Page 56 of My Unexpected Surprise
Livia opens her mouth immediately. “Nico, Valentino is here to work—”
“I can teach him,” I say before fully considering why.
Livia’s gaze snaps to mine.
Nico practically vibrates in his chair. “Really?”
“Yes.”
“Mommy hates fish.”
“I don’t hate fish,” Livia says.
“You screamed when that little one touched your foot when you went with pippy.” That word again.
Her expression turns horrified. “You remember that? You were two.”
He shrugs casually. “I remember everything.”
I almost choke on my drink from my sudden amusement.
The boy is a peculiar one for sure. Even I need help remembering what I had for breakfast sometimes.
After dinner Nico grows tired from the travel, even discarding his plan to check out the lake. I help him wash up and read him a short story from the tablet while Livia watches from the doorway.
The boy falls asleep quickly, curled under the blankets with his favorite toy car beside him. I adjust the nightlight and step out, closing the door softly.
Livia waits in the living area. The shared space feels smaller now with just the two of us. I decide the moment has come. Too many pieces hover at the edge of my understanding.
I call her aside to the private terrace. “Livia.”
She follows me outside. The evening air carries the scent of lake water and blooming flowers. Strings of soft lights illuminate the space. I close the sliding door behind us for privacy.
“When you mentioned Venice that day in my office,” I begin, keeping my voice low, “you knew exactly what you were saying.”
She stiffens before she can smooth her expression. The reaction confirms everything.
I continue. “The masquerade party. The library. We didn’t take off our masks. You recognized me the day of the interview, did you not? My tattoo gave it away.”
There is a long pause where she just stares at me. The she shakes her head. “I have no idea what you are talking about.”
“But you said Venice.”
“It was a mistake. Everyone makes mistakes.”
I step closer. “The math makes sense. You were running from your father then. It’s clear there’s still bad blood between you two.”
She shakes her head more firmly. “This is absurd. My boss claiming we had sex. What would HR think about that?”
I stare at her for a full second. Then I close the remaining distance. She backs up until she meets the wall of the cottage.
I brace one arm beside her face, caging her without touching. Our bodies remain inches apart. I can see the rapid flutter of her pulse at the base of her throat. Her breath hitches audibly. Her coconut and citrus scent surrounds me, warm and intoxicating.
“Patience, tesero,” I murmur, deliberately dropping my voice to a deep rumble. “You’re beautiful like this. Flushed. Needy. Look at you.”
Her breaths come faster now, shallow and quick. I let one lazy finger trail slowly down the exposed line of her neckline, tracing the delicate skin until it stops just above the soft swell of her cleavage peeking from her shirt.
She reacts with a full-body shiver that travels through her. Her nipples harden visibly beneath the fabric. I watch them tighten, wanting to taste them, to pull them into my mouth until she whimpers.
