Christian

Carefully cradling Reagan to my chest, I climbed out of the limousine in front of Nic and Anna’s brownstone. Brandon followed and then helped Carly alight from the car. He reached towards me, but I threw him a dirty look and cuddled my goddaughter closer to me. She reached up a tiny hand to grab my nose, knocking my glasses askew.

“Clearly, she likes her Godfather better than you, I’d hate to upset her,” I quipped, smirking at Brandon’s glare and adjusting my glasses on my face.

“Give me my daughter, jackass,” he growled.

I made a tsking sound, shaking my head in disappointment. “Such language around innocent ears.”

Brandon practically snatched Reagan from my arms and stalked away muttering to her about liking daddy best. I threw back my head and laughed. Carly just chuckled and followed her husband up the front steps and into the house.

Damn, it was good to be home.

“Christian!” I turned at the sound of my youngest brother’s voice. Adam bounded his way over to me and threw an arm around my shoulder. Somehow, in the year I’d been gone, Adam had turned into a man. His gangly frame had become sturdy and muscular, and he was almost as tall as me. He looked far older than his eighteen years and it was a little disconcerting.

“Since you missed the twins’ birthday last month, we’ve decided to celebrate again and take you out on the town. I’ve no doubt you need to get laid, fratello. We’ll start at Flash Dancers and—”

“Are you kidding me?” I interrupted. “The twins may be twenty-one now, but Ma would kick my ass if I took my other, underage, brother to a strip club.”

Adam rolled his eyes and opened his mouth to retort, but I cut him off. “Talk to me about strip clubs again in three years, tipo.” Just then, I glanced up and almost groaned when I saw Mia standing only a couple of feet away, watching me speculatively. “Or never,” I blurted out.

One corner of her mouth quirked up in an almost undetectable smirk before she turned away and headed into the house. I looked back at Adam to see his gaze bouncing between me and the door in which Mia had just disappeared.

A mischievous smile stole across his face before I cuffed him on the back of the head. “Behave!” I spat the command before strolling inside, through the house to the backyard where the majority of people were congregated.

Mia was standing near a table piled high with a variety of rich food, as only Italians could do. She was nibbling on a cookie, and my eyes zeroed in on her plump lips. Her pink tongue darted out to lick a crumb and without warning, my cock hardened painfully. I couldn’t wait to have that sweet tongue all over me.

I was about to make my way over to her when a hand on my shoulder halted my progress. “You couldn’t do any better, cousin.” I smiled as I faced Enzo and we embraced in a back-slapping “guy” hug.

“Good to see you, man,” I greeted with genuine affection, then my eyes narrowed in puzzlement. “Do better?”

His head canted in Mia’s direction. “Mia. You couldn’t do better than her. The only person I love more than her, is her sister.” He grinned, and his eyes darted to the woman standing next to Mia. They softened and heated as he watched Camila. For the first time in my life, I recognized the emotions he was projecting.

Then he turned back to me, and his dark eyes became hard and serious. “She doesn’t have anyone else, so it’s my job to look out for her. I know what kind of man you are, and I look up to you like an older brother. But, you should be aware before pursuing her…” he trailed off, clearly thinking hard about his next words. “You’ve spent a long time trying to extricate yourself from certain aspects of our family. I get it. But, Mia…she’s…part of the family and if you go after her, you’ll need to accept that.”

It seemed like an odd warning. Mia was Enzo’s sister-in-law; of course, she was a part of the family. We might live our lives away from the family “business,” but I would never keep Mia away from them. I was determined to find a way to be closer to our family without being drawn into the darker side of their world. “I get it,” I assured him.

“Do you?” His tone was skeptical as he studied me closely.

“I haven’t announced it yet, but I’m back to stay.”

He raised his brow but nodded with acceptance. “Just keep what I said in mind. And know that if you hurt her, the East River will be the first place they look for your dead body. But, they’ll never find it.”

I wanted to laugh, but in all honesty, one never really knew what lay behind threats from the men in my family. Enzo was an enforcer for Nic, and I knew his ledger was covered in red.

So, I looked him in the eye and promised, “I’ll take care of her. No one will ever hurt her, least of all me.”

Enzo nodded. “I hope that’s true.” Then he grinned and clapped me on the shoulder once more. “I’d hate to disappoint Aunt Maria by making her oldest son disappear.”

With that, he wandered over to his wife, leaning down and whispering something in her ear that made her giggle. Warmth spread through my chest as I shifted my gaze to Mia. I wanted what Enzo and Camila had, and I wanted it with Mia.

Her eyes locked with mine, and I silently commanded her to stay as I slowly prowled in her direction. As I drew close, she grew even more beautiful. Her hazel eyes were filled with intelligence, creativity, and humor. I was a little baffled by how much I was drawn to her.

Finally standing in front of her, I held out my hand. “Christian DeLuca,” I introduced myself. She put her soft hand in mine, and a spark of electricity shocked us both. She tried to pull her hand away, but I grasped it firmly, keeping her connected to me.

Her eyes widened, and she glanced down at our hands before returning to my face. “Mia Ricci.”

A smile grew on my face and I kept our hands connected as I led her away from the crowd, seeking somewhere a little more private. I felt her hesitation in a small tug on my hand, but when I didn’t budge, she said nothing and let me guide her to a secluded spot near the back of the fenced yard, somewhat shielded by a large oak tree.

When we reached the spot, I released her hand so I could gently clasp her hip and run a finger lightly down her cheek. “There is something about you, Mia. From the moment I saw you at the church, I knew you were my future.” She gasped and tried to take a step back, but I tightened my grip and pulled her closer instead. “I could see in your eyes that you felt it too.”

She shook her head, but it was a feeble denial because the pink hue of her cheeks betrayed her. Her eyes dropped to the ground, her long lashes sweeping the apples of her cheeks before lifting once more. A sheepish smile crossed her face, though there was sadness in it. “Maybe I did. But, you should know, I won’t ever leave my family, Professor.”

Ah, her hesitation made more sense now. Bringing her body flush with mine, I lowered my head until our lips were mere centimeters apart. “It’s a good thing I moved back to New York then, yeah?”

Her eyes widened again, but I didn’t wait for another reaction. I closed the distance between us and sealed my mouth over hers. She inhaled sharply with surprise and I took advantage of the moment, slipping my tongue into her mouth. Fuck. She tasted like honey and strawberries. It was instantly addictive, and I felt an overwhelming urge to discover if her pussy tasted of the same flavors.

It only took a couple of heartbeats before she melted into me. One of my hands drifted down to cup one of her tight little ass cheeks, while the other plunged into her hair, holding her head at the right angle for me to deepen the kiss. I moved forward, slowly backing her up against the tree, trapping her with my body.

Eventually, I drew back in an effort to draw in some much needed oxygen. “You taste heavenly, darling,” I breathed.

“You moved back to New York?” she asked cautiously. I smiled and nodded in confirmation. “Good.” She grabbed onto my shirt and yanked me forward, slamming our mouths together for another deep, soul-stealing kiss.

Reluctantly, I pulled away after several minutes. “Mia, love, we have to stop or I’m going to take you right here under this tree.”