ELENORA

You cannot be falling for him, Nora.

It's lust. He makes you feel things you didn't know you could after what happened. And he is definitely not boyfriend material. He said it himself.

Repeatedly.

He does have his funny moments though and he can be sweet, but that temper of his gets the best of him all the time.

And have you forgotten about his side chick from the club? There must be hundreds of them. Okay, maybe not hundreds, but probably at least one in every state.

But man, can he kiss.

"Nora!" Clara exclaims into the phone and I snap out of my thoughts.

"Sorry, I zoned out for a second, where was I?"

She laughs. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm just spacey today." Too busy daydreaming about a certain pair of intense dark eyes.

"So? Don't leave me hanging, girl! What happened next?"

I've been telling her about the circus of a wedding I worked at today.

"Well, by this point the groom is completely shitfaced and passed out drunk at the table with his face in a slice of cake. The bride, the maid of honor, the groom's mother, and the groom's sister are all attacking the best man's sister and her friend; surprisingly though, they were holding their own pretty well."

"What a shitty thing to do at someone's wedding, though. Like why wait to confront him when he's getting married and the way she did it? Talk about hell hath no fury...that shit will always be there even if it's deleted," Clara says, chuckling.

"I guess I don't understand why ruin his life and her own? If she wanted to hurt him then telling his family and the bride he had an affair with her, is one thing, but to cut into the video of their relationship that was playing knowing everyone would be watching? One moment we're watching pictures of their dates and time together, leading to pictures of the proposal to hearing the moaning and groaning sounds of the groom and the best man's sister going at it in his office; it was next level crazy."

"The bigger question is why would she record them?" Clara asks after it sounds like she's biting into something.

"Maybe they were into that kind of thing? " I chuckle, scrolling through the rest of the wedding pictures I uploaded.

"What else is going on? Any other mystery notes or gifts and how's it going with Dicko?"

I shiver remembering his hands on me this morning and then his lips on my neck. I clear my throat. "No notes and things are um, good."

"Good? That's it?"

"He's been...nice. But he's trying to have someone follow me around when I'm out and about, with the notes and then with what his cousin said last night, too."

I sigh. "But he compromised. As long as I came back tonight, I wouldn't have a shadow, so that's why I'm here again. I still think he's a psycho, though." I glance over at Mostro who walks by.

Mostro raises an eyebrow at me. "What? Don't act like you don't think he's crazy either."

"Huh?" Clara says through the speaker phone.

"Nothing, I was just talking to Mostro, aka the mountain, who's glaring at me for insulting his daddy."

A loud, and deep, rumbling sound erupts out of Mostro and I realize he's laughing.

Clara laughs too. "Oh thank god. I know you talk to yourself a lot but considering what's happening I was worried. I thought Mostro means monster, though?"

"It does, but the guy is massive." I smile because he's still chortling and wiping his eyes.

"Oh, wait! I remember him, he must have a twin though because I remember two huge guys came with Rico the night he stopped those assholes from taking us," Clara exclaims.

I chuckle. "Yeah, the other one's name is Ciccio. Anyway, I gotta go. I'm going to take a bath and then find something to eat."

"Weren't you going to go to your parents? Jackie mentioned something about it at work."

"No, I told my mom we'd take a rain check." I rub my aching feet. "I think it's best to not blur the lines so much with my family and Rico. Maya's already become attached to him."

Clara snorts. "You mean Luna, but yeah that's probably for the best. Okay, well, let's meet up for lunch or something soon."

"For sure, just let me know what day works for you." I stand stretching.

"Okay, I'll call you later this week. Love you, girl," Clara tells me.

"Love you, too." I smile before I hang up. I click on the pad of my Macbook and close out some apps. "I'm going to take a bath, you don't have to stay, Mostro."

"Boss' orders until he gets back." He tells me over his shoulder.

"And when will that be?"

"When he gets back."

"Smartass," I mutter, heading to the room.

"I heard that!"

"Good!" I yell back before shutting the door.

After my bath I step out of the room and Mostro is outside on the terrace smoking. I decide to text Rico.

Me: Hey

Rico: Hi

Me: Working late?

Rico: Miss me?

Me: Nah, just want to make sure my friend leaves before you get back.

Mostro walks back in from the terrace as his phone rings; he pulls it out of his pocket looking at it before he answers. "Yeah, boss? What?" Mostro looks around, a look of confusion on his face.

He walks to the bedroom and then the office. "There's no one here, Boss."

I start laughing and he looks over at me, shaking his head. "She's just messing with you." He hangs up the phone.

"Boss ain't happy."

"Ask me if I care?" I hurry and type a text to Rico.

Me: You're too easy...

He replies by sending me several of the middle finger emoji's.

I respond with two lines of the blowing kiss emoji's.

Rico: We're eating in tonight....then maybe I can eat you out later.

Me: Ha! In your dreams.

Rico: Well, you already dream about me, so we're halfway there ;P

Me: I'm not dreaming about you.

Rico: It's only a matter of time before I make your dreams a reality, patatina mia.

Me: Your mood swings are giving me whiplash.

Rico: You say my name in your sleep.

He's lying. There's no way.

Rico: ...and I'm not into whipping, but I'd be willing to try it for you.

Me: Please *sarcastic tone*

Me: Mostro has a better chance of getting lucky than you.

Rico: Go for it, if you want him dead.

Me: You wouldn't

Rico: Try me.

This time I send him one middle finger emoji.

He responds by sending a finger pointing right with the okay gesture emoji.

Rico: Pretty sure you meant to send this instead.

I resend the middle finger emoji with the rolling eyes emoji and set my phone down on the counter.

"You hungry?" I call out to Mostro as I rummage through the fully stocked fridge.

"No."

I roll my eyes. "Well, you're eating what I make anyway."

He grunts in response. I turn on the sound system in the living room to listen to music while I make dinner.

Thirty minutes later, I set the table and finish slicing up some bread. I tell Mostro the food's ready and he saunters over, looking unsure.

"Smells good," He mumbles.

"Help yourself, I don't know how much you want." I set the pot of pasta down and the salad then head to grab some wine and glasses.

I have trouble popping the cork and Mostro grabs it. "Here, let me, Ms. Borrelli."

"Nora."

He nods, uncorking it and pours me a glass and then some for himself.

I serve myself first and then Mostro hesitantly follows by serving himself a plate and grabs some bread.

We eat in silence with the music playing in the background. "So, how long have you worked for Satan?"

Mostro chokes on the wine he was sipping and grabs a napkin, dabbing at his suit where some of the wine spilled.

"Sorry," I chuckle.

He looks at me pursing his lips. "I've been with the family since Rico moved to Italy with his Zia Rosetta." He takes a sip of wine after eating a bit of pasta.

"Has he always been so..." I pause to think of the right word. "Serious?"

He sips his wine before answering. "I didn't know him before he moved to Italy. My father worked for his father and from what I remember about Alessio, they are similar in disposition, but Rico has..." He stops as he pushes his food around. "...a temper unlike his father. His father never let his anger show."

"So he's a hothead? Tell me something I didn't know."

"No, Ms. Bor—Nora, his temper leads him to a certain point, a blind rage, there's no getting through to him. It's what landed him in prison when he was younger. But..." He looks over at me. "I hear you got through to him on Serafina's birthday." He forks pasta into his mouth. "Would have been a blood bath for sure if you didn't stop him."

The elevator dings and Rico steps out, narrowing his eyes when he sees us. He sets his jacket down on the couch and glares at us. "Isn't this cozy?" Mostro wipes his mouth and begins to stand.

But Rico holds his hand up to stop him. "Please. Don't let me interrupt." He states in a clipped tone. "Though last time I checked I don't pay you to stuff your face, Mostro."

"Yes, Boss. Forgive me." Mostro starts to walk away from the table but I grab onto his arm.

"You're not finished, sit down." I tell him and then look over at Rico whose eyebrows are raised high, watching me. "And you, quit being an ass because you had a bad day at work. Go wash up before you sit down."

"Excuse me?" He looks at me like I'm out of my mind.

"Go..." I gesture to the sink. "Wash up." I speak slow and demonstrate washing my hands for him.

"I...think I'll just go stand outside, now." Mostro keeps his eyes only on his boss.

"Nope, not until you finish. Rico, hurry up. Food's getting cold while you stand there, figuring out which foot to move first."

Mostro makes a noise but hits his chest like he's having a random coughing fit. Rico gives him a death glare before he walks to the kitchen and washes his hands, and then sits at the table where the extra plate setting is. Mostro sits down, too, slowly reaching out for his fork and begins eating again.

I eat a couple of bites myself and then look over at Rico. "Your arms and legs aren't broken; you can serve yourself, Federico."

His shoulders rise as he takes a deep breath and exhales, and then looks at me plastering the fakest smile on his face. "Please pass the salad."

I smile in return. "Certainly."

Mostro hands me the pot of pasta and I hand it over to Rico as well. "So, how was your day?"

Rico gives me a look, silently asking, are you kidding me right now?

I shrug in return. "Well, mine was great, I mean not so much for the wedding party since it was a freaking shit show. Wait till you see the pictures." I chuckle.

"So, the groom was having an affair with the best mans' sister and the best man's sister hijacked the wedding to out the groom in front of everyone! One minute we're watching a video of pictures of their relationship leading to their big day, to a full on homemade porno at the office. It was insane!" I chortle.

"Is the couple working it out?" Mostro asks and I smile knowing he's invested.

"Would you forgive someone you just married for having an affair and then having to see a video of their sexual time together in front of all your family and friends?"

"There's too many unknown variables to answer that." He gives a surprisingly open-minded response.

I look back at him amused. "Really? Like what?"

"Well, what if the alleged affair happened before the bride and groom met? What if it was a doctored video? That happens a lot nowadays, and what if the groom already told the bride about it but didn't expect the crazy ex to do something like this, because she has an obsession with the groom and will do whatever it takes to get him back. But obviously that's the most awful way to do it, but you don't think straight when it comes to love, although that sounds more like an infatuation gone wrong, like the movie Obsession."

I laugh as Mostro finishes. "Those are all valid questions and well made points. I suppose it could be like that, but we'll never know. The groom was so drunk he missed the—full no holds bar brawl—between the bride, the maid of honor, his mom and his sister against the best man's sister and a friend of hers."

Rico narrows his eyes watching us as he eats.

I swirl my wine glass, meeting his heated gaze before I take a sip. "What's your problem?"

Mostro clears his throat and stands. "Thank you for the bruschetta chicken pasta, it was good; almost as good as my nonna Viola's." He gives me a warm smile before it disappears when he sees Rico's dark eyes glaring at him again. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Goodnight, Mostro." I smile as he scoots his chair in.

He nods at Rico. "Boss." But he doesn't say anything as Mostro walks to the elevator to leave the penthouse suite.

"Why are you so grumpy?" I finish off my plate, wiping it clean with a piece of bread.

"I'm not grumpy." He mutters before taking a bite of his food.

I lean back sipping my wine. "What you'd eat for lunch?"

"A protein shake." He takes another bite of his food avoiding my knowing glare.

"Anything for a snack?"

"I don't do snacks." He washes down his food with the wine.

"Yup, classic case of being hangry." I nod to myself, recognizing the signs and symptoms all too well. "My mom is the same way. You're hungry and you're already constantly angry as it is so boom, hangry."

"I don't think that's a thing." He pours himself some more wine.

"Oh, but it is." I start cleaning up the kitchen and loading the dishwasher.

"Why are you cleaning up?" He walks over and sets his plate in the sink.

"Because I can."

His phone rings and he walks away answering it, saving me from a condescending lecture on why I don't need to clean up. After I finish, I sit on the couch stretching my legs out to the side and turn the TV on, scrolling through the Netflix menu.

Rico comes over and lifts my feet and sits down next to me placing my legs over his lap. "Let's watch that show you were watching that one night in your apartment. The one with the virgin redhead."

"Outlander?"

"I watched a few episodes and I don't get it. If she traveled to the past, does that mean the redhead traveled to the future? Because her husband ran into him standing outside their hotel and he was watching her brush her hair."

I chuckle. "I honestly didn't believe you watched it. Why?"

"It seemed interesting."

"It's a great show. Although, if I'm honest, the first and second season are the best, the rest are so-so, but I'm too invested in the characters to stop watching. And there's a lot of theories about why the ghost of Jamie was there watching Claire but one of them is to get her to warn Jamie in the past about—" I stop when he starts rubbing my feet.

"What are you doing?"

He follows my eyes and looks down at his hands. "I'm massaging your feet; you were on them all day at the wedding and then you made dinner."

"Okay...but why?"

"Because I want to." And continues rubbing my feet.

I focus my attention on the TV trying to pretend I'm not experiencing the butterflies in my stomach and focus on finding the show. "What episode did you leave off on?"

"The one right before the wedding," He tells me, pulling the blanket from the back of the couch and spreading it across us even though he keeps massaging my feet.

I settle in as the show begins and as it progresses I smile when Rico's hands move from massaging my feet to going under my pajama pant legs and he starts slowly and soothingly rubbing my legs.

After two episodes, I stop the show. "Welp, that's the mid-season finale of the first season." I stretch my arms over my head.

"Let me get this straight, after everything he did to make the wedding all about her, to make it...special for her, not to mention it was to keep her safe. She was going to leave?" He looks visibly irritated.

I bite back a smile. "If I didn't know any better I'd say you were a closeted hopeless romantic, Federico."

"I'm not."

I laugh tilting my head back. "You totally are, that's nothing to be ashamed of. But back to your unjust judgment of Claire. Put yourself in her place. She married someone she didn't love out of necessity, and she's guilt ridden for enjoying being with another man. But you won't question her loyalty if you keep watching the show."

"Could you do it?" He picks at the threading on my socks.

"Do what?"

"Marry someone out of necessity...if your life was in danger?"

"If he looked like Sam Heughan, of course."

Rico rolls his eyes and pushes my legs off of his before he stands. I cover my mouth to stifle my laugh.

"Is this your subtle way of asking me to marry you, Federico?" I joke, still chuckling as I also stand and begin folding the blanket and lay it over the back of the couch.

"And if I was?"

My head snaps to his direction, and he's observing me. "We're already 'pretend dating' , we don't need to do anything else. Plus, why would I marry you when you're already showing me how controlling you are as a fake boyfriend? Buying me an entire wardrobe I don't need, forcing me to have a bodyguard. I can only imagine what you'd be like if I upgraded you to a fake fiancé, let alone pretend husband."

Rico groans as he rubs his face and then his stubbled chin. "I did it to be considerate, Elenora." He walks closer to me and his dark eyes root me to where I'm standing. "I spoke to your father. I told him we may have to move along the relationship to make sure his enemies don't have doubts about our families' alliance; that it's not just for appearances."

"You're serious? You think getting married is going to help all of this nonsense?"

"Yes, and more so considering you have someone else sending you threatening love notes and gifts."

My head is swimming with all the information. I walk to the kitchen to grab a glass of water and drink it quickly and set the glass down; my hands are shaking slightly.

I keep my voice quiet as I busy myself with wiping down an already clean counter. "What did my father say?"

"At first, he didn't agree to it but said he'd think about it. Then he called me before I walked in and gave me his blessing. He said he would agree to do anything to keep you safe." Rico stands behind me and brushes my hair aside before he leans down and I close my eyes as his stubble tickles my ear. "And I intend to keep you, Elenora—"

"I'm not some object you choose to have so you can dispose of me whenever you feel like it, Rico." I glare at him over my shoulder.

He chuckles. "I love how you assume you know what I mean or say, amore." He wraps his arms around me. "What I was going to say is I intend to keep you, Elenora Borelli, safe and will protect you with my life."

I turn around in his arms before I meekly look into his eyes. "And who will protect me from you, Rico?"

A shadow crosses his features before the corner of his mouth lifts. "I think we both know you do a pretty good job of that yourself." His hand holds my face.

But the doubts and questions overpower this moment of heat between us. "But why? Why would you do this? You seem to forget I know what you really think of me."

"I didn't know you then."

"And you know me now?"

"I have a better idea; and you are far from boring. You like to talk with your hands."

I give him a dirty look. "We're Italian, you talk with your hands, too, dummy."

His teeth pull his bottom lip in an attempt to hide his smirk. "You talk to yourself...a lot. You have a strong work ethic, you're talented and genuinely seem to like what you do. You're also weird, and in some ways probably crazier than I am."

I frown as his smile grows wider. "If this is some twisted way of you thinking you're getting into my pants, you're going to be as disappointed as I was the night you fingered me at the restaurant." I lie wanting to wipe the cocky grin off his face.

Rico laughs, throwing his head back and my stomach flips at the sound. "Damn; if that reaction was you being disappointed I can't wait to see what you're like when you're actually enjoying it." He picks my hand up and kisses it. "But I'm up for the challenge."

I pull my hand out of his. "It wasn't meant as a challenge, Rico."

I squeal as he lifts me onto the counter and pushes himself in between my legs. His large hands slide up my thighs to hold my hips. "I'll make you a deal. I won't touch you like that again, until you ask me to." His stubble grazes my skin as his lips move against my neck as he talks. "Because you will want me to, Elenora."

I know he's not a mind reader but he's pretty damn close. But I can't let him know that. "You'll be waiting a long time then."

"You think so?" He smiles as he moves my hair back over my shoulders. "Because I don't think I will."

"Well, duh, you'll call up one of your fuck bunnies when the urge gets too much to handle."

"I have pretty good self control, bella. I haven't done what I've wanted to do to you since that night I first kissed you, and that was weeks ago. And you can't say I haven't had the opportunity to because we've been alone a lot since then." The tip of his tongue glides over his bottom lip as his thumb pulls down my lip. (beautiful)

"In the meantime, mia patatina, I'm going to enjoy memorizing every inch of your beautiful face." He kisses my forehead, my cheeks, my nose then my chin. (my little potato)

"Your irresistible neck." He starts leaving open mouth kisses down the sides of my throat as I try to suppress the sound of pleasure trying to leave my body. "Your seductive shoulders." He licks and nibbles his way down from my neck, pulling at the oversized shirt exposing my shoulder to him.

He makes his own sounds of indulgences as he uses his teeth and tongue, grazing my skin; my thighs want to close from the throbbing pulse in between my legs, but he's in the way. His hands move up my thighs again and squeeze my hips as he pulls me into him.

I'm embarrassed to admit my will power is barely hanging on when I'm saved by his ringing phone. He stops his sensual assault on my shoulder and rests his head on me with a deep sigh.

He answers his phone in the way that has become a signature sound for me to hear.

"What?"

He raises his head off of me as he listens to whoever's on the other end and watches me. He raises his other hand and brushes some of my hair back away from my face. I shiver, still in a cloud of lust and he smiles, pulling me into a hug. I let myself lean into him taking in a deep breath of his masculine scent.

"Good, I'll be there in fifteen minutes."

He hangs up and leans away to look at me. "We've got a lead on your mystery Romeo."

My heart spikes for a completely different reason. "You...you looked into it?"

Rico lifts a shoulder but then he caresses my face. "I think you should handle only one psycho at a time, don't you?"

"You're admitting you're insane?"

I hold my breath when he leans in closer to me. "You got a small glimpse of what I'm capable of, Elenora. But the truth is, you have no idea of what heights I'll reach to protect those I..." His Adam's apple bobs from swallowing hard. "Anyone I care about."

A soft smile spreads on my face. "You care about me, Federico?"

"You're starting to grow on me."

I snort. "Like a fungus?"

"You said it, I didn't." He smiles as I laugh and he joins in, too.

"Can I come with you?"

Rico shakes his head. "No. Ciccio is headed up here. You need to rest. I won't be long."

"There you go with your bossi—" He cuts me off with a soft kiss.

"I won't be long. Go to bed." He gives me another chaste kiss and adds. "Please."

***