“Your proficiency with a firearm is exceptional.” My smile grows as Elodie walks closer. “I must say, I’m very impressed.”
She preens under my praise, her smile lighting up her face as we retreat back inside, out of the heat of the scorching afternoon. Once we reach the kitchen, I take the gun from her hand, and tuck it into the back of my chinos, watching as she bends over to check the oven.
“Ooh, these lookperfect!”
She straightens and claps her hands before reaching for an oven mitt. As she carefully removes a tray from the oven, the inimitable smell of rich chocolate hits my nostrils.
I move closer, watching her deposit several chocolate-filled ramekins onto the countertop. Glancing up, she grins in delight. “Do you know where Sasquatch is? I made him some chocolate souffles.”
My eyes narrow as I stalk closer, pressing my lips together to stifle a smile when her forehead crinkles. “I’ll have to roll him around this place if you continue to feed his sugar addiction.”
Her tinkling laugh fills my ears, and I smile as I watch her, feeling a lightness I’ve not experienced since our first meeting. She narrows her eyes even as her smile widens. “You’re just sore that I don’t bake for you, Handsome.”
I close the gap and reach around her to grab a spoon from the drawer before dunking it right into the middle of the nearest souffle. Elodie’s gasp of indignation makes me chuckle even as I bring the spoon to my lips, and I arch an eyebrow when I meet her gaze.
“If I want something badly enough, I’ll take it.”
Elodie’s eyes widen, and her breath quickens, confirming my earlier suspicion that she’s moved beyond the pain of her memories. My words hang heavy with innuendo as I pop the spoon into my mouth, my eyes physically rolling back in my head when the intensely deep flavor erupts on my tongue.
“Holyshit!” My exclamation rings out around the mouthful of deliciousness, and Elodie’s eyes fill with pleasure as I swallow, quickly scooping more onto my spoon. “No wonder he’s always hanging around you.”
She chuckles, watching in delight as I devour the entire souffle, though her face turns pensive as I scrape the sides of the still-warm ramekin, attempting to gather another spoonful.
“I often wondered where I got the flare for baking from.”
I freeze, knowing instantly this is the moment to bring up her birth mother, and although she needs to know, I’m desperately hoping my news doesn’t add to her past trauma. Not when she’s come so far.
“No one taught me. I just picked it up as I went along, and everything I tried to bake turned out really well.” She pouts with narrowed eyes. “Well,mosteverything.” Then she shrugs. “Maybe a great-aunt passed along the gene.”
With an internal sigh, I put the empty dish on the counter, and close the gap between us, gathering her in my arms. She looks up at me with wide, trusting eyes, and just like that, the words spill from my lips.
Her father’s affair with her supposed aunt. The pregnancy that resulted in her. The answer behind why the people who raised her had treated her so fucking poorly.
She remains silent from start to finish, her face utterly devoid of expression until I get to the end, and she expels a heavy breath.
I palm her cheeks, my brow furrowing in concern. “I don’t know if now was the right time to tell you, but I need for there to be full transparency between us, Elodie.”
She blinks solemnly before the edge of her lips tips upward ever so slightly on one side.
“It explains so much, Rafe.Somuch.” Pressing herself close against my chest, her arms wind around my waist as I hold her close. “Thank you for telling me.”
“Si,Rafael. I will ensure everything goes off without a hitch.”
Antonio nods once before ducking out of my office, and I quickly move to follow him. Having spent the last two hours bringing him up to speed on current events and talking through security measures for tonight’s party, I’m late to meet Paolo, and I’m anxious to work off some of the uncertainties I have concerning this party later.
I quickly change into simple grey sweats, leaving my chest and feet bare as I go in search of him. Instead, I find Elodie sparring outside with Emiliano, a light sheen of perspiration covering her newly tanned skin.
Her blonde hair is braided on either side of her head, making her look ridiculously young, and I can’t help from smiling when she lands a solid blow to Emiliano’s ever-growing gut.
“You’d move faster if you’d quit eating all that sugary shit.”
Elodie whirls about, her face lighting up with a smile that shines from her eyes. “Leave him alone.” The smile carries in her voice, making me smile even more as my feet eat the distance between us.
“Lasciaci, Fratello.”
Emiliano doesn’t need any further prompting, gathering his things and moving back toward the house as my eyes drink in the goddess before me like a parched man on a summer’s day. The pale pink leggings and crop top show off her body to perfection, and I force my eyes away before my hard-on can become any more obvious.
It’s then that I notice a similar appreciation in her gaze as it rakes over my torso. Her pointed pink tongue darts out to wet her lips, the simple action making my chub further tent my pants.
