Page 7 of The Breaker
“She doesn’t have to pay me either. Free labor for her.”
“If anyone should be getting free labor, it should be me.” His eyes were serious, and then a playful smile moved over his handsome face.
“I can hold two jobs.”
“Ambitious.” His grin widened. “I like it. I’ll ask her what she thinks.”
“If she’s not into it, I understand.”
“I’m sure she’ll be into it.”
“I have literally no restaurant experience.”
“Yeah, but she’s all about running a family-owned business. That’s why my cousins and sister work there.”
“Well, I’m not family.”
His eyebrows furrowed. “You’re going to be my wife, so yeah, you are.”
We’d never discussed this topic before. We’d just recently started saying we loved each other. But my heart raced as if he’d given me a beautiful diamond ring and proposed on the spot. There was nothing I wanted more than to spend my life with him, whether he was Emperor Constantine of Rome ... or this Constantine.
He continued his intense stare. “I knew the moment I saw you.”
Chapter 3
Aurelia
I got ready for the day and prepared to head to Osteria Rita with Constantine to visit his mother.
He threw on a T-shirt and jeans before he put on his shoes. Despite the heat, he didn’t wear shorts. I’d never seen him in shorts since I’d met him. When we walked into the main living room, Medusa hurried over to him in her walker, wagging her tail like her typical happy self.
Constantine kneeled down and gave her a rubdown and kissed her on the head. “Sheila will be here in a couple minutes, baby girl.” He stood upright again and looked at me. “Ready, sweetheart?”
“Yeah.” I liked how we each had our own nicknames. And instead of being jealous of how much attention he gave a dog, it actually made me fall for him even more. “Actually, no. Um ...”
He turned to give me his full focus. “What’s up?”
“I don’t want to make this weird ... and I feel bad for even bringing it up—”
“Don’t do that.”
“Do what?”
“Drag your feet, prep me for bad news, draw things out. Just deliver the information to me. I promise I can handle whatever you’re aboutto say.” He said it all calmly, despite the fact that he’d just cut me off to rush me.
“I’m afraid I’m going to make you mad.”
“The only thing that would make me angry is if you fucked some other guy, and I know that didn’t happen, so just tell me.”
“Um, okay,” I said. “Does Isabella know you’re living here? I hate to bring her up, but I’m worried working at the restaurant might upset her or something. I just have a feeling we’re going to run into her sometimes, and ... maybe you should give her a heads-up.”
As he’d said, he didn’t get angry at the mention of her. “I’m in a relationship with you, not her, so her feelings are not my concern. Honestly, I haven’t thought about her once since we got here. Been too occupied with you and Medusa and all the shit that just happened. But word travels fast in this small village, and I’m sure she’s heard the news by now. Her mom and my mom are still best friends.”
I remembered that argument they’d had on the terrace. I should have been angry that she wanted the man I loved, but I felt no resentment toward her at all. And if she still went after him while we were here, I didn’t think I could even be angry about it. Maybe it was because Constantine made me feel so secure. He’d made me feel that way since the day we met, something Enzo had never done. Or maybe it was because I really did feel bad for her. “Well, do you think this is a good idea—”
“We’re not revolving our lives around her feelings.Period.” He turned away from me. “Come on, let’s go. My mom is always fifteen minutes early, so even if we get there on time, we’ll be late.”
When we arrived at Osteria Rita, there was a line out the door, but Constantine walked past everyone and up the stairs like he knew his mother was already seated inside. Then he stepped aside and waited for me to come to his side before he took my hand and walked me aroundthe corner to the other side of the restaurant. When a waiter passed, he smiled at Constantine and gave him a playful bump in the arm.
