It’s almost noon by the time I make it to Ambrosi’s, a place I’m not thrilled to be coming back to after what happened with my father last night. Especially since I had to leave Shae. I was supposed to be here thirty minutes ago, but Shae was all soft, warm, and sated in my bed, and after feeding her breakfast I couldn’t help but take her delectable body one more time, in the shower up against the wall—something else she’d never done.
There’s something to be said about introducing a woman to new things, and when you have an eager student like Shae, it makes it even better. I’ve pushed her, trying to find out what her limits are, and I’m learning quickly that Shae doesn’t seem to have many limits. She’s submitted to me several times, allowing me to take the lead sexually, and I’ll be damned if that alone isn’t a fucking turn on.
Which is why it was so difficult to drop her off.
If I could’ve kept her naked in my bed all day, I would’ve, and she wouldn’t have balked. It was me who had plans, and though I’m someone who enjoys work, I found myself wishing I could take a day off and spend it worshiping her body.
“You’re late,” Dante grumbles as I approach the table.
My brother and I are complete opposites. He’s funny and easygoing. I’m sarcastic and uptight. We fight all the damn time, but he’s my best friend, and I know that life or death, he’s got my back.
Ambrosi’s is already bustling, but like always, we have a table reserved for us in the back, away from the prying eyes of society men and women wanting to get a closer look at our family. They’d be saddened to find out that the three of us—Dante, myself, and my mother—are about as far out of the family loop as you can get.
“Sorry. Traffic,” I lie, kissing my mother on the cheek before taking my seat next to Dante.
Isabella Ambrosi is a beautiful woman and damn good mother. Unlike my father, she never missed a little league game, graduation, or special event. She picked me up from school every day, tucked me in every night, and sang to me when I was sick.
I’ve often wondered how she ended up with someone like my father, but every time I try to broach the subject, she blows me off. Where he’s large and arrogant, she’s gentle and kind. They’re complete opposites, but somehow they’ve made it work.
“Hi, sweetie,” she croons. “I hope you don’t mind that I ordered for you.”
“Not at all. Thank you.”
“Pasta three-way, one of your favorites.”
Memories of dinner last night with Shae pop into my head. Her delicate lips wrapping around the fork, the gentle moan she made every time the food hit her mouth, but it’s the smile she had on her face as she fed me bites of her dinner that push their way to the forefront.
Dante slaps my arm. “Dude, what the fuck is your problem?”
“Language,” Mother scolds.
I blink twice. “Nothing.” I clear my throat. “Nothing. Yes, Mother, that’s perfect. Thank you.”
Dante opens his mouth, no doubt to probe me further. He doesn’t miss a damn thing—something he learned from our father.
“Drop it,” I murmur, shaking my head.
His eyes narrow, but thankfully he does, turning his attention to our mother.
“So, not that we don’t enjoy lunch with you, because we do, but what did you want to talk to us about?” he asks.
“Well,” she says, her dark brown eyes lighting up. “As you both know, your father and I will be celebrating our thirtieth wedding anniversary soon, and I was wondering what you two are planning. A party would be nice.”
“Party?” we both ask at the same time.
“Umm…” I glance at Dante, who shrugs, and then look back at my mother. “We didn’t realize you wanted a party.”
“I do, and I can’t plan my own. The girls down at the club would have a heyday with that, so it leaves you two.”
“This is a little sudden, don’t you think?” Dante asks. “Isn’t your anniversary next month?”
“Yes.” The waitress drops off our food, and Mother unravels her silverware. “I’m confident you’ll come up with something. It doesn’t have to be extravagant, just something small with our family and closest friends.”
“You do realize that Dad’s idea of closest friends is going to involve a whole slew of people we don’t normally associate with,” Dante says.
Her smile falters as she stares at her plate. A few seconds pass before she looks up at us. “I trust you boys to invite who you feel is necessary. Hire someone to help you plan it, if you’d like. I don’t mind footing the bill, just let me know who I need to pay. In fact, I have an old high school friend who plans these sorts of parties. I’ll forward you her information.”
“It’s not about the money, Mom,” I clarify. “We don’t mind paying for a party. It’s just that this is sudden and completely unlike you.”
My father may be a social person, but Mother is not. Sure, she likes to hang out with her friends at the country club a couple of times a week, but that’s about as far as it goes. She isn’t into the high-society parties. “Does Dad know about it?”
She scoffs. “Of course he knows about it. Why do you think we’re having it?” She takes a bite of her salad and pins us with an unyielding stare. “You know how your father is, always has to be the center of attention.”
“Then where is he?” Dante quips. “Shouldn’t he be here if it’s his idea?”
My mother takes her time swallowing her food. She dabs her mouth with a napkin and sets it in her lap. “You know as well as I do that your father is a busy man. He couldn’t make it.”
Couldn’t make it. It takes every ounce of control I have not to make a comment, but I can’t do that to my mother. It’s an unspoken rule. She knows what he does, what kind of life he lives, but she doesn’t like to talk about it, and the last thing I want to do is upset her.
“It’s fine, Mom,” I say, twirling my fork in the pasta. “We’ll make it happen.”
She pats my hand and then Dante’s. “I knew I could count on you two. Now, tell me about the girl you brought here last night.”
When I look up at her, she’s smiling wildly.
“Girl?” Dante pops a bite of steak in his mouth. “You brought a girl here?” He groans, rolling his head back. “Please tell me you aren’t seeing Liza again.”
“I’m not seeing Liza again. And there’s nothing to tell. I met a girl. I brought her to dinner. End of story.”
Dante shoots me a look that tells me he isn’t buying the shit I’m trying to sell. “Right. Except you don’t bring girls here.”
“Dante,” Mother says, nudging his arm. “Leave Rex alone. You don’t have to tell us about her if you don’t want to,” she tells me.
“Who told you? Wait. Let me guess. Father?” Fucker.
She tilts her head. “No, actually, it was Stella.”
“Stella needs to mind her own business.”
“Calm down. She didn’t say anything bad. She merely told me you looked happy and she hasn’t seen you smile the way you did last night in a long time.”
That’s because last night I was happy. Shae made me happy, which is a scary thought considering we seem to be at different points in our lives. But that doesn’t stop me from wanting her—from wanting to break down her walls. I want to know what makes her smile, what makes her mad, but most of all I want to know what’s holding her back. I want to know the darkness lurking behind her eyes, and I won’t stop until I find out.
With a smile, I say, “Her name is Shae.”
My mother sputters. Covering her mouth with her hand, she coughs several times. Dante pats her back until she manages to catch her breath, and then he hands her some water. She takes a long, slow sip.
“Shae.” The way she says this has the hair on the back of my neck standing up. “That’s a unique name.” Breaking eye contact, she looks down at her plate, pushing her food around with a fork before finally taking a bite.
“You okay?” I ask.
“Yes.” She nods, smiling at me before looking at Dante. “Have you, uh…have you met Rex’s friend?”
Dante looks at me, brows drawn low. “I don’t think so. Wait. Was she the girl you were dancing with the other night at the club?”
I grin, remembering her lithe body pressed against mine. “Yes.”
He nods approvingly. “Nice. She was hot. But no,” he says, looking at Mother. “I didn’t get to meet her.”
Her shoulders relax, and she smiles. “Maybe you can bring her around sometime. I’d love to meet her.”
Yeah, that’s not going to happen. “We’ve only gone out once,” I tell her. “It’s a little early to meet the family.”
“Right. You’re right.” Mom’s phone vibrates on the table. She looks down at it, frowns, and tucks it in her purse. Wadding up her napkin, she tosses it on the table and stands. “Sorry to cut this short, boys, but I’ve got to go.”
Dante and I stand with her. “You haven’t finished your food,” I say, looking at her full plate. “Are you sure you’re okay?” It’s completely out of character for my mother to walk away from us mid-meal. Especially when it’s a meal she orchestrated.
“I’m fine, darling,” she says, giving us each a quick hug and kiss on the cheek. “Something just came up, and I’ve got to go.” Slipping her arms in her jacket, she shrugs it on and points a steely finger at us. “Get started on my party,” she says lightly. “Make it a good one.”
Dante and I both nod and verbalize our agreement before dropping back into our seats as she makes her way to the front of the restaurant.
“That was weird, right?” I ask.
Dante goes back to eating his meal as though nothing happened. He shrugs. “Our entire family is weird. You’re probably reading too much into it. But now that Mom’s gone, tell me about Shae. From what I saw the other night, she’s smokin’ hot.” He gives a low whistle. “Gorgeous body, killer smile—at least from across the room.”
The look on his face tells me he’s picturing Shae, and it’s a good thing he’s my brother or I’d have to slap him.
“Is it serious? You really like this girl?”
I do like her. The chemistry between us is off the charts, but it’s more than that. And now I’ve got to sit back, give her time, and hope she realizes it.
I shrug. “She isn’t exactly looking for anything serious.”
“And you are?” he scoffs.
“I’m tired of the quick fuck.”
Dante’s fork pauses halfway to his mouth. He looks at me, curiously.
The thought has been rolling around in my head, but this is the first time I’ve ever spoken it out loud.
“Wow. Okay.” Placing his fork on the table, he wipes his mouth with his napkin and sets it in his lap. “It was bound to happen to one of us at some point. I’m just fucking glad it was you and not me.”
“I’m sure your time’s coming.”
He scowls. “Don’t say that. You’re going to jinx me. Unlike you, I enjoy my nightly conquests. There’s something to be said about being able to walk away, knowing there are no emotions involved.”
“You’ll eventually tire of it.”
“Doubtful. Enough about me. When are you going to see Shae again?”
“No idea.”
Now that catches his attention. “What do you mean?”
“She offered me one night. I’m lucky I got two. I’m hoping for a third.”
“Hope in one hand and shit in the other and see which one fills up faster.”
I narrow my eyes, and Dante holds his hands up.
“All I’m saying is it sounds like you’ve got your work cut out for you.”
“You have no idea.”