Page 13 of Complications

“If you kiss it, it’ll feel better,” Elio drawled, watching me instead of his hand. “You could kiss lots of places and make them feel better.”

The deliberate seduction in his voice scraped along nerves I preferred to pretend didn’t exist. Elio was forbidden fruit in the most literal sense, and it had been too damn long since I’d allowed myself any kind of distraction. He seemed determined to remind me exactly how soft his mouth looked, how easily he could make things complicated.

“Behave.”

“Make me.”

“That job belongs to Matteo,” I said evenly, “and he’s got his hands full right now.”

The past few months, Matteo had been singularly focused on making sure Connor felt safe and secure in their new relationship. Given the abuse Connor had suffered before being brought to Matteo’s home, it was understandable. The man had poured all of his energy into protecting what he’d claimed.

Elio at least had the decency to look chastened. I wasn’t trying to make him feel bad, but he needed to knock his shit off before he crossed a line that couldn’t be uncrossed. Matteo protected the family, but Connor had become his priority. If Elio’s antics created a risk, Matteo would cut him loose without a moment’s hesitation. Elio needed to realize that before he went too far. My worry pissed me off more than I wanted to admit.

“I can bring the x-ray machine over if you want absolute certainty, but I’m fairly sure it’s just the one break. It’s going to be sore as hell and bruised, but there’s enough movement in the rest of the hand. I’ll splint your ring finger and wrap it. You can change it yourself.”

“But don’t you want to?” he murmured, and before I could step back, his uninjured hand came up to trace along my jawline, fingertips warm and deliberate.

The contact created lingering sparks of awareness and heat. My cock swelled from the intensity of his gaze. And that was enough of that.

“I’m here to patch you up, not flirt with you. Try that on someone else.”

I needed to keep my side of the street clean. Matteo and I might be friends, but there were limits to everything. I knew Elio’s place in the family. The perpetual screw-up. The indulged one. The one who didn’t actually work in the business but hovered near it like proximity alone could grant him purpose.

“How did this happen?” I asked.

He rolled his eyes. “It’s really not my fault.”

“Strange because that was the exact same thing you said the last time I patched you up.”

“All right, I didn’t mean it that time because I was fucking around with someone. How was I supposed to know he had a boyfriend?”

“You could’ve maybe asked him?”

“That’s on him to share.”

I rolled my eyes in pretend exasperation. Even though his logic was sound, there was no way in hell I’d give him the satisfaction of knowing I agreed.

“All right, so what happened this time?”

“You know I was supposed to represent Matteo at the mayor’s event tonight, right?”

“How would I know that?” I snorted, waving for him to continue.

“I was coming back from having a smoke—and yes, I know it’s bad for me—and one of the mayor’s aides was being hassled by a guy. So I stepped in.”

“And security decided you were the problem.”

“Security didn’t appreciate my interference,” he said lightly. “I might look like shit, but he definitely has a broken nose.”

“Christ on a cracker.”

“Worth it.”

A discreet knock cut through the moment, and Frankie appeared in the doorway.

“Matteo wants to see you.”

“Me?” Elio asked.