Dario comes over and places his hands on my shoulders, then kisses the top of my head. He gives a gentle squeeze.
“Maybe now you will hear since it’s not coming from me,” he murmurs.
I swipe at my tears and nod. Yeah, I finally get it. I earned my spot. I’m as good a chef as I am a surgeon, if not better. It sinks in and the fear of failure falls away.
Chapter 43
Confession of a Son
Dario
I walk into find Carleen staring in the mirror. She’s in her panties and bra, causing me to go hard immediately. I can’t wait to find out what we’re having. I hope it’s a boy.
Seeing her with Nonno earlier reminded me of when I came here, and he’d take me under his wing to teach me how to cook. My chest filled with so much pride. I know my son would learn a lot from summers here.
Although, I’d be just as happy with a little princess. I’d spoil her the same way we spoil Bella. All the little dates and shopping trips. I’d go all out.
“You look gorgeous,” I murmur into Carleen’s neck as I wrap my arms around her.
“It seems like I’m growing so fast now that you know.” She laughs.
“He knows I’m waiting for him. Papa wants to teach him how to play catch and how not to piss his mama off.” I chuckle as I grin at her through the mirror.
“First, you should learn how not to piss his mama off,” she teases with a little smirk on her lips.
I start to sway with her in my arms. “You act as if I haven’t mastered that.”
“I plead the fifth.”
“Whatever.” I kiss the top of her head. The necklace around her neck catches my attention. “Where’d this come from?”
“It was delivered this afternoon. A gift from Nonno. I thought it was a gift from you, at first.”
I narrow my eyes. It looks so familiar. I shake the thought off and take a step back.
“Nonno was able to get us a marriage license. We can marry this weekend. You will be Mrs. Di Lorenzo before Baby Di Lorenzo gets here.”
She spins to look up at me. I love the smile on her face. We’ll have our small ceremony and when we return home, she can have the wedding of her dreams.
“Have I told you how much I love you?”
“I know I haven’t told you enough. Come, get dressed. We can go for a walk. Maybe we should go to Amore Domestico, I’ve been meaning to take you there since you arrived.”
She wraps her arms around my neck. “Did you know I thought you were coming here to take over that place? I thought that’s what your grandfather wanted from you.”
I laugh and kiss the tip of her nose. “Only to find out I came here to be a crime boss.”
“The only crime you’ve committed has been stealing my heart and being too sexy for your own good.”
I capture her lips for a kiss. “If only that were true.”
“In my eyes it is. That’s the only truth I need to know.”
Carleen
I feel the moment the atmosphere changes. Dario’s body stiffens and his jaw turns hard. I shiver as a chill runs through me. I don’t know what just happened but he’s not here with me, even though he’s standing right in front of me.
His eyes go distant for a moment, and he looks away from me. I duck my head to catch his gaze.
“Baby, this is me. What’s been going on with you? Talk to me.”
He takes a deep breath and releases it slowly. I palm his cheek and he turns his gaze on me.
“Have you ever picked up on how much we look like Uncle Lucas? An uncle that’s not even supposed to be family.”
I knit my brows and jerk my head back. As I look into his eyes, the sad eyes of the older man come to me. I part my lips as I see the resemblance.
“Is he really an uncle or something?”
“No, he’s my father. Our father,” he seethes.
“Ohhhh,” I draw out. So I guess my assumption on the plane was right.
I take his hand and lead him over to the bed. He sits and draws me onto his lap. I press my nose into his cheek.
“How do you feel about that?”
“I don’t know. I really don’t know. He’s been there all my life. He’s been more like a father than Frances ever has. I mean, Frances treated us well enough, but Lucas talked to us, he supported everything we did, so can I be mad at him? He’s been there all our lives and to listen to him tell it, he was protecting us the whole time. I don’t know how to feel.”
I start to rub his back. My heart is breaking for him. I can see how much this is hurting him.