d have been fine with going back every day if it meant being around her.
Lucky for me, my father had explained what it was like seeing my mother for the first time, so I understood what it meant when I had the same reaction to meeting Serena.
Marcello didn’t have that. He refused to see what was in front of him until it was almost too late. I wouldn’t make the same mistake.
No, instead I started making plans. Serena was aware of my world, tangentially, and she had a child to think about. It was going to take time and a lot of persuading to convince Serena to date me, but I was fine with hard work.
Everything I’d done in my life thus far was because I put in the time and effort to see it through. Serena and Harper would be no different.
Frustration danced up my spine as I pushed open the first floor of Serena’s building.
This was supposed to be a secure door with a key to gain entry.
This wasn’t the first or even the third time I’d encountered this security issue.
People who didn’t have a key were supposed to be buzzed in.
With the way the door was, anyone off the streets could walk in.
It was unacceptable. I sent a text to one of my men to fix this door—now—or I’d take the matter into my own hands, which no one wanted.
Panorama owned the building, after all, a purchase I’d secured a month after meeting Serena, and we had an obligation to keep our tenants safe.
Two flights of stairs later, with sweat dripping down my spine, I shot off a second text to the maintenance man about getting fans or something in the staircase. The heat was a code violation and should have been reported.
Shaking off the heat, I turned the doorknob and got even more frustrated that it was open. Anyone could’ve walked in and targeted her.
I made it three steps inside before a small body flew past me, landed, and crouched down with one hand on the ground and the other up in the air.
Tiny, dark-chocolate eyes looked up at me through a red mask with black lines running through it.
“I’m Spider-Man,” Harper said, then turned and raced down the small hallway, her pigtails swinging behind her.
I grinned down at her. “Thanks for keeping the city safe, Spider-Man.”
“Are you here to see my mommy?” she asked, grabbing my hand and tugging me hurriedly toward Serena, talking a hundred miles a minute all the way there.
Did I know purple is the best color? How come I’m so big? Did I know Lily at pre-school was her best friend? What noise does a giraffe make? I followed, letting a low chuckle escape as her questions rolled from one into the next, and felt my chest loosen in a way I hadn’t expected.
I wasn’t good with kids, not because I disliked them. I didn’t have much experience with them. Harper was the only kid I spent any time around when I stopped by Serena’s studio.
I pulled a lollipop from my pocket, cherry flavored, and discreetly handed it to Harper. She sucked in a gasp. I brought a finger to my lips, urging her to keep quiet.
We came to a stop a few feet from Serena, Harper taking off to the other side of the studio to eat her lollipop like she always did when I brought her one.
Serena’s back was to me, hair up in a haphazard bun, hunched over, no doubt working on a seam.
Music played in the background, just loud enough that she wouldn’t hear the bell that rang to let her know someone walked through the door.
I took a moment, trying to keep my anger at bay—how easily someone could have walked in and harmed her and Harper. I needed to get her out of this place and into mine as soon as I could.
“Mommy!” Harper called, suddenly standing next to me.
I covered my mouth, hiding my smile as Serena jerked in her chair.
“Harp-” Serena turned around and stopped speaking. Her eyes went wide as they traveled from my feet to my face.
“Serena,” I said, her name rolling off my tongue. It took a second, but her cheeks slowly turned my favorite shade of pink.
I stayed still, waiting for her to move. As always, I took my cues from her. Showing up and surprising her was fun, but I still needed to broach the subject of a date with care.
Serena stood, wiping her hands on her jean shorts. Her T-shirt was cut wide at the collar and fell off one shoulder. She had a birthmark in the shape of a star on her collarbone that I wanted to trace.
With my tongue.
Focus. Harper’s here.
She padded to me, feet bare, with no polish on her toes, and stopped a few feet away. “How are you?” She opened and closed her mouth, like she wanted to say more but didn’t know what.
“I’m good.” I leaned in, loving how I towered over her.
In one move, I could sweep her up in my arms, press her against the wall, and wrap her legs around me.
“You mentioned some things might be ready. I was in the area”—I was always in the area, but that was beside the point—“and thought I’d check, save you a call. ”
That was my best excuse yet. I had to keep that one in my back pocket.
Serena nodded, walking around me. I kept close to her as she moved, watching the strands of hair that had fallen out of her bun flow behind her. My fingers twitched with the need to twirl them.
As Serena searched for my order, her shoulders crept up, and she kept stopping to stretch her hands.
She was always stressed. No doubt, having Harper home for a half-day made it worse.
Before I could talk myself out of it, I reached over and grabbed Serena’s hands.
They were the perfect size, and for a moment, time stopped. Serena blinked at me, her mouth a pretty O as I dug my thumbs into her palms, stretching the muscles.
A current shot up my arm, begging me to touch more of her. To get closer to her. I resisted, knowing that it would be too much to throw her over my shoulder, carry her home, and beg her to let me take care of her.
Instead, I methodically worked my way from her hands to her wrists, digging my fingers into the pads of her palms. With each pass, Serena relaxed a fraction.
Her shoulders lost tension, and she leaned her head to the side, stretching out her neck. It was long, the pulse fluttering as she took deep, meditative breaths.
I wanted to close the remaining distance between us. Drag my tongue up her neck, feel what I did to her.
I didn’t. I was under her spell, watching as she relaxed with my help.
I bit back a remark about how she needed to take better care of herself when a cute little moan escaped her lips.
Fanculo. I could hear her make that sound a thousand times and never grow tired of hearing it.
“Uscirai con me,” I said. “E scoprirò quali altri suoni posso farti fare.”
“I,” Serena said, barely above a whisper. “I have no idea what you said.”
Good. It was better that she didn’t know my mind was wandering to her naked body and the noises she made when she was wet and needy.
I laughed, because what else could I do? Tell her what I said in a language she understood?
“How does that feel?” I asked, reluctantly taking my hands off her.
Serena swallowed, taking her eyes off me and lowering them to her hands, which she stretched out.
“You’re a miracle worker. Can I keep you around to massage my hands when they get too stiff?”
“You have my number. Call me whenever you need me.” There was so much more I wanted to say, but I knew it wasn’t the right time.
“Well, what do we have here?” Serena jumped back, putting space between us.
Charles strutted in like he owned the place.
He didn’t. I did. The lock downstairs just became my top priority.
I stood in front of Serena, as I did at the coffee shop. Whatever Charles came here to start, I’d be her line of defense. Harper’s giggles echoed from the open door to their makeshift apartment, completely unaware that her father was fifteen feet away.
Serena elbowed me out of the way. I shifted to give her more room, but not enough to brush past me entirely.
Serena stared at her ex-husband, so angry, for a moment, I thought she was going to attack him.
Mia ragazza.