“Doing what?”
“Looking like a Calvin Klein ad after you slept on the damn floor.”
He grinned. “You’re checking me out, Moretti?”
“I’m checking to see if you broke something. So I can tell Lucia her brother needs a leash.”
“Ooh,” he said, moving toward the door. “Kinky.”
“Out,” I said, throwing the blanket off dramatically. “Before someone sees you sneaking out and assumes weactuallyhooked up.”
He stopped at the threshold, one hand on the door, looking far too pleased with himself. “You know, if wehadhooked up.” He paused. “Again, might I add.” A smirk. “I bet you’d be nicer this morning.”
I grabbed another decorative pillow off the bed and hurled it at his head.
He caught it.Of course he did.
“You’re impossible,” I mumbled, dragging myself off the bed and immediately regretting it when the room tilted.
He was still grinning as I stumbled toward the bathroom. “Drink water. Brush your teeth. You smell like vodka and vengeance.”
“Go away, Matteo.”
“I’m leaving, I’m leaving.” He opened the door and peeked into the hallway. “But for the record, you’re kind of cute when you’re hungover.”
“I will end you.”
“Adorable.”
A knock hit my door sooner than I’d liked. I shuffled over—still in an oversized tee with the remnants of sleep in my eyes—and opened it with a glare. Anna stood there, smirking.
“How was your sleepover?” she asked.
I shushed her immediately, yanking her inside by the wrist before anyone in the hallway heard. “How do you know everything?”
“It’s my job, babes,” she said with a shrug. Her hair was pulled into a perfect slicked-back bun, makeup flawless and outfit sharp. Of course she looked like she just walked off a runway while I looked like I’d been hit by a bus named Regret.
“It was nothing,” I mumbled, flopping back onto the bed. “I drank too much, and Matteo stayed to make sure I didn’t choke on my tongue or whatever.”
“Hm,” Anna hummed, scrolling through her phone. “Well, I was going to ask if you want to fly with Alexander and Lucia tonight or with your dad? I’m organizing the group’s travel and need your call.”
“I’ll go with Lucia and Alexander,” I said. “I just need to pick up Monty from my dad’s place first. He gets anxious on flights without me.” I needed some down time and some girl time desperately. Debriefing on the plane and letting Gia and Monty play together felt like a good solution. I was getting used to flying with them rather than on the flights with other corporate members or my father. Lucia had once said that we kind of made our own mismatched family. I liked that idea a lot; it made myicy heart melt and all. Plus, having to mask my hangover for my father and God knows who else? No thank you.
“And you won’t somehow manage to crash the plane with your least favorite DeLuca on board?” she teased, arching a brow.Damn,I thought. He was a side effect of wanting to spend time with Lucia, and while I’d rather not confront the way my heart fluttered at his heavy stare, I could just ignore him. It would be fine!
“I’ll be on my best behavior.” I shot a smile at Anna. She gave me a pointed look, not buying it in the least.
“I promise,” I said, raising a hand in mock-scout’s honor.
She hummed again and stared down at her screen, her brows knitting together in a way that said whatever was on it wasn’t good.
“What’s going on?” I asked, sitting up and patting the bed beside me. “You okay?”
“Just some family stuff,” she said vaguely.
“Wanna talk about it?”
“It’s…a lot.”
