Filed to story: Falling for My Ex's Mafia Dad Novel Free PDF (Fay Alden & Kent Lippert)
They greet me warmly, as if I do this every day, and I slide one hand cooly into the pocket of my tight pants as I ask how they are and talk playfully with them about their plans for the day as well as my own.
“Little Fay,” one of them says an uncle on Kent’s side, though I don’t know his name and feel guilty about it, after all these months. I make a mental note to ask Daniel. “You come see us more often, okay?” He gently pats my arm before tapping his cheek, asking for a little kiss, which I give him with a laugh.
“Knock ’em dead,” says Anthony, another of the crew.
“Especially that flashy one,” growls the last the eldest glaring over at Natalia.
“I’ll do my best,” I promise, giving him a big smile before walking casually away and bringing my coffee over to my seat next to Daniel.
“Well, Fay,” Alessi says, grinning at me. “You are looking very beautiful today.”
“Beautiful,” Natalia concedes, looking me up and down, “but inappropriate for our day of shopping. Fay, what is wrong with you? You don’t know how to dress?”
Daniel opens his mouth to defend me but I speak over him, still not sitting down.
“Sorry, Natalia,” I say, tilting my head to the side in an apology I definitely don’t feel. “My plans have changed I have a meeting today with a very important man. You’ll have to go shopping on your own. Do you think you can manage? I can show you where to pick up the bus that takes you to the shopping center.”
Natalia goes perfectly still, except for her eyes, which narrow almost to slits.
“Who are you going to see?” she asks, her voice sharp.
“Family business, Natalia,” I murmur, aloof, taking a big sip of my coffee and then placing it on the table. “You understand.”
“Family?” she asks, leaning forward. “Which family? This one, or your father’s?”
“Well, they’re one and the same now, aren’t they?” I reply, cryptic. And then I let my lips curl in a secretive little smile before turning to Daniel and ignoring her completely.
“Will you do all right without me today, sweetheart?” I ask, my voice soft and intimate. I raise a fond hand to run it down the back of his head, taking a moment to trail my fingers through the ends of his hair.
Daniel turns to look up at me, already onto my game and ready to play along. “No,” he says, wrapping an arm around my waist and pulling me close. “Not if it’s a choice and pleading incompetence will keep you here.”
I laugh and pout at him, looping my hands around his neck and leaning back a little so that my hips press close against him while I look down at him with adoration. “Sorry, babe,” I say. “You know I have work to do. I’d rather be with you, though.”
“Prove it,” Daniel says, grinning at me wickedly, daring me.
And, laughing a real laugh because I’m so grateful to have him on my side, I let him tug me close and then I lower my face to his, kissing my best friend as if…
…well, as if he’s his dad.
It’s a long, deep kiss, and when I pull away I’m smiling widely at him, genuinely grateful that he’s so willing to play along. I turn my head to Alessi and Natalia then, pleased to see Alessi grinning proudly at his nephew and Natalia glaring coldly at me, her eyes calculating. But I ignore her, leaning over the table a little to grab a croissant off the plate in the middle.
“You guys have an amazing day,” I whisper, giving them both a pretty smile. “I’ll miss you!”
And then I straighten and head for the door.
I’m already past Natalia and Alessi when I see Kent leaning against the wall next to the kitchen door, his arms folded over his chest, watching my every move with a little smirk on his face. And I’m damn lucky that the Italians have their heads turned because I absolutely falter in my steps when I see him there. But he just nods his head once at me, uncrosses his arms, and moves into the kitchen as if he’s got better stuff to deal with.
Taking this non-censure as rare approval, I smile and head towards the door, thinking that it’s done.
But as I pass him, I feel the knuckle of Kent’s index finger gently, just barely, graze the side of my ass.
And I can’t help the huge smile that breaks out on my face as I push through the door.
It’s not much, but from Kent?
He might as well have given me a high-five.
As soon as I come through the door, though, I almost bang straight into Jerome.
“Whoa, speedy,” he says, catching me by the shoulders before I can knock him down.
I stumble a little but then gasp as I look down at my crushed croissant, which collided with his chest. “Why are you always outside doors I’m coming out of?” I ask, frowning up at him. “Do you just lay in wait outside of every door I go through?”
“How could I do that, Fay,” Jerome asks, looking at me slyly, “when sometimes you go into one room and, inexplicably, come out of another?”
My mouth pops open a little but then I snap it shut, wondering what the hell he knows. Has he guessed something about secret passages? Or is he just baiting me into saying something?
Jerome lets me dangle for a moment and then lets my shoulders go, trusting me to stand on my own. “Lucky timing, then, I guess. Where you off to in such a hurry?”
“Gotta go see an important man,” I reply, giving a little shrug.
“Which one?” he asks, genuinely curious.
“Nooooooo idea,” I say. Then, I cock my head. “Want to come with?”
Jerome hesitates, looking towards the kitchen, but I grab him by the arm. “Oh, come on,” I say, pushing him towards the garage. I know Jerome has access to the car keys and I want to get out of here before Natalia can come call my bluff. “Kent will let me take you.”
Jerome laughs at this, but he lets me push him. “What am I, some Ken doll you guys trade around for the day?”
“Precisely,” I confirm as we pass into the garage and he snags the keys to the Lexus from the key cage. I grin at him over the top of the car as we open our doors. “Want to buy me breakfast, Ken? This…” I hold up my sad little semi-crushed croissant, “isn’t cutting it anymore.”
“You got it, Barbie,” Jerome quips, winking at me and climbing into the car. I grin and do the same, closing my door behind me.
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Once Jerome and I finish our breakfast he takes me to a place downtown where they serve a full English breakfast, something we’ll never get in an Italian house and we get back in the car totally stuffed, I know precisely where I want to go.
I’m not looking forward to it, but I know what I have to do. Jerome blanches a little bit when I direct him to our next stop, but he doesn’t ask questions. Instead, he just drives me up to the front of the house and gets out to lean against the car and watch my back as I climb up the steps and ring the bell.
About half a minute later, the door opens.
“Hey, Tristin,” I say, giving my step-mother a little smile in response to her deep and hateful glare. “Is my dad home?”
“He is not,” she snaps, hoisting baby Estrella higher on her hip. The baby, thankfully, greets me more graciously with a giggle and a little flap of her hand in my direction. I can’t help but smile back at her.
“Um,” I say, looking back at Tristin. “Can I come in and wait for him, then?”
Tristin rolls her eyes at me and begins to close the door.
“Tristin!” I call, putting out a hand to stop her. “Please, I’m sorry I know whenever I come over it always causes trouble ”