AllFreeNovel
Share Us
My eyebrows slam together. "I can’t believe you’re defending him."
Medici shrugs. "He’s enjoying a little beat in an olive grove. You’re acting like he’s a perv."
"Am not."
"Are, too."
"Am not."
Medici taps the fig. "Eat your fruit. Calm down."
"I don’t need to calm down—"
Medici rams his firm hands on my shoulders. "Feel that tension," he rasps in my ear, sending tingles up my spine. "Someone got a little too excited watching Dino. He needs a massage. Right, Little one?"
I try not to moan as heat surges through me. "A massage—nothing more."
"I respect your boundaries. Your consent. Come—lay on the grass. I’ll work the tension out of your body."
Tilting my head back, I stare into Medici’s eyes. "No bait and switch. Promise?"
Medici fixes his gaze on me. I expect to see lust—desire—uncontrollable need. Instead, the firmest, most protective glint I’ve ever borne witness to illuminates his dark irises.
This man wants me to recover from my kidnapping—and let out the other stresses I’ve incurred in my life.He’s not out to hurt me. He’s my big, brutish rescuer.
The polar opposite of the men who took me.
"I promise." Medici’s voice soothes me. "This is only a massage."
I take a bite of the fig as I lie down. "Thank you."
He squirts olive oil on my back. He feathers his hands up and down, driving them into my muscles.
"Good boy," he mutters, his voice firm and protective. "That’s right, Little one. Let Daddy get your tension out. You’re safe in his hands. No one can hurt you—you can let your inner boy out."
Warmth the likes of which I’ve never experienced flows through me. Yet—something niggles.
Daddy?I don't recall when I gave Medici permission to say that.
At this moment, it doesn’t matter. Daddy. Sure.
I could get on board with that.
ChapterSeven
Medici
"It’s nice to see you’re finally back from Mount Etna," I snap. "Thanks for inviting me and Mattie."
"You were sleeping,fratello," Lazaro growls. "We didn’t want to wake you."
"You’re not as young as you once were," Faro teases. "You need your beauty rest. And—hiking on volcanoes is bad for your blood pressure. You’re old enough to need to worry about that—right?"
Santino shoves Faro. "Take your age-shaming comments and shove them up your ass."
"He shoves so many things up his ass," Marcello banters, "he shouldn’t have a problem with that."
Giosuè turns to me. "I’m excited to meet Mattie."
