Page 49 of Kiss Away Your Pain (Wounded Hearts 2)

“From the look and smell of this dinner, so are you. And you taught your brother a thing or two.” I look at Enzo and he almost looks bashful.

“She taught me everything I know about cooking and baking.” He winks at her and she smiles warmly.

“Oh, save room for dessert. I have chocolate fondue for us.” I’m loving her already.

As we eat, Enzo and Anastasia share stories from their childhood and they talk about how great their dad was. I love how close they are and the respect they have for each other. Neither mentions their mom. Gino chimes in every now and then and I just soak it all in.

“It took a lot of patience teaching him how to cook. Things were either exploding, or tipping over, or horribly lopsided,” she says, shaking her head with a giggle.

“Kind of like someone I know.” A shit-eating grin spreads across Enzo’s face as he tilts his head a few times in my direction.

“No, really?” Anastasia’s hand flies to her mouth in unfiltered alarm.

“I’m a disaster in the kitchen.” I hang my head in feigned shame. We all burst into laughter.

Finishing our meal, we bring our dinner plates into the kitchen and pitch in to bring out the fixings for the chocolate fondue.

“Enzo’s told us about some of the high-end brands you shoot with. That has to be exciting.”

“It is. I’ve worked hard and I’ve been very fortunate. There’s just one brand I haven’t gotten yet, but I will.”

“What brand is it?” Gino asks.

“Gucci.”

Enzo smiles at me in a way that makes me feel his belief in me.

“Enzo said you’re good friends with Niccolo Mancini. Surely he can pull some strings for you.” Anastasia says.

“Oh, he would, without a doubt. But, that’s not me. I need to earn it on my own.”

“Then I believe you will.” A confident smile spreads across her face.

Gino gives me an approving nod.

After indulging in the deliciousness of the fondue, I offer to help Anastasia clean up.

“Thank you for such a great dinner,” I say, carrying in the plate of crumbs from the garlic bread along with the pile of empty fondue plates.

“You’re welcome. I’m so glad you came. Enzo doesn’t usually let me meet anyone he’s dating.” She rinses a plate and puts it into the dishwasher.

“No?”Hmmm.

“Honestly? I don’t think he’s ever been all that interested in any of them. When he started asking my advice about you, I knew you were special.” A sweet smile lifts her cheeks.

“Thank you. That’s nice of you to say.”

“I’ve kind of been like a mother hen most of his life and I want him to find someone who’s good for him. None of us are getting any younger. And he’s such a great guy. I want him to be happy. I mean, obviously there’s no pressure here at all. I just, I really like you.” Her shoulders raise toward her ears and the biggest smile lights up her face, making me smile.

“Well thank you. I like you too. And Enzo. Heisa great guy. I can see what a big impact you’ve had on him. He has a sensitive, nurturing side you don’t see in many men these days. I think he gets that from you.”

“Well, he missed out on the truest form of having a mom, so, I did my best as his sister.” She shrugs one shoulder.

I touch her arm. “You did an amazing job.”

Her brows pinch together and the energy of her pushing her lips to form a smile overwhelms me. Pain sits behind her eyes, making my heart hurt.

She shakes her head like she’s shaking away bad memories and exhales. “You two going out after this?”

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