“He can be bossy,” Thea tells me with a little huff. I want to mutter a “you don’t say,” but I keep those words tightly sealed behind my lips. “Come on. My grumpy man will make us some food while we talk.”

Salvatore wraps an arm around her. She mutters that he shouldn’t be grumpy after what they did moments ago.

“I wasn’t done with you, angel.” He leans down and nuzzles at her ear.

“You’re never done,” she laughs. I follow them, feeling out of place. My eyes travel around the entryway as I pretend not to listen to their exchange. This place is crazy beautiful. I follow them under an archway that leads down a hallway right into a freaking giant kitchen.

“I’ll never be done,” he says.

Salvatore takes her over to an island in the middle of the kitchen that has high-top chairs all around it. He helps her up into one, then kisses her. He goes over to the refrigerator and starts pulling things out.

“Come sit.” Thea motions to the chair next to her. I walk over, taking my bag off my shoulder and pulling out the folder inside before I take my seat. I glance around the kitchen. It looks like it’s out of a movie or something.

“I know it’s big, but you get used to it.” She waves her hand like it’s no big deal.

I don’t think I’ll get used to any of this. I’m actually a little scared to touch anything in fear I might break it, so I change the subject.

“Your file didn’t have much in it,” I tell her as I flip it open.

“Yeah, Salvatore didn’t like the idea of things about me floating around out there.” She slides another folder over to me that was sitting on the counter next to her. I flip it open and read through it.

“Everything looks great. It wouldn’t hurt to gain a few more pounds, but everything’s on track according to these charts from your doctor. With you just now heading into your third trimester, do you think it’s a little early to have a live-in nurse when you’re not having any complications?” I ask. I normally don’t come until a few weeks before.

When she doesn’t say anything, I look up from the folder and see her eyes watering.

“Angel.” Salvatore rushes over toward her, but she waves him off.

“I’m fine. I’m fine. I promise.” He places a kiss where a tear ran down her cheek.

“Everything will be fine,” he tells her, kissing her on top of her head before reluctantly going back to cooking.

“Stupid hormones,” she says.

I reach out and touch her knee. “Thea, something is bothering you. If you don’t tell me, I can’t help.” I know I shouldn’t have said that. I shouldn’t have pushed the it’s too early for me to be here card in hopes I’d get placed in another house before it was time for them to need me. But seeing anyone hurt breaks my heart.

“It’s just I’m scared. I don’t know anything about babies, and I want to be a perfect mom to my little boy. I read and reread so many books, but still I’m worried.” Her shoulders slump a little at the admission.

“When your baby is placed in your arms, you’ll know what to do,” I tell her, because it’s the truth. It’s human nature.

“See, angel, I told you. I’ll be there every step of the way with you.”

Even knowing he’s a mobster and only having just met him, I know he’s not lying. This man would clearly do anything for her.

“I thought maybe we could do other stuff, though. I know you know all about what I should be eating. We could meal plan, maybe do baby workouts. Help me figure out if I have what I need for the baby’s room.” Her face lights up.

“I can do these things,” Salvatore says, cutting in.

“I want her here when the baby comes for sure, though, and it would be better if we all got used to each other.”

I study her, and for some reason I feel like she doesn’t have any female friends in her life. Not that I do, either, but still. I have a feeling that’s why she’s worried. She has no one to go to if she needs to ask questions.

“Does her being here make you feel at ease? I know stress is not good for the baby,” Salvatore asks his wife.

She nods. “Then she stays,” he says simply, going back to cooking. I sit there, not sure what to say.

“Maybe we should do a more formal interview. Ask me about myself and make sure you think we will be a good fit.”

“Your grandfather raised you in a small town outside the city after your parents took off when you were five. They were never to be seen or heard from again, and they won’t be. Your grandfather passed soon after you entered college, leaving you with no family. Nor have you shown any romantic links to anyone. Ever. You graduated early from high school by taking summer school and getting all your credits done. You received a full scholarship into the accelerated nursing program that let you, once again, graduate in three years, which you did at the top of your class. You fit,” Salvatore says with his back to me. He’s at the stove, his back to me, and I just sit there, shocked. I guess he doesn’t need to get to know me. He already knows everything about me.

“Salvatore Castello!” Thea yells, making him turn from the stove to look at her. “Did you just inform this woman her parents are dead like it was nothing?” Her face is turning red. The man actually looks a little scared at his wife’s anger.

“Don’t upset yourself. The baby, angel.”

She glares at him. “Don’t use the baby to try to get out of this.” She narrows her eyes more.

“It’s fine. It’s fine,” I say, cutting in. I was glad when my parents left me at my grandfather’s. They were a mess. My grandfather’s house wasn’t great, but I lived in peace without weird people coming and going. “I figured as much. It doesn’t really feel like news. I’m more offended by him knowing so much about me,” I admit.

The anger fades from Thea’s face. “I know it’s…” She waves her hands in the air like she can’t think of the words. “Weird or whatever. I’m not going to lie to you, Emma. I’d be upset if Salvatore didn’t know all this stuff about you. We live in this house for a reason. It’s safe. We have to make sure anyone who enters these walls isn’t a threat. I mean, you’re going to be helping me care for the most precious thing in the whole world to us. Tell me, even if you didn’t live our life, if you had the means to do so, you wouldn’t do the same?”

I don’t hesitate, because she’s right. “I would.” Some of my anger lessens. It’s not like there’s something in my past I care to hide.

Salvatore sets two plates in front of us. “Thank you,” I say, meeting his eyes.

“Thank you,” he says back to me.

I smile at him. Maybe he isn’t as bad as I thought he was going to be. He’s intense at times, but there’s something underneath that I feel like I can trust.

“Your things will be here soon and we’ll put you in your own wing of the house for now. You’ll have lots of privacy.”

“My things will be here soon?” I ask. I don’t even know why I do. Of course they will be. Salvatore comes around the counter island to his wife. “I’m going to go do a few things.” He glances over at the kitchen entryway. I follow his line of sight to see a man standing there.

“Okay.” I barely hear Thea’s response, because all my attention is on the man standing there. A man who I’ve been running into over and over for almost two weeks. Every time I see him, I turn and run the other way because of the things he makes me feel.

“Oh, hey, Gio,” Thea says. I pull my eyes from my stalker mystery man to Thea. She’s all smiles. “Emma, this is Gio. He’s our baby’s godfather and uncle,” she says with the proudest smile on her face.

I look back at Gio. I finally have a name to go with his face. His eyes are on me like they always are. He walks into the kitchen, coming closer and closer to me until he’s right in front of me and I have to lean back to look up at him.

He looks like he always does. His dark hair is a little long, with a five o’clock shadow on his strong jaw. His light brown eyes appear to have a gold ring around them, now that I’m close enough to see. His olive skin is smooth, but every bone in my body is telling me his hands are rough.

He’s in a dark suit like every other time I’ve seen him. His size has always been so intimidating, and so is the way he looks at me. I’m pretty sure he wants me. I may not have been with a man or have a lot of experience, but I can see it in his eyes. They follow me.

Or so I thought. Now everything starts clicking together. Oh my god. Maybe it’s not that at all. Maybe he’s the reason the Castellos know so much about me. He’s been following me to learn about me for this family. Why does that hurt a little? A small lump that shouldn’t be there forms in my throat. I should be happy that he isn’t really some guy who was stalking me and wanted me. I know I’m only lying to myself. I might have run from him every time I saw him, but I was always looking for him. Sometimes I’d get disappointed when I didn’t see him.

“Emma.” He takes my hand without me even offering it. He has to lean down to do it.

He doesn’t shake it, though. He rubs his fingers along my hand, and my breathing stops as I stare up at him.

“I couldn’t help but overhear,” Gio says, his eyes still trained on me. “The contractors started early on my remodel. Looks like I need a place to stay until they’re finished.”

“You don’t even have to ask, Gio. You’re always welcome here,” I hear Thea say.

Gio keeps caressing my hand as he leans just a little closer for only me to hear. “Guess you won’t have the wing all to yourself, Dollface.”