He stood in the doorway, undecided.
"Come on," I told him. "Grab a plate and help yourself."
He waited until I was done serving myself before coming in to get himself a plate. I sat at the small kitchen table instead of going into the dining room, leaving him with the choice of having a cozy dinner with me or taking his plate to the counter and eating there.
He chose to come sit by me.
I popped open a bottle of wine and poured myself a glass, but I didn't offer him any. "I assume you're on the job," I offered as an explanation.
"You would be right," he told me. "But a glass or two won't hurt." He took a bite of his dinner as I got up to get another glass for him. "This is damn good meatloaf."
"Lisa's a great cook."
We ate in silence for a few minutes, and then he said, "So, tell me about this beef your mother has with you."
A trickle of unease crept down my spine. Yet, I wasn't exactly sure why. It was an innocent enough question, considering what I'd told him a minute ago. "Oh, that's a long story that started with my birth."
"That bad, huh?"
"Pretty much."
He looked around the kitchen, empty except for the two of us. "I think we've got time."
Taking a drink of my wine, I figured, what the hell. "Well, for one, I was born with what my mother considers a birth defect. Unlike my sister, who was perfect in every way since birth. I don't even think she cried as a baby."
"What was wrong with you?"
"A heart thing that was easily fixed with surgery."
"You were a twin, right? And your sister was engaged to Luca's brother, Mario?"
Again, I had that uneasy feeling. I mean, as one of Luca's guys, I assumed the story of how I'd gotten here was common knowledge by now. However, if I remembered right, Luca told Tony who I was the first time we met. So, why the question now? I decided to play along. "Um, yeah."
He nodded and shoved a forkful of potatoes into his mouth. "So, go on. You were born defective..."
I laughed, and that uneasy feeling gradually went away. Over the next hour, I told him what it was like growing up with my mother and sister. I also polished off four glasses of wine.
"So, basically, you've been told what to do your entire life by first your mother and then your sister."
"Yup. Sounds about right."
He put his elbows on the table and leaned forward. He was uncomfortably close, and the little hairs rose on my arms. "And they both underappreciated you, and still do, for the beautiful, capable woman you've become."
I pressed my back into my chair. "My father seems to think so, at least."
"I think your papa is right. I think maybe the people in your life don't know the treasure they have in you."
I turned my glass around on the table, unsure of how to respond. Did he mean my family? Or Luca? Don't chicken out now, Veda. This is exactly what you wanted. "That's sweet of you to say."
He reached across the small space between us and covered my hand with his. "I mean every word, Veda. You deserve better than a man like Luca."
Wow. That was easy. "Are you telling me that you're that man?"
His fingers played with mine. I knew I should pull away, should play hard to get, but my head felt muddled, and my blood was warmed by the wine. "I could be," he told me. "If you'd let me."
I pulled my hand away from his. "Not while I'm in this house. Luca would kill you."
"Luca gets a little too full of himself sometimes. And I could get you out of here. Put you up somewhere safe."
I almost laughed aloud. This was playing out just like an old mafia movie. "Are you offering to make me your mistress? Do people still do that?"
He smiled at my question, but there was little humor in it. His eyes flashed. A warning. "I'm offering you a way to be free."
"By leaving this prison for a different one?" Shut your damn mouth, Veda. This is what you wanted. But I couldn't help it. What the hell was it with these Italian guys thinking us poor, weak females couldn't survive on our own? Were they all like this? Or just this particular group? All I needed was a little help getting past the guards out front, not a sugar daddy for life.
But he wasn't deterred just yet. "Ah, but it wouldn't be a prison, bella. You're much too beautiful to keep locked in a tower." His eyes roamed over my face. "No. You'd be free to do whatever you wanted. Go wherever you wanted. All I would ask in return is that you be available to me when I need you and that you not fuck anyone else."
This guy had some serious balls. He was also a complete idiot. I laughed. "Luca would kill you. You have to know that. And I'm not saying that because I think I'm such a prize or anything, but even I know he's not one to share." I leaned closer, genuinely concerned for him. Notwithstanding his offer to me, he seemed like a nice enough guy.
Scooting his chair closer to me, he picked up my hand and kissed the back of it. "Luca will not be a problem very soon."
It took an act of willpower I didn't know I possessed to keep my expression neutral. "What are you saying?"
But he just took a sip of his wine. "It's nothing you need to worry about. Just know you won't have to worry about him."
I fought the urge to pull my hand from his. "What about my family? My parents?"
"They will be well taken care of. I'll make sure of it."