Disenchanted

by L. D. Davis

  The two shook hands and clapped each other on the back, as if Marco hadn’t had his tongue down Kyle’s pregnant girlfriend’s throat recently. Kyle nodded once to me and left.

  That was my cue to leave the room before things got any weirder between Marco and me.

  “I should get back to bed.” I put my glass on the desk before I got to my feet. The two—or was it three—glasses of bourbon hit me then. After over a year of not drinking any alcohol, my tolerance was at an all-time low. I swayed only once before Marco steadied me by putting both hands on my waist.

  I looked down at his hold on me and then dragged my gaze up his hard body to his eyes. “You’re touching me again.” There was an edge to my soft tone. The unspoken ceasefire between us had come to an end.

  Instead of releasing me, one of his hands began to slowly travel up my side. I stood frozen, my gaze glued to his. His palm didn’t touch the side of my breast before it began to slide back to my waist, but it came close enough that my heart shuddered.

  “Are you happy now that you’ve groped me?” I tried to sound icy, but even I heard the slight shake of my voice.

  He smirked. “You didn’t seem to mind it very much.”

  “Fuck off.”

  He groaned. “Oh, there’s that sharp tongue I like so much.”

  “I have even sharper claws.”

  I held my breath when he lifted his hand to my face, where his fingers traced a familiar trail and pushed my hair behind my ear. His voice was hoarse with a desire that made my knees wobble.

  “I don’t mind a few scratches down my back.”

  His words had the same effect as someone dropping a corded radio in my bathtub. There was a rush of warmth through my body, a heartbeat of adrenaline, and then I jerked. Feeling an unexpected and unreasonable panic, I finally acted and began to push against him as I tried to escape.

  I literally growled as I tried unsuccessfully to pull away. “Get off of me, you fucking barbarian.”

  Marco laughed. “Why don’t you admit to the truth?”

  “Fine. The truth is I hate your stupid Italian ass. Get off!”

  “You’re attracted to me. You’ve been attracted to me from the moment we met, and that frightens you. What frightens you even more is knowing that I am attracted to you.”

  I wrenched out of his grasp, but my victory was short lived. He caught me around the waist and pulled me against his body in a vice grip as I uttered curses at him.

  A strong hand held the back of my head still as he pressed his cheek against mine. His warm breath washed over my ear and effectively cut off my foul words.

  “You’re insecure about your body and the person you’ve become. It’s obvious in the way you deflect my compliments and my kindness. You don’t believe that I can possibly find you attractive in any way, or even like you after what you’ve done to your sister. So, you build your walls, put up your defenses, and hurl your insults, and perhaps, you have fooled yourself into believing that I will eventually give up and go away. But I have a secret to share with you, mia signora.” His lips grazed my cheek as he pulled back just enough to meet my eyes. “I won’t just go away. I am an excellent businessman. I choose my ventures very carefully. I am patient, but very aggressive about getting what I want. I love a challenge. I will take down your walls, brick by brick. I will find every weakness in your defenses, and I can take anything you throw at me.”

  Fury and something else I couldn’t place made my voice thick and tremulous. “You barely know me. What if you’re wrong?”

  “I know you better than you think I do,” he said cryptically. Then, he drew close until his lips were almost touching mine. His head moved slightly, as if aiming for a kiss.

  I sucked in a shaky breath and held it. When I felt the softness of his mouth brush against mine, my eyes closed, and my lips parted in anticipation.

  “But I’m not wrong.” The words were whispered into my mouth, and then released me.

  Before I could even begin to breathe again, he had walked out of the office. After I heard the front door close and the security system beep three times, indicating it was armed, I collapsed back into my chair and tried to shake away the prickling heat that suddenly clung to my body as I let out a long string of bad words under my breath.

  Chapter Six

  For the first time in ages, I slept in the next morning. I didn’t mean to, but I hadn’t set an alarm and none of the kids woke me up. My mind went into panic mode at first when I saw that Amanda wasn’t in the little toddler bed next to me, but as soon as I opened the door, I heard her tiny giggles and other voices coming from the main living area.

  Curious, I followed the sounds of chatter, the clanging of silverware against plates, and the scent of waffles or pancakes and sausage and syrup. I came to a complete stop when I saw that everyone was sitting around the dining room table, including Lily, though Kyle was practically in her lap and watching her like a hawk, even as he fielded questions from Cora. Mom, Gavin, Mandy, and Maureen were there, of course, as well as the ox. The biggest surprise of all was Marco, clad in a white apron as he put a plate of waffles on the table. He was first to notice me.

  “Buongiorno, bellissima!”

  “Buongiorno, bellissima,” my eldest spawn repeated.

  Cora tried to say it, too, grinning broadly at me even though she had a mouthful of food.

  I managed a smile for my kids as I approached but raised an eyebrow at Lily. “What are you doing out of your cell?”

  She seemed more like herself than she had last night, but there were dark circles under her eyes. “The doctor said I can get up and walk around for a few minutes a day. So, I got up and walked my way out here to the table when I heard Marco was here making waffles. The man makes a good waffle.”

  I glanced at the man in question. He winked at me as he pulled out an empty seat beside Mandy’s high chair and gestured for me to sit. I kept my face flat and emotionless as I made my way over to him. Once I was seated, he put a plate loaded with waffles, sausage, and toast in front of me. I wasn’t used to being served and felt very awkward as I uttered a thank you.

  His gaze was unnervingly tender as he took the empty seat on the other side of me at the head of the table. “You’re welcome. Caffè?”

  He held a carafe over an empty cup by my plate. I nodded once, avoiding his eyes as I picked up my fork and knife. I hadn’t felt so awkward around a guy since grade school. I didn’t know how to act around Marco after our interesting exchange last night. I felt the rush of blood in my cheeks just thinking about how I had closed my eyes in anticipation of his kiss, only to make a fool out of myself.

  “What is everyone doing today?” Lily sighed dramatically. “Since I’m stuck here in the house, I have to live vicariously through you all.”

  I peered down the table at my sister. “We’re not here on a vacation, Lily. I’ll be here all day with you.”

  “How exciting.” She sipped her coffee with the air of someone who was the opposite of excited.

  My mom piped in with a self-satisfied smirk. “I, for one, don’t intend to sit in the house all day. I’m taking a day off. Felicia Sterling called me this morning. She wants to take me to the spa and lunch.”

  Kyle offered his sympathies. “I’m sorry.”

  Lily narrowed her gaze. “If she says even one fucked-up thing to you, Mom, I’m going to—”

  Kyle cut off Lily’s threat. “You’ll do nothing but sit in the bed like you’re supposed to.”

  She continued as if she hadn’t been interrupted. “If she says one fucked-up thing, I will destroy her prima donna face after I pop this kid out.”

  Gavi and Cora giggled at their aunt.

  “I’d like to remind you not to curse or speak of violent acts in front of your nieces and nephew,” I said with an overly sweet grin before I sipped my coffee.

  “Says the most hardcore person at the table. I think that back in the day you could’ve given Harry a run for his money.”
/>   “Harry?”

  “Tagher,” Marco murmured, lightly bumping my arm with his.

  “Oh, Harry.” I tried to ignore the goose bumps where Marco’s skin had touched mine and glanced at the ox, who gave me a little wave.

  I felt Marco shift beside me. “When do you go back to Ohio?”

  I hadn’t been able to look at him since he’d sat down next to me, but I managed to steal a glance in his general direction when I answered. “In a couple days.”

  “So soon?”

  “Yes. Gav and Cora start school in a week.”

  “You should take a day off, too.”

  I rolled my eyes at his suggestion. “I don’t get a day off. Someone still has to take care of the munchkins.”

  “True, but perhaps we can do something fun today instead.”

  My brain zeroed in on the “we” of that equation as a murmur of ascent went around the table.

  “You really need a day to unwind. You do entirely too much.”

  I stiffened at my mom’s parental tone. I felt like I was still a child and she was disciplining me. “I have a family, Mom. I do what I have to do.”

  “But you’re not doing what you have to do,” Kyle added his two cents as he frowned at me. “What happened to the nanny service I got for you? One of the reasons I did that was so you could take care of yourself as well. From what I’ve seen over the past few days, your own rest and health don’t seem to be a priority. You should have brought the nanny with you.”

  The nanny service had also been one of Kyle’s generous donations after Mom’s heart problems. I liked the woman we had chosen, and the kids adored her, but I didn’t necessarily need her anymore.

  “I gave Maureen this week off, and it isn’t her job to raise my kids and care for my sick mother. It’s mine.”

  “I’m not sick,” Mom objected, irritation and exasperation written across her face.

  Lily attempted to soothe the growing tension. “Mom’s fine. She doesn’t need to be coddled. Why don’t you just relax for once? The world won’t fall apart. No one will die.”

  I couldn’t stop the animosity that came out through my next words. I felt as if I were being ganged up on and didn’t like it. “So easy for you to say, living hundreds of miles away, existing only in your own little bubble.” I put my fork down with a clatter. “I thought this was breakfast, not an intervention.”

  We hadn’t had a real fight in years, but I felt the familiarity of sibling conflict as her brows pulled together and her eyes narrowed at me. Before we could really get into it, though, Marco spoke up, speaking smoothly and defusing the budding argument.

  “Lydia, if not for yourself, why don’t we do something fun for the children? They’ve been cooped up in this place for days.”

  That made me stop and glance around at my kids. Amanda was absorbed in playing with the food on her tray, but Cora and Gavi watched me with eyes that seemed to be a little on the anxious side. They weren’t stupid, and probably felt the disquiet that had bloomed at the table.

  “You did say the kids start school soon.” Marco’s voice was soft but playful as he winked at my son. “Why not give them a fun day before Gavi has to wake up his brain?”

  Gavi giggled. “My brain isn’t sleeping.”

  “Hmm. I don’t know. What letter comes after D?”

  “E!”

  Marco’s eyebrow rose comically. “Are you sure? I thought it was J.”

  Gavi sighed heavily and rolled his eyes. Cora laughed, though. “Marco, you don’t know your ABCs!”

  “No, I am not as smart as you and your brother. You will teach me, won’t you, principessa?” When Cora nodded emphatically, Marco smiled at her before turning his gaze back to me. “So? What do you think?”

  My heart was heavy with guilt for not considering the kids’ happiness. Marco was right. They had been cooped up in the penthouse for days, and before that, they hadn’t had much of a summer. At home, they had plenty of toys and stuff to do in the backyard, but it wasn’t the same as getting out and experiencing the world.

  Spending the day with Marco, though, I wasn’t so sure about. My family seemed to trust him wholly—Lily and Kyle had said as much outright. Of course, they’d known him longer and had time to build that trust. Maybe if he wasn’t so interested in my kids, I would’ve felt differently. Call me paranoid, but I found it strange that a man doted so much on kids he barely knew. We live in a crazy world, where bad intentions could be masked by seemingly good ones. Some people will do and say anything to hurt others, especially children. Did I truly believe that Marco was that kind of guy? Deep down, no, but I’d been stupid and gullible many times in my life before.

  As I sat there contemplating his offer, his phone rang. He plucked it off the table with a big grin. “Scusami.”

  When he went to the kitchen to take the call, I refocused on my plate to give him some privacy, but my gaze snapped back to him when I heard several little voices call out, “Ciao, zio.”

  Marco’s face lit up. “Ciao fantastici bambini. Cosa state facendo?”

  He must’ve asked them how or what they were doing, because they all started to speak at once.

  I glanced across the table at Lily. “Who…?”

  “Oh, it’s some of his nieces and nephews. He has a video chat with them at least once or twice a month.”

  My gaze drifted back to the kitchen, where he leaned against the island and spoke in Italian, even as the little voices continued to chatter. I was about to look away when Marco suddenly laughed. Head thrown back, eyes closed, and mouth opened wide. I’d seen him laugh before. I’d seen amusement dance in his eyes before, but I’d never seen so much…light, so much happiness and tenderness on his face that he obviously had for those children. I stared at him for too long, fascinated.

  As I shifted some of my attention back to the table, back to my own kids, I tried to listen to Marco’s voice, too, even though I had no idea what he or the people on the other end were saying. It was only a couple minutes later when he returned to the table with an apology.

  “Where were we? Oh, yes. You were accepting my proposal for a fun day outdoors with the children.” He grinned and winked at me, smug and confident.

  My initial and usual reaction was to tell him to fuck off, but I bit my lip just as the F started to make its way out. My heart was beating so hard as he stared at me and waited for my answer. I felt so stupid. Why did my heart have to behave so erratically? So stupid.

  Slowly, I nodded. “Okay. What do you have in mind?”

  An hour later, I hovered in the doorway to Lily’s bedroom with a bag full of kid necessities slung over one shoulder. She sat in the armchair instead of in bed, a concession on Kyle’s part, I was sure.

  “We’re leaving.” We’d barely spoken to each other since breakfast, but I thought it would be an asshole move to just go without saying anything.

  She nodded. “You’ll like it. The kids will like it. It’s peaceful there. When will you be back?”

  “If Marco isn’t really an axe murderer or doesn’t have plans to lock us in a cage in the woods, then we’ll be back late tonight.”

  Her lips pressed together for a second. “Stop saying things like that about him. Do you really think I’d let my sister and my nieces and nephew go off with someone dangerous?”

  I knew she wouldn’t allow that, especially considering what had happened to her, but I felt rather petty, so I remained silent and looked down at the floor instead.

  Her voice hardened. “Oh, wait. Maybe in your mind, I would let that happen, since I’m so selfish and in my own little bubble.”

  My eyes snapped to hers. “I didn’t say you were selfish.”

  “Oh, but you did. When Mom had her heart attack you told me I only think about myself.”

  Even though that was true, I had called her selfish—a rare surge of anger toward her made scathing words dart from my mouth before I could think first. “Considering you ignored my existence and the exi
stence of my children for years, even after my husband and their father died, I hadn’t been too far off the mark.”

  Lily moved to the edge of her seat. I was sure if she could stand up, she would’ve been in my face.

  “After Gavin died, I gave up everything I had to take care of you and those kids! I worked two, sometimes three jobs and slept in the ghetto on a saggy-ass couch so I could send my hard-earned money to you, Mom, and the kids.”

  “I didn’t want your fucking money, you dumb cow! I wanted you. I wanted my sister.”

  She stared at me, her eyes wide. “Did you call me a cow because I’m fat?”

  “I called you a cow because you’re an idiot.”

  She sniffed. “Actually, you’re the idiot. Cows happen to be very intelligent animals.”

  I sighed. “This conversation has gone way off track.”

  There was a brief silence before she spoke again, her voice quiet. “You can’t talk about him.”

  My nose wrinkled as I stared at her in confusion. “The cow?”

  Her eyes rolled. “No, stupid. You can’t talk about Gavin.”

  I shifted uncomfortably. “Okay. So?”

  “Because you can’t deal?”

  I pushed my hair behind my ear and cleared my throat. “Something like that.”

  “Well, I couldn’t deal either, okay? It was…too much. It was safer for me to just stay away from all of you. I’m sorry for that, but you have to understand, I couldn’t risk becoming unstable again.”

  I sighed again and closed my eyes for a beat. “You don’t have to apologize to me. You don’t owe me any apologies. You didn’t do anything wrong. I…I deserved that treatment.”

  Lily didn’t disagree with me when she spoke up after a brief hesitation. “Your kids didn’t deserve it, though.”

  “They won’t remember a time when you weren’t in their lives.” I laughed shakily. “How did we get into this stupid argument?”

  Her mouth pulled up at the corners. “I’m not sure, but it doesn’t matter. You have to go. Marco’s waiting for you. He is hellbent on seducing you.” She batted her lashes.