Carina sniffed the liquid first and wrinkled her nose at the scent. “It’s strong, isn’t it?”
“Take a teeny sip, Carina,” Marcus warned her.
“It tastes like chocolate,” Alessia said.
Emboldened by that encouragement, Carina lifted the glass and sampled it. Immediately, she thrust the tumbler back to Alessia with a shudder and watering eyes. “That is nothing like chocolate. I think my breath could catch fire near an open flame. That’s strong.”
“It is definitely for sipping rather than guzzling,” Titus agreed.
Marcus popped open the seal on a bottle of water from the bar fridge and placed the container in Carina’s hands. She squeaked her thanks and guzzled several mouthfuls before sighing.
“Tastes like chocolate,” Carina mumbled, shaking her head as she gave Alessia the side-eye.
“Sorry, Carina. I love this brandy.” Alessia took a sip and allowed the fine spirit to coat her tongue as she savored the flavor. The hint of chocolate registered on her tastebuds as always.
“It’s okay. You can like whatever you want. I still call people a friend even if they think yucky licorice is tasty,” Carina said, good-naturedly.
“Now that’s the worst flavor,” Alessia agreed. “Maybe my Daddy could make you a Carina?”
“Ooh! Yummy!” Carina turned to smile at Titus.
As if on cue, Gio pushed a cart into the room. Alessia sat up straight, straining to see what he had delivered. He took the lids off the serving dishes. Instantly, a delicious aroma captured Alessia’s attention. Her stomach growled, announcing her hunger.
“Ladies first,” Gio announced. As they approached, he handed Titus a small pitcher of a thick purple substance. “Blackberry puree.”
“Yay, Carinas!” Carina celebrated.
Alessia and Carina jumped to their feet and hurried to the cart. Gio handed each of them a plate and offered to help them to different dishes. Alessia chose a thick turkey sandwich on a small, soft bun, some apple slices, and a giant snickerdoodle cookie. Carina had grapes, two fried chicken wings, and a chocolate brownie. Carrying their plates back to the sitting area at the side of the room where they’d chatted before, they settled on the padded seats to devour their food.
Titus delivered a bottle of water for her to drink with her meal. He smoothed a hand over her hair. She leaned her head into his caress, loving his tender touch. When they were alone, she would pay for her rebellion against his wishes, but in her core, Alessia was confident that Titus cared about her deeply.
“Eat, Alessia,” he said and returned to the bar to craft a Carina for Marcus’s mate.
The others crowded around the cart before grabbing a drink from the display of bottles as Titus created Carina’s drink. Soon everyone sat in comfortable chairs. As they ate, companionable chatter filled the room. The guys discussed some concerns about Nightfall and listened carefully to Alessia and Carina’s suggestions.
When Alessia had finished her food, she slumped against Titus’s torso. She yawned, covering her mouth to hide her exhaustion from the others. She didn’t want them to thinkthey needed to leave. A small snore interrupted the conversation about upgrading the cameras in the alleys.
Marcus immediately stood and scooped the sleeping Carina into his arms. “Later,” he said quietly as he headed for the door without another word. The others followed him out soon after.
When Titus picked up Alessia, he cuddled her on his shoulder as he headed for their room. Setting her feet on the rug in the bathroom, he then quickly stripped off his clothes. “My apologies, Little mate, for not simply tucking you in bed. I need to remove the scent of Enzo, Frankie, and anyone else who touched you.”
That quiet statement instantly sparked her need to wash them away as well. “Please.”
In a few seconds, he supported her under the warm spray. He smoothed silky cleanser over her skin. The terror of the attack drifted from her mind. His hands removed the traces of others and added pleasant sensations of his addictive caresses.
By the time he wrapped her in a thick, thirsty towel, Alessia could barely keep her eyes open. She swayed on her feet. “Daddy, I’m tired.”
“Little mate, into bed you go. Hopper needs to see that you’re safe.” He picked her up and carried her to the king-size bed. He tossed back the covers and retrieved the stuffed bunny from the pillows, tucking her stuffie into her arms.
“Oh, Hopper,” she whispered and squeezed the stuffie close as Titus settled her on the mattress. She pressed a kiss to Hopper’s soft fur and drifted immediately to sleep.
Chapter
Sixteen
Alessia entered the comfortable gathering room where Titus enjoyed spending his leisure time. Instantly alert, Titus waited to see if she was ready to talk to him. He could tell something bothered her, but she hadn’t wanted to discuss before.
“Daddy?”
