Page 72 of Mafia And Maid
He startles as he catches sight of someone behind me, and his eyes widen. I know who it is without turning around. I can feel him every time we’re in the same room. The air turns electric and wild. My body has a mind of its own when he’s around.Camillo.
Ethan’s tiny fists grip at my pant leg as he jumps up and cowers behind me.
“It’s okay, honey,” I soothe. “They’re not going to hurt us.”
I look over my shoulder to where Camillo leans against the wall, arms crossed over his chest. Imposing and domineering as ever. But the way his shoulders fall and the slight upturn of his lips tell me this is him relaxed. He’s giving me space, but he’s still close enough for anything I might need.
“These are Momma’s friends. We’re going to be staying with them for a while.” My hand soothes over the back of his head. “Okay?”
Ethan bobs his head. I press a kiss to his forehead and stand back up.
“Are you hungry?” I ask Camillo. He and his brothers are up at this late hour because of me. “Do you want me to make something to eat or get you a drink?”
He shakes his head. “Not for us. But if Ethan is hungry, go ahead and fix him something. Then you can put him to sleep in my bedroom.”
“Oh, that’s not necessary,” I say quickly. “He can come in with me.”
“You’ve only got a single bed.”
“I can sleep on the floor. I don’t mind.”
“I would put you in one of the guest rooms, but the only furnished ones are in the north wing of the house. I want you near us so that we can protect you.” Camillo’s voice is insistent.
“But—”
“I’m not taking no for an answer,” he says firmly.
I look down at Ethan. “Are you hungry? Do you want something to eat first, or do you just want to go to sleep?”
“Just sleep, Momma,” he says in a soft voice.
“Okay, come on, honey, let’s get you cleaned up and settled in bed.”
We follow Camillo up to his bedroom.
He starts to move some of his things out of the way.
“I’m sure we’ll be just fine in the spare room,” I start to say.
He pauses, a box of his gym equipment braced against his shoulder. “No.” He’s being oddly stubborn about this. “You’ll have this bedroom from now on. And tomorrow, I’ll set up the spare room next door for Ethan.”
“I can’t take your room.”
“You’re staying in here. End of story. We can't keep tabs on you if you’re in another wing of the house.”
“But this isyourroom.”
“And now it’s yours.”
I grab his arm, watching the muscles flex beneath my touch. I drop it quickly. “This isn’t fair to you.”
“This is for the best. My room is central to the house. Someone trying to break in has to climb to the second floor and go past Marco’s and Alessio’s bedrooms. It’s the safest place for you and Ethan. Plus, there’s nowhere next to your current bedroom where we can set up a bedroom for Ethan, and he’ll want to be close to you at night.”
The guilt of kicking Camillo out of his own room is still nagging at me.
“Rosa.” He stands before me, the box settled down by his feet. “There’s no point in arguing, okay? It’s fine. I promise.” He leans down a little, meeting my gaze. “Just sleep in here. Please?”
The way his voice softens makes my legs turn to jelly and my stomach flutter. He’s not like this often, and those fleeting moments are usually reserved for his family. “Okay,” I whisper.