Page 75 of Mafia And Maid
My brow puckers as I look up at him, the harsh angles of his face softening. Reaching my hand out for Ethan, I grip it tight, not sure what to expect as we go upstairs.
The fleeting feel of Camillo’s hand on the small of my back calms the nervousness that swims through my veins. But it does nothing to stop the frantic beating of my heart or the butterflies that have taken flight. If anything, it causes them to accelerate.
I freeze in the doorway to the room next to Camillo’s. Alessio is putting a final screw in a bed that resembles a red racing car. Until today, this room has always been empty. But now there’s also a dresser, nightstand, a toy chest, bookshelves, and a small cozy couch.
“You should have listened to me in the first place,” Alessio complains to Camillo. “I told you that you had this piece the wrong way around, but as usual, your stubborn ass refused to listen to me. There, it’s all done now. I swear it would have been quicker to put all this furniture together myself instead of having your and Marco’s clown-like input.”
“You and your brothers did all this?” I murmur in a small voice.
“Yeah.”
“But why…?”
Camillo shrugs. “For Ethan.”
“I’ll see you at dinner,” Alessio says over his shoulder as he takes his leave. But all I can do is look in stunned silence at the room they’ve set up for my baby boy.
Then I also see several bags and a handful of boxes, just waiting at the side of the room. I step toward them. “What are these?”
“We… I…” Camillo rubs the back of his neck, looking away. “It’s some toys and new clothes for Ethan. Shoes too. Marco and I thought he could use them.”
“What?” The word tumbles from my trembling lips. It’s too much.
“He didn’t come with anything but a backpack and his stuffed bear.”
I spin to face Camillo. “This is too much,” I choke out. I watch his throat work over a lump as his gaze moves over me, something vulnerable shining in his dark eyes. My heart stutters.
“It’s nothing.”
“I’ll pay you back. Every cent.”
“Absolutely not.”
“You can deduct it from my pay, plus something for Ethan’s rent and food.”
Camillo’s brow lowers, shadowing his eyes. “No.”
“Please. This is very generous, but you didn’t need to do any of this.”
“I know. But we…Iwanted to.”
Why does that make my insides turn to jelly? What is it about seeing this hardened man soften that makes my insides come roaring to life?
The urge to pull his face down to mine and plant my lips against his grips me tightly. I make a small step forward before catching myself.
I watch as his muscles tighten beneath his shirt, his sleeves rolled up like usual, showing his strong wrists and forearms. It’d be wrong to move closer. He’s just being nice. He’s always just being nice.
“I don’t want to be a charity case or some sort of leech on you.”
“The fuc—” He pauses, eyes bouncing between Ethan and me. “Theduckyou are.”
I chew the inside of my cheek to keep from smiling at his correction. Since moving in with these men, I’ve yet to hear them censor a single one of the curses that come flying out of their mouths with alarming regularity. It’s endearing to see the effort he’s making in front of Ethan.
“But where are you going to sleep?”
“The bedroom I mentioned in the next wing.”
“You’re already letting me bring my son to stay here with me. We don’t need any more. You didn’t need to go to all this trouble...”