Fighter in Lingerie: Lingerie #14 Read online

  Vanessa came out, her hair curled and her black dress slimming despite her bump. “He makes me pee like crazy. I get up at least three times in the middle of the night.”

  “It’ll all be worth it when he gets here.” I patted her stomach gently. “How’s the sex? Is he ruining that too?”

  “No, as a matter of fact,” she said with a smile. “Griffin actually likes it. We’ve had more sex now than we did before.” She kept her voice down just in case there was someone in the house who could eavesdrop. “But he’s also more protective, and that gets annoying.”

  “You have a bodyguard at work. How much more protective could he get?”

  She rolled her eyes. “You’d be surprised.” She walked down the hall and back onto the patio.

  I used the bathroom then walked outside again. I sat in my chair and immediately noticed the way my mother looked at me. A slight smile was on her lips, and she gave me that knowing expression. It reminded me of when I was young and I tried to sneak things behind her back. She somehow always figured it out, despite how clever I thought I was.

  After she held my gaze, she turned away and talked to my father, saying the wine was delicious and it was a beautiful evening.

  I had no idea what that was about. That was when I spotted my phone on the table where I’d left it. What if Bosco called and she saw his name on the screen? Maybe that was what made her smile at me. Just because a man’s name appeared on my screen didn’t mean I was sleeping with him. He could be a client.

  I tapped my finger against the screen, seeing the emails and the message that popped up.

  Bosco had texted me. Beautiful, I miss you like crazy. I’m losing my fucking mind, and I don’t like it. When your ass is back here, I’m not letting you leave again. You’re mine—and I don’t like to share.

  My cheeks turned pale as snow, and my heart raced in my chest. I quickly locked the screen and tried to seem indifferent, like that message meant nothing to me. My ears felt hot, and my pulse was pounding in my head.

  Shit. She saw it.

  It was nearly two in the morning when everyone finally left. Luca was staying with my parents so Mia and Carter could have some alone time at the house. I caught up with Vanessa and Griffin as they headed to their truck. “Hey, can I borrow Vanessa for a second?”

  Griffin started the truck and then got out. “Talk in here. I don’t want her standing outside.”

  Being in the truck was more private anyway, so we both hopped inside. I shut the door behind him and immediately told her what happened. “Bosco texted me, and I’m pretty much certain my mom saw it when I went to the bathroom.”

  Vanessa’s eyes widened in shock. “Shit. Are you sure?”

  “She had this look on her face… I’m pretty sure she read it.”

  “Girl, what did I tell you? Secrets never stay secret.”

  “Well, I expected my secret to last a little longer than this.”

  “Wait…” Her eyes filled with dread. “Is his name stored as Bosco in your phone?”

  “Yeah.”

  She sucked in a breath through her teeth. “You’re even more screwed now.”

  I didn’t even think of that. “Ugh, why is this happening right now?”

  “She probably doesn’t even know who Bosco is, though,” Vanessa reasoned. “But if she tells your father, he probably knows who he is.”

  “It could still be another Bosco,” I countered.

  “How many Boscos are out there?” she asked incredulously. “Not many. Do you think she’ll tell your father?”

  My mom and I talked about my love life all the time. I even told her when I slept with someone. She never judged me for anything or criticized my actions. But she also kept our conversations private from my father, since he would go ballistic. “No. She probably wouldn’t say anything.”

  She breathed a sigh of relief. “Then you’re safe. If it stays between the two of you, then you’re good.”

  “Yeah…”

  She glanced at the window and looked at Griffin, who was leaning against the back of the truck with his arms crossed over his chest. “We should get going. Griffin is getting impatient. I can tell by the way his jaw is tightening.”

  “Yeah, I should go anyway. Thanks for talking to me.”

  “Of course. I just hope this doesn’t escalate.”

  I hopped out of the truck and walked to my father’s car. My mom had just put Luca in the back seat, and they were preparing to leave. Since I’d come with them, I got into the back with Luca.

  Luca had his bag of clothes and toys, but he was already asleep against the door, exhausted since he was up far past his bedtime.

  Mom stared at him from the front seat, a soft smile on her lips. “He’s so adorable.”

  “Yeah.” Father backed up then pulled onto the road. “He’s a sweet kid. A lot sweeter than Carter was.”

  Mom chuckled then faced forward again. “What did Carter think of the watch?”

  Father was quiet for a long time as he headed back to the house, the silence surrounding all of us. “It meant a lot to him…” His voice caught slightly, and he took a deep breath to cover his emotion. “Bellissima, thank you for giving me my children.” He grabbed her hand as he kept driving. “It’s the greatest gift anyone has ever given me.”

  After Mom put Luca to bed, she came into my bedroom.

  I knew she would come. I also knew she would wait until my father was asleep so he wouldn’t overhear our conversation.

  I didn’t sleep last night and I was exhausted, but I knew tonight would be another repeat. It didn’t matter how tired I was; I couldn’t sleep unless Bosco was beside me. It was a terrible habit I’d developed, and I couldn’t break it.

  Mom knocked before she came inside.

  I was ready for bed, my face washed and my teeth brushed. I kept my hair down because it was too curly for a ponytail.

  She sat beside me on the bed and didn’t look at me. She looked at the floor, which was unusual for her. She usually looked me right in the eye.

  Now I knew she definitely knew. “I’m sorry I lied before. I just… I’m not ready to talk about it.”

  She sighed quietly before she looked at me. “Carmen, you’re a grown woman who doesn’t have to talk to me about anything. Your personal life is none of my business. I’ve always respected you in that way, since the day you become an adult.”

  Ugh, the guilt trip. “I know…”

  “I don’t want you to feel like you have to lie to me. I always worked hard to establish a trusting relationship with you. I’ve never told you what to do.”

  “I know that too, and you have made a good relationship between us. It’s not you.”

  “Then why did you lie? You’ve told me you’ve been casual with men before, and it wasn’t going anywhere. It just makes me worried that this is a different kind of relationship, the kind you can’t get out of. You understand what I mean?”

  She hit the nail right on the head.

  “Because it’s unlike you to lie. You never do that, Carmen. I’m just worried.”

  “You’re right,” I whispered. “It is a different kind of relationship, but not in a bad way. He’s a good man. He’s kind, devoted, honest, and not to mention, hot as hell.”

  Mom chuckled. “Okay, I feel better already. Then what is the drawback?”

  “It’s supposed to be a short-term thing. It’s never gonna go anywhere.”

  “Because he doesn’t want it to?” she asked.

  “No…I don’t want it to. I told him we have an expiration date. When that time comes, I’ll walk away. He’s the one who doesn’t want me to leave. If he had his way…I would probably never leave.”

  “Sounds like he cares about you.”

  He’s just obsessed with me.

  “Why does this relationship have no future?” she asked.

  “He’s just…not the right guy for me. He’s not what I want in a husband. I want a husband who will be a family man. I want
a simple life in the countryside. This man…is way too devoted to his career. He cares more about money and power…stuff like that.” I wasn’t lying, but I was definitely on the edge. “But our relationship is very intense. There’s this chemistry and this feeling…” I placed my hand over my heart. “I can’t explain it.”

  A soft smile crept across her lips. “Love.”

  “What?” I asked, turning to her.

  “That feeling you’re describing”—she pointed at my hand—“is love.”

  I couldn’t accept that fate. It was something I refused to do, something I had promised myself would never happen. Bosco was the wrong man for me. He was a demon of the underworld, and I was a flower in the sun. “No…”

  She dropped her hand. “I know it’s scary, Carmen. You never planned for this to happen, but it did anyway. He’s not what you envisioned as the perfect husband, but having the perfect husband is overrated. True love is about loving someone because of their flaws, not despite them. You accept him for who he is, all the good and the bad. The things you don’t like about him will change in time. They always do. Your father isn’t the same man he was when we met. He wasn’t the same man when we got married. He wasn’t the same man when we had Carter. Men change…when they meet the right woman.”

  She didn’t understand. “I just don’t think Father would like him…”

  She shrugged slightly. “Your father trusts your instincts. If you brought a man home, he would give him a chance. He knows you aren’t going to introduce someone to him unless you’re going to marry him. And if you love this man, your father is going to love him too. Trust me on that.” She grabbed my wrist and gave it a gentle squeeze. “He has a hard time with you dating just because you’re his little girl. But if you finally settled down with a good man, he would be very happy.”

  “Uncle Crow seemed to have a hard time with it…”

  She chuckled. “Well, Vanessa picked the worst possible guy—at the time. That’s not gonna happen for you, honey.”

  Little did she know that I was sleeping with the most powerful criminal in Florence. If I told her, she might have a heart attack.

  She watched my expression for a while. “Do whatever you think is best, Carmen. But if this is the man you want, don’t be afraid to fight for him. Don’t be afraid to bring him home—even if he’s not perfect. You don’t want a perfect man anyway.”

  “Father is perfect. Uncle Crow is perfect.”

  She scoffed like that was a joke. “He’s perfect now, sure. But he wasn’t perfect in the beginning. Molding him and watching him grow into the man he is today…is such a wonderful feeling. I wouldn’t change it for anything. Growing together as a couple is one of the best things about marriage.” She rose from the bed and gave me a soft smile. “Good night, honey.”

  “Good night, Mama. Can I ask you for something?”

  “Sure.” She turned around at the door.

  “Could we keep this between us?”

  Her smile fell. “Honey, I’ll always keep everything between us.” She walked out and shut the door behind her.

  I sat there for a while, relieved my secret was buried for the time being. I got into bed, my body stiff and tired from not sleeping, but my eyes were wide open because I couldn’t sleep. I was supposed to call Bosco before bed, so I did it now. I pressed the phone to my ear and listened to it ring.

  He answered almost immediately, the sound of the casino around him. “Hey, Beautiful.”

  “Is this a bad time?”

  “It’s never a bad time.” The noise died away, and he was suddenly surrounded by silence. “I hadn’t heard from you, so I started to worry.”

  “I was just busy…weddings are crazy.”

  “Barsettis know how to party. It’s almost three.”

  “Yes, we know how to drink too.”

  He chuckled. “I like that. I like that you drink a lot but barely get drunk. Classy.”

  There was that word again. Classy. That was how he described me to Ruby. That word meant more to me than he realized. It reminded me of his loyalty, of his devotion to only me. “I guess I’ve built up a high tolerance.”

  “What time will you be home tomorrow?” He said the word home, like that penthouse belonged to both of us.

  I considered telling him about my mother, but I feared that might upset him. I warned him not to threaten my family again, and if I had to listen to it one more time, I’d slap him so hard his cheek would be red for a week. “Around one.”

  He growled, like that was too late. “I want you here in the morning.”

  “I’m having brunch with my family.”

  He growled again. “You’ve been there all weekend. What more do you guys possibly have to talk about?”

  “Wine,” I joked. “We can always talk about wine.”

  He sighed into the phone. “I miss you. I hate that I miss you so much.”

  I hated myself for the exact same thing. “I know…”

  He was quiet, just listening to me breathe. “You must be tired, Beautiful. I’ll let you go to sleep.”

  Against my better judgment, I blurted out something I’d been keeping from him. It was supposed to stay a secret. I even tried to keep it a secret from myself. “I can’t sleep without you…” I closed my eyes as the waves of humiliation rolled over me. I’d become so sickeningly dependent on this man. I needed him for safety, for rest, for pleasure—for everything. I kept telling myself he was just some guy I was sleeping with, but that was a lie I couldn’t tell anymore.

  He was quiet, absorbing my words like a sponge.

  “I’m exhausted, but I won’t be able to sleep tonight…”

  “That’s why you always lie on the couch…” He said the words to himself more than he said them to me.

  “Yeah. Because I wait for you to come home.”

  “Beautiful…” He didn’t say anything else, like there were no words to describe his thoughts.

  I was embarrassed that my heart was beating on my sleeve. I used to be so cold to him, but now I couldn’t keep up my poker face any longer. Now, I was just blurting things out and acting like an idiot.

  He finally said something. “Now I miss you even more.”

  6

  Bosco

  My men started to follow her once again when she entered the city district. They kept their distance until she was far away from her family’s property. The Barsettis might be living in peace and quiet, but that didn’t mean they were ignorant of their surroundings. If twelve men were following a member of their family, they would notice.

  My body finally relaxed once she was under my jurisdiction again. Even though there was no one in the universe who wanted to hurt Carmen, I liked knowing she was protected at all times. Since she was my woman, she was the queen of my life. She deserved to have everything a queen possessed, including my obsession, my money, and my private guard.

  Now I just had to wait for her to come home.

  Fifteen minutes later, my men notified me of her arrival. Her belongings were placed in the elevator with her, and she rose to my floor. The doors gave a slight beep when they opened, and there she was.

  Beautiful.

  A soft smile spread across her lips when she looked at me, like it’d been years since we last saw each other, not days. She grabbed her bag from the floor and carried it inside, her pretty eyes still trained on me. She was in skintight jeans and a dark blue sweater. Brown boots were on her feet. Other than her beauty, the thing I noticed most was the diamond necklace around her throat. Flawless and vibrant, those diamonds were of the highest quality. She didn’t have that when she left, and I certainly didn’t give it to her. The pendant was in the shape of a rose, which was fitting for someone as soft as a rose petal.

  She unzipped her brown boots and left them on the floor before she finally moved into me. She wrapped her arms around my neck and then jumped up, knowing I would catch her. Her ankles wrapped around my waist, and she secured herself in place so she c
ould be eye level with me.

  Both of her eyes were puffy and red, her exhaustion bluntly obvious. She didn’t sleep at all while she was gone, her confession about her dependency entirely true. She stared into my face fearlessly, not showing a hint of the embarrassment she probably felt when she originally told me her secret.

  I remembered coming home from work and seeing this beautiful woman on the couch, the TV still on and her mind only lightly asleep. The second she heard me, she jumped up and went to bed with me. Like a pet waiting for its owner, she camped by the elevator and waited for the gentle beep to tell her I was home. Unless I was by her side, she couldn’t truly rest. It was ironic, considering she used to kick me out the second I fulfilled my purpose. She wouldn’t even let me get comfortable because she wanted me gone right away. But now, this woman needed me, and watching her need me was the sexiest thing I’d ever seen.

  She pressed her face against mine as she sat in my arms, her fingers lightly touching my hair.

  This was something we did often, pressed our foreheads together and felt the intimate connection between us. It was stronger than a kiss, more powerful than making love. It was something I’d never done with a woman, let time slow down so much just to feel her. I’d never been a big talker, and I didn’t have to make conversation with her. We could communicate with our silence, with this scorching chemistry that lingered in the air the second we were in the same room.

  I walked out of the living room and left everything else behind. She was light in my arms, feeling like a bag full of rose petals. My hands gripped her luscious ass, and my bare feet tapped against the hardwood floor as I carried her into the bedroom I shared with her every night. I laid her on the bed and fell with her, my cock hard in my sweatpants the second I was told she was on my property.

  She arched her back and pulled her sweater over her head, revealing her black bra that contrasted against her fair skin. She arched her back again to unclasp the back before she settled into the mattress once more, her perfect tits staring right at me.