“Sure. What are we playing?”
“Go Fish!”
I spend the next hour playing cards with my nephew while chatting with Peyton and Dominick. Bri is out, and according to Peyton, that’s common.
When they tell Damien it’s time for bed, I take that as my cue to head home.
“Is everything okay?” Peyton asks when Dominick takes Damien upstairs to read him his favorite story—The Giving Tree. “You seem different.”
Iconsider lying to her, but Peyton is one of the most genuine people I know, and she won’t judge.
“Having Dani in my house has fucked with me a little,” I admit.
She smirks, and I groan, regretting my words instantly.
“Never mind.”
“No, not never mind.” She covers my hand with hers, and it reminds me of when Dani did it in the car—only when Dani did it, a spark flew up my arm and went straight into my chest. “I know you’re all anti-marriage and family, but?—”
“It’s not like that. I’m just attracted to her, and giving in to it would be a mistake. She’s been through a lot, and she deserves more than what I can give her.”
“Have you asked her what she wants?” Peyton asks. “After what she’s been through, maybe she’s not looking for anything more than a good time.”
“And risk pissing off my best friend?” I scoff. “I don’t think so.”
“You’re grown adults,” she points out. “If it’s consensual, I can’t see Lorenzo being pissed. He’s so easygoing.”
My phone dings with a text, and I click play.
Lorenzo: Hey, I still haven’t heard from Hillary. I know you said she’s okay, but I’m worried. Can you please check on her again? I think her phone might’ve blocked my number since it’s a burner phone.
I sigh. “I gotta go. Lorenzo has enough going on. He doesn’t need to add me fucking his sister to the list.”
When I get to the door, Peyton calls out my name. “You deserve to be happy. You do so much for everyone else. It’s okay to do for yourself as well.”
The house isdark and quiet, and my stomach sinks at the thought of Dani going to bed alone. I stop at her door, which is cracked open, tocheck on her. She’s lying on her side with her blanket tucked around her, the glow of the tablet lighting up her beautiful face.
I chuckle softly and walk inside, lifting the tablet and turning it off. I plug it in on the nightstand, and even though I shouldn’t, I place a kiss on the top of her head, inhaling her scent.
“Matteo,” she croaks out, her eyes fluttering open. “You’re home.”
“Yeah. I was just checking on you. Go back to sleep, Little Russo.”
A frown mars her features, but she nods. And within a few seconds, she’s snoring softly.
Rather than go to my room, I sit in the reading chair in the corner of her room and watch her for several minutes, thinking about what Peyton said. But ultimately, I know that if I were to be with Dani, it could never be just a hookup. She already means too much to me, and since it’s all I could give her, I need to keep my distance.
And once Lorenzo’s out, she’ll move in with him, and our time together will be a thing of the past. I’ll go back to my meaningless hookups, and she’ll find herself a good man who will treat her like she deserves. Giving her the family she wants. All I have to do is resist my attraction to her for a little longer …
“What do you mean,she’s gone?” Lorenzo glares at me from across the table.
“I kicked her out of your condo … after we found out she had been working with Enrique.”
His face falls, reminding me so much of his sister, and I hate this for him. Like his sister, he has a big heart and doesn’t deserve what Hillary did to him.
“I’m sorry, man,” I tell him. “She was hired by him to seduce you to get info on the company. I think it’s how he knew Michael was your attorney.”
“Are you sure?” he asks. “Maybe …” He doesn’t finish his sentence because even he can’t come up with a plausible reason why the woman he fell in love with would screw him over.
