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“She reminds me of Vanessa. Honest, transparent, refreshing. I really liked her. I liked everyone, truly. Remember that the past three years of my life were unbearable. Before that, I never had a place to call home. It’s nice being around a family, being part of something normal.”
Since she was serving us, it didn’t seem like she was part of the family dynamic, but she obviously didn’t see it that way.
“It makes me miss Luca, though.” She crossed her arms over her chest and sighed.
“Less than a week now, sweetheart.”
“So, what did you tell them about me?”
“That you were the maid. That’s it. But obviously, Carmen can’t seem to believe that.”
“In her defense, she’s right on the money.” She smiled in a beautiful and sexy way.
“My mom likes you too. But she had a little talk with me in the doorway, basically told me she wanted me to settle down.”
“With me?” she asked in surprise.
“Not necessarily. I think seeing me with an attractive woman, who’s cooking in my kitchen, made her think of the kind of life she wants for her son. She wants me to have a wife and a pack of kids.”
“Well, there’s nothing better than being a parent, so I agree with her.”
“I don’t have anything against kids. I just don’t want to be a father.”
“It’s not as difficult as you think it is, Carter.”
“I would have to make a lot of sacrifices.”
“But those sacrifices come with immense rewards.” She tilted her head slightly as she looked at me. “Not everyone is meant to have children, and if someone doesn’t want a family, that’s perfectly fine. But I don’t think you fall into that category, Carter. I see the way you are with your family.”
I didn’t know what to say to that since she was absolutely right. I loved my family. I loved the Barsetti clan. It was an honor to be part of a family so noble and respected. We were loyal to each other—to all ends.
“Have you ever introduced a woman to your parents before?”
“No,” I blurted, finding the question comical. “Never.”
“You’ve never had a girlfriend?” she asked, her eyebrow raised.
I shook my head. “The girlfriend thing has never interested me. I’ve never needed a romantic relationship with someone, not when I’m satisfied by other things, like sex, work, and family.”
“Then it’s no surprise that your mother and sister were so surprised to see me, since they’ve never seen you with a woman in any capacity.”
“I guess.”
“You told them I’m living here?”
I nodded.
“Did you tell them about my son?”
I nodded again. “They find the situation strange. They probably think there’s something romantic going on between us. But I’m not going to correct my mother and tell her we’re just fucking. I might be able to have that kind of conversation with my father, but not my mother.”
“Understandable.”
“I’m sure they’ll get used to as time goes on and they realize nothing is gonna happen.”
She held my gaze without reacting, but there was a hint of sorrow in her eyes. I wasn’t sure why my words would matter to her. There didn’t seem to be anything between us, at least nothing romantic. “What?”
“That makes me sad.”
My heart started to race, the sweat forming on my palms. I stared at her beautiful face and felt the trepidation in my chest. I didn’t blink as I stared at her, and she didn’t blink as she stared back. Did our closeness develop into something more right under my nose without my realizing it? Did she want me, despite everything I’d done to her? My heart started to beat faster, and instead of rejecting her honesty, I wanted to push her against the counter and kiss her…even though I didn’t understand why. “Why?” My voice came out as a whisper because that was as loud as I could make myself speak.
Her hand moved over her hair, and she tucked the brown strands that had come loose behind her ear. “I don’t want you to be alone, Carter. I understand a man’s need to remain free as long as possible, but always being alone…sounds depressing. I know commitment sounds horrifying to a man like you, a man who can have anything that he wants. But I promise you, it’ll be the best thing you’ll ever do. So don’t say it’s never gonna happen. Keep the door open.”
When I heard her explanation, I realized she’d misinterpreted what I said. She wasn’t referring to herself specifically, but to women in general. My heart rate didn’t slow down even though her intent was clear. She spoke of me being with someone else so easily, like the possibility of us didn’t even cross her mind. That should be a good thing, exactly what I wanted. But I found myself disappointed by her dismissal. It made absolutely no sense. “I’ll think about it.”
