“Sweet dreams, Mister Santoro.”

  He opens his mouth to speak but says nothing. He simply winks then leaves my room quietly closing the door behind him.

  “Mia, you’re an idiot,” I kick at the air in front of me. “How could I not sleep with the sexiest man alive?”

  I hear Nico chuckle out in the hallway and I instantly feel mortified that he heard me.

  “Goodnight, Mia,” he laughs.

  “Goodnight,” I reply defeatedly. He continues to laugh as he walks away from my room. “Way to go, Mia Caldwell. You’re officially a loser.”

  Chapter Ten

  Nico

  Mia walks out into the hallway at eight on the dot. She is wearing a light pink tank top, jeans, and white sneakers. Her hair is pulled up into a ponytail and from what I can tell, she has zero makeup on. She never ceases to amaze me. Zero makeup and still looks like a goddess.

  “Good morning,” I say when she finally looks at me.

  “Good morning,” she smiles.

  “How’d you sleep?”

  Her cheeks redden and I know that her night was as rough as mine. I regretted leaving her room without at least tasting her. It took everything in me to not go back over to her room and devour her. I almost slept in my office just so I knew I’d stick to my words. Mia wasn’t the kind of woman who should just be fucked. She deserved to be wined, dined, and spoiled.

  “Hungry?” I ask, helping her dodge my question.

  “Mmhmm,” she nods.

  “This way.”

  I gesture down the hallway to our left and we begin heading toward the dining room. I want to fill the silence with words; however, I’m not sure which words would be comforting to her. Hell, I’m not even sure if she’s a morning person.

  “Are you usually a morning person?” I ask like an idiot. She giggles faintly.

  “Where I’m from, you don’t have a choice in being a morning person or not. Your butt better get up and help out with the morning chores,” she laughs.

  “Ah. I see,” I chuckle. “So you grew up on a farm?”

  “Sadly, yes. Not a big farm though,” she assures me and I see her shake her head out of the corner of my eye. “I don’t think we ever had more than a hundred cows at one time.”

  “That’s a lot of damn cows.”

  “That’s nothing compared to the big farms.”

  “Ah. I see.”

  “That’s like your catchphrase when you don’t know what to say, huh?” she asks.

  “Is it?” I laugh.

  “Sorry. That was super rude,” she groans.

  “Not rude at all. I find your honesty refreshing.”

  It’s the truth. Not many people are this blunt with me. But then again, that’s my fault. Or maybe it’s my father’s fault since he created me into this monster. He taught me to rule with an iron fist and never show anyone my weaknesses or let them question my weaknesses.

  “But still, I need to be more mindful,” she sighs. “You’re like a… Well, I’m not sure what your title is exactly; however, I know it’s an important one and scares the hell out of those who work for you.”

  “Scares them?”

  “Ugh. There I go again. Sorry. I got very little sleep and I’m nervous.”

  “Relax, Mia,” I say, placing my hand on the small of her back. She tenses briefly and then relaxes in the next breath. We continue walking through the hallway, small-chatting about nothing of importance.

  When we arrive at the dining room, the dining staff is lined up inside, waiting to serve breakfast. Mia looks around and blushes as I escort her to her seat. Once she is seated, I take my seat at the head of the table and signal for breakfast to be served.

  Mia watches with wide eyes as the staff sets our places, serves the food, and fills our glasses. The staff acknowledges me and leaves the room. I pick up my fork but notice Mia is looking around the table at the empty chairs.

  “Everything okay?” I ask.

  “Do you always eat alone?” she looks at me with sad eyes.

  “Not always,” I shrug. “Sometimes I eat with family. Other times with my closest friends.”

  “Oh, good,” she smiles and grabs her fork. “I was starting to feel sad, picturing you eating all by yourself.”

  She begins to eat as though her words weren’t the sweetest thing I had ever heard. She actually felt compassion towards me. Nico Santoro. When was the last time anyone truly gave a damn about me? I was heir to the Santoro Family and nothing more. My sole purpose for existing was to carry on the family name and follow in my father’s footsteps.

  “Did I say something wrong again?” Mia’s soft words break my thoughts. I look over at her and smile.

  “Your words were perfect. Just what I needed to hear,” I take a bite of eggs.

  She doesn’t seem to believe what I’ve said but doesn’t question me. She simply goes back to eating. Another thing I like about her. Most women would nag me about what I meant, or ask if I was really telling the truth; not me. She lets my answers be just that– answers. No explanations needed.

  After breakfast, we take a walk around the garden. Mia admires the flowers as though they’re the first time she’s ever seen flowers. I know that’s not the case, she just likes appreciating life like the saying Stop to smell the roses says to do.

  “Ooh. There’s even a swing?” she beams with a smile and heads over to the bench swing. “Doesn’t look like anyone has sat on it in a while.”

  “That’s because no one has,” I laugh, walking over to her. I look the swing over. It’s covered in rust. “Don’t sit on it. I’ll have someone go buy a new one.”

  I take my phone out and message Basque to have someone get a new swing for the garden within the hour. Once the message is sent, I put my phone back in my pocket. Mia is staring at me.

  “What’s wrong?” I ask.

  “Is your life always this simple?”

  “Simple?” I laugh.

  “Nothing,” she shakes her head. “It’s rude of me.”

  “Speak your mind, Mia,” I assure her, stepping closer to her. “Let me hear what’s going through your mind.”

  “Are you sure?” She bites her bottom lip nervously and shifts her weight from one foot to the other.

  “Positive.”

  She takes a deep breath. I have a feeling I’m in for an ass-chewing. Maybe I should have thought this through better.

  “It’s like you found a genie lamp with unlimited wishes. You snap your fingers and the world stops spinning. When’s the last time you went to the store to buy something you needed without someone else helping you?” she tilts her head slightly and looks up at me.

  “Went to the store?” I wonder, trying to think back to the last time I went to the store.

  Nothing came to mind right away. I know I went to the store a lot as a child, but I always had bodyguards with me. Once it was my junior year of high school, my father was already prepping me to be his underboss. I had my own staff to cater to everything I needed.

  “Nico, you’re thinking so hard, I’m worried smoke might come out of your ears,” Mia laughs.

  “I’m worried too. Hopefully, I’m paying someone to operate a fire extinguisher,” I tease. Mia giggles and shakes her head.

  “If not, fear not because I know how to use a fire extinguisher.”

  “My hero,” I wink and she laughs more. “Was your original question a subtle hint that you wanted to go swing shopping with me?”

  The question leaves my mouth and Mia’s face turns all kinds of red. I can only assume that her mind went straight to the gutter. Sex swing. I definitely wouldn’t mind buying one of those swings for us to enjoy.

  “As much fun as that sounds, I meant the garden kind of swing,” I say, pointing at the swing a few feet from us. Mia lowers her eyes to the ground.

  “My question was just out of curiosity. I have a bad habit. Once I observe something and have a question, I can’t let it go until I get an answer,” she admits faintly.

  “Nothing wrong with that, Beautiful.” I wrap my arms around her waist. She looks up at me and I smile down at her. “Maybe I can come up with a job here that will work towards that strength.”

  “Strength? More like a curse,” she rolls her eyes.

  “Strength,” I kiss her forehead. “It’s good to want answers to all of life’s questions. Don’t let anyone else tell you differently. Okay?”

  “Okay,” she blushes.

  “I have a meeting in a few minutes but you’re more than welcome to sit in the meeting or you can hang out with my pain in the ass sister. She should be around here today.”

  “Sister?” she asks and I nod.

  “She can be a bit much but she’ll definitely make sure you aren’t bored for a single second,” I groan.

  “I like her already,” Mia giggles.

  Chapter Eleven

  Mia

  I didn’t want to intrude on Nico’s meeting. Besides I doubt I could handle what they’d be discussing. I was better off left in the dark. I had already made peace with what happened in the hotel room. The guy at the hotel was a very bad man and karma was coming to claim for his sins. Or at least that’s what I was telling myself. That and the fact I was telling myself that Nico ordered his men to take the guy to the hospital to get treatment. I know that was me in full denial; however, ignorance is bliss.

  “Well, don’t you have a nice ass,” a woman says behind me, scaring the life out of me. I’ve been the only one in Nico’s private library for the past thirty minutes or so.

  I turn on my heels and find a petite, thin-built woman with dark brown hair approaching me. She’s wearing a spaghetti-strapped shirt with blue jeans and sandals. Our outfits look like we called each other and coordinated.

  “Just breaking the ice,” she laughs. Basque, an enforcer, is standing in the doorway, watching us. He doesn’t seem as amused as her. “Ignore him. He’s always moody.”

  “Ah.” It’s the only coherent thing I manage to formulate out of my mouth.

  “I’m Felicity and you must be the gorgeous, country bumpkin, who has my brother going crazy,” she grins.

  “Gorgeous? I wish. Country bumpkin? Yes,” I laugh. “Driving your brother bonkers? Good possibility.”

  “I said crazy, not bonkers,” she winks.

  Is there a difference between the two? I wonder to myself.

  “Well, the car is waiting out front for us,” she announces, looping her arm through mine.

  “Car?”

  “Apparently, we are going garden swing shopping,” she shrugs and laughs. “You really have my brother whipped.”

  Hearing Nico’s sister tell me I have him whipped is mortifying. This is his sister, not a female friend. Although, I think I’d still be mortified.

  “No. It’s not like that. He’s just worried someone is going to fall if they sit on the swing,” I blurt. Felicity rolls her eyes.

  “Whatever you say,” she winks as though she knows something I don’t know and then proceeds to drag me out of the library and into the hallway.

  “Felicity, she can walk on her own,” Basque groans.

  “Hush. You overgrown sexy mother f–” Basque claps a hand over her mouth and she lets go of my arm. The other guys in the hallway quickly turn their backs to us.

  “Are you trying to get me killed?” he whispers. Felicity looks up at him. Even with his large hand covering her mouth, I can still tell that she’s smiling. There’s even a twinkle of amusement in her eyes.

  So Basque and Felicity are a thing? I look back and forth between them. He’s extremely good looking and she’s stunningly beautiful. They make a cute couple without a doubt. I just can’t imagine Nico being okay with one of his guys dating his sister.

  “Behave,” Basque sighs and drops his hand down to his sides. “This way, ladies.”

  Felicity smiles and locks arms with me again. We make our way through the house, outside, and down the steps to the line of waiting black SUVs– ten to be exact. Beside each car is a minimum of two guys in black suits.

  “This is insane,” I say, looking at the convoy of cars.

  “The lifestyle of a Santoro,” Felicity laughs. “You should see it when my dad and Nico travel. They have more protection than the president. I’m not as important so I only get ten.”

  “Why aren’t you important?” I frown. “You should be just as important.”

  “Easy, killer,” she laughs and pats my arm. “I’m okay with not having as much attention. It’s a pain in the ass just having this many.”

  “Ah. I can imagine.”

  Always being in the public eye any time you left your house? That’d be a royal pain in the ass. There would be zero freedom. The life I thought was so boring sounds much better than the chained-down life of luxury.

  “I want to take my car!” Felicity announces sweetly.

  “Felicity,” Basque groans, standing a few feet behind us.

  “Someone bring me my car. Now!” she shouts. This time her tone is more demanding. There isn’t a hint of playfulness in it. She means business.

  “Someone grab, Miss Santoro’s… Which one car, Miss Santoro?” Basque asks professionally where those within earshot can hear.

  “Red,” she replies.

  “Red? Really?” he growls faintly. “You’re going to stick out like a sore thumb.”

  “Keep challenging me and I’ll make sure that I take my brother’s new toy far far away. You won’t see either of us for months,” she smirks.

  New toy? Is she referring to me? I wonder to myself and do everything in my power to keep from falling to the ground. I feel like an idiot for thinking I was more than a witness/toy to Nico. He was only being nice to me to protect his empire. It had nothing to do with being attracted to me.

  “Miss Santoro, as per your brother’s orders, please mind your words about Miss Caldwell,” Basque warns. He sounds like a grizzly bear ready to strike. “She is to be addressed as Miss Caldwell or whatever name she allows you to call her. New toy is not acceptable.”

  My mouth nearly gapes open. I’ve never had anyone stick up for me with such… honor? I’m not even sure how I’d describe the emotion. I just know that it makes me feel protected.

  “Nico said that?” Felicity asks. She looks and sounds just as shocked as I feel.

  “Yes. No one is to disrespect Miss Caldwell. Anyone who does, he will…” he chuckles. “Let’s just say, it won’t end well for them.”

  “I’ll be damned,” she giggles and looks at me. “Looks like we might end up family.”

  “What?” I gasp.

  She looks back at the guys standing by the cars.

  “If I ask again for my car, I’m going to lose my mind on you all. Red car. Now!” She stomps her foot. Two of the guys, who appear to be the youngest, take off across the driveway in the direction of the multi-car garage.

  “You don’t have to be rude,” Basque mutters under his breath.

  “If they had done it the first time, I wouldn’t have to be a bitch,” Felicity retorts between clenched teeth and a smile on her face.

  “It wouldn’t kill you to ride in one of the many vehicles in front of you,” Basque replies in a whisper.

  “Well, I–” Felicity stops talking when a red Lamborghini comes into view. “Isn’t she pretty?”

  I’m not sure if she is talking to Basque or me so I just nod. I don’t want to get in the middle of the lover’s quarrel anyway. Bad enough Felicity lashed out and called me Nico’s new toy. I definitely don’t want to get in the way of her crossfire.

  The Lamborghini pulls up in front of us and I’m even more in awe by the sleekness and the sound of the engine. It would take me a lifetime to be able to save up enough money to rent a car like this. The Santoro’s lifestyle is one the rest of us dream of.

  The two men get out of the car. They stand by the opened doors as though they are waiting for us.

  “Let’s go, Cinderella,” Felicity laughs, dragging me over toward her car.

  “Let go of her!” Nico’s voice booms from behind us. Felicity and I both look back and find Nico bounding down the steps angrily with his army of guys in suits behind him.

  Chapter Twelve

  Nico

  Felicity rolls her eyes and lets go of Mia’s arm when I approach them. Usually, I wouldn’t say shit about Felicity’s shenanigans; however, I won’t allow them with Mia. When I saw Basque’s text telling me that having Mia and Felicity together was a bad idea, I couldn’t get out of my office fast enough.

  “I’ll take Mia,” I say, placing my hand on the small of Mia’s back. She tenses slightly but then relaxes and looks up at me. I offer her an apologetic smile.

  “Why can’t I take her?” Felicity glares at me. I turn toward her.

  “Because clearly, I can’t trust you.” She flinches as though I just slapped the hell out of her.

  “Nico,” Mia whispers. “That’s not nice.”

  “No. It isn’t nice but this is just who the hell he is!” Felicity screams. “So, either run for it or get used to it, sweetheart!”

  I start to reach for Felicity’s arm. Mia grabs my hand and shakes her head.

  “Felicity was really nice. She was even going to let me ride in her car. I’ve never been in one before,” Mia lies through her teeth.

  I want to call her out on it. I’ll wait until we’re alone to do so. The guys don’t need to hear me correct her publicly.

  “I see,” I say flatly. Mia swallows hard and her cheeks turn red.

  “You’re a horrible liar,” Felicity laughs. “But I do appreciate you sticking up for me to my asshole brother.”

  “I apologize. I was testing the water to see what she was like. I’m done with the games. I’ll play nice. You have my word,” Felicity smiles. She stands on the other side of Mia and loops her arm around Mia’s. Nicer this time.

  Felicity looks genuinely happy, not like the psychopath she looked like moments ago. She has the kindness in her eyes that we all admire about her. The sweet baby sister, who is always caring, is here.

 

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