Page 83 of The Deal

“If you’re so concerned, you should be here … it’s like you don’t even care about thefamigliaanymore.”

“Don’t talk like that, Papa. I wish I could be there, but I have other commitments right now.”

“You mean that littlebastardo?”

“I’m getting tired of you referring to him as that, so please stop. He’s a beautiful kid … smart as hell?—”

“Where did I go wrong with you, Alessandro? I worry you’re not going to have the strength to take over when I’m gone.”

I exhale a long, frustrated breath. Sometimes, I really don’t know why I bother. “I’ve got to go.Buon Natale, Papa.”

“Buon Natale, Alessandro.”

I hang up, feeling worse than I did before the call. I wish sometimes he could drop the bravado and just be the man … the father that I adored and looked up to when I was a boy.

“Merry Christmas,” I say as I slide my hands around Chloe’s waist from behind, making her jump with fright.

“Shit, you scared me,” she whispers, playfully elbowing me in the ribs. “AndBuon Nataleto you too.”

“Why are you sneaking around the cabin this time of morning?” I ask, burying my face in the crook of her neck and placing my lips against her warm skin.

“What does it look like?” she replies, rolling her eyes. I guess the arm full of presents she’s holding is a dead giveaway. “I’m playing Santa Claus.”

My hand slips down between her legs, rubbing her clit through her pyjama shorts. “If I knew Santa was this sexy, I would’ve started waiting up for him years ago.”

“Ha ha,” she quips, trying to manoeuvre herself out of my hold without dropping the presents in her hands. “Instead of trying to seduce me with those magical fingers of yours, you could help.”

“Magical fingers?”

“Don’t act coy, Mr Mancini; you know quite well you’ve got it going on.”

“Is that so,” I say, chuckling as I release her and retreat a step. When she turns to face me, I take the presents out of her hands. “Where did these come from?”

“Carmella packed them into one of the cars before the guys left to come here. She asked if I’d put them under the tree for her.”

She takes one of the presents from the top of the pile and drops to her knees. “While you’re down there,” I say, jutting out my hips. I bark out a laugh when she rolls her eyes again and crouches down lower.

“Oh, there’s already some presents under here,” she says.

“Santa must have snuck in while we were sleeping.”

“Are they from you?”

I lift one shoulder. “Maybe.”

“I feel bad that I didn’t get presents for anyone … you know, since someone kidnapped me and forced me to give up all my paying jobs.”

“You are all I need,amore mio.You’ve really made this Christmas for both me and Giovanni.”

“Did you hear what he said the other night when we were in bed?”

“That he wishes you were his mummy?”

“Yes. It’s been weighing heavily on my heart. That bitch has a lot to answer for.”

“That she does,” I reply.

“I wish we could keep him.”

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