by Sienna Mynx
“Really! Like when I was in America?”
“Yep. I had the cooks get it just for you.”
Eve ran around in circles and danced about. The twins stopped playing and watched her curiously. Then they too began to celebrate. Eve laughed with her brothers. She grabbed their hands and they made a circle. They kept spinning until Catalina told them to quit. Eve doubled over with laughter.
“My little princess is a big girl so she is going to have a big breakfast. Oh, and guess what? Belinda and Kyra are coming to visit today. Jamie too.”
“Really?” Eve clapped. “To your house or to my house?”
“My house.”
Eve missed Belinda a whole lot the past two months. She had so little to do and no one to play with but her brothers. Even playing with the fire wasn’t as fun anymore.
“When? When are they coming here?”
“Soon. Now do you understand? We need to get ready. So can you help auntie?”
Eve gaze swept over the baby who no longer cried. And then she looked to her brothers one last time. Her happiness dimmed. No matter how many sweets they had for breakfast it wouldn’t change anything. All of the kids would come before her with Mama and Papa. Especially the new baby. She knew her mother didn’t hurt her feelings on purpose but it felt intentional. No one cared about her for long. Not even her favorite aunt.
“Eve?” Catalina said as she lifted Lorenza into her arms. Her aunt kissed the baby all over her face and Lorenza seem to giggle in excitement.
“Yes auntie. I can help you with the children. Can you help me?”
“Help you do what, cara ?”
“Papa. Can you help me see Papa alone? To talk to him. He so busy, and he doesn’t stay for long. I need a meeting. A sit down.”
Catalina smiled but Eve didn’t. She stared at Eve for a long moment. Eve feared the answer would be no. Then Catalina smiled again. “You miss him?”
Eve gave her a slow shake of her head. “It’s business. Papa understands business. I have a... deal to make with him.”
“I remember when I was your age. I had Domi to look after me but I’d wait all day for Gio to come home. I’d miss him. Do you know why?”
Eve shrugged.
“Because your Papa is the best at making you feel special. The very best. I think I’ll remind him that he needs to work at the job more. Since you are our very special Evie.”
“I want a meeting!” Eve stomped her foot. “I’m not a baby. Tell him he has to have a meeting with me that is all. My own meeting. He knows how it’s done.”
Catalina laughed.
When Eve eyes welled with tears her aunt’s mocking laughter faded. She frowned. “You’re serious?”
Eve nodded.
“I will make sure the meeting is scheduled as soon as possible. Promise.”
“Grazie, auntie. I will help you too. Let’s go you turtles! ” she said to her brothers. “We need to get ready. Papa and Mama are coming home!”
A SHARP JOLT OF PLEASURE surged through her and she quivered from her thighs to her buttocks warmed by the remaining heat from the cooling engine. Belinda grabbed her breasts and squeezed them tighter. Leo flipped her. He ripped his condom off and tossed it in the grass. She was crushed against the car as he began to thrust into her raw. Her hands went flat to the hood. Her cheek pressed against its hot surface. She gasped repeatedly for air. The sound of a car could be heard passing by on the road. They were not seen. Leo had driven through the dense forest and parked in a shaded spot crowded by the leaves and branches of thick bark trees. However, the nook remained the perfect hideaway for stolen pleasure. He kept moving until she heard bells.
She frowned.
She heard bells?
Leo slowed his pelvic thrusts to a stop. He kissed her back and slapped her right butt cheek.
“What is that?”
“Ciao ?” Leo answered.
Belinda turned and looked up at him curiously. She fixed her clothes the best she could as Leo spoke fast in the flip mobile phone. She understood very little of what he said. He ended the call with a hard grunt of disappointment.
“We must go. They say the Donna will be there soon.”
“Five minutes,” she said and reached for him.
He shook his head and swatted her hand away.
“No?” she pouted.
“I need longer. I want longer.” His gaze lowered to her pressed together thighs where they crested up to her sex.
“Then take five minutes. You’re the boss, At least with me.”
Leo smiled. His disfigurement lessened when he smiled. She had grown to love every blemished part of his face.
“I’ve missed you,” he confessed.
“It’s only been six days. Remember?”
“Paris? Yes, I remember Paris. I show you my memory. Take you to dinner and dancing. We tell the Donna and all is approved.”
“Really? You still think they will keep their promise and let us date without restrictions?”
“We’ve been honest.”
She fixed her jean skirt that was gathered up to her waist and glanced to the ground for her underwear. “They don’t know about you frequenting Milan and meeting me in Paris. They don’t know about our calls every day and every night since I left. They sure as hell don’t know I’ve fallen in love with you.”
Leo brows lifted in surprise. Belinda squatted and looked under the car for the panties. She didn’t see them.
“Love? You are in love?” he asked.
“You aren’t?” Belinda said with her hands to her hips.
He slowly nodded. “I love you.”
“Okay, first time we said it out loud. We’re in love. It’s settled.” Belinda chuckled.
“The boss knows everything. Even though I stay discreet he knows. He’s the boss.”
“Not of me!”
“Come, my lover,” he said and pulled her to him. He spun her around and smacked her bottom. She laughed. Belinda hurled herself at him once more. She threw her arms around his neck and held on. Face to face she was able to look into his chocolate brown eyes and see the man beneath. She’d changed in so many ways these past months. They’d changed together. She’d never met a man so intoxicatingly loyal and genuine in her life. She loved his strength and fearlessness, it made her feel safe.
“The world feels different. For the first time I feel free. Thank you.” She brushed her lips across his.
“For what?” he asked and ran his hands over her curves.
“For not giving up. For making me a woman.”
“I’ve done this?”
“You have done all of this.” She put his hand between her thighs and made him touch her wet and sticky sex. “Don’t you feel it?”
He looked down at her breast and then slowly up to her lips as his finger inched inside her. Belinda gasped in time to receive his kiss. “Five minutes, please Leo,” she pleaded.
“Ten,” he grunted. He pulled his finger out of her and took her hand. He led her to the backseat of the car. She went in on her hands and knees. Leo came inside behind her. He was on her in an instant and inside of her even sooner. Belinda bit down on the leather seat flopped down upon as his erection power drilled her from behind.
They would take all the time they wanted.
EVE HELD ZIA’S HAND . Her brothers were in the arms of men who worked for the family and the others stood around patiently awaiting the car’s arrival. Eve glanced up to Zia who looked down at her with a smile. Where had Zia been? She wondered. The question made her think of more missing adults in her life. Where was Uncle Lorenzo and TiTi Marietta? They were gone for a long time. Where was Uncle Carlo? He’d been missing too. People kept coming and going but the real family she loved disappeared.
“Here she comes, your baby sister.”
“She’s not my baby sister,” Eve replied. “She’s just Mama and Papa’s baby sister.”
Eve gaze fixed on the three cars driving along the long path to Zia Catalina’s home. She felt
her tummy start to hurt and wasn’t sure of the strange pain. Did she have to go to the bathroom? She just went. Eve squeezed Zia’s hand and stood perfectly still. Catalina had said that Belinda would come to visit, but Eve hadn’t seen her. She’d waited all morning. Now mommy was home with another crying baby.
“There she is Eve! There!” Zia said.
Eve saw nothing. Papa got out of the car and went around to the other side. Her brothers clapped stupidly. Didn’t they know that the baby would replace them too? She snatched her hand down from her Zia and crossed her arms. And then Nico arrived from one of the cars. He came from nowhere. He lifted her up in his arms and she could swear she was high enough to touch the sky. “See mama, Evie?” Nico asked. “Look who she has with her.”
“Yes!” Eve grinned as he tickled her. “I see! I see!”
Nico chuckled. He held her in the way that made her feel like Queen Sheba from her picture books. She could see everything on Nico’s shoulder. And when her mother looked up their eyes met. Eve waved at Mama. Mirabella winked at her and smiled. Papa smiled at her too. Suddenly Eve didn’t feel so invisible. How could she? Nico made her the tallest person in the world. Maybe having a baby sister wouldn’t be terribly awful.
After the family went inside and everyone was surrounding the baby Eve grew bored with the celebration. She decided to explore her Aunt’s home the way she liked to do exploring in Melanzana. It was her hope to find a box matches she could take to her room to play with.
“Lucciola ?”
Eve stopped at the sound of his voice. It was her father. He stared down at her with a stern look. Did he know what she was up to?
“Yes, Papa?”
“Catalina tells me you want a ‘meeting’?”
Eve blinked as if caught with her hand in the candy jar. Her father walked over and picked her up before she could give him a proper answer. He carried her down the hall. They went into an office that was similar to the one at home. Giovanni walked over to the chair and sat. He put Eve on his knee. He kissed and tickled her. She had to squirm to get free of his playing.
“Not like this Papa. You go there! To the desk,” Eve said.
Giovanni frowned. He looked at the desk and then at her.
“I want my own meeting with you. A real one.”
“Va bene lucciola ,” he said. Eve went to the door and closed it. She hurried over to the other side of the room to pull a chair over to the front of the desk. Her father sat behind it. All her life she had attended meetings like this. Seen people talk to Papa about their problems and see him resolve it. This was her turn. He wasn’t just Patri , he was Padrino .
Eve got up on the chair. She could see him from her seat. He sat forward and put his hands on the desk.
“Tell Papa what you want to speak about?” he said. His face rested between his thumb and pointer finger.
“The family,” Eve began.
“Oh?”
“I’m the first baby,” Eve said.
Giovanni nodded.
“I was here first. Right?” Eve asked.
“This is true.”
“Then I should be the boss. Over the children.”
“Boss?” Giovanni chuckled and dropped back in his seat.
“Papa, look at all the children. They all little. Need help from me and Mama. They cry and don’t listen. I have to help but no one cares about my feelings.” Eve put her hand to her heart. “I have feelings too, Papa.”
Giovanni’s brows lowered with concern. Eve didn’t know if he was mad at her or if he didn’t believe her so she hurried with the rest of her request. “I am the oldest so I am boss. I will help Mama but you have to help me. Stay here with me. Be with me and play with me too. Not just the babies. I go first and then the babies. It’s fair.”
He nodded. “You go first. I understand.”
“Good. I am glad we had this talk. I want to help Mama, but she has to remember my feelings too. So you talk to her, okay?”
Giovanni got up from his seat behind the desk and walked around it to face his daughter. He looked like there were tears in his eyes. Now Eve knew she had done a bad thing. If she hurt Papa’s feelings she would be sad too.
“Did I say something wrong?” Eve asked.
“No. It’s not you, lucciola . It’s Papa. Papa has been gone too often and he didn’t remember that his firefly had feelings until now. It’s all Papa’s fault. I should’ve known.”
“Know what?” Eve asked.
“That my lucciola is growing up.” He reached down and picked her up from her chair. He held her up in front of him and then he brought her into his arms and hugged her. “You come first Evie. You’re my very first love.”
“I am?” she asked in shock as she hugged his neck.
Giovanni held her firmly to his chest. “My very first baby. And I will not forget the blessing. I am so sorry my little firefly. I am very sorry.”
“It’s okay, Papa.” She touched his cheek. “We talked. We agree. It will be okay,” Eve said and stroked his face.
He kissed her cheek. “Do you want to go for a drive?”
“Really? Where?”
“Down to the beaches. Let’s do it. Now,” Giovanni said.
“But what about Mama? Does she want to come?”
“Mama needs rest and the family is here to take care of her. So we should go have our own fun. And get sweets, too. How does that sound?”
“Yes!” Eve held her father’s face. She kissed his nose. “I love you so much. You’re a good Papa.”
“And you’re a good Evie.”
Her father carried her all the way out of the house. He didn’t put her down. He didn’t stop to say anything to the babies in the house. He carried her to the car and put her inside. Eve was able to sit in the front seat. Though she couldn’t see quite over the dashboard she could see enough. And when Papa was behind the wheel driving she felt so happy. They went to the beaches and Papa took off his shoes and rolled up his pants to kick the water with her. He bought her the biggest lollipop she’d ever seen. And a gelato that was purple and pink. They even stopped to look at the dogs fighting over a tossed out piece of meat. It was the best day of her life.
When they came home she was sleep. But Papa didn’t just put her in the bed. He stayed in her room and watched television while she slept next to him. He was the best Papa. Eve woke the next morning to find him sleeping next to her. She felt so happy.
Earlier
THE FAMILY WAS PRESENT . Everyone was excited over the new baby. Mirabella, however, just wanted to sit and sleep. In that order. But she smiled and she showed grace under the strain. Catalina had opened the Mancini home to receive her family. Mirabella wanted to give her the respect and honor of being the host so that’s why she agreed to staying at her sister in-laws instead of Bagheria.
The only man permitted to touch her was Giovanni when he was present. With him gone Nico stepped in and took his place. Her daughter slept like an angel in the crook of his arm. Eventually the ceremonies of greeting and being greeted by family won out. She found a comfortable chair in the parlor. Her sons came to her first. Both of her boys had grown so much. And they changed every day. She couldn’t figure out where Eve and Giovanni had disappeared too. After all, they were in Sicily and not Sorrento. She was very concerned when they left the gates of the Mancini Estates.
“Mirabella? She’s beautiful.” Kyra said.
Mirabella smiled. “How was Paris? Milan?”
Kyra took a seat next to her.
“Paris was great. The press is salivating over the big reveal. I think this is going to be huge. The best relaunch ever.”
Mirabella looked down at her angel and knew soon a feeding would be needed.
“I wanted to talk to you about Belinda,” Kyra said. Jamie and Catalina arrived to join the conversation. The kids must have scattered with Zia and their aunts. There was no Belinda among them.
“Where is she?” Mirabella asked.
“Out for a dri
ve with Leo,” Kyra said.
“They’re lovebirds,” Jamie added.
“Who?” Catalina asked.
“Belinda, and Leo,” Kyra confirmed. “She’s done really well Mirabella. Really well in the school you sent her to. And he’s been to visit. A few times when we were in Milan and even flew out to Paris a week ago.”
“I see,” Mirabella said. “Not surprised. Giovanni mentioned it.”
“He did?” Catalina gasped. “Since when does my brother approve?”
“Since he lost you,” Mirabella smiled. “Belinda is the least of our concerns now.”
“Speaking of concerns. Since we’re all here, and the new baby... she’s so precious,” Catalina smiled. “I have to ask.”
“Marietta?” Mirabella answered.
Catalina gave a slow nod. “Lorenza is with Zia right now. She’s so sweet. I know Marietta must be going crazy without her.”
The women all remained silent waiting on Mirabella to speak.
“We’re mothers,” Catalina started again.
“Not all of us,” Jamie chuckled. “The one thing I gladly leave to you ladies.”
Mirabella smiled.
“I understand what you’re asking,” Mirabella spoke.
“Do you? You said Gio has changed. Softened. Right? Look at us. We’re in Sicily in Mancini’s house celebrating the birth of another member of this family. We’ve all changed. Maybe, just maybe it’s today that you find a way to get my brother to see another way.”
Mirabella stared at Catalina. Her gaze slipped over to Kyra and then to Jamie. They all stared back at her with expectation in their eyes. She then looked down at the daughter she brought into the world. The one who carried her mother’s soul.
“Maybe—” Mirabella began.
“Sorry I’m late!” Belinda rushed in. “We had a flat tire.”
The women all looked at her and her flustered state. She hadn’t bother to run up the zipper on her jean skirt. Jamie was the first to laugh. The others all found themselves unable to not join in. Belinda looked around confused.
“What? What did I say that was funny?”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
