Page 129 of DeLucas After Dark

"Give her a friendship necklace –" Stefano began, but Enzo cut him off before he could finish his sentence.

"I am not her friend. I'm her man."

"I wasn't talking about a friendship necklace from you to her. But for her friend, the one she has me looking for."

"Sienna?"

"Yes. Eve misses her. To show her that you understand how important her friend is to her, and how determined you are to reunite them, you should give Eve a friendship necklace. They come in pairs. Eve can give one necklace and charm to Sienna once we find her and keep the other for herself. It's a symbol of their bond, as well as yours with Eve. It shows that you listen to her, and you care about what and who she cares about."

Enzo let Stefano's words sink in.

"Stefano, that's brilliant," Enzo exclaimed. "Maybe you're not such a lost cause when it comes to love after all. I'll have to tell Eve that we may not have to take care of you in your old age like she thought we would."

"We're all around the same age. When I'm old, you both will be old too."

"Yeah, but she and I have each other. If you don't get your act together and find someone to love, you may need us to take care of you."

"No matter how old I get, I'd never turn to you and Eve for caretaking."

"Yeah, yeah. Anyway, a friendship necklace is a great idea."

Enzo began typing, searching online for a friendship necklace. He found one with two intertwined hearts, each adorned with a sparkling diamond. Engraved on both charms was the wordsisterhood. It was perfect for his angel. Without hesitation, he added it to his cart and completed the purchase, selecting overnight delivery so it could arrive in time.

"It's done," Enzo stated, rising from his seat to walk around his desk. "Thank you," Enzo said, clapping Stefano on the shoulder. "It's perfect. And I know she'll love it."

"You're welcome, boss. Now, if you don't mind, I'm going home to get some sleep. Don't call me again unless something is wrong."

"Go," Enzo agreed, waving him off. "And thank you again, Stefano. But if Eve asks, tell her the necklace was my idea."

"Yeah, yeah. Don't call me again tonight."

As Stefano left, Enzo allowed himself a moment of excitement – not just for the gifts he'd purchased, but for the opportunity to make Valentine's Day unforgettable for Eve. The thought of her reaction brought a smile to his face.

A few moments later, Enzo turned and headed downstairs to make sure the front door was locked. The lights of Stefano's car shone through the windows as he drove off. Enzo waited until he could no longer see those lights before checking the other exits in the house to make sure they were secure.

Sure, he'd done this earlier tonight. But he'd made a habit of double-checking ever since Eve had come into his life. With the house secure, he strode back upstairs, heading toward his bedroom. Entering the room, he found Eve in the same position he'd left her in. Lying on her side. However, she'd managed to kick the covers off her, a bad habit of hers.

If he wasn't around to pull the covers up over her whenever she did that, she'd stay catching a cold. Shaking his head, he shrugged off his pajama top and draped it over a chair before slipping off his house shoes and approaching the bed.

He paused for a moment to just stand there and listen to the sounds of Eve's steady breathing. Moonlight streamed through the window, bathing her sleeping form in its soft glow. Enzo smiled at the bonnet she was wearing to protect her hair. It was purple, her happy color, the same color as the pajama top she had on.

A top that must've gotten pushed up over her hips when she'd kicked the covers off. Now he could see another full moon.That ass.And it was bare, no panties, because he'd promised to eat her for breakfast, and she hadn't wanted him to have to worry about removing his breakfast wrapper to eat what was inside.

Those were her words, not his. Enzo chuckled. His little angel said the craziest shit. And he loved it. Enzo felt his heart swell at the sight of her, this beautiful woman who had unexpectedly become his life and changed it for the better.

He carefully slid into bed behind her, taking care not to disturb her rest. As he pulled her into his embrace, her body instinctively curled into his, molding perfectly against him. The familiar scent of her skin filled his nostrils, soothing and intoxicating all at once.

"Mi amore," he whispered, pressing a gentle kiss to her temple. His voice was low and deep, yet tender.

He was still amazed at the emotions this woman brought out in him, even when sleeping. Eve stirred slightly in his arms, a soft sigh escaping her lips as she nestled deeper into his embrace. A hint of a smile graced her face as though she sensed his love and devotion even in her sleep.

"Nothing is going to ruin our first Valentine's Day together, my angel," Enzo vowed.

In the quiet darkness, his thoughts turned to his enemies, those he knew about and those he didn't. His enemies were the only wild card in his plans. He didn't know if they'd decide to attack on Valentine's Day or not.

He had Terzo and Lino listening out for the word on the streets. He had Stefano getting his guards ready for that day. But he could make all the perfect plans, and some stupid motherfucker could still try to ruin it. Enzo's expression turned grim.

If a stupid motherfucker dared fuck up Eve's Valentine's Day, that stupid motherfucker and his entire stupid motherfucking family would have February fourteenth engraved on their tombstones right next to their birthdays. Eve shifted in her sleep. Enzo pushed thoughts of murdering motherfuckers away and focused on the woman in his arms.

---