Filed To Story: Falling for My Ex's Mafia Dad Novel Free PDF (Fay Alden & Kent Lippert)
There are plenty of people milling around â?? some I recognize as family members whom I had met at the party. Others, though, are completely foreign to me.
One man in particular catches my eye. Heâ??s young â?? perhaps my age, or just a little older than me. He has tanned skin and bleach-blonde hair, but what is really eye-catching about him is that heâ??s covered in tattoos â?? almost from head to foot. Theyâ??re all black and white, matching his casual, sporty attire, and I can tell â?? even from a distance â?? that each tattoo was carefully considered and finely done.
As I stare at him, he turns and looks directly at me. He doesnâ??t flinch at all, but instead looks almostâ?¦unsurprised. That I might stare at him. As I continue to look, he smirks a little and raises his beer to me.
Which, of course, makes me realize that I am just standing here staring at this guy.
Which, of course, makes me blush.
I turn to Daniel, then, trying to cover up my discomfort by remembering the security of him at my side. â??Ready?â? I ask.
Daniel shrugs and sighs. â??Into the lionâ??s den we go,â? he says, and we walk forward onto the beach.
â??Fay!â? My father says, coming forward. Heâ??s dressed in swim trunks and a Hawaiian-print shirt, which surprises and startles me, just a little. This is a big, Italian man â?? I havenâ??t seen him in anything less than an Armani suit yet, so such an abrupt change isâ?¦well, itâ??s abrupt.
He comes forward and gives me a kiss, shaking Danielâ??s hand without a word about the uninvited guest. â??Welcome,â? he says, â??have a drink! Make yourself at home!â?
A waiter comes forward, then, offering a tray of soft and hard drinks. I select a can of spiked lemonade while Daniel takes a coke.
Alden opens his mouth to say more when Romulus runs up to us. â??Hi Fay!â? he says, waving to me, apparently genuinely excited to see me. I lean down to greet him, excited as well.
â??Hey, Rom,â? I say, reaching out to ruffle his hair. â??Are you having fun?â?
â??Yes!â? he says, excited, but then he turns his attention to Daniel. â??But weâ??re one short for volleyball, do you know how to play?â?
Daniel hesitates, looking at me. But I shrug, encouraging him. Danielâ??s a bookish guy, but I do know for a fact that volleyball is one of his favorites.
â??Sure, kid,â? he says, smiling at Romulus and handing me his drink. â??Lead the way.â?
I watch them head off down the stretch of sand and my father puts his arm around me. â??Good, good,â? he says, â??it will be good for the boys to get to know one another, since they will soon be family.â? He smiles at me and I smile back.
â??Now,â? he says, giving me a little tug and pulling me over to where some chairs are arranged around a fire. â??You come with me. I have some people I want you to meet.â?
My father settles me into a comfortable chair at the center of the group and Tristin, to my right, shoots me a cold smile. Baby Estrella, in her lap, coos a happy greeting to me, so I give them both a warm smile in return.
Itâ??s a happy affair, really â?? everyone seems eager to greet me, to bring me plates of food, to ask me about my life, my studies, and my career.
Overall, Iâ??m kept quite busy and happy, getting to know my biological family and all of their friends. I catch a glimpse, as the afternoon passes and the sun starts to set, of Daniel still happily playing volleyball. Apparently, his team has progressed to the championship round.
As people start to settle in for the evening and stronger liquor starts to be poured into everyoneâ??s cups, I start to noticeâ?¦well. That there are a lot of boys around.
I look around the circle, noting that there are, of course, women â?? aunts and cousins, many of them. But Iâ??ve also been introduced, this afternoon, to a variety of handsome young men. All here alone.
And all, apparently, single.
For instance, the one who is talking to me now â?? or, should I say, who has been talking at me since he sat down in Tristinâ??s seat as soon as she abandoned it to go feed the baby.
â??Yeah, Iâ??m in finance,â? he says, taking a swig of his beer. He gives me a little smirk. â??So, you majored in psych, right?â? he asks.
I squirm a little in my chair, uncomfortable. â??Um,â? I say, â??how did you know that?â?
â??Your dad told me,â? he says, using the neck of his beer bottle to gesture towards my father across the fire. â??Or at least, he told my dad. Who told me.â? The guy looks at me again. â??They, uhâ?¦know each other.â?
â??Oh,â? I say, my lips pursing as I look away from him. Am I supposed to know what that means?
â??Yeah,â? the guy continues â?? what was his name again? â??So, our dads think itâ??s a good idea if we like, get to know each other.â? He waggles his eyebrows at me suggestively.
I sit back in my chair, my mouth falling open.
â??So are you free?â? he asks, leaning in. â??On like, Saturday? Iâ??ll take you out somewhere nice. And then maybe, afterwardsâ?¦â? he runs a finger along my forearm, which I immediately snatch away.
â??Um, sorry,â? I say, staring at him. â??But Iâ??m engaged?â?
â??What?â? he says, sitting back in his chair. Then, suddenly, he laughs. â??No, youâ??re not.â?
â??I assure you,â? I say, opening my eyes wide and leaning forward. â??I am. To that guy,â? I point over to Daniel, who is still playing volleyball in the fading sun. Though, because heâ??s far away, I guess my pointing towards a generalized group of men isnâ??t very convincing.
The young man next to me has the gall to laugh again. â??No seriously,â? he says, taking another swig from his beer. â??If youâ??re engaged, then whereâ??s your ring?â?
I fish around in my beach and then slide my engagement ring back on my finger. I had taken it off while I ate crab and lobster â?? too much butter. I didnâ??t want to risk it slipping off and getting lost in the sand.
â??Seriously?!â? the guy shouts, his face going a little pale when he sees the size of it. He stands up immediately from his seat and stalks off towards my father. I stare after him, hearing him as he mutters, â??then why the hell am I here?â?
â??I have no idea,â? I mutter in response, watching him tap my father on the shoulder, having some angry words with him. As I watch the little argument break out, I see, out of the corner of my eye, someone else take his seat.
â??Whatâ??d you say to that one,â? the newcomer mutters.
â??I just told him Iâ??m engaged,â? I say lightly, and then, turning my head, blink in surprise to see that itâ??s the young man with all the tattoos. The one I had noticed, earlier, when weâ??d first arrived at the beach. â??Oh!â? I say, surprised into exclamation.
He smirks at me and, predictably, I blush. I scowl, really wishing I didnâ??t do that all the time.
â??So,â? he says, giving me a friendly smile. â??Apparently youâ??re the lady of the hour.â?
â??Am I?â? I say eagerly, leaning in, hoping this guy can give me a clue about whatâ??s going on. â??Do you know anything about this?â? I look around at all of the guys. â??Like, why there are so many guys here?â?
â??Because, Fay,â? the guy says, laughing. â??Itâ??s a meat market. Your dad invited all of these guys here to meet you. Specifically, to meet you.â? He raises his eyebrows at me, confirming that he means exactly what I think he means.
â??Are you serious?â? I whisper to him, angry. â??My dad is seriously bacheloretting me!?â?
He laughs at that and then nods. â??Yeah. Imagine his dismay when your fiancé showed up, too. Luckily, he got his kid to distract him.â?
â??Oh my god,â? I say, shocked, my eyes going to the volleyball game where I see Daniel and Romulus giving each other high fives. â??Even little Romulus is in on it!?â?
The guy laughs again, shaking his head. â??They get â??em young, in this world,â? he says, apparently enjoying my shock. I turn back to him, then, studying him, and realizing that heâ??s not enjoying it in a nasty way. Instead, he, too, thinks itâ??s a little bit ridiculous.
The very real ridiculousness of it all hits me then, and I laugh as well.
Suddenly, the two of us are laughing together, me a little hysterically, him along for the ride.
â??Oh my god,â? I say, leaning back in my chair and resting a hand against my chest as the laughter starts to abate. â??I canâ??t believe this. What is he thinking?!â?
New Book: Returned To Make Them Pay
On her wedding anniversary, Alicia is drugged and stumbles into the wrong room—straight into the arms of the powerful Caden Ward, a man rumored never to touch women. Their night of passion shocks even him, especially when he discovers she’s still a virgin after two years of marriage to Joshua Yates.