Page 35 of John + Siena: The Complete Duet

It added more work and time.

Matteo came closer, and seemed to be peering at the cover. “There’s a half-naked man on the cover. What is that garbage?”

“It’s not garbage. It’s a romance.”

“Mmhmm.”

“He’s a mercenary.”

“That so?”

“Apparently. What do you want, Dad?”

Might as well get right to it, she thought. For the three years she had lived in this apartment, she could count on one hand the amount of times her father had come to visit her. Typically, her mother came over a couple of times a month, but Matteo never joined her.

Besides, Siena spent enough time with her father through the week when she worked. Him and her brothers.

She didn’t need more time with him.

“I can’t visit my daughter?” he asked, taking a seat on the couch beside her.

“You don’t typically make an effort to, no.”

Matteo chuckled, and the force rocked them both on the couch. “Perhaps I’m making an effort to do just that, Siena. Your mother is always telling me how there’s more to you than the numbers in your head.”

She side-eyed her father, and doubted every single word he spoke.

She still kept quiet.

Matteo continued talking, anyway. “Besides, you are my daughter. My only—”

Siena couldn’t keep quiet at that statement. “You have three daughters with Joy Kennedy.”

The reddening of her father’s cheeks almost made her grin. She held it back, but still took great satisfaction at the sight.

“Yes, well, I meant my only legitimate daughter,” Matteo grumbled.

“I’m sure Ma appreciated that when she found out about the other ones.”

“We’re not talking about that right now, Siena.”

No, they never did.

Another rule to add to the pile.

Nothing was discussed that her father didn’t approve. That absolutely included his mistress, and the children she birthed him.

“As I was saying,” Matteo muttered heavily, giving her a pointed look, “you are my daughter. I don’t think I need a reason to check in with you every once in a while. Do I?”

Siena was desperately trying to focus on the words in her book, and not whatever information her father had come here to pry out of her. That’s the only reason she figured he was there. Her lack of focus on the book made it difficult to ignore Matteo.

Besides, if she pissed him off, he would just make the next couple of weeks a living hell for her when it came to work.

He was not very sly in that way.

“I guess so,” she finally said.

Matteo smiled, and patted a beefy hand to her knee. “Good. How about you go make me a coffee?”