“What?”
“You’re all over me.”
“I don’t care.” I didn’t care if I smothered him too much or if he needed space from my neediness. I had just been so worried that he might not return to me this time.
“I’m not complaining.” He turned toward me and brushed a kiss against my hairline. “You can be all over me all you want.”
“Good. Because I’m going to be.”
“I should put myself in danger more often…”
“That’s not funny,” I whispered.
He brushed another kiss against my hairline before he turned on his side to face me. He grabbed my leg and hiked it over his hip, his expression serious now. He snaked his hand into my hair, cupping my cheek and part of my neck. In the low light that peeked through the curtains, he held my gaze, gently caressing the corner of my mouth with his thumb.
I wasn’t sure how long we lay together like that, the light slowly filling our bedroom as the sun rose higher over the island. It seemed to be a lifetime, but it also seemed to be no amount of time at all.
“I’ve never had anyone to worry about me.”
My eyes softened with a twinge of sadness.
“If I’d died, I’d have been replaced and quickly forgotten. When I faced Icarus, I was far more aware of my mortality than I’d ever been. The stakes were higher because I knew you were waiting for me. I’d always had a purpose, but my life lacked meaning. Now you’re what gives my life meaning.”
I was paralyzed by the depth of his words, seeing a new facet of him he hadn’t revealed before.
“Now I understand why I was the ruthless, savage, insane Cosa Nostra lieutenant—because I had nothing to lose. My life never mattered to me before you. I didn’t care if I died young. I actually preferred it. But now…the stakes are so high. I used to chase the adrenaline to feel alive, and I had to pursue increasingly more dangerous tasks to get that same hit. But now, leaving you homealone is enough to give me that adrenaline, and it’s a sickly feeling.”
My eyes flicked back and forth between his as I stared into his eyes in the dark. “You’ve settled back in Cosa Nostra so well, I thought you liked it.”
“Cosa Nostra is my life, and those habits have never left me.”
“But…do you like it?”
He considered the question for a long time as he stared at me. “I don’t understand your question.”
My conversation with Don Russo came back to me. I started to wonder if I was a wedge between Wolfe and what he truly desired. “If we get the vineyard back, would you want to stay with Cosa Nostra?”
“I only agreed to work with them to get the vineyard back.”
“Why won’t you answer the question?”
His eyes hardened slightly. “Whatever our future holds, that’s a decision we’ll make together.”
“So you do enjoy being with Cosa Nostra again?”
His eyes narrowed on mine as he tried to read me. “It’s where I’ve belonged my whole life, except for the past few months. I harbored a lot of resentment toward them because of what they did, but my actions today show me there’s still a lot of loyalty there. But it’s different now…because of you.”
9
FRANCESCA
We fell back asleep and woke up hours later, close to noon.
Wolfe had worked out every morning since I’d met him, except for the day after my father was killed. But he skipped his workout today too and sat on the terrace with me while we drank our coffee.
I was in the sun because it felt wonderful on my skin, but he preferred the shade of the umbrella. He was shirtless in his sweatpants, his ink and his muscles on display for anyone who could see him through the neighboring windows.
I didn’t let my jealousy get to me. I just had to accept the fact that I had a super-hot hunk for a man.
