But for me, the real clincher, the thing that makes my ovaries sit up and pay attention, is the way his face changes when he eats my food. His eyes half close, he chews slow, and he makes this soft groaning sound deep in his throat that makes me so wet I’m pretty sure I’m halfway pregnant with his baby already.
It’s pathetic. I know it’s pathetic.
I clearly have no chill whatsoever, because Siena’s face lights up when she catches the look on my face, and then instantly darkens like a storm cloud when she sees why.
“No! NO! Bad!” Siena smacks my arm over and over until my spell is broken, and I’m laughing at her in spite of myself.
“Oh come on, I can look, can’t I?”
“No! Not at him! You’ll summon him! That man’s dick has radar that can suss out a wet pussy from miles away. Stop it!”
She’s practically in a panic, her voice climbing toward hysteria, but I can’t stop laughing. “You mean that man canmakeany pussy wet from miles away.”
“Gross! I can’t!” Siena pretends to melt across the counter, digging her nails into my arm. “Run. Run so far away from that man. I’m serious, Sophie. He’ll fuck you, sure, but if you’resick of men who aren’t interested in dating, you want absolutely nothing to do with him. He’s thekingof fuck-and-run. It’s common knowledge that he never fucks the same person twice and doesn’t give a shit if his victim even gets off. He’s a terrible person.”
A loud, high-pitched laugh cuts through the room like nails on a chalkboard, and we both turn to see Valentina with her long claws wrapped around Vin’s forearm. She couldn’t be sitting closer to him if she tried, her breasts resting on his bicep like throw pillows as she grabs his face and kisses him.
A sigh escapes me. Yeah, that’s about right. Men like him don’t look at women like me: short, curvy in the wrong places, the quiet one in the room with almost no makeup and hair in a messy bun because I don’t know how to do anything else. I can’t remember the last time I had long nails or did more than get my hair trimmed. I practically live in my work apron, and I always smell like garlic and olive oil. When I walk into a room, people don’t notice.
But Valentina? She always looks like she just finished a six-hour glow-up session. Loud and gorgeous and confident, she commands the attention of every man she in the room like she’s a magnet and they’re all metal shavings. My opposite in every possible way.
And perfect for Vin.
I can’t stop staring, and Siena smacks me again, harder this time. “Don’t feed his ego. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if he were physically abusive to women or would be if he stayed with them longer than the three minutes it takes him to get off.”
“Well, it looks like he’s got his hands full already, anyway.” I force myself to look away and open the bag of pastries, thesfogliatellethat I spent all day making.
Siena grunts. “Valentina is his ex from a long time ago. There’s nothing there, but honestly, everyone thinks they shouldget together. She’s the only person I know who’s a bigger whore than he is.”
My eyes widen in mock shock though I secretly love every word. “Wow, slut shaming, are we?”
Siena laughs. “She would take it as a compliment, believe me.”
“Why did they break up if they’re so perfect for each other?”
Siena shrugs, reaching for another piece of prosciutto. “It was a long time ago, more than 15 years, and she was only fucking him because Aurelio told her to.”
I freeze mid-motion, asfogliatellehalfway to the serving plate. “What? His own father planted a girlfriend in his life? That’s messed up.”
The cardamom from the pastry filling smells amazing, and I lick powdered sugar off my fingers after I arrange them on the plate.
“It gets worse.” Siena leans and lowers her voice. “She was fucking Aurelio before, during, and after she was fucking Vin. I don’t think she and Aurelio were together—I mean, it’s Valentina. And it’s Aurelio. But Matti said that Vin was crushed.”
My heart clenches in sympathy. “Oh my gosh, of course he was. His first real love and she was lying to him the whole time.”
“Matti said Vin found out when he walked in on her getting face-fucked by Aurelio. And in front of so many people.” Siena frowns at the concern that must be written all over my face. “Don’t feel sorry for him, Sophie. He’s made hundreds of women feel just as shitty, I promise you. Just because you understand why someone is broken doesn’t mean you have to let yourself be abused trying to fix him.”
“No, I know.” I start slicing a loaf of Italian bread into neat rounds, making each slice perfect, uniform, exactly one centimeter thick. Something I can control.
I’ve barely finished when Vin, the one thing I can’t control, stands and heads my way.
4
Sophie
Before I can figure out an escape, Matti and Vin join us at the counter.
“This looks fucking amazing, Sophie,” Matti says, his smile kind as he reaches for a stuffed mushroom. “What’s in these?”
