Page 56 of Mutual Obsession (Rivals of Blackthorn #2)
H ow I’m able to walk out of the cinema without everyone around me seeing the giant hard-on tenting my jeans is a fucking miracle. I put it down to the quiet time of day, but I can’t complain, as the lack of people near us enabled me to play with Indie in public for the first time.
I’ve always got a thrill out of the risk of getting caught, but it’s not something I’ve ever spoken about with either Indie or Jake.
Given our relationship is supposed to be a secret right now, there didn’t seem to be a need to have that discussion.
Then the opportunity presented itself, and I went for it.
Seven years ago, Indie was more than happy to experiment, and often pushed herself to discover more about her sexuality, but public sex was never something we discussed. I know she has a kinky side, and I felt confident enough in my ability to read her expressions to know if she wasn’t into it.
Watching her come on my fingers, whilst I marked her with my teeth, as she tried her hardest not to make any noise, was the hottest thing I’ve ever seen.
She was desperately trying not to alert the people around us to what we were doing, but when she reached a certain point, her orgasm mattered more than her need to keep us a secret.
Every time she reached to free my cock, I desperately wanted to let her, but I knew if she did, I wouldn’t be able to stop myself until I fucked her, and that was just far too risky.
Besides, I have a plan to get exactly what I want, and now that she’s agreed to the punishment, I can’t fucking wait.
As soon as we’re in the car, having left the cinema once the film finished, I turn to Indie and let her know I’m picking the restaurant for our late lunch. Her eyes narrow on me suspiciously, but she agrees.
We settle into the comfortable conversation that always comes whenever we’re together. Though, every so often, she looks out of the window for a clue about where we’re going, before asking me outright. I tell her it’s a surprise, and she grumbles, but I can tell she’s excited.
After a few turns, we make it to the restaurant, and I manoeuvre into a space in the car park. There aren’t many cars, but given that it’s almost two in the afternoon on a weekday, it’s not peak time for the Italian restaurant.
Indie steps out of the car and takes in the small oddly-shaped building with brick walls and a bright red roof. There’s a green, slightly crooked sign hanging above the door that reads Little Italy. The whole building leans into the colours of Italy as a theme .
Indie looks over at me, her head tilted as she flicks her gaze over the unassuming building. “Little Italy?” she asks, sounding unsure.
I give her a reassuring nod. “Trust me, it might not look like it, but this place is a hidden gem.”
My family has been coming to Little Italy for years, and it’s been running for longer than I’ve been alive. It’s a family business that’s been passed down through the generations, along with the recipes that keep customers coming back.
It might not look like much from the outside, and the whole place definitely could do with some sprucing up, but the food is second to none. There’s a reason they have so many repeat customers, and I’m sure once Indie’s had a taste, she’ll be back too.
I’m not sure why I didn’t bring her here all those years ago, but now is the perfect time. Although the food here is amazing, it’s not the only reason I opted for Little Italy. Their booths offer a level of privacy that no other restaurant has, and it’s perfect for what I have planned.
I lace my fingers with Indie’s and pull her towards the front door, opening it and motioning for her to go in first. We wait by the hostess stand, and I watch as Indie glances around the restaurant.
Although it doesn’t look like much from outside, once you get inside, it’s like stepping into a homely little restaurant.
There are plants growing up the walls, with beautiful paintings dotted in between the windows.
Booths line two of the walls, and there’s an open-plan kitchen opposite the windows.
The smells enveloping the room are mouthwatering, and the giant pizza oven provides a nice warmth to the room.
Several round tables of various sizes, with different numbers of chairs surrounding them, are in the centre of the room.
White lace tablecloths sit over the top, with a small black lamp in the centre, providing most of the light.
The overhead lights are dimmed to set the perfect cosy mood.
“It’s beautiful,” Indie whispers to me, and I nod in agreement.
An older lady with tight gray curls rushes over to us, a bright smile on her face. She stops in front of me and reaches out, pinching my cheeks as she coos at me like she’s done since I was a kid.
“Look at you, Miles. You get more and more handsome every day,” she tells me, before letting go of my cheeks, so she can kiss each one in turn.
I pull her in for a one-armed hug, not letting go of Indie. “Caramelina, it’s so good to see you.”
Caramelina pulls back, her gaze flicking from me to Indie as her smile grows. She’s practically bouncing as she says, “Who do we have here?”
Indie shuffles awkwardly under the intensity of Caramelina’s gaze, so I squeeze her hand reassuringly. “This is my girlfriend, Indie.”
Indie’s eyes grow wide at the label I threw out there without thinking. She doesn’t look annoyed, more shocked that I called her it. I hadn’t meant to, it just sort of slipped out. Caramelina is like family, and it didn’t feel right to lie to her.
Just as I expected, Caramelina turns her full attention to Indie, running her gaze over her body as she assesses her. With a firm nod of her head, signalling her approval, she reaches up and squeezes Indie’s cheeks the way she did mine.
“Indie, it’s so lovely to meet you, and aren’t you beautiful? I knew Miles would end up with a beauty, but you are something else. I hope you’re treating him right.” Her words at the end take on a stern, motherly tone, and Indie is quick to nod.
“I promise, I am.” Her words seem to placate Caramelina, whose face softens into a content smile.
“Well, I’m so glad to meet you. Miles has never brought a girl home before,” she says, as she picks up two menus and leads us over to the booth in the corner where I always sit.
Indie looks over at me, her brows raised in question at the way Caramelina calls this place home. “Me and Courtney spent a lot of time here growing up,” I offer as an explanation.
Caramelina hears my sister’s name and turns abruptly, staring at me. “How is your sister? I saw her the other month, and she told me about her new relationship.” She practically spits the words, her nose wrinkling in disgust. “I told her to bring him over to meet me, but she’s not been yet.”
I have to bite my lip to hold back a smile. Maximus Morelli might be the old ruler of Blackthorn, one of the most powerful men in town, but he will cower under the weight of Caramelina’s stare the way we all do.
I think I might quite like to be here when Courtney introduces him. I’ll make a mental note to set that up straight away. Maybe I’ll invite Marcus too. I’m sure he’d love to watch Caramelina take down his father, I think to myself, trying my best not to smile and face her wrath.
“Courtney is good. I’ll tell her you want to see her.”
Her eyes narrow on me, making sure I’m not lying to her. When she’s satisfied by what she sees, her face softens. “Good. Now, sit. Here are your menus.”
I motion for Indie to slide into one side of the booth, while I take the opposite side. The booths are actually U-shaped, so we both shuffle into the middle, until we’re sitting next to each other, taking the menus from Caramelina with thanks.
“I’ll bring you some water and breadsticks, then I’ll take your drinks order,” she says, walking away before we can respond.
For a small lady, she has a very big presence, and I can’t help but smile as she walks away. Indie must have been watching me, as she says, “She’s important to you.”
“Yes, very. We’ve been coming here my whole life. When things were tough with Mum, I’d bring Court here and Caramelina would feed us. She’d let me do my homework in this booth, while she looked after Courtney. She helped raise her, in a way.”
Mum’s mental health problems were very cyclical, so she had periods where she was a great mum.
She took care of us, provided for us, and gave us what we needed.
But when her mental health worsened, she stopped taking her meds, or she slipped back into using, and being our parent was the last thing on her mind.
Caramelina wanted to report her to the authorities on more than one occasion, and I think she would have if I hadn’t begged her not to.
I thought I’d be separated from Courtney, given our nine-year age gap, and I couldn’t bear the thought of strangers raising her without me there.
So, Caramelina agreed not to say anything, as long as I came to her for help when things were tough.
When I got old enough, I’d help out as a server at the restaurant, taking the pressure off her just a little. It was also my way of paying her back for all the help she gave us over the years.
Now that we’re older, Courtney and I don’t see Caramelina as much as we should, but I text her a lot, and we talk on the phone occasionally. Whenever we have time, we come here for a meal and to catch up, and it feels like old times again.
“She seems lovely,” Indie says, soothing the nerves I didn’t know I had. Of course, I want the girl I’m seeing to like the lady who thinks she’s my grandmother.
Caramelina comes over with the breadsticks and water as promised, and walks away again after taking our drinks order. We both take some time to look over the menu, but I don’t know why I’m bothering, as I always have the same.