Enzo stepped between Seven’s open legs, forcing him to rest his ass on the desk, letting his thigh press against his half-hard cock. He wrapped his hand around the back of Seven’s neck, tilting his head so he could press the words right into his ear. “You were just looking to get laid again? Should I cancel our lunch plans and let you ride my dick in my office chair? You’d look so pretty on top.” He flexed his thigh, earning a choked moan from the boy. “Or do you wanna turn around so I can bend you over my desk?”
Seven’s gaze grew unfocused once more, his hands fisting into Enzo’s shirt as he ground himself against Enzo’s leg, looking for some friction. He was breathing heavily now.
Enzo pushed a little more. “If you want quick and dirty, I can do that for you. I just thought you were looking for something more. Something that could benefit us both.”
“Like what?” Seven managed, eyes locked on Enzo’s lips.
Enzo grinned, pressing a long chaste kiss to the boy’s soft cheek. “We can discuss that at lunch. Unless you want to go the other route. There’s lube and condoms in my bag.”
Seven was hard, his whole body trembling as he seemed to fight with himself. After what felt like an eternity, Seven pushed against him once more, sighing with relief when Enzo took a step back before saying, “Where are we eating? I’m starving.”
As always, Mama’s was packed. All outdoor tables were filled, and a small line of people waited at the door. Levi said it was always busy like this as it was one of the few neighborhood restaurants left with reasonably priced good food. Enzo skipped the line, nodding politely, then held the door for Seven. He gave the people waiting an apologetic look, even as he tried not to focus on Enzo’s hand burning a hole through his lower back. He hated how much he’d missed his touch.
Inside was equally busy. Three waitresses made their way through packed tables, all wearing black pants, white button-downs, and green aprons, their dark hair pulled into ponytails that swayed as they hustled from person to person, taking orders and delivering trays topped with steaming piles of food.
Seven’s stomach growled loudly at the smell of garlic and tomatoes. He loved Mama’s cooking. Even though she no longer did the cooking at the restaurant, she’d invited Levi and his friends—Seven included—to eat at the restaurant last Monday after his first successful night shift alone on the floor.
Seven looked around, taking in the lush green plants hanging from the ceiling and climbing down the walls, and the maroon tablecloths and cozy lanterns at the center of each table. At night, after hours, the atmosphere had seemed cozy. Homey, even. During the day, it was busy enough to trigger Seven’s anxiety.
He was already on edge from his brief interaction with Enzo in his office. First, learning his brother was a cop, then having the man destroy him mentally. He’d forgotten how intense he was. Seven still didn’t understand how it happened. He’d gone in there determined to play it cool and keep up his usual cocky persona. But the moment he saw Enzo, it was like his brain melted down like a nuclear reactor and he became this needy pathetic creature all over again. He didn’t understand why his body reacted like it did whenever he saw the older man.
Maybe if he interacted with him on days when he wasn’t an emotional mess, he could maintain some level of cool. Most people thought Seven was cool…polished, poised, articulate. His law professors praised him and they hated everyone. Jericho trusted him—the Mulvaneys, too. They thought of Seven as a responsible, hard-working member of society.
The only person who saw Seven whenever he felt like an emotional loser was Enzo. And his sperm donor. But it was usually said donor who had him feeling that way in the first place. Just like last night. His father was out of jail on bail, and had used a burner phone to call and guilt Seven, telling him he was a punk for leaving his old man in the clink instead of coming to bail him out.
Usually, that stuff rolled off him, but then his mother had called, asking Seven to go easy on him. To give him a chance. He’d lost it, shouting at his mother in a way he never did. He could hear the tremor in her voice when they hung up, even after he’d apologized. He would never understand why his motherwas so content to be part of his father’s harem, sharing him with a dozen other women, letting him put her on the shelf and dust her off whenever he felt like it.
He was so in his head, he didn’t realize they were entering the back of the house until Enzo held a swinging door open for him. He stepped through and found himself standing in the middle of a kitchen. The back was just as busy as the front. Three men in chef’s uniforms bustled about, paying them no mind, shouting out orders and giving the servers a hard time. The only one who seemed to notice their arrival was a little old man loading dishes.
“Who’s this?” he called, curiosity etched across his face.
“Mind your business, old man,” Enzo quipped, earning a bold laugh that reverberated through the tiled space.
The hand at Seven’s lower back kept propelling him forward until they stood at an open office door. Francesca Conti sat at a desk in the middle of what appeared to be organized chaos. Her steel gray hair cascaded down her shoulders, white strands artfully framing her face. Her black framed glasses sat perched on her nose as she worked, unaware of her observers.
When Enzo rapped his knuckles on the door frame, she looked up in surprise. She quickly pushed her glasses up like a headband, then stood, giving Enzo a suspicious look before coming towards them. She wore a flowy cream-colored dress and loads of chunky jewelry that his mother would have loved. Given the ages of her many children, she was likely in her fifties or sixties, but she was easily one of the most stunning women Seven had ever seen.
When she stopped before them, she craned her neck up to look at Enzo. “To what do I owe this impromptu visit,patatino?” she asked, her Italian accent almost musical.“You never visit me midday. And why do you have this gorgeous baby with you?”
Enzo pressed his hand harder into Seven’s back. “I just thought I’d treat him to lunch.”
“Is this a date? Oh, is he interning with you at the firm?” Before either of them could explain themselves, she continued, “Seven, whatever the reason, don’t believe a word he tells you.”
“Mama,” Enzo said, looking exasperated.
She scoffed. “What? You brought him here and thought I wouldn’t tell him how unworthy you are of this sweet boy, even in a work capacity?”
“I just wanted to see you,” Seven lied, giving her his best smile. When they both looked at him, amused, warmth flooded his face. “You’d make a far better lunch date than this one ever will. You’re prettier, too.”
She beamed at him, cupping his face in a way that was far too similar to what her son had done less than an hour ago…and two weeks ago. But she wasn’t attempting to emotionally devastate him like Enzo had. She just turned his head this way and that like she was inspecting a piece of art.
“You’re so very handsome,” she said, like she was marveling over his beauty and not the other way around. “But you’re too young for my degenerate son. Find someone your own age. I can help you. I have many children, several better suited to your age.”
Seven snickered, looking at Enzo smugly. “Oh, yeah? Which ones?”
She grinned, delighted. “You like only boys or you like girls, too?”
“Sadly, just boys.” He sighed, then glanced over at Enzo, looking him up and down. “But only ones who are nice to me.”
