Filed to story: Falling for My Ex's Mafia Dad Novel Free PDF (Fay Alden & Kent Lippert)
â??What do you think?â? I ask, turning so he can see me in the dress. â??Will I do for the day?â?
â??Youâ??re gorgeous,â? he murmurs, cupping the back of my head and pulling me in for a slow kiss before pressing the coffee into my hands. â??Now go back to my sonâ??s room, and try not to let anyone else figure out you spent the night in my bed.â?
â??My bed too,â? I insist, grinning at Kent as he walks me to the window and unlocks it, pushing it open and glancing out to make sure no oneâ??s there. â??I love you,â? I say, reaching out to grab his shirt and pull him in for a final kiss. â??See you in a few minutes.â?
â??I love both of you,â? Kent murmurs, a finger brushing my stomach as he takes the coffee from me. I hop out the window and take my coffee back, laughing with delight at the ridiculousness of my strange, happy life. And then Kent kisses his palm as he smiles at me, clenching the kiss in his fist like heâ??ll hold it forever.
And I grin, and wrinkle my nose at him, and sip my coffee as I scurry across the front of the house to tap on my husbandâ??s window this time.
Daniel whips back the curtain a moment later, groaning in relief to see me as he pushes the window open. I note, quite happily, that thereâ??s no gun in sight this time.
â??Get in here, Fay,â? he murmurs, taking the coffee from me as I climb through the window.
â??Morning, husband!â? I say cheerfully as I take my coffee back. â??Nice to see you too!â?
â??Why do I always get the middle seat,â? I mutter, glaring at Janeen and Jerome on either side of me on our way to Bianci house. Dad begged off dinner and once we were whittled down to five, Kent insisted on taking one car for safety. â??Iâ??m the richest person here â??â??
â??No, youâ??re not,â? Kent says casually over his shoulder as he makes the final turn onto the street where I know the gate to the Bianci driveway stands.
â??Really,â? Daniel says, looking at his father from the passenger seat with a little smirk forming on his lips. â??I mean, I know what Fayâ??s worth, dad â?? youâ??re saying youâ??ve got more stashed away in European bank accounts than that?â?
â??Iâ??m saying mind your business, kid,â? Kent murmurs, ignoring Daniel and making Janeen laugh.
â??Back to the matter at hand!â? I say, wiggling and trying to make more room for myself back here. â??On the way back I get the passenger seat. For the baby.â?
â??Not a chance,â? Daniel calls. â??You canâ??t just say â??for the babyâ?? and get what you want, Fay. At least not until heâ??s born.â?
â??No worries,â? Janeen says with a happy sigh. â??Iâ??ll just stay at Gioâ??s place â??â??
â??You would cheat on me?â? Jerome gasps falsely, pressing a hand to his chest and staring at his pretend fiancé in pretend shock. â??After these twenty-four hours that Iâ??ve long been dedicated to you!?â?
â??We gave it the old college try, Jerome,â? Janeen says, leaning over me to pat his knee. â??It just wasnâ??t meant to be.â?
â??Enough,â? Kent says with a sigh, â??we need everyone to take this seriously, all right? Anyone have any questions?â?
â??No, sir,â? Janeen says, giving Kent a false little salute. I glare at her and she crosses her eyes at me before placing a hand on my shoulder that lets me know sheâ??ll do her part, even if she pretends not to take it seriously now.
â??All right,â? Kent says. â??Get ready, because now the trial really begins.â?
And then he rolls down the window to speak to the guard, who immediately signals the gate to swing open.
As we pull down the driveway I grin as I watch Janeen balk at the size and splendor of this house.
“Noooo wayyyy,” she breathes, and then she stares wide-eyed at Kent and Daniel. “Are you serious? You you two grew up here!?”
“Just dad,” Daniel says over his shoulder, turning to smile at Jerome too, who is equally impressed if not more silent.
“Yes,” I say, putting on a hoity-toity voice. “Daniel just summered here ”
Janeen scoffs and rolls her eyes at that, and I open my mouth to add more but find myself distracted when I see a large group of family waiting in front of the house. They peer closely at the car, but as soon as they see Kent in the driver’s seat they start to shout and cheer in excitement.
“Oh wow,” Janeen says, her eyebrows raised. “Oh, so they like…like you ”
“Some people do, Janeen,” Kent says, his voice dry, though I can hear the pleasure in it. “Don’t sound so surprised.” Janeen laughs as Kent parks the car and quickly climbs out, shouting a loud greeting to his family, who all rush to hug him.
Curious, Janeen gets out first and then reaches out a hand to help me. I glance over at the crowd enveloping Kent as I climb out of the car. And then I smile as I turn my eyes back to my sister, looking her up and down in her pretty purple-and-blue floral dress, all flowing silk and grace that sets off her purple hair, which she has demurely tucked back behind her ears.
“You look pretttttty,” I say, grinning and teasing her.
“I always look pretty,” she replies, turning me and tugging at my own cerulean-blue floor length gown to get the wrinkles out. “But you look fabulous.”
“Do you think?” I murmur, turning a little so I can see down the back of the gown, the diaphanous ribbons that fall from my shoulders instead of sleaves twisting in the breeze. “I thought it was too much, but Kent liked it ”
“Kent picked this out?” Janeen scoffs, staring at me.
“Kent picks out all my clothes,” I whisper to her with a little frown. “Seriously? You didn’t know that?”
Janeen’s mouth falls open as she stares at me.
“I know,” Daniel says, coming over to grin at us with his hands in his pockets. “Creepy, right?”
“You two,” Janeen whispers, leaning close to me, “have the weirdest kinks ”
Daniel laughs and then takes my arm. “Come on, they want to meet you!” he says, grinning at both of us.
Jerome laughs a little as he comes up to Janeen, first wrapping and arm around her shoulder, and then hesitating before dropping his hand to her waist. “I don’t know how to do this.”
“At least pretend you think I’m hot,” Janeen says, rolling her eyes and linking arms with him instead. Then, when we’re all ready for our roles, Daniel sweeps us forward and begins to introduce us to the family.
It’s all immediately overwhelming for the three of us who don’t speak Italian. Some faces I remember from yesterday nonna’s in particular is unforgettable, though she stays pinned to Kent’s side, wiping tears from her eyes as she gazes up at him while he greets his friends.
My heart twists with happiness as I realize again that, of course, this is in so many ways the woman who raised him Kent’s mother, if not by blood, as much as Daniel’s grandmother. Kent smiles down at Nonna, wrapping an arm around her shoulder, and I can’t help the grin that bursts onto my face.
Not even Natalia can make my smile falter when I see her leaning in the doorway to the house, glaring daggers at me. I just give her a happy wave and move on to whoever Daniel introduces me to next.
“Fay!” Gio says, coming through the crowd. “Daniel, Jerome, Janeen!” He gives us all our kisses, though I note with a little laugh that Janeen presses for a lingering hug as well, though Gio doesn’t seem to notice as he obliges her. “Come over, this way! Everything is all ready!”
Gio then turns and shouts something to the crowd and everyone starts to move, sweeping us not through the house but towards the gardens. I smile as I look around at this gigantic, happy family, so excited to greet their long-lost son. I glance over my shoulder but just shrug when I see that Kent has been surrounded by masses of people, still pressing to say hello as we walk.
Children run by as well, many of them coming to stare up at Janeen’s purple hair and then running away laughing when she turns to look back at them.
“Wow,” Janeen says, shaking her head as we pass into the garden, which I now realize has been set with cocktail tables and antipasti that we can snack on before we go in to dinner. “Gio, seriously, it’s incredible here ”
“Yes,” he says, giving her a warm smile. “We’re very lucky. Is it very different, where you grew up?”
Janeen bursts into scoffing laughter and I grin, thinking of the happy row home where we spent our childhood. “Yeah,” she says, shrugging a little at the understatement. “It was different, Gio.”
“You’ll have to show me sometime,” he murmurs, giving her a wink before heading off to speak with a servant and ensure that drinks begin to be served.
“That is so rude,” Jerome murmurs, slipping a possessive arm around Janeen’s waist. “I am right here.”