Urban
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"T HAT DAY, WHAT YOU SAW , it wasn’t what you thought, just as today wasn’t what you thought you saw."
She looks up at me through her eyelashes. Her eyes showing her vulnerability. A vulnerability I helped bring to life. That doesn’t sit well with me. Not at all.
"After I dropped you off here, I barely pulled out of the gates when she called. Her car broke down and she couldn’t reach her guard."
"Who was her guard?"
I press my lips together in frustration and anger. "Aleo."
"Oh boy."
I nod. "As you know, Aleo was killed that day, which we didn’t find out until later."
She nods, her small, delicate hand holding mine, her thumb circling just above my thumb trying to calm me. She’s so much more than she knows.
"Carina’s tire went flat and it wasn’t like a normal flat that happens suddenly. It was like a slow leak. Anyway, she called a few others before me but they were assigned and couldn’t go to her, so it was up to me."
"But you’re second, Cage. Why is it allowed for you to put yourself at risk like that?" She asks the question most don’t understand.
"No one outside la Famiglia knows who I am. They know me as Cage Nichols, business man and record mogul, and others know me as Giovanni’s second. Only those inside know I’m both."
"You mean, they’ve never seen your face and have never been told who you are—the other families, I mean?"
"No."
"Well, that certainly explains it."
I smirk. "It does. We got soaked when the sky decided to open up and let a deluge fall down on us. I didn’t want her to go home alone with Aleo unable to be reached and the way her tire went flat."
She nods again. "I can understand that. Never take any chances. First rule of survival via Giovanni Russo."
I smile. Smart lady. "A very important rule to follow. Instead of having her sit around in her soaked clothes, I offered her a shirt and a pair of boxers. The only other clothes in the house were yours and I wasn’t—I won’t be sharing any part of you with her—or anyone."
Her breath catches. "Oh."
I watch as I run a fingertip along her jaw, then up over her lips. I will never share her. I think of Ben Kingston and immediately banish the thought. That’s something we’ll discuss when we get home.
"Yeah, ‘oh’."
She blows out a breath. What a bunch of bullshit. All that wasted time over a misunderstanding and if she—if I—had stopped her from running long enough to tell her what was going on, none of this would have happened.
"I need you to trust me, Fee."
She meets my gaze and I see that vulnerability again.
"You know that’s a lot to ask of me."
"I do," I agree with a nod. "I think you know you can. Deep down anyway. You just need to get your conscious to agree with what your subconscious already knows."
"Those psych classes you took in college are sure paying off."
"No dodging." Not this time. There’s no joking or hiding.
She blows out another breath. "Well, you’re just calling me on everything today, aren’t you?"
I nod. "I’ve waited long enough. I don’t want to wait anymore, Fee. No more dancing around what we both want."
"Dancing can be so much fun."
"Not that kind."
"No," she whispers, "not that kind."
It’s time to lay it all on the table. Either she accepts what I want or we stay how we are. For me, it will always be her.
"It’s been long enough, Sera. I want to be with you. Only you."
I hold my breath, hoping like hell she doesn’t say no.
She nods and I breathe.
"It’s been long enough," she agrees.
I lean in and press my lips against hers, softly, lingering. Resting my forehead against hers, I continue.
"We’ve been unofficial for a couple years now, Fee. It’s time to make it official."
"Uh, what does ‘official’ mean?" she asks nervously.
I laugh when I see surprise and a little panic flare in her expression. "Not what you think it means, unless you want it to mean that." I watch her closely. I wouldn’t be
––––––––
"T HAT DAY, WHAT YOU SAW , it wasn’t what you thought, just as today wasn’t what you thought you saw."
She looks up at me through her eyelashes. Her eyes showing her vulnerability. A vulnerability I helped bring to life. That doesn’t sit well with me. Not at all.
"After I dropped you off here, I barely pulled out of the gates when she called. Her car broke down and she couldn’t reach her guard."
"Who was her guard?"
I press my lips together in frustration and anger. "Aleo."
"Oh boy."
I nod. "As you know, Aleo was killed that day, which we didn’t find out until later."
She nods, her small, delicate hand holding mine, her thumb circling just above my thumb trying to calm me. She’s so much more than she knows.
"Carina’s tire went flat and it wasn’t like a normal flat that happens suddenly. It was like a slow leak. Anyway, she called a few others before me but they were assigned and couldn’t go to her, so it was up to me."
"But you’re second, Cage. Why is it allowed for you to put yourself at risk like that?" She asks the question most don’t understand.
"No one outside la Famiglia knows who I am. They know me as Cage Nichols, business man and record mogul, and others know me as Giovanni’s second. Only those inside know I’m both."
"You mean, they’ve never seen your face and have never been told who you are—the other families, I mean?"
"No."
"Well, that certainly explains it."
I smirk. "It does. We got soaked when the sky decided to open up and let a deluge fall down on us. I didn’t want her to go home alone with Aleo unable to be reached and the way her tire went flat."
She nods again. "I can understand that. Never take any chances. First rule of survival via Giovanni Russo."
I smile. Smart lady. "A very important rule to follow. Instead of having her sit around in her soaked clothes, I offered her a shirt and a pair of boxers. The only other clothes in the house were yours and I wasn’t—I won’t be sharing any part of you with her—or anyone."
Her breath catches. "Oh."
I watch as I run a fingertip along her jaw, then up over her lips. I will never share her. I think of Ben Kingston and immediately banish the thought. That’s something we’ll discuss when we get home.
"Yeah, ‘oh’."
She blows out a breath. What a bunch of bullshit. All that wasted time over a misunderstanding and if she—if I—had stopped her from running long enough to tell her what was going on, none of this would have happened.
"I need you to trust me, Fee."
She meets my gaze and I see that vulnerability again.
"You know that’s a lot to ask of me."
"I do," I agree with a nod. "I think you know you can. Deep down anyway. You just need to get your conscious to agree with what your subconscious already knows."
"Those psych classes you took in college are sure paying off."
"No dodging." Not this time. There’s no joking or hiding.
She blows out another breath. "Well, you’re just calling me on everything today, aren’t you?"
I nod. "I’ve waited long enough. I don’t want to wait anymore, Fee. No more dancing around what we both want."
"Dancing can be so much fun."
"Not that kind."
"No," she whispers, "not that kind."
It’s time to lay it all on the table. Either she accepts what I want or we stay how we are. For me, it will always be her.
"It’s been long enough, Sera. I want to be with you. Only you."
I hold my breath, hoping like hell she doesn’t say no.
She nods and I breathe.
"It’s been long enough," she agrees.
I lean in and press my lips against hers, softly, lingering. Resting my forehead against hers, I continue.
"We’ve been unofficial for a couple years now, Fee. It’s time to make it official."
"Uh, what does ‘official’ mean?" she asks nervously.
I laugh when I see surprise and a little panic flare in her expression. "Not what you think it means, unless you want it to mean that." I watch her closely. I wouldn’t be
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