“Thank you, Tino,” I said.
Arancia set a plate for me and served us all soup before she sat across from me. I grabbed a spoon and started. As much as I hated to admit it, the soup was delicious like all her cooking.
Tino said something to her in Italian, probably complementing the food, and squeezed her hand. A lump rose to my throat. I barely managed to push the spoonful in my mouth down.
“Did you talk to Nicky or Leo while you were gone?” I asked, mostly to interrupt, the pitch of my voice higher than I intended it to be.
“Yes. They’re fine. Happy that you are, too.”
“Can I talk to them?”
He took his time savoring another spoon of the soup he liked so much. “No.”
“Why not? You have a phone we can use to call them.”
“For your safety, nobody knows where we are, not even Leo or Nicole. The Lanzas don’t even know you’re alive, and it has to stay that way until it’s all sorted out. They want you dead, Angelina. Calling now might risk everything.”
“So what? I’ll just stay here indefinitely without even talking to them?”
“It’s better than being dead, isn’t it?”
The lump in my throat grew to block even the air in. I dropped my spoon and excused myself to cry alone in my room.
Was I doomed to live in fear my whole life? Fear of my father, fear of my stalker, fear of the Mafia? When would it ever stop? When would I ever start living?
His footsteps came up behind me as I was lying down, sniffling in bed. “You need to eat. Isn’t it enough what you’ve done at breakfast?”
“Sorry about this morning, and I’ll apologize to your mistress later, but right now I’ve lost my appetite.”
“My mistress?”
I rolled my eyes as I shifted up and met his gaze. “Si, si. I’m not stupid.”
He chuckled, and I noticed the tray in his hand. He sat beside me and set it down. Then he placed a napkin on my lap, filled a spoon with soup and moved it to my mouth. “Open up.”
“Thank you, Tino, but I seriously don’t—”
He pushed the spoon into my mouth. “What did I say before?”
I almost choked on the food, but I managed to swallow. He cleaned up my mouth and scooped another spoonful of soup. I ate. I finished the whole thing. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t like that he was here with me instead of eating with her. I’d be lying some more if I said that deep down I didn’t like that he was feeding me himself.
He wiped my mouth again and stood. “Arancia will be back for the tray and to give you your meds.” Just like that, he was leaving again.
“How does Leo feel about having your mistress taking care of your daughter-in-law?” I was playing with fire, but I didn’t care. I was tired of being ignored. I was tired of everything. “He’s very fond of his mother. He won’t like it.”
He stopped in his tracks. Then he wheeled back to me and bent so that our eyes leveled. He didn’t say anything for a few seconds, but he got me shaking when his gaze penetrated me and our breath clashed against each other. At least, I got his attention, and he was still here.
“I only gave you a good spanking once. I didn’t know you’d miss it so much,” he said.
I blinked hard. “Jokes on you. You can’t bend me over your knee with the wound and all.”
“Who said that was the only position I could use to give you the hard spanking you deserve?”
My teeth stabbed my lower lip. A feeling I thought I’d buried months ago hit the surface. An old need I’d convinced myself wasn’t real screamed inside me louder than any other reality.
“Leo is my son and one of my men. He doesn’t get to like or dislike what I do or say. He obeys, one way or another. Like everybody else, understood?”
I pressed my lips together and just nodded.
“Good. One more thing, you’re not my daughter-in-law, Angelina.”
“I-I understand the ceremony was ruined before the priest did his thing, but I’m still Leo’s fiancé.”
A sound part chuckle part snort burst out of his mouth. Then his thumb brushed my cheek. My heart thudded in my chest. The feeling of his thumb on my skin felt so…terribly familiar.
He smirked. “You were never his.”
Chapter 44
Lina
They’d been swimming together for an hour while I was in bed to rest. I was supposed to be on my honeymoon with the younger version of this infuriating man, having hot sex until my husband and I both couldn’t walk. Instead, my wedding was painted red, I wasn’t married, I almost died, and I ended up stuck on this God forsaken island for God knew how long. The last thing I wanted to do was fucking lie down and do nothing all day while everybody else had fun. Or was out to kill someone.
I’d be more than happy to do either.
I ambled to the beach, the sun hot on my skin, and slowly helped myself to one of their beach recliners, moaning a little with the tight stretch of the skin around the wound.
When he saw me, Tino got out of the water, looking hotter than Mike Gennaro in his beach movie. Wet curls. The most beautiful blue yet dangerous eyes. Water droplets on tanned, sculpted to perfection, tattooed muscles. Wet swim shorts attached to his junk like a second skin.
I stole a glance. I wanted to know if he was hard for her. He was a guy, and she was…that in a red bikini. Why wouldn’t he be hard for her?
My eyes narrowed at his crotch. It was difficult to tell, though. I had zero experience, and he’d probably adjusted it before he got out. All I could tell was the incredible size of that man. He was definitely bigger than Mike Gennaro. And Leo. At least, that was what I gathered from the outline of their dicks.
I couldn’t believe I was gonna die without seeing a real dick. Without having sex.
Tino cleared his throat louder than normal. Shoot. I was still staring. I looked up at him, my face hot.
“It’s too hot for you to hang out here. Get inside.”
Too hot indeed. “You guys are doing fine. Why can’t I?”
“I don’t want you to get sunstroke. Your body is still healing.”
“I’m fine. I think we’re good to remove the stitches. I’m also ready for underwear. I’m sure you’re tired of seeing my nipples all the time.”
“I’m never tired of seeing nipples.” He bent over, casting a huge shadow over me. Then he leaned in for a whisper. “Just like you’re never tired of ogling my cock.”
Shit, piss and fuck.
He leaned back. “Get up.”
“No.”
He scooped me up in his arms without warning. I yelped and wrapped my arms around his neck, his body so hot and wet and hard. Then when his palm smacked my butt, I yelped again.
“When I tell you something, you do it.” He smacked my other butt cheek as he walked us to the house.
“Tino! Stop it!”
He did it again.
“Oh my God. Please. You’re hurting me.” And making me wet. I was in his arms, wearing no underwear, and every spank he gave me squeezed a gush of arousal between my legs.
Fuck, I was wet for my fiancé’s dad.
His palm landed on my butt one more time. “If you can’t handle the pain, then you shouldn’t be a naughty, bratty girl all the time.”