Page 86 of Beautiful Desire

“We missed you guys,” she says before we pull apart.

“It’s been like a week, G,” I say, rolling my eyes at her this time. “You make it seem like it’s been forever.”

“Hey! We’re still not used to not seeing you guys all the time during the week,” she says, giving me a fake pout.

I smile at her antics, and we enter the house.

“So, how was your walk in the park?”

I hesitate to answer her, because this eerie feeling I’ve had since I bumped into Nero earlier hasn’t gone away and I don’t know why.

“What’s wrong?” Gia asks, her brows creased in confusion as we walk inside.

“I bumped into Dom’s cousin while we were out earlier, and he just gave me thesereallyweird vibes,” I tell her.

“Dom’s cousin? Hmm, I’ll ask Fabi if he knows him,” she says, turning to head in the direction of the kitchen.

“Ask me if I know who?” Fabi asks, appearing from one of the hallways.

“It’s nothing, Fab. I just bumped into Dom’s cousin. I met him at the office a few weeks back. I don’t know, something about the guy just gives me the creeps,” I tell him, trying to play it off.

“Dom’s cousin?” Fabi asks, looking confused.

“Yeah, Nero.”

Fabi’s eyes widen before he slowly nods his head.

“Yeah, I know him. Where did you run into him?” he asks, walking beside me as we enter the kitchen.

Gia has taken Lily from me and is now sitting playing with the kids while Marco stands nearby, listening to our conversation.

“Just when I was heading to the park before coming here,” I say, watching Gia and Marco.

Pulling out his cellphone, he starts typing. I leave him at the kitchen island and make my way over to the rest of the gang.

“Oh, which one of you pooped?” I say, looking between Lily and Nico as if they will answer me back.

“I believe it was yours,” Gia says.

Seeing Marco still standing in the same spot, I turn to him and decide to piss him off even more.

“Does Uncle Marco want to change a diapy-wipey?” I say in a baby voice.

He scowls at me, and before he can say anything, I hear Fabi call out to him.

“Marco! My office, now.”

And with that, both men turn and walk out of the kitchen.

* * *

Dom

It’s been two weeks since I’ve had a decent night’s sleep. Actually, if I’m being honest with myself, it’s been a little over a year since I last had a good night’s sleep, and that was all thanks to a blonde beauty. I don’t know what it is about her, but every time I’m around her, I feel a sense of calmness I have never felt in my entire life before.

The nightmares I’ve suffered from for most of my life are nonexistent when I’m with her. What I wouldn’t give to have her here right now and to feel her body against mine. Just picturing her perfect curves and the feeling of our limbs tangled with one another is getting me hard.

Tilting my head, I rest it on the back of my couch. I close my eyes while visions of Elle in her emerald-green dress dance behind my eyelids. Just before dream Elle can reach me, my eyes pop open when the ringing of my cell phone echoes around the large living room.

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