Page 20 of Single Mom's Mafia Daddies
Matteo stood in front of a marble counter, a knife in one hand and a wheel of cheese in the other. He crooned what sounded like a lullaby in a surprisingly deep baritone and smiled at me.
I hadn’t paid much attention to him except to gauge his threat level to Leo. Looking at him now, I realized he was more attractive than I’d first thought. Sun-kissed olive skin gave wayto mischievous hazel eyes. His dark brown hair was tousled around his head, giving him a just-rolled-out-of-bed look that appeared purposeful and flirty.
“Well now. Look who’s out of bed.” He clicked his tongue, a half-smile appearing. “You’re just in time for a dose of my midnight therapy.”
“Therapy?”
His arms flexed when he lowered the cheese to a cutting board and sliced off a chunk that he popped into his mouth with a wink. “Food. Nothing like a good snack to quiet the mind in the middle of the night. Even better when you add wine.” He used the point of the knife to poke a bottle, nudging it toward the middle of the counter.
He was unlike Renzo and Alessio in every way except the toned physique. All three men had muscles to spare, but Matteo wore his with a casual grace. His smiles were easy to come by and eased the growing tension I’d carried since Alessio walked into my boutique.
“Then there’s whiskey.” Matteo turned away from the counter. His quick steps took him to the far side of the kitchen, where a row of white cabinets with glass panes showed off an array of glass bottles.
I recognized a few of the brands from the charity events I’d attended, each one more expensive than the clothes I sold and the vast number of them showcasing a staggering amount of money. I’d thought myself used to money and barely flinched anymore when I bought myself a new designer suit. But seeing the sheer size and scope of the house, along with the quality of furniture and decorations inside, staggered me.
The kitchen I stood in probably cost a million dollars to build, twice as much at least to furnish. The limestone theme continued here with the white cabinets and chrome chairs tucked beneath an antique table straight from Italy. I recognizedthe pattern as one that sold at auction last year for a quarter of a million dollars.
Alessio had more money than I could fathom if he considered this monstrosity of a house as the kind of place he retreated to in times of danger. Crystal chandeliers hung in every room, even the kitchen. I’d thought it obnoxious at first, but the light they gave off grew on me until I appreciated them despite the waste of money.
Glasses clinked. Matteo returned to the counter with two decanters and two crystal glasses shot through with gold threads. “Care to join me?”
“I shouldn’t.” I moved closer before the words fully left my mouth.
There were a lot of things I shouldn’t do, drinking with Alessio’s handsome friend was on the list. I needed things like sleeping and staying alive to protect Leo. I needed rest. Lack of sleep made me sloppy and irritable, neither of which Leo deserved to bear the brunt of.
“I was never good at denying myself.” He poured a shot into each bottle and held one out to me. “To bad decisions.”
“Let’s not make many of those.” I shuddered at the thought of the bad decisions. My worst one yet was the reason I’m here in the first place. I tossed the whiskey back. It burned with a decadent silkiness that begged for more and I held out my glass while picking up a piece of cheese and a cracker from the wooden platter. “What’s keeping you awake?”
“I had a nightmare.” A flirty smile appeared. “I dreamed that Renzo was trying to teach me how to play chess.”
“Let me guess.” I sipped the second whiskey, adding bites of cheese to balance out the burn. “You’re more of a checkers guy.”
“Poker.” He created a tower of cheese and crackers and shoved the whole thing into his mouth. “I like watching people bluff.”
“You mean you like a game of lies.” A heaviness settled over my body thanks to the whiskey and the easy conversation.
“You say lies, I say manipulation.” He padded across the kitchen in socked feet and retrieved two bottles of water, passing me one and keeping the other.
The sight of his domesticity mixed with the alcohol, and I laughed at the absolute absurdity of seeing a man who wore Armani suits feeding me cheese and whiskey in the middle of the night while wearing zebra-striped socks, matching pajama pants, and a white t-shirt.
“This isn’t real.” I pinched my eyes shut. “I’m in a dream, and when I wake up, all this will be gone. Leo and I will be at home, where we belong.”
Home. I craved the sight of our simple house, of the routine that had given me purpose.
“If this is a dream, I don’t want to wake up.” Matteo’s voice came from right in front of me.
I opened my eyes and sat back so fast I almost toppled over. “What are you doing?”
“Checking to seeif you’re a dream.” He poked my arm then skimmed a hand over my fingers, taking the whiskey glass. “Nope. Not a dream. A real flesh and blood woman. A beautiful woman.”
Heat flooded my cheeks. I blamed the whiskey and the fact that men stopped flirting with me once they knew about Leo. I focused on my work, building my business so I never had to rely on anyone else again, and I gave up on the idea of love and marriage.
Matteo picked up a slice of cheese and held it out. “One more?”
I opened my mouth and let him feed me a final bite. It warmed me from the inside, this sense of peace overtaking my caution. Matteo was a flirt. As long as I remembered that he never took anything seriously, I’d be okay.
“I should go back.” I scooped up the water and walked backward to the door. “Thank you.”