Dangerous Beauty: Part Two: A Mafia Princess (17 page)

Anastacia raised an eyebrow. “There a many things you can describe your son as, Angelo, but little is not one of them.”

Angelo nodded in agreement. “I know. He wouldn’t stop growing after he turned thirteen. I had to double the food in the house and send the personal shopper out two times a week.”

“You two had your own little bachelor pad going, huh? I know you loved it.”

Angelo chuckled. “When he wasn’t pissing me off? Yes. We had fun. But it wasn’t always easy. He was rebellious, irresponsible, and had girls sneaking in and out of my damn house. He tried to play the innocent, like it wasn’t him. He blamed Kyle when he stayed over, and Kyle let him do it, knowing that Cesare would probably give him a raise in allowance instead of kicking his ass. I had to reteach him obedience and respect after his mother died.” Angelo cleared his throat and shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “After he found her in that bathroom, he lost it, and our relationship suffered. He blames me, and I blame myself, for what happened. I still feel like shit for feeling the way I did after I found out he had found his mother dead…” Angelo looked away from Anastacia.

She placed her hand on his cheek and turned him back to face her. “Tell me, Angelo. I want to know,” she said tenderly.

“I felt relieved, Ana. Not that she was dead, but that my son hadn’t been there when it happened. Had Anya and I not gotten into that fight, she and Nathan would have left that restaurant together.” He looked directly into Anastacia’s eyes. “Would he have killed my son? Tell me, Ana.”

Anastacia hesitated before she slowly nodded yes.

“I wouldn’t have been able to survive if I lost my boy, Anastacia, so yes, I was relieved. I felt like shit for it, but I was.”

Anastacia nodded and rested her chin on Angelo’s shoulder, watching Nathan and Carter still sleeping. “He grew up to be a great man, Angelo. A strong man. I’ve heard about The Russian. He’s fearless, smart, and terrifying when he wants to be. He was born to be a leader. He’s very similar to you. I always told you when you used to work for Paolo’s father that you had a powerful presence like my father, that you were not created to follow but to lead.” She looked at him smugly. “I’m always right, Salerno. I’m glad you know now that I’m smarter than you.” She kissed his cheek and looked deeply into his eyes. “Your son has a very powerful presence, Angelo, just like you. Once he figures that out and truly lives up to his full potential, not even I would want to get on his bad side. You raised Nathan well. He will make you even more proud of him than you already are. And now that he has my daughter with him …” Anastacia shook her head and released a long breath. “Let’s just say that your son chose his bride well. My daughter was groomed to fit into this world. She was taught to survive and taught how to earn respect. ”

Anastacia admired Nathan’s potential. She couldn’t help it. She lived and breathed this world. She was born into the darkest part of the underworld and never left it, even after her father died. She knew this world better than anybody, and she knew a leader when she saw one. She could spot success and failure. She could tell who would survive in the underworld and who would die quickly. Nathan was a survivor. He would thrive in this world with ease, just like his father. Hell, probably better.

Anastacia felt Angelo’s hands cup her face, and he turned her to face him.

“Anastacia, how do you do that?”

She frowned. “Do what?” she asked, confused.

“Talking like that is how you convinced me to go off and do something for myself. Don’t you remember? We were supposed to come to America and …”

Angelo didn’t continue, remembering that things didn’t turn out the way he and Anastacia had wanted them to. They never got to live out the plan they had made together one rainy night in their secret apartment in Italy. Remembering that night with her was almost too painful. They had been so happy, so hopeful. After they’d made the plan and arrangements, they had made love all night long and well into the morning, celebrating their future together. Sadness suddenly overwhelmed Angelo and his chest tightened. What the hell had he done? Why the hell had he gotten so drunk and accepted Ivan’s gift?

Anastacia gripped his shoulders and shook him. “No, Angelo. I know what you’re thinking, and I want you to stop …”

“Bu—”

“No regrets! If you and I had stayed together, if we would have run off to America and gotten married, this would never have happened,” she said, pointing to Carter and Nathan. “They are worth it. All the pain, the separation. Nathan and Carterina are worth it.”

As if Angelo had been shaken from a daze, he snapped back to reality. Of course, his son was worth it. Angelo couldn’t imagine his life without Nathan. He hadn’t been planned, but Angelo had loved him from the moment he found out he was going to be a father. Anastacia was right. He didn’t know what he was thinking, regretting anything in the past. He would go back and go through all of that— all of it— all over again if at the end he had his boy.

Anastacia smiled. “I see that you’ve come to your senses. Now say it,” she said.

Angelo frowned and shook his head. “I will not feed that oversized ego of yours. Sometimes you sound like my son,” Angelo said, rolling his eyes.

“Why not just say it out loud, Angelo. You’ve already said it in your head,” she said with a knowing smile.

How the hell did she know that?
“You’re right, Ana. They are worth it,” he said, then pressed his lips to hers.

“Mmm …” Anastacia let out an exaggerated moan against his lips. Angelo chuckled. “I missed Angelo Salerno’s sweet kisses,” she said against his lips. Angelo laughed as she jumped on his lap and playfully kissed him all over his face. This was the Anastacia he remembered from their time together. This was the way she was when it had been just the two of them in the secret apartment they had moved into together just two weeks after meeting. He savored the moment and loosened up. “Come on, grumpy old man. Kiss me.”

Angelo buried his face in her neck and jumped up from his seat, carrying her in his arms. Anastacia gasped, “Oh my God! How in hell are you so strong?” she whispered. When Angelo pinched her side with one hand, she let out a small squeal. “Angelo! Angelo, no! You know how much I hate it! Don’t!” she pleaded.

The feared and respected Anastacia Stone had a secret— a well-kept secret. One that could possibly put a little dent in her well-preserved bad-ass reputation. She was ticklish. An understatement, really. She treated her secret as an illness, an incurable disease. She hated her affliction. She absolutely hated being tickled. But that had never stopped Angelo from shamelessly using it to hear her laugh.

“Angelo, I swear to you, I will kick your ass if you make me scream, and we wake up Carterina and Nathan.”

“I already made you scream this morning on the plane, Anastacia. Right now, I’m just going to make you laugh.”

“You’re an arrogant asshole. I didn’t scream— I just said ‘fuck me’ a little louder than I usually do.”

Angelo laughed. “Okay, whatever you say, Ana.”

“Put me down, or we’re never having sex again, Angelo. I swear we won’t.”

Angelo let out a deep chuckle. “Bullshit. We can’t be around each other and not have sex. We’ve tried and failed more times than I can count, woman.”

The low grunt coming from the gazebo made both Anastacia and Angelo freeze, and their heads snapped in the direction of the swing.

Nathan began shifting, pulling Carter close to him as the muscles in his arms flexed. That was a protective move— he knew they weren’t alone.

“Shit,” Angelo muttered. “He knows somebody’s here. He’s about to wake up.”

Angelo and Anastacia scrambled to pull themselves together quickly.

He looked over at Anastacia. “How much you want to bet the smart-ass knows it’s me here, but he threatens to kill me anyway?” he said.

Anastacia smiled. “He’s your son, Angelo. Of course, he’ll be grumpy when he wakes up.”

Angelo smiled and rolled his eyes.

Nathan shifted a little in his deep slumber. Something was off.

He took a deep breath, and the smell of fresh flowers and Carter’s scent greeted his nostrils. Yep, they were still outside, so it wasn’t that. He focused his senses on making sure Carter was still in his arms, and she was, so that wasn’t it, either.
What hell was it then?
he asked himself, then let out a grunt and pulled Carter closer to him.

They weren’t alone.

Who the fuck had the balls to come into his garden while he was napping with his wife? It couldn’t be one of his men. They knew better. It couldn’t be Kyle, Dante, Mickey, or Lucca. If they had arrived, they’d just head straight for the snacks and beer in the kitchen. So it had to be an intruder— or someone who wasn’t afraid of him.

It was his father.

Of course, it was. Only he would come out here like he owned the place and wake Nathan up from a really good nap— the best nap Nathan had ever had in his life. He was comfortable, completely stress-free, and best of all, he had his beautiful wife in his arms. Of course his damn father would come out here and interrupt quality time with Carter?

Nathan let out a low, deadly growl. He knew it was his dad, but he was going to act as if he didn’t know who it was. He had an overwhelming urge to utter something insulting, and he needed an excuse. “Who the hell are you— and how would you like to die? Hopefully, you choose a demise that will allow me to use my bare hands,” Nathan said with his eyes still closed. His voice was deeper than usual because he’d just woken up.

Carter shifted a little from the vibration against her ear and a small whimper fell from her lips. Nathan opened his tired eyes and gazed down at her face. He caressed it softly with his fingertips and ran his thumb across her bottom lip.

“When she sleeps, her beauty is … celestial. Don’t you think?”

“You haven’t looked up to identify the intruder, Nathan. I would most likely have a gun. I could have killed you already,” Nathan heard his father say.

A deep chuckle erupted from Nathan’s chest. “I knew it was you, old man. Plus, if you had a gun, you wouldn’t have even made it past the heavily-guarded gate enclosing the house.” Nathan caressed Carter’s face, and she sleepily hit his hand away. He smiled wide and chuckled. “Wake up, baby,” he said through a soft laugh.

“My daughter is quite the deep sleeper, I see.”

When Nathan heard Anastacia’s voice, he looked up with a smile. Carter would be happy her mother was here.

“How are you, Anastacia?” he asked.

Anastacia’s answering smile was dazzling and wicked— identical to Carter’s. “I’m wonderful, dear Nathan. How are you and my baby girl doing?”

Nathan looked down at Carter. “Sleepy, apparently. But if you two just give me a moment, I’ll wake the birthday beauty up,” Nathan said.

Both Anastacia and Angelo nodded before heading over to the bench next to a bed of red roses.

He turned his attention to Carter, even though he was silently wondering about Anastacia and his father. Had they come here together? And if so, why?
Weird,
he thought with a shrug.

Carter shifted in his lap again. He had to wake her up so they could go and get ready. He’d figure out his father’s relationship with Carter’s mother later. He took a deep breath, preparing himself for whatever her grumpy ass would do to him for interrupting her sleep.

Nathan gripped her waist, moving her higher on the couch swing, then buried his face in her neck, kissing it. Carter whined, but didn’t hit him. Instead, her hand came up and she gently ran her fingers through his hair. Nathan was pleasantly surprised. Maybe she’s in a good mood, he thought. Feeling a bit braver, he decided to use words. He tugged on the hem of her shirt. “Wake up, baby.” He kissed her lips. “Come on. We need to get ready.”

Carter scowled and tried to push him away, refusing to open her eyes. “No,” she whined. “Leave me alone … Go away,” she pouted.

Nathan chuckled and wrapped his arms around her waist to keep her from pushing him away. This was his grumpy Carterina. She intended to hurt anything, or anyone, that interrupted her beauty sleep. Nathan gave her a loud smooch.

“Wake up, woman,” he said before showering her with kisses all over her face.

Carter let out a cute, little growl and kicked her legs, pushing their blanket to the ground. She pushed against him and delivered sleepy hits to his shoulders.

Nathan took a second to look down at her smooth, brown legs. Damn, she looked good in his shirt. It was just long enough to cover that plump ass of hers. He wanted to grab it, bite it, and smack it all at the same time. He bet she’d wake up if he had his face between those sexy, soft thighs, feasting on that sweet little pussy of hers. Waking Carter up with an orgasm was one of his favorite things to do. Nathan took a deep breath. This was not the time for him to be thinking such things, especially with the two intruders sitting across the Garden waiting for them to get up.

He gave Carter another little shake.

“Go away, Nathan,” she pouted angrily.

Nathan feigned outrage and gasped. “Go away? Is that any way to talk to your husband? I’m putting my foot down, woman! Get your ass up!”

“No!”

“No? What the hell happened to the promise of obedience you made in your vows, Carter?”

“I promised you no such bullshit. We promised we wouldn’t lie to each other, remember?”

Nathan laughed.

“I admit it was mostly me lying, but who’s keeping score anyway?” she mumbled sleepily.

“I am,” Nathan said through laughter. “Now get up!”

“I swear, if you don’t leave me alone, I’m going to kick your ass, Nathan!”

“If you think you can take me, then bring it,” he challenged.

She tried to hide the smile pulling at her lips, but Nathan caught it. “Shut up!” she yelled, laughing.

Nathan let out an exaggerated sigh. “If you refuse to listen, I’m afraid I’ll have to put you over my knee, Carterina.”

Carter’s hazel eyes finally peeked open. “And then what, Nathan? Spank me?” She laughed again, then looked at him with an
“Are you serious?”
expression. “That’s not a punishment to me, Nathan … it’s foreplay.”

Nathan burst into laughter.

Carter smiled. “Now leave me alone, or I’ll never let you spank me again— or do any of the many other dirty things you like to do to me,” Carter said as she turned away from him.

When she turned completely to settle back into her nap, her eyes locked on Angelo and her mother, sitting on one of the benches, watching her in amusement. Her eyes widened in horror and mortification. She darted up to a sitting position and snatched the blanket from the ground in front of her, pulling it up to her chin.

She gasped loudly, “
Mommy
!” she exclaimed breathlessly. “Daddy Angelo! Hi …”

Nathan fell to the floor in a fit of laughter when he saw the look on Carter’s face. It served her right for threatening him.

Carter looked at Nathan and was instantly pissed. “You asshole!” She lunged at him, hitting him in his chest repeatedly. “You knew they were here! You let me say that in front of our parents!”

Nathan quickly gripped Carter’s swinging hands and flipped her over on her back. He straddled her small body and looked down at her with an evil smile. “Violence will get you punished, my beautiful little wife,” he said, pinning her arms above her head.

Carter shook her head frantically, knowing exactly what he was talking about. “No, Nathan. Please don’t! I’m awake! I promise, I’m awake!”

“Too late, baby. You brought this on yourself.”

“I’m sorry! I’ll do anything … please. You know I can’t take it!”

“Punishment, baby.”

“No, Nathan!”

Angelo nudged Anastacia’s shoulder. She looked up at him.

“Watch this,” he said, knowing what was about to happen. He’d seen Nathan and Carterina in this same playful situation many times. Hell, this situation was an exact replica of himself and Anastacia when they were younger. She was about to find out that she and her daughter suffered from the same ‘illness’.

Anastacia looked at him with confusion, and then her head snapped over to Nathan and Carter when Carter’s high-pitched screams filled the air. Her eyes widened at the sight of Nathan tickling Carter mercilessly, and Carter suffering in a fit of laughter and tears. Her hand went to her heart, and she inhaled a shaky breath.

“I’ve cursed my baby. She has that god-awful illness, th-that curse,” she whispered in anguish.

Angelo chuckled. Anyone else would think from that reaction that Anastacia was joking, but Angelo knew she wasn’t. Her distress was real. Anastacia hated her “affliction”. That made it even funnier to Angelo.

Nathan finally stopped punishing Carter, and she was out of breath. “Why do you do this to me?” she pouted breathlessly.

Nathan chuckled. “Because after I punish you like this, you’re always too tired to kick my ass.” He leaned forward and gave her a kiss.

Nathan stood and reached for the button on his jeans, remembering then that Carter had destroyed it in the car. He chuckled at that and looked down at Carter in his shirt, her legs on full display, one shoulder enticingly exposed, her hair splayed in wild, loose curls framing her heart-shaped face perfectly. The top swell of one breast peeked out of the top of the shirt. To say she looked sexy would be an understatement. He needed to get her into some clothes before the guys and their fathers arrived.

“Let’s get you dressed, baby. You look way too hot to be seen by any of the guests we’re entertaining tonight.”

Carter looked down at the shirt she was wearing and smiled. “I don’t know. I think I kind of like this outfit. I think I’ll wear it,” she teased.

Nathan shook his head. “I’d have to advise against that, Mrs. Salerno. I’d have to kill them all,” he said honestly. No man was allowed to see Carter dressed like this except for him— his father didn’t count. Angelo saw Carter as a father saw his little girl, and nothing more. But Nathan had witnessed the other motherfuckers, Dante excluded, lusting over Carter. And he’d be damned if they walked into his house with his wife looking like this— looking too damn good.

Carter rolled her eyes and took his hand, allowing him to pull her up into a standing position. “Nathan, I was just teasing, but even if I wasn’t, there’s no need to get possessive. I don’t think they want me in that way. They know me too well now. Well, Mickey might still want me, but that’s only fair since I want him, too,” she teased, laughing at herself.

Nathan frowned at the joke, pulled her against his body, and smacked her ass hard. “That’s not funny, Carterina,” he said with a glare.

Carter gasped in surprise and turned to him. “Ouch!” She pouted and rubbed the sore spot on her behind. She leaned her body against him “That hurt, Bubby.” She smiled wickedly as she looked up at him. “Now you have to kiss it and make it better, Mr. Salerno,” she said in a low, sensual tone, not wanting their parents to hear.

Nathan took a deep breath and fought to maintain control of himself even as his blood began rushing immediately to the not-so-publicly-appropriate part of his body. This was not the time for Carter to play games.

He narrowed his eyes on his little wife. “Keep playing, Carter,” he warned. The last thing he needed was a hard-on in front of the interlopers.

Carter giggled and wriggled away from him. She descended the gazebo steps and went directly to her mother.

“Hi, mommy,” she said with so much excitement Nathan had to smile. “I’m so glad you came.”

Anastacia laughed softly and hugged her daughter tightly. “Happy birthday, baby girl. Thank you for inviting me.” She kissed Carter’s forehead three times and hugged her tighter.

Carter giggled. “Of course, I invited you. You’re my mother. I want you here for my birthday.”

Carter kissed her mother on the cheek and pulled her into another hug.

“I love you so much,” Anastacia whispered.

“I know, Mom. I know,” Carter replied.

Nathan could tell she wanted to say
I love you
back, but he knew how difficult this was for her. Anastacia didn’t seem to mind as she reveled in her daughter’s unspoken love. She hugged Carter fiercely, like she was afraid she’d never see her again if she let go. Too many emotions rushed through Nathan for his comfort. He didn’t like to feel this much, but watching the mother and daughter embrace each other like this after having just met each other a few months ago was quite a touching sight. Nathan calmed his emotions as Anastacia and Carter began a conversation in French, and they all started walking toward the house.

“So how is married life treating you, son?”

Nathan’s eyes shifted from the chatting women ahead of him to his father beside him. “How is married life treating me?” he echoed with a smirk. This was an interesting change in the way he and his father had communicated before he married Carter.

His father smiled. “Yes, how are things? Your life has changed dramatically in a short time, son. How are you adjusting to the changes? Is your wife happy? Are you happy? These are questions a father asks his son, yes.”

Nathan chuckled. “Yes, Papa, they’re the questions of a father. I’m very happy, and I believe Carterina is, too. If she weren’t, she would have left me long before we married,” Nathan joked. “As for how married life is treating me …” Nathan smiled and shrugged. “Well …” Well, that was an understatement— a huge understatement. Married life was fucking incredible. Best decision he had ever made in his life.

His father chuckled. “Just … Well?” He nudged Nathan, pushing him to elaborate further.

Nathan laughed. “What else do you want me to say, old man?”

His father didn’t respond. He just looked at Nathan for a moment, then smiled and nodded. “You don’t have to say anything, son. I can see. I don’t even want to know what happened to your clothes,” he said.

Nathan smiled. Damn right, he didn’t want to know, and Nathan wasn’t sharing, either. As they exited the garden and entered the large expanse of green grass, Anastacia’s and Carter’s conversation, now in English, caught Angelo and Nathan’s attention.