Page 8 of The DeLuca Crime Family: Vol. 1

“Good morning,” I croaked, my voice hesitant and unsure.

He nuzzled against my neck. “You look and smell good enough to eat.” He nibbled at my skin, making me squeak aloud, before lifting his head to peer over my shoulder at the pan on the stove. “But I guess I’ll have to satisfy my hunger with the breakfast you’re making me since Sophia and my mother will be down here any minute.”

“Your mom?” I gasped, turning in his arms to look up at him in surprise while running my hand down the front of my dress to smooth out any wrinkles I’d gotten since I’d been up.

“No need to be afraid of my momma, Gianna. She’s excited to meet you.”

He probably meant to reassure me, but his statement only sent my heart racing more. If she was excited to meet me, then they must have talked about me. My face heated at the thought of meeting her so shortly after what had happened in my room last night. The humor in Nic’s eyes and the smile tilting the sides of his lips made me want to stomp my foot in frustration. He didn’t seem to be worried in the least.

“I’ve never met a boyfriend’s mom before,” I blurted out, my hand flying to cover my mouth as soon as the words left it. I’d just called him my boyfriend. How much more of a dork could I be?

Apparently, Nic had a thing for dorky girls because his eyes heated with a possessive gleam. “Good,” he purred. “I’m a greedy man and want all your firsts to be with me.”

“Give the poor girl some space, Niccolo.”

My spine straightened at the sound of the feminine voice scolding Nic. I tried to step away from him, to turn and greet his mom, but he didn’t let me get very far. Instead, he wrapped an arm around my waist and led me over to where she stood.

“Good morning,Mamma,” he murmured, bending low to kiss her on the cheek. “I hope you’re hungry because it looks like my Gianna made enough French toast to feed an army.”

My cheeks heated further, but Nic’s mom didn’t give me the chance to think about how her son had introduced me to her. She tugged me away from Nic, her gaze sweeping me from head to toe, before a wide grin spread across her face. “Such a beautiful girl.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. DeLuca.”

“Please, call meMammaAllegra,” she urged, wrapping me up in a warm hug before stepping away and patting me on the cheek. “There’s no need to be so formal.”

“Thank you,” I replied faintly, wondering even more about what Nic could possibly have said to his mother about me.

I widened my eyes at him in amazement at how welcoming his mom was being, as she moved to the stove. “And she cooks!” she exclaimed, helping me to get the food I’d made served up and plates on the table. “More than breakfast foods?”

“Yes, ma’am.” She lifted a brow at me and I hurried to correct myself. “Yes,MammaAllegra. I love to cook.”

“I’m so happy to know I won’t have to worry about my son’s penchant to order take out if I’m not cooking for him and my grandbaby.”

“French toast!” Sophia squealed from the door, still dressed in her pajamas. She raced into the room and climbed onto a chair at the table. “Thank you,Nonna.”

“Don’t thank me,” Allegra said, waving in my direction. “Gianna made breakfast for all of us this morning.”

“Anna,” Nic corrected, practically growling at her.

“I thought her name was Gianna?” Allegra asked, her gaze darting between the two of us.

“It is,” I confirmed. “But everybody calls me Anna.”

“Except for my son,” she murmured, sending him a sly grin before beaming at me. “I understand completely. I’ll make sure to call you Anna from now on.”

I murmured something faintly, completely bewildered and uncertain as to what it was she understood. Wanting a way out of the conversation, I helped Sophia cut her food while Allegra and Nic sat down. Once everybody had their plates full, I served myself and was about to leave the room when Nic’s hand whipped out to grasp my elbow.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

“I thought I’d eat in my room to give the family some privacy.”

“There will be no hiding away from us like a servant,” he grumbled. “You eat with us.”

“This is what happens when you don’t wait for a lady to be seated like I taught you to do,” Allegra chimed in, making Sophia giggle around a mouthful of French toast and easing some of the tension.

Nic stood from his seat and helped me into mine, his hand slipping from my lower back to my butt and giving it a quick squeeze along the way.

“Do you know how to make pancakes with chocolate chips in them?” Sophia asked as Nic sat back down.

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