“Can I have one?” she asks as I touch the pink bow in her hair.
“Of course.” I bend down, coming eye-to-eye with the little Italian princess. “What flavor?”
Angelo places his hand on Tate’s shoulder and stands behind her. “Tate, why don’t you go see what you want and let me talk to Tilly for a second.”
I gaze upward at his handsome face. Six months ago, I was lonely, starting a business to fill my days so I wouldn’t have to think about the emptiness. Now, my world is filled with this big, crazy Italian family and a man who has reminded me what it feels like to be loved.
“Come on, sweetheart. Let’s pick out something good.” Betty takes Tate’s hand and leads her away, giving us some privacy.
“Can I have more than one?” Tate asks her grandmother.
I laugh as I stand, coming face-to-face with the man who’s swept me off my feet. “Hi,” I say softly.
He moves closer and kisses me. “Hey, yourself.” He stares at me with those beautiful blue eyes. “What time does the shop close?”
“Seven.”
“We’re going to celebrate. I’ll bring the champagne.” He stares into my eyes.
“I’ll bring the frosting.” I waggle my eyebrows, and he smirks.
Lucio clears his throat. “That’s about enough of that. There are kids present.”
I laugh as Angelo smacks Lucio’s chest with the back of his hand. “Don’t be a downer.”
“This place is amazing.” Daphne stands in the middle of the bakery with her mouth hanging open. “It’s like every little girl’s dream.”
I giggle and tick my head toward Tate. “She enjoys it.”
Daphne rolls her eyes. “That girl is a bottomless pit.”
“She’s adorable.”
“She wants you to sleep over,” Angelo says, catching me completely off guard.
My eyes widen. “She does?”
“She does. She also wants cupcakes for breakfast.” He wraps his arm around my waist as he comes to stand next to me. “I think I would be okay with that if you were there.”
“You’re great and all, but I think she misses having a girl around.” I nudge my hip into him. “For all those tea parties and princess costumes.”
“I clearly lack in the princess department.”
I rest my head on his shoulder and watch as his family gawks at the cupcake display. “Thanks for coming today. It means a lot. I can’t believe everyone came,” I tell Angelo.
“Baby, the Gallos do everything in groups.”
“I’m finally understanding that.”
When my parents died, I didn’t think I’d ever be a part of a close-knit family again. Mitchell’s parents live in the Caribbean, preferring the sunshine and turquoise waters to the chill of Chicago. I have Roger and I love him like my own brother, but holidays are never anything crazy with only a handful of people. But the Gallos… They’re like something right out of a fairy tale.
Angelo walks into the kitchen area just after seven and freezes. He lifts an eyebrow and smirks when he sees me wearing nothing but my heels and an apron.
I wave my hand in front of the small buffet of every cupcake topping I had on hand and three different colors of frosting. “Put the champagne down and take off your pants.”
His eyes burn bright as he unzips his pants and pushes them down his legs, never taking his eyes off me. I grab his hand and pull him toward the table. “Sit or stand, but I have a feeling you may get weak in the knees.” I smirk because I’m going to deliver so much pleasure with my mouth, he’s going to have a hard time staying upright.
Angelo hops up on the table, jumping a little when the cold steel touches his ass. “Fuck,” he groans.
