It was hot as hell in the church, and people were fanning themselves with the programs that had been handed out by the ushers. I didn’t know anyone in the wedding party. My father was friends with the father of the bride…because he was friends with everyone on this side of Sicily.
Leo leaned toward me. “You got a mint in your purse or something?”
I elbowed him hard in the side in rejection.
He groaned then leaned back into his seat.
My father side-eyed us both like we were kids again.
An hour later, the ceremony concluded, and the bride and groom walked out of the church to music, applause, and white rose petals. Sunlight filled the church along with a gust of sea breezethat was a welcome reprieve after being stuffed inside with hundreds of other people.
Everyone filed out into the town square and made small talk before they started to head to the reception. My father was quickly consumed by conversation with other people that he knew. He introduced us to a few people whose names I wouldn’t remember, and we exchanged meaningless pleasantries while the sea breeze continued to cool our warm skin.
When I felt Wolfe’s stare, I knew he was nearby, somewhere near the church, keeping an eye on us. The extra security was probably unnecessary, but my father wasn’t a risk-taker. He believed the best way to deter provocations was to make an approach as difficult as possible. It seemed to work because we rarely had unwarranted confrontations.
We walked together to the hotel on the sea cliff where the reception was held, and that was when Wolfe, Elio, Andre, and Salvatore joined us. I hadn’t had a chance to see how Wolfe was dressed before because he’d been seated in the car, but now I saw him in slacks and dress shoes with a collared shirt and a tie.
Utterly fuckable, basically.
His arms stressed the sleeves of the shirt, and with the shirt tucked into his trousers, you could see exactly how tight his stomach was, how tight his ass was in the dark blue trousers. He combed his hair a little differently and wore one of his expensive watches.
Everyone stared. And when I say everyone, I meantfucking everyone.
He rolled his sleeves to his elbows and showed off that dark ink, and that just made everyone stare even more. Heseemed oblivious to it, locked in conversation with Elio about something. He wore a pair of Tom Ford sunglasses on the bridge of his nose, looking like a model who should be plastered on billboards in Manhattan.
Cristo,he was so hot.
We walked to the hotel and followed the signs that guided us to the large outdoor terrace with a spectacular view of the sea. An awning covered most of the tables, but the deck extended beyond that, dotted with large white umbrellas to protect guests from the warm sunlight overhead.
Each of the round tables could accommodate at least ten guests, so we were able to sit comfortably with Wolfe and the others. Waiters immediately came out to deliver pitchers of water and iced tea as well as bottles of wine.
My father left to mingle, while I remained seated next to Leo.
With Wolfe directly across from me.
I could tell he liked my dress by the way his eyes ripped it off me. His sunglasses were left on the table next to his water glass, and his massive arms were crossed over his chest.
Leo didn’t notice the standoff because he was on his phone.
The others were busy looking around, watching the guests as they filed into the reception. It would probably be an hour before the wedding party arrived because they were taking their photos while hors d’oeuvres were passed around.
I took a few sips of water before I poured myself a glass of wine. The waiter brought bruschetta to the table, but I was the only one who touched it.
“I don’t understand why we always have to come with him to these things,” Leo said. “I don’t even know these people.”
“Because he’s not married, Leo,” I said. “He doesn’t have someone else to bring.”
“And that’s my problem?” he asked. “If he wanted a woman, he could have a woman. Sometimes when we go out, he gets hit on more than I do.”
“Well, no surprise there.”
Wolfe smirked.
“I would much rather have a day off than spend it around people I don’t know.”
“Well, bitching about it all day isn’t going to change anything.” I drank from my wineglass. “So I suggest you get over it.”
Dinner was served, the sun went down, and the music played loudly as people danced in the center of the deck. It was a reception with five hundred guests, typical for an Italian wedding, so the energy was high. Leo had left to talk to a girl at the bar, so he was making the most of his night. There were times when my father wasn’t around because he was mingling, and during those times, Wolfe or one of the other guys shadowed him from a short distance.
