Page 9 of Melody’s Little Secret

My statement was miles away from the truth. Zio always had my best interests in mind, and damn anyone who tried to give me a hard time. They would have to deal with the wrath of my twin. Walking to the office we shared, I sat down to finish up some paperwork. He followed as per our typical routine.

“What else is bothering you,fratello’?”

“Melody had these huge bags under her gorgeous green eyes. I wanted to scoop her up against me and carry her to bed. I didn’t see anyone else in the shop. If she is running that place alone, I bet she’s working herself ragged.”

“What else do you want to do to her in bed?” He wiggled his brows salaciously, still trying to lighten my mood.

“Knock it off. Sexy times can wait.”

“But can you?” Zio scoffed. “I know how much it bothers you to see someone without support. Especially a sweet little brat like Melody. You should flex that Daddy-muscle you haven’t used in a while, if you still think you got it in you.”

“Not every woman in Hopevale has a Little side dying to be loved and disciplined while hiding a wild, kinky side,” I deadpanned. There were tons of girls running around practically begging to be taken in hand, and while I hoped Melody was one of them, I wouldn’t get my hopes up.

“Uh-huh.” He winked. “You want to make a bet?”

“You’re in some mood. Don’t you have something productive you should be doing?”

“All I’m saying,goffo, is I hope she’s got a cute friend.”

“Get out.” Cutting off the conversation, I waved my brother away. If I spent too long thinking about it, I’d go and knock on Melody’s door after I finished with the nightly paperwork. But it wasn’t time for that yet. I didn’t want to freak her out. At the very least, I hoped to show her that someone else was willing to help support her endeavors whatever they may be. My brother and I typically pinned a brat within a few hours of meeting one, and if he felt it as strongly as I did, there was little doubt in my mind that Melody was submissive. “Don’t worry,fratello. I’ll fix this.”

“I’m sure you will. Try not to overthink it or the two of you will be circling around each other for the rest of the foreseeable future and I’ll be stuck in the restaurant alone.”

“So, dramatic,bello!” I waved off my brother yet again. “I said I’ll fix it.”

It wasn’t the only thing I wanted to fix. Melody had been irritated over her interaction with Claudia Richmond, a spoiled little heiress who had pushed her buttons a bit too hard at the shop. I could see it getting out of hand which was why I’d stepped in.

Claudia had been a thorn in my side since grade school. She either had a crush on Zio and I or she hated us with a deep-seated passion. I wasn’t really sure. One thing I was sure of though was that someone needed to take that girl in hand. Zio and I took care of our employees like family and when I got wind of an interaction between Claudia and one of our staff, I’d come unglued. She was given the opportunity to apologize and then take on the waitress’ last chore of the day of washing the dishes or she would not be welcome in our restaurant ever again. Claudia hadn’t fought me. She accepted the punishment with grace after apologizing with more sincerity than I thought could possibly come from her. The whole thing had surprised me and left me convinced that the woman was desperately in need of a strong hand. Bonus points if that hand was applied liberally to her bratty bottom.

When I’d dropped food off at the firehouse the other night, as per my usual end of day routine, my good friend and firefighter, Ashton Myers had filled me in on what was going on with Claudia. Her father recently forced her to go out and find a job and secure it for at least six months. I didn’t know any additional details since Ashton wasn’t sure what would happen if she didn’t follow through. Apparently it made her grumpy and more unpleasant than usual. He was obviously worried about her, and it was easy to see that he wanted to be more invested in her than he was letting on. I’d told Ashton, in no uncertain terms, that Claudia had been begging for discipline for years. He would be a perfect choice for her if he didn’t let her father’s influence deter him from sorting her out.

Before everything had gone down between Claudia and Melody, I had wanted to speak to Melody privately, ask her some rather personal questions, but we had been interrupted and then I’d gotten called away. I wanted to get to know her better, be the one she trusted, opened up to, and explored any side she was comfortable exploring. I’d make it my mission to get her to share what had been bothering her while spoiling her rotten.

Chapter Five

Melody

Relaxing at the park, the breeze in my hair, sunshine on my face brought me a profound sense of peace. I took in my surroundings trying to keep my mind off the frustratingly gorgeous Italian man who had plagued my brain. Why would he pretend he didn’t know me? It made absolutely no sense. I had limited time for any kind of relationships, and I didn’t want to spend that time playing games, unless it was like Monopoly or Twister or something. I was totally undefeated at Twister. The thought of being wrapped around him or sliding my feet under his while we played the game, bending ourselves around each other brought out dirtier thoughts. Then if I accidentally slipped and he landed on me… I blew out a breath trying to cool my raging hormones. As if manifesting him out of thin air, I saw Bosco walking toward me with a beautiful golden Labrador. My favorite breed of dog. I had a black lab growing up, but there was something about the goldens that I just loved. My focus went from the pup back to the owner and I suddenly wanted nothing to do with him.

“Good morning, Melody.” He smiled brightly like he had zero recollection of our interaction the night before and I kind of wanted to kick him in the shin.

“Hi.” I turned my focus on his sweet pup who intently sniffed my shoes. “What’s your name, doggie?”

“Her name is Tira, short for tiramisu.”

She rubbed against my legs and looked up at me with the sweetest puppy dog look ever. “May I pet her?”

“Yes, she’s very friendly.”

“Unlike her owner,” I mumbled under my breath.

“Have I been rude to you?”

I tried to keep all my attention on Tira, but I glanced up the length of his body. Those damn forearms currently crossed over his chest should be covered at all times. It wasn’t an overly chilly day, but it wasn’t the middle of summer. Those forearms of his demanded an audience and I imagined what it would be like for him to hold me down and do naughty things to me. My gaze drifted to his deep brown eyes, his brows knitting together as I stared. And the disapproving look on his face should not be swirling my insides into goo.

“You came into my shop the other day. A huge group of customers swarmed the counter, and I missed the chance to talk to you. I stopped by the restaurant that afternoon.” I reiterated the story, speaking clearly so maybe he would comprehend it this time.

“I did come to see you, but I didn’t see you at the restaurant.”

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