The last few days had been wonderful with her. He’d taken her all over the city, exploring the mountains, the historic buildings and secret alcoves that only natives knew of. He took her and Matty to the beach, where they splashed on the shore, Matteo’s gaze unerringly going to Paige’s slender body in the skimpy two-piece swimsuit she wore again and again. She stood out with her pale, freckled skin amongst a crowd of olive-hued, sun-bronzed Italians, her fiery red hair in stark contrast amongst the mostly dark heads that surrounded her.
She was beautiful. Sweet, and with lips that were ripe for kissing—which he did plenty of, never in front of Matty, of course. They didn’t want to confuse him, not yet. But at night, after Matty went to bed, they left him in Matteo’s mother’s care and Matteo would take her out for a late dinner, where they would talk and eat and drink plenty of good wine. Her cheeks would turn rosy and she’d become more open with him, reaching across the table to clasp his hand. Reaching beneath the table to run her bare toes against his leg.
And when they would return to the villa he would kiss her in the car, in the front alcove of the house, outside her bedroom door. Long, drugging, deep kisses with plenty of tongue and whispered words filled with promise. Wandering hands slipping beneath clothes, though he never took it too far. He needed to gain her trust. Make her believe he wanted her and that he wasn’t going to push her away.
He needed to convince himself of this as well. Old habits died hard. He’d grown accustomed to pushing all women out of his life after Lucia’s death, with the exception of his mother and sister. That he was slowly letting Paige into his life and his heart was a monumental event.
“Paige isn’t Lucia,” Matteo finally said when he realized they were waiting for his reply. “She’s a completely different type of woman. And we have a completely different type of relationship.”
“I should hope to hell so,” Vince retorted as he settled on the bench beside him. “I know my marriage isn’t perfect, so I probably have no room to talk, but we worry about you. You weren’t the same after Lucia’s death.”
No, he wasn’t. He’d withdrawn from the world almost completely, throwing himself into his work even further, if that was possible. Only giving what little precious free time he had to his son and no one else. He’d moved away from Italy, moved far away from his family and never looked back. He saw Stasia on a frequent basis only because she wouldn’t let him get away with hiding. Thank God for her stubbornness.
Now, he was full of regret. His brothers’ concern made him realize just how much he needed them around, in his life. Matty needed his uncles and especially his grandmother, as well as his aunt. The little boy needed his family.
But if Matteo were to move them to Italy permanently, they would be away from Stasia. And also…Paige.
Would she come and live in Italy with him? Hell, did he want her to come to Italy and live with him? She would go as his nanny, but would she live with him as his…lover? That sounded so ridiculous. Girlfriend? That sounded too juvenile.
He didn’t know what to call this…thing he shared with Paige. As of this very moment it felt like a friendship that included plenty of kissing with the potential for more. It was far too soon to define it any further.
“I’ve changed,” Matteo answered. “Despite how distant we had become, I was in mourning over my wife’s death. Sorry that we lost her so soon and that Matty hardly remembers her. Our relationship might’ve been tumultuous, but I never wished death on the woman.”
“Of course not,” Rafe said. “I understand. We both do. But you need to know where we’re coming from as well. Let us investigate this girl. Look into her background.”
“Hell no.” That was a complete invasion of privacy. He was walking on shaky ground with her still. He
She was beautiful. Sweet, and with lips that were ripe for kissing—which he did plenty of, never in front of Matty, of course. They didn’t want to confuse him, not yet. But at night, after Matty went to bed, they left him in Matteo’s mother’s care and Matteo would take her out for a late dinner, where they would talk and eat and drink plenty of good wine. Her cheeks would turn rosy and she’d become more open with him, reaching across the table to clasp his hand. Reaching beneath the table to run her bare toes against his leg.
And when they would return to the villa he would kiss her in the car, in the front alcove of the house, outside her bedroom door. Long, drugging, deep kisses with plenty of tongue and whispered words filled with promise. Wandering hands slipping beneath clothes, though he never took it too far. He needed to gain her trust. Make her believe he wanted her and that he wasn’t going to push her away.
He needed to convince himself of this as well. Old habits died hard. He’d grown accustomed to pushing all women out of his life after Lucia’s death, with the exception of his mother and sister. That he was slowly letting Paige into his life and his heart was a monumental event.
“Paige isn’t Lucia,” Matteo finally said when he realized they were waiting for his reply. “She’s a completely different type of woman. And we have a completely different type of relationship.”
“I should hope to hell so,” Vince retorted as he settled on the bench beside him. “I know my marriage isn’t perfect, so I probably have no room to talk, but we worry about you. You weren’t the same after Lucia’s death.”
No, he wasn’t. He’d withdrawn from the world almost completely, throwing himself into his work even further, if that was possible. Only giving what little precious free time he had to his son and no one else. He’d moved away from Italy, moved far away from his family and never looked back. He saw Stasia on a frequent basis only because she wouldn’t let him get away with hiding. Thank God for her stubbornness.
Now, he was full of regret. His brothers’ concern made him realize just how much he needed them around, in his life. Matty needed his uncles and especially his grandmother, as well as his aunt. The little boy needed his family.
But if Matteo were to move them to Italy permanently, they would be away from Stasia. And also…Paige.
Would she come and live in Italy with him? Hell, did he want her to come to Italy and live with him? She would go as his nanny, but would she live with him as his…lover? That sounded so ridiculous. Girlfriend? That sounded too juvenile.
He didn’t know what to call this…thing he shared with Paige. As of this very moment it felt like a friendship that included plenty of kissing with the potential for more. It was far too soon to define it any further.
“I’ve changed,” Matteo answered. “Despite how distant we had become, I was in mourning over my wife’s death. Sorry that we lost her so soon and that Matty hardly remembers her. Our relationship might’ve been tumultuous, but I never wished death on the woman.”
“Of course not,” Rafe said. “I understand. We both do. But you need to know where we’re coming from as well. Let us investigate this girl. Look into her background.”
“Hell no.” That was a complete invasion of privacy. He was walking on shaky ground with her still. He
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