“I take it, you like to bake?”
“Yes. Cooking? Not so much. But mostly because it’s boring. But baking … that’s my jam.”
“Make a list of shit you want, and I’ll make sure it’s ordered.”
She grins and then leans in and kisses my cheek, and I mentally addbody washto the list, so she’ll stop using mine and smelling like me. I try to think of a scent I’d hate the most, but for some reason, the thought of it on Dani doesn’t turn me off like it should.
It’s because it’s her …
I shake the thought from my head.
She’s off-limits.
For the next few hours, we watch several episodes of the vampire show. I get a few texts from my guys at the port, regarding shipments, but instead of offering to meet them, like I usually would, I delegate and stay on the couch with Dani.
At one point, she moves around so much, trying to get comfortable, that I find myself pulling her into my side.
“Sorry,” she mutters. “I just feel so restless.”
She’s had a lot going on.
Her brother is in jail. Her marriage is a fraud. She’s technically homeless.
And she hasn’t been able to leave my place in days.
“Just breathe,” I tell her.
She inhales and exhales a few times, then lays her head on my shoulder and sighs.
“Thank you,” she mutters. “I don’t know what I would do without you.”
“And you’ll never have to find out,” I tell her, shocking myself.
We watch the rest of the episode in silence, but when the credits begin and she doesn’t immediately grab the remote to skip them, like she normally does, I glance down and find her sleeping softly.
For a few minutes, I stay where I am, watching her sleep. I don’t agree with my brother’s choice to have a family when it puts them in danger and makes him vulnerable. But a small part of me likes having Dani here, protected in my home, in my arms.
When I’m away from her, I worry about her. But when I’m with her and I know she’s safe, I feel settled. And this is why I’ve never wanted to settle down. Because there are too many factors that are out of my control, and as much as I’d like to, I can’t be with her all the time. And every moment I’m not, she’s at risk—just like my mom and sister were. Just like they still are. The same way Peyton and my nephews are at risk.
As I lift Dani into my arms to carry her to bed, my heart clenches in my chest. She’s not mine to keep and look after, yet right now, I really fucking wish she were.
19
Daniella
“You ever goingto text your brother back?”
Engrossed in a new Mafia romance that just came out, I jump at Matteo’s masculine voice and nearly drop my tablet.
I know, I know—I’m kind of living the real thing. But when I saw the ad on social media and the hero reminded me of Matteo, I couldn’t help myself.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I mutter, going back to reading my book.
It’s been almost two weeks since I moved in with Matteo, and I’m pretty sure I’ve hit some kind of reading record because, while Matteo is gone, there’s nothing else to do in this damn place but exercise, bake, and read. I wanted to help with Russo Property Group, but I can’t do anything until I can go to the office. And even then, without Lorenzo being there to train me, I’m useless.
Once Matteo gets home, we do some self-defense, and then he cooks, and we eat whatever dessert I made. Afterward, we watchThe Vampire Diariesuntil I pass out and Matteo carries me up to bed.
My tablet disappears, and I yell, “Hey!” as Matteo slips it into his back pocket before I can grab it back.
