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He sighs and asks, “Do you want some juice?”

He doesn’t wait for me to answer before he fills my glass, maintaining eye contact with me the entire time. His eyes are a light hazelnut. Why did I ever think they were dark?

They’re full of warmth and mirth. I’ve noticed Gio has the same expression in his eyes. My eyes are dark green, unusual, my brother always said, as all my brothers got our father's brown eyes while I got our mother's green eyes.

Without realizing it, an intrusive thought sneaks into my brain, and I wonder what color eyes a child from Matteo and I would have. I nearly choke again and quickly reach for my juice, taking a gulp.

Gio is babbling on about dinosaurs while I drink. Matteo is still looking at me. When Gio falls silent for a moment, taking a bite to eat, Matteo grins.

“I know you like to film yourself cooking and baking, but what else do you like to do?”

His tone has me stuttering. What the hell is he trying to do? What is he asking? Do I want to do him? Am I reading too much into this? Surely he wouldn’t ask that sort of question in front of his son. Maybe this is all just in my head.

I swallow my juice and clear my throat. “I like exercising, horse riding, playing with the dogs, reading, and I like going for long walks in nature,” I answer him. “All things I could do if I were at my brother's house.”

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

MATTEO

She’s getting flustered every time I look at her, and I absolutely love it. Especially when I look at her for longer than is necessary. I can’t help it; she’s nice to look at.

I know I shouldn’t laugh when she chokes, the first or second time, even though she thought I didn’t notice the second one. But fuck, she’s hot, especially when she tries to keep the snark in her voice while she’s trying to hide what I think are her true feelings.

Mm, mm, mm—she is good enough to eat. She gets me all kinds of hot, and all I want, if we were alone, is to throw her over the table and fuck her.

I know she’ll feel good…amazing, even. No, she will feel amazing, and that sweet pussy will wrap around my cock like it was made for me.

I bring myself back to the present. I can’t have these kinds of thoughts in the presence of my six-year-old. I listen to what she likes to do, and I file it away for later. Somehow, this prisoner of mine makes me want to do everything for her, and to her.

She’s wearing an innocent enough pair of tights and a crop top today, and I can’t help but glance at her toned belly. I must push away more dirty thoughts, although one intrudes and I wonder if my dick is big enough to push her belly out. That would be something.

“You’re blushing,” I comment, with a small smirk on my face.

“That’s because you keep looking at me like that,” she snips back at me.

I shrug, and she turns her attention back to Gio, who has a thoughtful look on his face.

“I also like to take walks in nature. Do you know you can find the prettiest rocks at this place where my daddy takes me? It’s so much fun to look at them, but Daddy doesn’t let me keep them, though. He says nature belongs in nature,” he quotes me.

I smile. “That’s right, everything has its place.”

“And you shouldn’t remove it from its place,” she quips, giving me a stern look.

“Sometimes you can, if you think it will flourish elsewhere. Sometimes we must protect delicate things.”

“Some things aren’t as delicate as you think, or did you forget that?” she retorts.

Gio looks between us, then says, “I also like shooting bows and arrows. Can you do that, Gia?”

I watch as they interact so seamlessly. It’s as though they’ve known each other for an age, and they seem so happy together. It stirs feelings inside me…feelings I thought I’d long buried.

My thoughts turn from the dirty things I want to do to her to the wholesome emotions I normally have just for my son. I know I’m hard on everyone, especially my siblings, but Giovanni is an exception to the rule. Watching them together, though, it melts my heart in ways I can’t explain.

It’s my turn to look away, overcome with emotion. Fuck, I haven’t felt this way since Melissa passed. Like I have something magical, and now I have to let it go, and break Giovanni’s heart all over again.

I stand up abruptly, and they both look at me. “I have to go work,” I mutter, picking up the paper and leaving without a backward glance.

Gia watches me walk away, and her judging stare weighs heavily on my shoulders.