“Wha?” I cough to clear my raspy voice, and repeat with more confidence, “What?”
“It’s nice to see you, Elia.” He kisses my cheek and hands me one of the three small bouquets of roses he’s holding. Beautiful yellow and pink blooms remain in his hands, but mine are deep red. “And the hair and beard are because we’re on an eight-game win streak. Nobody’s cutting anything until we lose, just in case.”
With that, he’s past me and greeting Nonna with her pink bouquet.Alright, he seems…fine.I’m going to pieces over here, and he seems calm, cool, and collected. I swear there was heat in his eyes when I opened the door, but maybe he’s moved on…
“Elia, come help me start to plate all this food while Theodore tells us how he likes living here!”
The next fifteen minutes pass in a blink and at a snail’s pace as Teddy charms Nonna like I’ve never seen. I mean, I know he’s charming because he charmedme.But she’s usually a tougher egg to crack. He tells stories about his own grandmother, his favorite foods growing up, and helps Nonna reach her high serving bowl on the very top shelf of the cabinet.
I’m included in their conversation, but I can’t stop thinking about how good he looks and how his rough beard hair would feel on my thighs…
“Ciaooo—oh! Our company is already here. Thank you so much for accepting our invitation, Theodore.” My mother’s arrival throws a bucket of cold water on my daydream as she kisses Teddy on both cheeks and coos over her yellow roses.It seems everyone knew about tonight except me.“Hi, sweetheart.” Mama kisses me with a wink. “How was your day?”
I don’t even bother to answer her because that wink tells me everything I need to know. Sheknows.Nonnaknows.And they’re in cahoots to help me with what I’m sure they think is the Romeo and Juliet hockey love story of the century.Surely, they understand how angry Gabri and Nikki would be? What’s their endgame here?
“Teddy, Dante wanted me to let you know that he and the boys are freshening up after a business meeting and will be with us to eat shortly.”
In the end, it takes the men less time than usual to clean up after a “meeting,” and we’re all seated around the table before long. Leo has a scrape under one eye, but otherwise, everyone looks fine, if a little bright-eyed.
“I just want to say thank you all so much for having me tonight. Gabri and Nikki might have mentioned that my only living relative is my grandmother, who lives in New York, so it’s a rare treat to get to have a cozy family dinner like this.”
Buzz.
Oh God. My phone is in the pocket of this dress, and it’s set toDo Not Disturb, except for certain emergency numbers, like if the hospital needs urgent volunteers or if the worst has happened at the retirement home. Luckily, my parents are enamored with Teddy’s manners and his story about why his grandma didn’t follow him here. My brothers are animatedly discussing the meeting, hockey, or both, and aren’t paying me any attention. I discreetly pull my phone out, risking Papa’s wrath, and turn my brightness down before balancing it on my thigh and opening the message.
It’s from…Teddy?
Teddy:You look beautiful tonight.
My gaze snaps to him, but both his hands are above the table, gesturing and telling a story about the Rising Tide’s latest win while Nikki laughs.How the hell…
Teddy:Scheduled texts, sweet girl. I knew I wouldn’t be able to get you alone to tell you what I wanted to, but I needed to know you were listening.
Two more texts come through, but Papa asks me how Horace has been doing since his last bout of pneumonia, and I somehow ignore the burning need to see what Teddy’s saying. My cheeks flush as he pays rapt attention to my story, and I wish I had telepathy so I could tell him to stop being so damn obvious with my brothers here.
Teddy:There hasn’t been a night since you left that you haven’t haunted my dreams.
Oh.
Teddy:There’s been no one else. I haven’t entertained the thought of another woman since I first laid eyes on you.
Oh God.
Teddy:I thought you were telling me that day in the NICU that you wanted to have my babies and, God, Ellie, do I want to put them in you. More today than I did that day, which is hard to describe.
Teddy:That blush creeping up your neck reminds me of when I fucked you senseless. You turned so red and screamed so prettily for me, baby. I have to have you again.
“Patatina?” At the sound of Papa’s voice, I snap my head up from where I was reading the texts and see that all the men, except Teddy, are quickly rising from their chairs.
“Yes, Papa?”Please don’t see that my heart rate has skyrocketed and I’m flushed and horny and breathing as if I’ve just run a marathon.
“I said, please make sure our guest has dessert and goes home with some food. We have business to finish. Theodore, I’m so sorry to leave in the middle of our lovely evening. You are welcome here anytime. Any man who Gabriele and Niccolò deem worthy to be called a friend is a friend of the Santori family for life.”
As soon as they leave Mama, Nonna, and me alone with Teddy, I’m up in a flash. “Excuse me for a moment.” Flying to the bathroom off the side hall behind the butler’s pantry, I shut myself in and try to breathe.
How could he?Not return my text, go completely radio silent, then show up here for my family’s hospitality while trying to rile me up with those messages? And then Papa gave him the stamp of approval…Teddy has no idea how highly Gabri and Nikki must have spoken of him to do that. And I’m disrespecting Papaandmy brothers by consorting with—
The door clicks shut behind me, and I spin to find none other than the object of my consternation and my wet panties.
