He hung up, not waiting for a reply because it was an order, not a request. I really didn’t want to be around my father more often than absolutely necessary, but, most importantly, I didn’t like him anywhere near Aria.
My muscles brimmed with tension when I stepped into the elevator. Another fucking mess of a day. Despite all the shit thrown our way today, I made good to my promise to Aria and was home earlier than usual. When I entered our apartment, Romero was perched on a barstool, working on his tablet. I’d sent him photos of a surveillance camera from the restaurant because he was the best when it came to detecting suspicious behavior. Maybe he’d be able to figure out who’d left the fucking message, so I could kill them personally. Carrying pigs’ head through Brooklyn couldn’t have gone unnoticed.
He stood, grabbed the tablet, and stepped into the elevator. “I’ll work on this tonight.”
“Aria’s still your top priority, so don’t pull an all-nighter.”
Romero smiled. “You know me. I’ll be as vigilant as always for work tomorrow.”
I nodded. He was one of my best men.
“Aria’s on the roof terrace,” he said before the doors closed.
I put my phone down on the kitchen counter. Matteo would be able to deal with shit if something came up tonight. I wanted to enjoy this evening with Aria without interruption.
Outside, Aria had set up the table with candles, white cloth and fresh flowers. She was dressed in an elegant flowing yellow dress. With the last rays of the setting sun, she was like a golden apparition. The most beautiful woman the Outfit had to offer. My father’s words. He’d been wrong, so fucking wrong.
Aria was the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen. There couldn’t possibly be a woman more beautiful than her on this planet.
Aria noticed me and gave me a small smile.
“I thought we could eat here?” She gestured at the table.
I wasn’t all that hungry for food, but Aria had already put an array of dips, breads and samosas as well as a steaming curry on the table. I wrapped my arm around her and kissed her lightly. Her lashes fluttered and her smile became less tense. “I ordered Indian.”
“I’m hungry for only one thing,” I said in a low voice, feeling my groin tighten at the idea of getting Aria out of this dress.
Aria looked away. “Let’s eat.” She drew away from my embrace and sank down. Maybe food would help her calm her nerves. I really didn’t understand what she was so nervous about. I’d told her I’d touch and kiss, not fuck her. My lack of practice handling female emotions was definitely a problem when it came to treating Aria right. I sat down across from her. A few strands of hair whirled around her head and the setting sun made Aria’s cheekbones glow.
“You look fucking sexy.” My brain and body were on a one-way street. I just couldn’t think straight today. I wanted to lose myself in Aria, in her gorgeous body, in lust, and forget the Bratva.
Aria ripped off a piece of naan bread and ate it with a bit of dip. “Romero took me to the Metropolitan today. It was amazing.”
I ate a bite myself, stifling a laugh at Aria’s feeble attempt to distract me. “Good.”
“What about the restaurant owner? Did you convince him that the Famiglia will protect him from the Russians?”
It wasn’t really a topic I wanted to discuss, especially with Aria. Business was something I wanted to shield her from. “Of course. He’s been under our protection for more than a decade. There’s no reason to change that now.”
“Sure.” Aria picked up her wine glass and nipped at it, not meeting my eyes. She seemed far away, but it didn’t take a genius to guess what was bothering her.
“Aria?”
“Hmm?” She still didn’t look up.
“Aria,” I said, putting more force into my tone and, as expected, her head jerked up. Her blue eyes swam with anxiety. It was a new experience to have a woman scared of being with me. I leaned back in the chair, wondering how I should handle the situation. “You’re scared.”
“I’m not,” she said quickly, but her cheeks reddened at her lie. She was such a bad liar. I fixed her with a stare, wanting her to tell me the truth. Lying wasn’t something I’d tolerate. “Maybe a bit, but mostly I’m nervous.”
Nervous. I could work with nervous. It was so much better than fear. I stood and walked toward her, holding out my hand. “Come on.”
Aria raised her eyes to mine, searching like so often and whatever it was she seemed to find it because she took my hand and I pulled her up. She was still looking up at me. “Let’s get into the Jacuzzi, okay? That’ll relax you,” I said quietly, softening my voice to set her at ease. “Why don’t you grab your bikini and I’ll set it up?” I would have preferred to soak in the tub with a naked Aria, but I doubted that would help her relax.