Page 31 of His to Hold

Isabella

Napping during the day is always a bad idea. I don’t know how people do it as a regular thing. After falling asleep mid-afternoon, I wake up disoriented by the darkness in the room. My limbs feel heavy and my mouth is dry. I roll over and discover Antonio’s side of the bed is empty. The sheets are cold, indicating he got up some time ago. It doesn’t surprise me. The man barely sleeps. He doesn’t cuddle much either, so it makes me appreciate the fact he got into bed with me and snuggled all the more.

As my stomach growls with hunger, I reach over to the nightstand to grab the alarm clock, which is facing away from me. I gasp as I turn it around and see that it’s past midnight. The lack of light makes sense now. Rather than enjoying a quick catnap, I’ve been out for hours. I’ve slept right past dinnertime. I hope Janetta didn’t go to too much effort. Wasting her incredible food seems like sacrilege.

I get out of bed and go to the closet where some of the clothes I brought on my last visit to the house hang alongside the ones I took with me this time. Because I always assumed Antonio expected me to dress to mirror his style, there’s not a casual outfit here but I find a pair of wide-legged pants and a silky blouse that shouldn’t feel too restricting.

I have a feeling Antonio will end up tearing my panties off me if I wear them so I don’t bother putting on a pair. I do choose a lacy white bra from the lingerie drawer though. My boobs aren’t huge, and I could go without, but I feel weird about letting them hang free.

When I’m dressed, I go to the bathroom and stand in front of the mirror as I quickly run a brush through my tangled hair. It’s a bit unruly so I sweep it up into a ponytail and secure it at the nape of my neck with an elastic band I find in the cabinet beside the sink. Satisfied that I don’t look like someone who just crawled out of bed, I head downstairs in search of my husband.

It takes me a few minutes to locate him. He isn’t in his office or in the living room. I’m making my way to the kitchen to look for him when I pass the media room and hear what sounds like the squeal of tires coming from inside. It surprises me when I push open the door and discover Antonio watching a movie. He’s sprawled out on one of the large theater-style seats with a beer in his hand. He’s wearing sweatpants and a white t-shirt, garments I had no idea he owned.

When he spots me standing in the doorway gawping at him, he grabs the remote and pauses the movie.

“What’s the matter, Bella?” he asks, in response to the dumbfounded expression on my face.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you just kicking back and relaxing.”

“Yeah, it’s been a while since I last had a night off.”

Though he’s not looking for sympathy with that remark, I can’t help that it tugs at my heartstrings. Antonio works hard to safeguard his family’s future. Though his brothers are also involved in the business, they don’t shoulder the same weighty responsibility as my husband does.

I’m about to tell him he needs to be more selfish with his time when my stomach rumbles loudly. Antonio sets down his bottle of beer, gets up, and strides across the room to grab my hand.

“Come on, let’s feed you.”

He takes me through to the dining room where fresh flowers adorn the table and two places are set at one end of the long wooden table. Antonio helps me to settle into my seat. He grabs the bottle of white wine that’s sitting in the center of the table and uncorks it before pouring me a glass.

“I’ll go get our dinner,” he says. “Unless you don’t want to eat this late?”

“I don’t mind.” I may regret it when I’m unable to get back to sleep but I’m so hungry right now I need to eat. “Didn’t you already have yours?”

Antonio shakes his head. “No, I just grabbed a quick sandwich earlier.”

As he leaves the room, I wonder why he didn’t have dinner already. Was he not particularly hungry before, or did he want to wait until I joined him? I like to think it’s the latter. I need him to crave my company as much as I’m starting to desire his.

While I wait for Antonio to return, I sip the wine. It can’t have been sitting on the table for long because it’s still cold. The drink is crisp and refreshing and tells me to expect either chicken or fish for dinner. Antonio prefers to pair red wine with meat dishes.

I smell his approach before I see him. The unmistakable aroma arrives in the room a good six seconds before he does. Antonio appears in the room expertly balancing three plates, two with our meals on them and one with slices of what looks like Janetta’s homemade ciabatta. He sets the plates down, carefully laying mine down in front of me, then takes his seat.

“If the whole mafia thing doesn’t work out, you could try to get a job as a waiter.”

I almost hold my breath, waiting to see how Antonio responds to my teasing. Though we’ve been married for more than a year, I barely know him and I’m not sure how he’ll react. Fortunately, he laughs.

“I’m glad you find my service satisfactory.” A deliciously sexy smirk twists his lips. “I hope you’ll consider leaving a tip.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, I don’t have any money.”

“That’s okay.” His eyes gleam with wicked intent. “I’m sure you can think of some other way to reward me.”

“I’m sure I can,” I agree, before turning my attention to the food in front of me. If I allow Antonio to distract me with his smoldering gaze, I won’t get to try this delicious food. It’s been hours since I last ate, and I need the sustenance. “So, what is this amazing looking meal?”

“Tuscan chicken with mashed potato and bacon-wrapped asparagus.”

My mouth waters as I load up my fork. If the food tastes half as good as it smells I am in for a treat. As the flavors of sundried tomato and garlic hit my tongue, I moan with pleasure.

“Are you sure we can’t bring Janetta back to the city with us? I would never tire of eating her food.”

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