I pretend.
I pretend that I don’t want to wrap my arms around her and kiss that mouth until she goes slack against me. Pretend that I don’t want to see her stripped naked for me, under me, with eyes locked on mine as I sink my aching cock into her tightness.
I pretend that I don’t want her when in truth, I’ve never wanted anything or anyone more.
A soft knock pulls me from my thoughts. Silvia appears in the doorway, Luca trailing behind her. I imagine this is going to be the rest of my day, with people coming to check up on me, so I welcome their presence. It provides a distraction from thoughts of…her.
“How are you feeling?” Silvia asks, sitting down on the bed and taking my hand. I’ve known Silvia for many years. Known her long before she started working as a housekeeper and nanny for our family.
She and my mother were close. Growing up, I thought they were inseparable and watched them do everything together. And then a series of bad events happened. Silvia became pregnant with twins and was kicked out by her family when she refused to name the father.
She turned down my parents' offer to just move in and instead wanted to earn her keep, so she was hired as the housekeeper and nanny. And then my mother found out she was pregnant with Gabriella, and the two were so excited by the thought of raising their kids together, but that never happened.She died in childbirth, and Silvia had to step in to raise Gabriella alongside her own children. She never tried to replace my mother and kept her memory alive. Silvia is a huge part of my life and memories, and now…
I’m in love with her daughter.
Fuck!
“Antonio?”
I shift my eyes to Luca, and it’s so fucking weird how he looks nothing like Emilia despite them being twins. "I'm fine," I tell them, running a hand through my hair. "I'm just sick of lying in bed already."
“It’s just been one day,” Silvia laughs, patting my hand affectionately. “You gave us quite a scare, Antonio. You need to be more careful out there.”
There is worry in her eyes, so I squeeze her hands in assurance. “I’ll take better care next time."
“Okay, now let’s change your dressing,” she says, getting up, and my brows furrow in confusion.
“What do you mean?” I glance at the antique grandfather clock I won in another poker game and note that it’s only five p.m. Emilia has the day off—I’ve gotten in the habit of tracking her work schedule. Surely, I can wait until she checks in on me to change the dressing herself. “Emilia should be the one to do it. You don’t need to worry about it, Silvia.”
Something akin to discomfort crosses her eyes before she shakes her head. “Emilia won’t be here tonight, but she’ll stop by in the morning to check on you on her way to work.”
Her words give me pause. “Why can’t she do it tonight?” I ask, ignoring the little voice at the back of my head that calls me selfish. She looked exhausted when she left this morning, and Ifigure she needs all the rest she can get, but something about Silvia’s eyes has me prodding. “Silvia?”
"Well, this is awkward. I'm not the kind to talk about my daughter's personal life—"
“Mama,” Luca cuts in. “What are you talking about? Where’s Emilia, and why can't she be here tonight? If she's too tired, I'll go get her and bring her back here. She can stay here, then I’ll drop her off in the morning."
Silvia lets out a sigh, turning to her son. “She won’t need you to pick her up, Luca. She called to say that she’s going out on a date with a man from work and won’t be able to come until tomorrow.”
Long beats of silence pass before anyone speaks.
I stare blankly at Silvia even as my blood starts to boil. My hands clench into fists, and I feel my jaw tighten, my teeth grinding together as I try to contain the rage threatening to explode.
A date?
Did she say a fucking date?
Fucking hell, the idea of another man being with Emilia is enough to send my vision blurring with red. And the fact that she intends to stay away and come over tomorrow only adds fuel to the flames raging inside me.
Is she planning on sleeping with him? Is she in love with him?
Fuck, the thought of Emilia, all shy and flustered in front of another man, makes me want to climb off this bed and find them, bad leg be damned.
She’s mine, goddamnit, and off limits to other men! That kiss last night had to have meant something to her. It meant a whole lot to me, despite how much I tried to play it off like I didn’t remember it.
“What do you mean she has a date?” Luca hisses, voicing my concerns.
“Your sister is twenty-six, Luca. It’s about time she got herself a man and gave me some grandbabies. I’m not getting any younger, you know?”
