by Penelope Sky
I chuckled. “Thanks, Mama.”
She kissed me on the cheek before she let me go. “But I definitely want a tour anyway.”
My father embraced me next, a slight look of disapproval in his eyes. He resented me for lying to my mother—and for bringing him into the lie. “Carter.” He patted my back then stepped off to the side.
“Father…”
Carmen came next, wearing a long blue skirt and a ruffled white top. Her hair was in long curls, and her eyelashes were thick with mascara. She always looked like a beauty queen. When we were growing up and she didn’t wear makeup, she still had a natural beauty that couldn’t be denied. She whistled under her breath as she looked around. “Jesus, this place is fancy. The Queen of England could live here.”
“I don’t think she would like it very much.”
“Because you’d be here?” she teased, wearing an arrogant smirk.
“So glad you’re here…”
She chuckled then patted me on the back. “Seriously, I love it. When we pulled up to the gates, I screamed a little bit. And the drive up to the house is like something from a movie. Mama was freaking out the whole time because she was so excited. She might move in.”
“Not gonna happen.”
I showed them the downstairs living room, the backyard with the pool, and the bedrooms and personal gym on the first floor. I didn’t bother taking them up the stairs since it was more of the same. I took them into the kitchen next. “This is the kitchen and dining area.” When we stepped inside, Mia was working at the kitchen island in her apron. With her hair pulled back in a nice ponytail, her pretty face was revealed. She wore heels and a blue dress, looking more like a housewife than a maid. Ever since she’d moved in with me, she’d started wearing nice clothes and did her makeup. She didn’t seem like a woman who would try to impress a man, so I assumed she did it just because she wanted to. “Good evening, sir. Dinner will be ready shortly.”
The second she called me sir, I felt a stir in my pants. Now I associated that title with sex, and it was impossible not to.
“Who’s this?” Mom asked, approaching Mia at the island. “And what smells so good?”
Mia quickly washed her hands before she shook hands with my mother. “Mrs. Barsetti, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Carter’s maid.” Her eyes focused on my mother’s features, probably looking for the similarities I shared with her. Mia wore a pretty smile, and the makeup on her face made her glow even brighter than usual. Instead of looking like the help, she looked like a supermodel working in my kitchen. “I hope you’re hungry. Carter asked me to make his favorite dish.”
Mom was slightly startled by Mia, staring at her like she couldn’t believe that my maid was so beautiful. She finished the handshake before she recovered. “I could eat lasagna any time.”
“Damn, you’re hot.” Carmen, the big mouth of the family, blurted out those words without thinking twice about it.
I rolled my eyes. “Carmen, come on.”
“What?” Carmen said innocently. “She is. Look at her. Can I borrow that dress?”
Mia’s cheeks blushed slightly, and she smiled in a way I’d never seen before, like she was actually uncomfortable. She always kept her composure around me, even when I was the bad guy. “Yeah, sure. We look about the same size.”
Carmen walked up to her and greeted her with a hug. “I can’t believe my brother has a maid. I guess that’s a good thing because he didn’t know how to do his own laundry until he was twenty.”
“Carmen.” I wrapped my arm around my sister’s shoulders and slowly steered her away from Mia. “Why don’t you go set the table?” I gave her a gentle push, getting her out of the kitchen and away from Mia.
Mia smiled, like she didn’t seem bothered with the conversation. “Nice to see you again, Mr. Barsetti.” She shook my father’s hand.
He did the same. “Likewise. Need any help?”
“Absolutely not,” she said. “Take a seat in the dining room, and I’ll get the drinks started. A scotch, neat for the gentlemen and a glass of wine for the lady?”
Mom smiled. “That would be nice.”
Carmen walked back into the room. “I’ll take a scotch too—make it a double.”
I lowered my voice so only Mia could hear. “Don’t make it a double…”
Mia chuckled. “Alright, sir.”
We moved into the dining room and sat down at the table. I was relieved the introductions were over. Now we could talk about something else other than my hot maid. But judging by the excitement in Carmen’s eyes, she couldn’t stop thinking about it. “Did you hire a model to be your maid?”
I ignored my sister’s question, not wanting to talk about how hot Mia was in front of my parents, especially when my father knew I was sleeping with her. “She’s good at what she does—regardless of her looks.”
“Or her looks make her better at what she does…” Carmen wore a playful grin.
“Anyway…” I tapped my fingers against the table. “I’m glad you guys could stop by and see the place. I’m liking it so far.”
“What about work?” Mom asked. “You’re doing everything over the phone?”
“Yeah, pretty much. But I’ll have to talk some trips here and there. That’s the nice thing about having Mia around. She can keep it looking nice while I’m away, make sure the gardeners take care of the yard. Stuff like that.”
Carmen narrowed her eyes on my face, not buying my story for a second.
“Your father and I are very happy you decided to move back,” Mom said, beaming with pride. “When Conway decided to move back, we were pretty jealous. But now all the kids are together again. It’s really wonderful.”
“Yeah, I missed seeing Conway all the time.” I used to see him every weekend when we were both in Milan. We drank and fucked around, spent the nights on the town. But his bachelor days were long behind him now.
Mia walked into the room and put the drinks out for all of us. She handled everything like it wasn’t her first time waiting on people. Maybe Egor had her do something similar when she was in his captivity. “Dinner will be right out. Anything else I can get in the meantime?”
“No, we’re okay,” I said. “Thank you, Mia.”
She smiled then walked out again.
Carmen shifted her gaze back to me, suspicion written all over her face.
I ignored her look, knowing exactly what she was thinking. If I provoked her, she would accuse me of a lot of things I didn’t want to be accused of. “So Reid is pretty—”
“There’s no way that woman just works for you,” Carmen blurted. “You’re telling me this gorgeous model waits on you, and you keep it professional?”
I used to want to strangle my sister a lot. This was one of those times when I really wanted to strangle her. “My professionalism is none of your business, brat. Now be a mature adult and behave.”
“So, she isn’t just your maid,” Carmen said with victory. “I knew that wasn’t possible.”
“Mind your own business, Carmen. Every time you talk to a guy, I don’t assume anything.”
Carmen laughed loudly, like I made some kind of joke. “Anytime a guy comes anywhere near me, you treat him like a criminal.”
“Because he probably is,” I countered. “You don’t have good taste in men.”
“Excuse me?” she hissed. “When have you ever seen a guy I’ve dated.”
“I don’t need to.”
Mom sighed at our bickering. “Knock it off. We’re all together now, and we should be happy. We have so much to be grateful for. We have a new Barsetti, and Carter is going to be close by from now on.”
I never thought I would be happy to have my mother intervene. It reminded me of our childhood. Carmen and I didn’t bicker very much anymore, but then again, we weren’t around each other a lot. She was headstrong and opinionated, never afraid to speak her mind regardless of who she angered. It was one of the things I loved about her…but also hated. “Wel
l said, Mama.”
Carmen rolled her eyes when our parents weren’t looking.
Mia brought dinner a moment later, and once everything was set on the table, she returned to the kitchen to start the dishes.
We talked about Reid most of the time, along with Vanessa and Griffin.
“I like Griffin a lot,” Mom said. “He’s got a dark side to him, but most men do. It’s natural.”
“I like him too,” Carmen said. “I’ve never seen Vanessa happier. She’s dated a few guys but never anyone who’s made her fly so high. I can tell he really loves her. Whenever we go out, I see the way he looks at her. I hope I find a man who will look at me the same way.”
I didn’t want to deal with that day when it arrived. Dealing with Griffin was already a pain in the ass. When it was my own sister, it would be even worse. I knew exactly what kind of monsters were out there. The last thing I wanted was for my sister to end up with one of them.
“I have no doubt you will,” Mom said. “When you find the right one.”
“Nunneries are cool too…” I suggested, half joking and half serious.
She rolled her eyes. “Should I tell Mia the same thing? Bet you wouldn’t like that…”
No, I wouldn’t. That was the only pussy I was screwing these days. When I tried to recall the last woman I’d been with, I couldn’t even remember a name. It was over two months ago now. It was hard to believe I’d been with the same woman that long.
“Mia is very pretty,” Mom said. “Where did you find her?”
Father and I agreed to keep up the lie, but now that Mom was asking me for details, I felt shitty for making up a story. “I asked a friend for a recommendation, and her name popped up. She’s good at taking care of the house, but she’s also loyal. I wanted someone I could trust.”
“She seems very nice,” Mom continued. “Does she live at the house, or does she drive home?”
Carmen watched me, interested in my answers.
I didn’t want to lie about all the details. It would just bite me in the ass later. “Yes. She lives here.”
“So you live with that hot piece of ass?” Carmen asked. “All the time?”
I glared at her. “Don’t call her that.”
“It was complimentary,” Carmen said. “She’s drop-dead gorgeous. Like, why is she a maid when she could be a model for Conway?”
“Not all women want to parade around in their underwear,” I snapped.
“Is there something wrong with women wanting to model lingerie?” She tilted her head to the side, cornering me into an argument on purpose. She was too smart for her own good and knew how to spin the narrative. If she got tired of being a florist, she could easily be a lawyer.
“That’s not what I said,” I argued. “Mia likes her job.”
“I can’t imagine anyone would want to wait on you,” my sister responded. “Mom did it for eighteen years and hated it.”
“I did not hate it,” Mom said with a chuckle. “I miss it, actually.”
“Why are you hung up on my maid?” I asked. “Do you want to date her? Because I can put it in a good word for you.”
Carmen narrowed her eyes on my face. “I’m sure she’s too busy with you.”
Father drank his scotch, doing his best to ignore both of us.
“Anyway,” Mom said. “Dinner was delicious, so she seems like a good addition to the house.”
“She is,” I said. “She also has a son who’s going to be staying here.”
“A son?” Mom asked in surprise.
“Really?” Carmen asked. “How old is he?”
“Eight,” I answered. “I haven’t met him, but he sounds like a good kid.”
“They’re both going to live here?” Carmen asked in surprise.
“Yes.” I held her gaze as I spoke. “Mia’s had a difficult life, not that it’s any of your business. I’m trying to help her out.”
Father sighed quietly then downed the rest of his scotch.
“That’s nice of you, Carter.” Mom placed her hand on my arm. “To help someone like that.”
“Like I said, she’s a great addition to the house.” I held my glass without taking a drink. “I enjoy having her around. The place is too big for one person, and it’s too big for me to take care of all the time. I need someone handling it full time.” If I hired a man or an older woman, none of these questions would have been asked. But since Mia was exceptionally beautiful, especially in that cute dress she wore, all my family could do was fixate on was her looks. I guess I couldn’t blame them…since I’d done the same thing since I met her. “Now, if we’re finished talking about her, I’ll give you a tour of the rest of the place.”
I said goodbye to my family on the doorstep.
Father clapped me on the shoulder. “Come by the winery for lunch sometime.”
“Sounds like a plan.” I said goodbye to my sister next. “See you later.” I hugged her, despite how much she annoyed me over dinner.
She returned the embrace then spoke to me with a smile on her face. “Look, all I’m saying is, that woman is not only gorgeous…but she can cook like a chef. She knows how to make a mean drink, and she keeps the house spotless. If I were you…I would be all up in that.” She kissed me on the cheek then walked out with Father.
I ignored what she said and turned to Mom. “Sometimes I wish I were an only child.”
“No, you don’t,” she said with a chuckle. “Your father and I would obsess over you even more.”
“True.”
She hugged me around the waist, over a foot shorter than me just the way Mia was. “But she does have a good point. You could have a maid do that for you…or have a wife do that for you.” She rubbed my back before she pulled away and looked at me. “I try not to ask you too much about your personal life. Your father gets angry at me. But I don’t want you to get caught up in work and luxury and forget there’s more out there. Money and looks will fade…but love never dies. Your father was just like you when we first met, but once he settled down and had a family, he became a much happier version of himself. That’s the only advice I want to give you.”
“And you want me to marry Mia?” I asked incredulously. “You met her one time and tried her cooking. I don’t think that’s enough interaction for an arranged marriage.”
“Of course not,” she said. “But when I saw her, I hoped that…it doesn’t matter.” She patted my chest with her palm before she stepped back. “Just keep an open mind, Carter. The only time a soul is complete is when it finds its second half.” She walked out toward my father, who wrapped his arm around her waist as they headed to the car. He opened the door for her, got her inside, and then they drove off with Carmen in the back seat.
I headed back to the kitchen and saw Mia shut the dishwasher before she turned it on. The place was spotless like it was before she started dinner. The leftovers were placed in the fridge, and the counters had been cleaned off. “Where did you learn to cook?”
She turned around at the sound of my voice. “The internet.”
“My family really enjoyed it. Mom was impressed.”
“Well, that’s flattering.” She washed her hands in the sink, scrubbing them with soap before she patted them dry with a kitchen towel. “I was a bit nervous to see your family. Wasn’t sure how they would be. But they’re lovely…like you.” She hung the towel on the hook then turned back to me, looking beautiful in the dress she wore. The apron was gone, and her high ponytail kept her hair out of her pretty face.
“I’m sorry about my sister. She’s a weirdo.”
She chuckled, her cheeks blushing. “No, her candor was refreshing. Besides, who doesn’t like a compliment?”
“And she’s straight by the way. I would understand why that would be a surprise to you.”
“Come on, Carter. She was just being nice.” She placed her hand on my biceps and gave me a gentle rub.
The second she touched me, my body hummed to life. I loved feeling those f
ingertips, loved feeling that womanly touch. The embrace was innocent, practically meaningless, but those little touches made my entire body feel warm.
“She reminds me of Vanessa. Honest, transparent, refreshing. I really liked her. I liked everyone, truly. Remember that the past three years of my life were unbearable. Before that, I never had a place to call home. It’s nice being around a family, being part of something normal.”
Since she was serving us, it didn’t seem like she was part of the family dynamic, but she obviously didn’t see it that way.
“It makes me miss Luca, though.” She crossed her arms over her chest and sighed.
“Less than a week now, sweetheart.”
“So, what did you tell them about me?”
“That you were the maid. That’s it. But obviously, Carmen can’t seem to believe that.”
“In her defense, she’s right on the money.” She smiled in a beautiful and sexy way.
“My mom likes you too. But she had a little talk with me in the doorway, basically told me she wanted me to settle down.”
“With me?” she asked in surprise.
“Not necessarily. I think seeing me with an attractive woman, who’s cooking in my kitchen, made her think of the kind of life she wants for her son. She wants me to have a wife and a pack of kids.”
“Well, there’s nothing better than being a parent, so I agree with her.”
“I don’t have anything against kids. I just don’t want to be a father.”
“It’s not as difficult as you think it is, Carter.”
“I would have to make a lot of sacrifices.”
“But those sacrifices come with immense rewards.” She tilted her head slightly as she looked at me. “Not everyone is meant to have children, and if someone doesn’t want a family, that’s perfectly fine. But I don’t think you fall into that category, Carter. I see the way you are with your family.”
I didn’t know what to say to that since she was absolutely right. I loved my family. I loved the Barsetti clan. It was an honor to be part of a family so noble and respected. We were loyal to each other—to all ends.
