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A throat clears, snapping me from my thoughts. My eyes narrow in on where Ocean sits across the table from me, shifting in her seat and looking more uncomfortable than I have ever seen her. We are at one of the Italian restaurants I own, a couple blocks away from the spa, in a private back room. I chose this particular establishment because I know it’s not one my papà or his men frequent. Though I would love nothing more than to show Ocean off to the world, I need to keep things discreet. I can’t risk my papà finding out about her. Not now.
My gaze drops to her fidgeting hands before flicking to the throbbing pulse point in her neck. I make her nervous. Good. Because she makes me feel a whole lot of things that unnerve me. I huff a laugh, scrubbing a palm down my face. Jesus fucking Christ I need to be careful with this girl. Not for her sake, but for my sanity. My contradicting thoughts are making me crazy. Our server appears, drawing my attention away from Ocean. He places our dinner on the table with a nervous smile before disappearing and leaving us alone once again.
“Eat,” I demand, picking up my utensils and digging into the delicious ravioli. With a glare in my direction but without argument Ocean picks up her fork, digging into her Bolognese. She wraps the noodles around the tines before taking a mouthful of the carb and meat deliciousness gracefully. My eyes shift to her mouth, cock hardening in my pants when I remember how her lips felt pressed against my own. Soft. Innocent.Mine. That word jumps into my head unbidden, making me grit my teeth.
Shaking the thought away, I clear my throat. “So, did you enjoy your first day atBellissima?”
Swallowing her food, she reaches out, grabs her soda, and takes a sip as if she needs the time to give me an answer. I watch her delicate throat roll as she drinks the dark liquid. I want to lick my way up her neck and taste every inch of her perfect skin. Glass hitting the table has my gaze lifting back to Ocean’s. She smiles, and the look is so breathtaking, I am grateful that I’m sitting right now as I think my legs may have buckled under her beauty. I inwardly roll my eyes. What the hell is wrong with me? I don’t think shit like this. Ever.
“It was good. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. And Macy, she is so nice. She really looked after me.” She frowns before continuing. “I will miss dancing, though. Not necessarily the taking my clothes off part, but I have been a dancer my whole life.” Her voice is solemn, and wistful, and I want to say anything,doanything to remove it from her voice, but I can’t have her stripping no matter how much I want to see her happy. Not that I think taking her clothes off made her happy, she just confirmed as much. Maybe I can give her what she wants without that part?
I nod, speaking before I can stop myself. “We can find you a studio or whatever. You don’t have to quit dancing completely. But your body stays covered. It isn’t for anyone else to look at but me.”
Her eyes widen before narrowing in on me. She watches me with fire in those blue orbs, and I know without a doubt that a feisty Ocean is about to appear. I am proved right when she speaks. “You can’t tell me what to do, Nico. Don’t think me working atBellissimais me submitting to your demands. I don’t have any other choice right now. No other club will hire me because of you,” she spits, her voice pitching with her anger.
Though I like the stubborn, independent, fiery side of her – she will need it for what I have planned for her – sometimes she just needs to learn to be grateful and accept what is. Droppingmy fork to my plate with a resounding clang, I pin her with a stare that I hope conveys just how serious I am with my next words. “And it will stay that way. Your days of taking your clothes off are over. If you want to dance, I will find you a studio. Hell, I will buy you a damnstudio.But you will certainly not be working at any club. You work atBellissimanow and it will stay that way. So how about a thank you to me for being gracious enough to give you a job.”
Lifting her nose haughtily in the air, a disbelieving laugh bursts out of her. I grit my teeth, anger coursing through my veins. When she speaks, it takes everything in me to not put her over my knee and spank her defiant ass. “Thank you? You really are crazy. I had a job, Nico. One I liked.” She smirks. “And anyway, I can always leave the city. Go somewhere else to take my clothes off.” She finishes. Picking up her fork, she continues eating, her face smug as if she won this round. She didn’t.
I snort to cover my laugh.La mia piccola ballerinahas claws and a nerve, I will give her that. “Tesoro, if you do that, I will find you. Anywhere you go. There is no place on earth, or in this fucking universe, you could hide from me. No. Where.” I enunciate before picking up my fork. “Now be a good girl and accept what is. It will make things a lot easier for you going forward.”
She glowers as if she wants to fight me on it but, thankfully for her, she forks up some of her food, and continues eating. She doesn’t say anything else and neither do I. We both eat in silence, the air thick with the tension rolling off Ocean as she occasionally shoots daggers from those piercing blue eyes. I bite back a grin. Such a spirited little thing. And though I will enjoy making her submit to me, I don’t want to completely break her. After all, it is her attitude that draws me to her.
When we have both finished our food, and the server has taken our plates away, I stand, rounding the small table and pulling Ocean to her feet.
“I will take you home.” My voice leaves no room for argument. After our little back and forth this evening, I am done. We both need to cool off while Ocean comes to terms with what her life is going to be. I won’t back down. Its time she learns that.
***
“Mio Figlio,” Mamma greets me as I step inside the grand foyer of our family home. Her palms cup my face, she presses a kiss to my cheek and smothers me with love. “I have missed you.” she says earnestly.
I chuckle, dropping a kiss to her hair. “I was here just last week.”
She sighs, swatting my arm. “How many times do I have to tell you, Nico. You might be twenty-eight years old, but I will always miss you when you are not around. You will understand how I feel when you have your own children.”
Well, that’s not happening anytime soon. Instead of telling her that, I grin, smelling the air and the aroma of…. “I smell garlic and basil.”
She beams up at me. “Well, since I knew you were coming to visit, I made your favorite.” Her eyes move past me and she smiles softly. “Hello, Dante.”
“Mrs. Marchetti.” He greets, stepping around me and pulling her into a hug.
“Val is fine. You know that,” her voice is scolding, but I hear the amusement.
“I know. But no matter how many times you tell me, you still won’t convince me to call you anything else. I happen to likebreathing. I don’t want your husband to put a bullet in my head,” he chuckles.
It’s not that Dante doesn’t want to call my mamma by her first name, but it’s a respect thing, one my papà expects to be adhered to. He may disrespect Valentina Marchetti every day of the week, but God forbid someone addresses her in a way he doesn’t like.
“Where’s–” I cut off just as the person I was about to ask after descends the stairs, all regal and dressed like the mafia princess she is. “Never mind. Allegra.” I greet my sister.
She rolls her eyes before they shift briefly to Dante. “Big brother.” She hits the tiled floor, her heels clicking against them as she closes the distance between us and wraps her arms around me for a hug. “I need to talk to you,” she whispers for only me to hear, the cockiness in her voice gone, now replaced with worry.
I squeeze her. “Okay.” She pulls back, with a small nod.
Plastering on a smile, she glances at my best friend. “Danny,”
“Leg,” he responds, his lips twitching.
I shake my head at the way they still call each other by the nicknames they gave each other when we were kids.
