Page 27 of His to Honor

Matteo

Perhaps I should have chastised Giulia for throwing the hairbrush at me. She’s got a great aim and if my reflexes weren’t as sharp as they are, it would have hit me square in the face. I’d probably have a black eye. It’s not behavior I can allow. If she did something like that in front of one of my brothers or, worse, in front of my men, I’d have to make a public example of her. It’s old-fashioned, but in our world, a man who can’t control his woman is seen as weak.

Right now, I haven’t got it in me to punish her, though. It’s been years since I was this relaxed. Contentment has seeped into my bones and I could just melt into the mattress.

I smile as Giulia heads for the bathroom. The spring in her step mirrors the intense joy I feel. This thing between us is so right, I can’t believe it didn’t happen years ago. I guess the stars have only just aligned, or some shit. If I believed in it, I’d say fate had finally brought us together. I laugh at the turn my thoughts have taken. I’ll be studying my horoscope next. If my brothers knewI was ascribing events to some intangible force, they’d never let me hear the end of it.

Though I told Giulia we could take things slow, that might prove a challenge. The urge to bind us together, to ensure she can’t get away from me is strong. I’ve loved this woman for most of my life. Though my brother’s wife, Isabella, was a part of our friendship group, Giulia is the one I was always closest to. We spent more time together. Until I fucked up at Johnny’s funeral, we shared everything. I missed her every second she wasn’t in my life.

Claiming her gorgeous body has only intensified how I feel about her. I can envision a future for us as man and wife. It seems crazy since only two days ago I was a confirmed bachelor. Settling down never entered my thoughts. Why would it? Three of my brothers are married. None of them can keep their hands off their wives, so the next generation of Volantes is assured. I was under no pressure to follow the path they took.

Now I want nothing more than to mark her as mine. I need to possess every part of Giulia. I want to put a baby in her. It must be something primal, this drive that comes with finding the right woman. Shit! There I go with the fated stuff again.

Deciding I need fresh air to clear my head, I get out of bed and rummage through the top drawer of the dresser for clean underwear. I put it on and then look for some running shorts. There’s a blue pair in the bottom drawer along with my sweatpants. My dress pants and shirts are all hanging in the closet. I’d have been happy to live out of my suitcase while I was here, but Livvy insisted on arranging everything for me when we first arrived.

I pull on my running shorts, but don’t bother with a t-shirt. I like to feel the air on my skin as I run. My sneakers are a pair I’ve had for years. Though they’re well worn, they’re still comfortable.

As I sit on the edge of the bed to tie my laces, I hear what an untrained ear might think is a cat being tortured. Thankfully, it’s not. It’s Giulia belting out some song I don’t recognize. She couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket, but I admire her enthusiasm.

I get up and push open the bathroom door, pleased that Giulia didn’t lock me out. As I step into the room, I’m repelled by a rush of steam. Giulia doesn’t go for half measures in the shower. She likes it freezing cold or scalding hot.

“Giulia.”

She pops her head out of the shower cubicle. Her hair is foamy with shampoo and she looks adorable despite the frown on her face.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. I’m going for a run.”

Her nose wrinkles. “You’re not expecting me to join you?”

I know better than that. While Giulia has incredible stamina and speed, she doesn’t enjoy running. She prefers to mitigate her love of junk food with a combination of swimming and Pilates.

“No, sweetheart. You stay here and bake your birthday brownies. Just try not to burn the house down.”

“Jeez, Matteo, I start one small fire and…”

Leaving her to rant, I close the bathroom door and head downstairs. The fire Giulia’s referring to happened one summer when she spent time with my family up in Maine. While my dadand siblings were out on the lake, we used the fire pit at the rear of the property to toast marshmallows. Giulia panicked when hers caught alight and she couldn’t blow it out. She threw the stick into the grass, starting a fire.

Thankfully, Mamma doused the flames before they could take hold. We agreed the incident would be our secret. My father would have lectured Giulia endlessly about her carelessness and Mamma knew she’d be upset by that. She’s always had a soft spot for Giulia. She’ll be thrilled when she hears we’re together.

The house is quiet as I head downstairs. Rosalia should have been here first thing, but I messaged her not to bother coming until the afternoon. I’m not sure why Gabriele employs the girl full-time. He never leaves his house in Rome these days and according to Damiano, I’m the first guest who’s ever stayed here. Perhaps he owes her family a favor.

I slip out through the front door, closing it behind me. For a moment, I wonder if I should go back inside and tell Giulia where the weapons are. I have guns stashed throughout the house in case of emergency.

I decide against it. The house is secure. Giulia is perfectly safe so there’s no point in making her think otherwise.

Jogging down the path at the side of the house, I cut across the lawn. Nobody would accuse me of being a poet, but something about the Italian countryside calls to my soul. My senses are awakened by it. Every sight, sound, and smell is more vivid. Colors are brighter. Food tastes better. I feel more alive. I’m at peace with the world until I remember Sofia Montalbano’s tragic death and I’m jolted back to the harsh reality of the type of man I am, one whose life is mired in violence. Somehow that hasn’t weighed on me so heavily since Giulia arrived.

Picking up my pace, I enter the forest. Leaves crunch beneath my feet as I dart between the trees. The farther into the woodland I get, the darker it becomes, though there’s still enough light for me to have a clear view of what’s ahead.

When I reach the high fence that marks the boundary of the villa’s grounds, I turn to the left and continue on my path through the trees. It’s a route I know well, having run it a few times since I arrived in Italy. As I head back toward the house, the loud snapping of a twig stops me in my tracks. Instinctively, I reach back for my gun, but of course I’m not carrying. It doesn’t matter. There are a dozen different ways I can disable an opponent without a gun.

I scan the forest, looking for an intruder. At first I don’t see anyone. I wonder if it might be a feral pig. I’ve seen them a couple of times, foraging in the undergrowth. Then a flash of blond hair alerts me to the presence of a young male. He’s about six feet tall and of average build. Though he doesn’t appear to be a threat, I don’t like a stranger being so close to the house.

I take a few steps toward him, and he turns to face me. I don’t recognize him as one of my cousin’s men or as a Rossi. His startled expression doesn’t screammafia soldier, nor does the way he bolts off through the trees. It does, however, confirm he had no business being here. I don’t follow him. The forest is dense in places and if he knows his way around, he’ll lose me easily. Besides, I want to get back to the house to check on Giulia. I’ll also need to call Damiano to find out if the kid was caught on camera. Gabriele may not use this house, but he has some sophisticated security measures in place to protect it.

When I enter the house, I meet Giulia coming downstairs. She’s dressed in jeans shorts that I’d insist she change if there was another man around, and a white t-shirt. She looks so fuckable,it takes all my willpower not to throw her over my shoulder and carry her back upstairs.

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