“Anything you want. Mamma will be asking you questions about the food at my brother’s party next week, so you better try it all before then.” I winked and shifted over to the cupboard above the counter near the sink, then grabbed a glass so I could fill it with cold water from the fridge.
By the time I turned around again, Phoenix was already packing food onto a plate. He jumped from one dish to another with sweet whimpers of delight slipping out to fill the silence. I didn’t think it was legal for that sound to come out of him, and my cock agreed because it thickened where it was trapped in the tight black pants I’d chosen to put on today. Turning away as quickly as I could, I clenched my eyes closed and focused on breathing. Letting him know I was hard wasn’t an option, not when I finally had Phoenix heading in the right direction. I was many things, but I wasn’t going to take advantage of him... more than I already had.
“Daddy, do you want anything?” His voice was low and timid, and I turned to give him a smile when I had my body under control. I took a quick sip of water from my glass and shook my head.
“You enjoy it, I’ll eat later.” I winked at him. “When you’re done choosing what to eat, come sit over on the couch with me, okay? We’ll have a talk.”
He worried his teeth over his bottom lip and glanced around at the food. “Are you sure?”
“Yes.” I lightly tugged on his ponytail as I walked past him toward the couch. “I’ll be right over here.”
When I sat down I studied him, and he hesitated, gaze flipping between me and the food, but when I gave him an encouraging nod, he put the final touches on his plate before he began stowing the leftovers in the fridge. It took him about five minutes of fiddling to get the containers to fit on the shelves, which amused me to no end, but when he finally managed it, he grabbed his food and came over to join me.
“Your mom makes alotof food,” he mumbled with a sweet smile on his lips. He took a seat beside me and settled in with his legs tucked beneath him and his plate in his lap.
“She does, she enjoys cooking.”
He nodded, grabbing the utensils he’d brought with him, then dug the fork into a pile of pasta. Once he brought the food up to his mouth, the moaning began again, and I crossed my legs tightly to try to stop my cock from getting any ideas. I’d lived many years without becoming attracted to someone and this wasn’t going to happen now. I wouldn’t allow it to ruin both our lives.
“I’d really like her to teach me,” he murmured as he stared down at the food like it was godsent. Maybe it was a miracle to him, but I’d been lucky enough to grow up with it.
“She’d love that.” And even though I wanted him to stay away from my family, Mamma cared. She was probably the kindest out of the entire bunch—even my aunts were ruthless—although, if someone hurt one of her children, Mamma could be deadly, too. She was born in Tuscany, but her family had moved around a lot, and she’d grown up in a dangerous part of Milan where poor girls had to do whatever was necessary to stay safe.
I took another sip of water as I watched Phoenix devour the food. Once he’d cleared his plate he went to the fridge again to grab a bowl of ribollita, then came back and settled in. The soup touched his lips and he moaned even louder over it than he had everything else. Compared to the other foods, ribollita was a basic soup with cheap ingredients that most poor people in Tuscany lived on, but Mamma was brilliant with spices, and there wasn’t any acting in the way Phoenix approved of it. The sounds he made couldn’t be faked.
“Don’t fill up because there is tenerina for dessert.” I chuckled when he blinked at me.
“What now?”
“They’re like a brownie. They’re rich, and Mamma packs them with chocolate.”
He shoved a spoonful of ribollita in his mouth and swallowed quickly before staring down at the bowl in contemplation. I knew that feeling well. Growing up with an Italian mother came with disadvantages in this regard.
“Can I... put this in the fridge and get the brownies, Daddy?” he asked timidly, as though I’d say no. At this point, I’d always say yes to him.
“Of course. Don’t disappoint Mamma.”
Phoenix laughed and jumped to his feet, rushing back over to the counter. It was amusing to watch him cover the bowl with plastic wrap while bouncing in place. In less than a minute the soup was back in the fridge, and he grabbed the tenerina. I smothered a laugh with the back of my hand as he put a couple of slices on a plate before he brought them over and offered me one, and I took the treat even though I wasn’t hungry.
The moaning started again, and he fell back against the couch, staring up at the ceiling as if he’d tasted the most amazing thing he’d ever put in his mouth. I didn’t know where all the food went, considering he was so skinny, but I doubted he got fed right when he lived with his ex.
“I want to learn how to make this,” he groaned out between mouthfuls of chocolatey goodness. “I could eat them every day of my life.”
I chuckled and took a small bite of mine, and my mouth flooded with the deep flavor while my mind lit up with the memories it evoked. I couldn’t remember the last time Mamma had made me tenerina, but I always got it as a kid. On Sunday, a few hours after dinner, we used to sit down at the table as a family—my parents, me, and my four younger siblings—and eat the tenerina Mamma had lovingly prepared that day.
I ate a few more bites, and before I realized it my slice was gone. I was almost disappointed as I took another sip of water, then placed the glass on the coffee table.
“Do you want me to get you another piece, Daddy?” The grin on his face made me laugh. At least he was enjoying himself after the long day.
“No, but you can get another one if you want.”
“Are you sure?”
His hesitation hurt my heart. “Mamma cooked and baked everything for you.”
“Yes!” He bounded off the couch and back toward the counter. Once he was on the couch again and he’d eaten another two pieces, there were no more moans of pleasure, but rather groans. He rubbed his belly, face scrunched in pain as he leaned against me. “I ate too much, Daddy.”
Regret had my stomach turning because I should’ve stopped him before he got to this point. Wrapping my arm around him, I dragged him closer and hooked my finger under his chin, raising his face so he looked at me. Tears leaked from his pretty eyes and he winced.
