Page 109 of Mafia And Maid
“Yes, please. Like you and Momma always have sleepovers after you put me to bed.” He tilts his small head to one side. “When can I have one too? Please, Momma, please?”
Rosa splutters into her water glass, coughing violently. “W-what?” she exhales, her face bright pink.
I open my mouth. “I, er…” But my pancake lodges in my throat.
“We’re not…” Rosa's voice is a panicked squeak. “I mean, what makes you think that, honey?”
“I hear Uncle Millo walking down the hall and you two talking sometimes after the lights go out.”
Her mouth forms a perfect ‘o’. And my cock can’t help hardening at the sight.
“What do you two do?” he asks.
I can feel Marco and Alessio losing a battle to keep their laughter at bay. I can see that Rosa’s mortified, and my eyes narrow to each of my siblings, willing them to shut the fuck up.
“You see…” I start to say, but how the hell do I explain this to a four-year-old?
Alessio’s fist is jammed against his mouth as Marco fights hard to keep his face in that scary neutral mask he wears around the clock.
Rosa’s hand fumbles with her glass of water, sloshing it against the sides before taking a long gulp.
“It’s okay, Momma,” Ethan pipes up. “I know not to disturb you. Uncle Marco told me that if I need anything during the night, I should go into his bedroom, and he’ll get it for me. He and Uncle Alessio say that we need to let you and Uncle Millo spend some timetogether.”
The tips of Rosa’s ears turned bright red as the realization sweeps over her that my brothers are both aware of what’s been going on between us.
For a kid who was skittish about being alone with any of us men, he sure has gained confidence fast around us all. And a feeling crawls through me—something like pride—at the thought of him being used to us.Of him fitting in.
I rub the back of my neck. I could try to talk our way out of this, but the reality is that there isn’t a chance in hell I’m going to stop having thesesleepoverswith Rosa.
Because I’m well and truly addicted now.
Under the table, I give her a reassuring squeeze. And some of the tension melts from her shoulders as she relaxes into the touch. If we weren’t at the breakfast table full of people, I’d give her a reason to relax further. With a mind of their own, my fingers trace a lazy line to the inside of her thighs. Clamping down on my hand, her thighs press together. I bite back a smile, choosing instead to focus back on Ethan’s curious brown eyes and not his mother's glare.
“We play games,” I offer. “Or work out sometimes.”
“I’m sure you do,” Alessio mutters into his coffee cup.
My foot collides with his shin under the table, earning me a fierce glare and a grunt.
‘Fuck off,’I mouth as I feel Rosa’s embarrassment roll off her in waves.
“What kind of games, Momma?”
“Oh, uh…”
“The rules would be too complicated for you to understand, Ethan,” I say gently. “They’re special games for, um, grownups.”
“Oh.” Disappointment sags his small shoulders.
Guilt washes over me, and I fight the need to rub my chest. It’s bad enough my brothers are already smirking at me, but if they knew just how badly I’d break for this kid, I’d never hear the end of it.
Think.I can fix this. And end this horrible fucking conversation before Rosa melts into a puddle on the floor and never lets me near her again.
“But we can have our own sleepover sometime this week, Ethan. It’ll be extra special. We can camp out in the backyard, watch some movies, and roast marshmallows. How does that sound?”
Rosa's eyes snap to mine. And the delight that sparkles in them forms a knot in my stomach.
“Really?”