Patriot and his Secret Baby (The Rossi Family Mafia Book 1) (3 page)

“Get away from her,” he growled as he got close. They were in each other’s faces.

“What, is she your property? Rosa can talk to whomever she wants.”

Mateo pressed his finger into the other man’s chest. “From what I saw, you weren’t exactly talking.”

I could feel my stomach sink as Lance replied with his cocky, one-sided grin. He was a dead man.

My brother was furious, grabbing his collar. I was terrified that a fight would break out between the two of them. It was tough to register who would win in a brawl between the two. While Lance was much taller and in shape, my bother was stocky and made of pure muscle. Also, he was more likely to be holding a weapon. My family wasn’t exactly known to play fair. In a fight for my honor, I expected the law to be thrown out the window.

“You think you’re funny, you fucking loser?” he hissed the words into Lance’s face. “You think you’re hot shit?” Matteo pushed him into the brick wall of the gymnasium.

“Matt! Stop it!”

“You need to get in the car,” he told me. Rossi’s were always bossy, and being the oldest, Matteo was the worst of them. Even my father, who was the family head, didn’t talk to me like an underling. Instead of listening to him, I stepped forward, praying to stop the two before someone got hurt.

“Do you want me to tell Dad you’re picking fights at school?”

He brushed me aside and pinned Lance to the gym wall. Lance didn’t seem too worried. There was something in his eyes that told me he was waiting for my brother to pull the first punch.

“I don’t want trouble,” he said, his voice steady. He nodded up toward the underside of the overhang. When I glanced up, I saw a black security camera.

 “You’re being taped.”

“You think I give a fuck, snitch?” Matteo laughed at that and pressed his arm deeper into his chest. Lance shifted uncomfortably, obviously in some pain.

Matteo went on, “I’m going to tell you once, bro. Stay away from my sister. If I see you near her again, I’ll kill you.”

I grimaced. “You won’t be killing anyone!”

“Shut up,” he barked back.

Lance and Matteo stared each other down for a few minutes. Then, without warning, my brother planted his fist into the side of Lance's jaw. His head whipped around, but otherwise Lance was like stone. I was unable to decipher his expression. It was emotionless, even when a bit of red appeared at his lip.

“No!” I yelled. In an instant I was on top of my brother, pulling him away from Lance. To my surprise, he allowed me to drag him away toward the car.

I glanced up at Lance with an apologetic look on my face, but he didn’t look back. We were ghosts to him.

Matteo shook my arm off and spat in the direction of my crush before opening the door to the small black sedan.

“Come on, Rosabella.” he said. I stood by the passenger-side door, wishing that I didn’t have to get in with my violent brother.

Finally, Lance turned toward me. Our eyes locked on to each other, having a conversation without words.

My eyes pleaded to him and his replied.

“I’m sorry.” they said.

“I’m not going to ask you again, Rosa!” After giving him one last, parting glance, Lance nodded for me to do what my brother said. Tears were filling my eyes. I opened the car door and slammed it behind me.

As the car pulled away from the high school, I looked back at Lance. At that moment, I didn’t expect that would be the last I saw him in 6 years.

The bastard broke my heart
and I wasn’t one to forgive that so easily. My mind had compartmentalized him into the category of one of those annoying boys who tried to court me during high school, but my heart said otherwise.

My hands did quick work filling my plate with enough food to last me the rest of the wake. The last thing I wanted was to mingle any longer with the guests and up the chances that he would approach me. It took everything in me not to stuff my face full of creampuffs out of stress.When I turned to make my getaway, our next-door neighbor, Ms. Fulton, stood in my way.

“I’m very sorry for your loss my dear,” one of her hands reached out to grasp my forearm. My mouth tried its hardest to form into a polite smile.

“Thank you, my family and I appreciate your support.”

“Federica was a fine, church-going Catholic. Why, I have many stories about our knitting club
―
"

“MMMhmm …,” My head bobbed up and down, looking for an excuse to escape. But it seemed like everyone I knew was preoccupied or too close to make a clean getaway.

“Excuse me ma’am,” Lance said. I swore internally and about dropped my plate. Ms. Fulton’s large, glassy eyes admired the man in front of her. He went on.

“I’m sorry to interrupt, but Miss Rossi and I have a previous engagement we must attend to.”

“Wha-" My mouth opened in protest, but closed when I felt a strong hand squeeze my shoulder.

“Oh it’s no matter. Rosa, please send my regards and well wishes to your father.”

“Yes, Mrs. Fulton, thank you,” I said through clenched teeth. The woman left me with a smile. I whipped around to start an argument as soon as she had wandered to the next family member.

“Not here,” Lance said, cutting me off. “Not with your entire family watching. He took my hand in his and I snorted, placing my plate down on the nearest table.

“Whatever you want to say, you can say in front of my entire family,” I retorted. As much as I hated the thought, it was refreshing to feel his skin against mine. His palms were rough; thick calluses had formed on his fingers. I remembered how his hands felt years ago when we kissed in the forest. They had still been strong, but not as hard and rugged.

Lance knew that my reply was half-hearted. He kept leading me, raising his eyebrows as he did.

“I think you want to hear what I have to say.” His voice was low, just loud enough for me to hear. Finally, I sighed.

“You get two minutes,” I said with venom in my tone. He seemed to be more than happy with that and held the door to an empty hallway open for me.

“This way,” I said, turning the tables and pulling him down another side hallway. Lance didn’t protest, but I heard a deep breath escape his nostrils. When we got to the door at the end of the hallway, I nodded at it. It was a little surprising that he opened it for me, like I needed him to prove that he was a gentleman. Flipping my hair, I walked past him into the garage, the only place in the house I knew we wouldn’t be intruded on.

When she passed me in the hallway
, I could smell the sweet scent of her perfume. It wafted into my nostrils and drove me insane. There was nothing I wanted more than to burry my face in her neck and take a few deep breaths. Fuck, just her smell made something awaken in me. Sure, I had slept with a few women since high school, but they had been transient in my life. They passed through and didn’t make any difference to me. Whenever I was fucking them, all I thought about was the girl who had stolen my heart in high school. It sounded like such corny bullshit. The guys back in the War Dogs Battalion would’ve never let me live it down if they knew I was still pining after some hometown girl. 

But she wasn’t just some girl to me.

I waited a few breaths to step after her into the garage, closing the door behind us. Darkness fell on the room, and it took a few seconds for my eyes to adjust to it. Suddenly, Rosabella was next to me, her shoulder brushing up against my chest.

Oh fuck. Was she making a move? I felt my body tense up and pressure build below.

“I’m going to lock the door,” she whispered, her voice lingering in the garage. There was a click as I realized she wasn’t jumping my bones like the other women had.

No. I suddenly remembered Rosabella wasn’t one to sleep with everything with a dick. From what I had heard around town, she still had the reputation of being a prude. Actually, her reputation was worse now that her brothers had joined the mob. There were rumors that more than a few guys had landed in the hospital just for looking at her the wrong way. I was willing to take that chance, even for just a taste.

Her eyes were on me. I could feel them piercing my chest.

“What do you want Lance? On what whim did you decide to crash my aunt’s funeral?”

“Great-aunt’s,” I corrected.

“Really?” She crossed her arms and I could feel her annoyance fill the vast garage. Now that I could see the room in more detail, I saw one sports car at the far end of the three-car garage, a Maserati. Other than that, it was clear of any other clutter or man-toys. For some reason, now that I was with her, my brain was coming up blank. All I really wanted was to be in her presence. To smell her and touch her skin. I hated all the pretense that our history came with. But, if there was no chase when it came to Rosabella, I don’t think I’d be as enchanted with her.

The sound of a foot tapping echoed through the large garage.

“I came here to apologize, Rosa.”

She was waiting. It was fucking adorable.

“How we left it … how I left US was not okay.”

“No, it wasn’t,” her voice was like ice. It hurt me more than I realized to hear her displeased with me. I wanted to comfort her, to let her see that I wasn’t the same stupid boy that had abandoned her to join the marine corps. My mind wandered back to the nights where I laid in my cot in Afghanistan, thinking of her. Only her. As much as I wanted to rid myself of Rosabella, everything in my being wanted her.

“I was stupid and childish for making a move when I knew I was joining the military.”

“No!” A finger jutted into my chest. “You were stupid and childish for falling off the face of the earth!” I could sense her anger as her voice shook.

“Not only did you leave me, but you just DISAPPEARED. You didn’t even try to write, skype or anything.”

She crossed her arms and turned away from me, pain filling her voice. She kept talking before I could get a word in.
 

“I finally thought a man had taken REAL interest in me for who I was. Instead, you took my first kiss and threw it away like it was a piece of trash.”

“I’m here to make that right.” I stepped closer to her, hands reaching for her body. I found her arms and pulled myself in. She didn’t try to flee, but stood there, waiting.

My hand touched her hip, then slid around her back, moving her in toward my own body. It was paradise to have her skin against mine. I could feel my dick starting to harden against my pant leg. Oh fuck did I want her. I yearned for her touch and for her embrace as much as I did for her pussy.

"You jerk," she whispered. "You big, stupid ... jerk ...."

Our lips found each other in the dark as I pressed mine against hers. I brought her closer until her body pressed against me. Her curves tempted me as her soft flesh brushed my abs. Even when we were separated by clothing, I could feel the heat from her warmth.

Our kiss was more passionate than expected. She pushed back, opening her mouth to greet my tongue. Her taste almost made me melt. She was like blueberries and cream; warm and inviting. Rosabella pressed her breasts against my chest, leaning into me.

I caught myself not breathing and pulled back to look at her. Her eyes were half lidded and drunk with lust. There was something else there, lying under the surface that I couldn’t read.

Whatever it was, it was genuine and I was ready to take my chance with her.

I doubled down, grabbing her upper arms and swinging her around until Rosa was up against the door. She hit it with a dull thud, squeaking in surprise.

Fuck, did I love the noises she made.

Again, our lips crashed together, creating a tidal wave of tastes and feelings. My hands ran down her sides, feeling the contours of her body. Oh she felt like heaven beneath my fingertips. When my hands made their way back up, they strayed toward her front, grabbing one of her pert breasts.

She gasped.

“I
―
" Rosabella moved away from our kiss. “Lance … I don’t know.”

“You don’t know what?” I didn’t waste my time talking, my head lowering toward her neck to plant kisses down toward her collar. Her breathing was becoming more intense by the second.

“I-IS this a good idea?”

“Yes.”

I knew what I wanted and she trusted that it was right. Finally, I could feel her body relax to my kisses. She leaned into them, pressing herself into me like she depended on my embrace to live. 

Good.

The next time our lips met, we had memorized the dance. I could sense her movements as soon as she thought of them. Her body responded to my touch with such earnest that I felt like I was on fire with lust. No longer could I ignore the aching in my jeans.

Fucking her was the only thing I wanted.

The black mini dress she was wearing was easy to maneuver with my hands.

Her top pulled down, exposing her bra and shoulders. Helping me, Rosabella wiggled her arms out and then wrapped them around my neck.

Being an old pro, I took no time at all to unclasp the bra straps behind her. Soon, the DD cups that held her breasts fell to the floor and freed her tits.

They were perky, round and perfectly suited to her body type. My rough hand caressed one as I kissed her deeply, pushing her up against the door so she had nowhere to go.

“Ah!” I could feel her squirm with pleasure underneath me. Was she this new to being felt up? I surely hoped so. My lips strayed from hers to nibble on her ear.

“You have to be quiet or your brothers might hear.”

“Screw my brothers,” she replied breathily.

“I’d rather screw you,” I retorted, squeezing her breasts once more.

It was only a few more moments until the rest of her little black dress found itself on the floor. All she had left to her name was a pair of lacy, black panties.

Those would stay on.

My lips found her breasts and I latched on, kissing and licking them. The small sounds that she made drove me to insanity. I loved the way she cooed when I brushed my lips across her skin and the way she cried out when I teased her with a playful bite.

Her hands found my cheeks, then gently guided me back to her face. I loved it when a woman told me what she wanted. Our mouths crashed into each other. It was like high school all over again, but it was even more likely one of her siblings would find us. And this time we wouldn't be just kissing.