Book6-22
I cock my head wondering what’s coming.
Lucy drops her head for a moment on a deep breath, then looks me in the eye. ” I’m annoyed because I held back on my own happiness while you two were cavorting like foals in the meadow.”
I snort a laugh and she shoots me a glare.
“You think my happiness is a joke?”
“No.” I shake my head. “Lucy, what happiness have you held back on? Because if I can give it to you, I will. Just name it. You’re still my granddaughter and you always will be, no matter what happens.”
“Okay, first, sheis never going to be my… my… step-grandmother. That’s just weird. I’m older than she is.” She grips her forehead, fingers massaging her temples. “Carrie, if youevertry to make me call you grandma I swear to God-”
“I won’t,” Carina says on a snort. “I promise.”
“Now, second,” she looks at me, “I want you both to come with me.”
She turns on her heel and marches away. I’m not a following sort of guy, but this situation isn’t going to be fixed by my stubborn streak rearing it’s head.
I grab Carina’s hand, threading our fingers together as we go through the mansion, up the stairs and toward the bedrooms where Lucy is headed.
At the entry to her bedroom, she waves us forward and when we follow her into her room, we both stand frozen in place.
Sitting on her bed is fucking Sully Pugliesi looking like the fucking Cheshire Cat.Published by Nôv'elD/rama.Org.
He stands and sticks out a hand. “Don Sabato.” His dark hair is pulled back, that scar by the corner of his nose glinting white.
I don’t like being ambushed. But I hold back the urge to start making demands and throwing punches and instead, I shake his hand.
For Lucy’s sake.
“What are you doing here?” I ask. It’s still my fucking house.
My question is answered when Lucy throws her arms around his neck and plants a open mouth kiss on his lips.
“What the fuck?” Carina says, bent over laughing. “What the fuck? Jesus.”
“Stop cursing.” Mama says from the doorway. “All of you with your secrets and sneaking around. It’s not what family does. Besides, you weren’t fooling anyone. At least not me.” She crosses her arms, pursing her lips.
“My happiness,” Lucy says, “is with Sully. And if you two are going to be together, then I want this.”
I grind my teeth wishing we were on the streets in Chicago right now and give him a lesson in respect.
“You should have come to me.” I square off with Sully. “This is my home. My family. You ever go behind my back again, you ever hurt her, I’ll mail your body parts home to your mother. How did this happen? I barely let her out of my sight.”
Sully swallows, Lucy looking at me, then him.
“We met when you were away.” Sully starts with a nervous tick in his cheek. “Before you came here. Before they did. When she was fourteen.”
“And you were how old?” I sneer, he’s older, not by much but enough.
“Nineteen. But, we were just friends. For years. Then, it became more. Emails, calls. You can fall in love with someone that way. I wouldn’t have believed it, but it’s true.”
“Hmm.” I sniff as Lusy rests her hand on his chest.
“I love him, Papa. He understands our life. Our world. But, he’s old school, like you.”
“That so?” Carina chimes in with an edge to her voice. “We protect our family above all else.”
“I’ll protect her. With my life and as many as I have to take.” Sully sets his jaw, cradling Lucy’s head in his hand then extends his hand with a nod of contrition. “But, you are right. I should have come to you. When I was sent here, it was complicated. A deal with the DA and I need to spend a few years here until Chicago settles down. I didn’t want to put her in danger before…before we could come to an agreement with my father. He’s stubborn.”
“I’ll take care of your father. If this is what Lucy wants, you are family now. I will make sure Alfredo settles things back home. If that’s where you both end up, it needs to be safe. I will assure it is.”
I shake his hand as Carina let’s out a giggle. “This family works in mysterious ways.”
Lucy and Sully turn into each other for a kiss as Mama claps her hands.
“Who is ready to celebrate? I have Lambrusco and my lasagna and more food than the entire army of Chicago could eat. The dining room table is set. The tree is lit, the gifts are wrapped, let’s put all our secrets to bed and enjoy tonight. Tomorrow will take care of itself.”
“I love you baby. More than all the snowflakes in Canada.” I kiss Carina on the lips as everyone watches. “You’ll never be a secret again.”
“I love you too, Papa. Only…” She crinkles her nose, looking out the window toward the barn, “you might need to go have a talk with Leonardo. He gets jealous.”
Lucy snickers as Mama waves toward the dining room.
“I’m make sure Leonardo understands. But, he’s pretty busy until tomorrow morning. Flying around the world is tough and he’s not getting any younger.”
“Just like you.” She chirps, wiggling her ass as she runs down the hall behind the rest of them.
“Fucking brat. You’ll be getting your gift later tonight. I’ll be putting a partridge in your pear tree one way or another.”
The road to happiness isn’t always clear. But, when you arrive, you need to slow down and give thanks.
Something I’ve never done. But, now that I’m at that place with Carina, I’ll never take what we have for granted.
I may be old, but I’m young enough to learn a few new tricks.
And I can’t wait to try them all out on her teasing ass.
Gennero
She picks one up, purses her lips, then meets my eyes. “I shouldn’t.” She shakes her head, letting it drop to join the others. “Alik-”
“Fuck Alik,” I mutter. That’s another thing I’m going to have to deal with, but not today. “It’s Christmas morning. This is what you asked for.”
“I know, but…”
“No buts, otherwise yourbuttis going to be sore for the rest of the day.” I cock an eyebrow as she wriggles on her stool, and I know she’s imagining the sting of my hand on her ass.
And her pussy. Because that was fun last night.
But with what I have planned for today, she’s going to want to be able to sit down.
“It’s just, when I said that I wanted donuts… I didn’t think you’d actually do it,” she says. “You just asked what I wanted and that was the first thing that came to mind.”
“Were you lying to me?”
She shakes her head, eyes going wide. “No, I would never… Bu-” She stops herself before the but slips out.
“Good girl.”
A little shiver runs through her, and she bites into her lip.
I step forward, leaning over the breakfast counter to stare into her eyes. I reach forward and tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear, watching the blush spread over her nose. Her scent still on my lips from when she creamed on my face at five am before we came down for Christmas morning.
“Tell me one thing,” I say.
She nods. “Okay…”