He didn抰 return to bed and it made me wonder if he wanted me to go to my room. We still hadn抰 spent the night together since Clifford抯 appearance and I missed it. 揥on抰 you lie down? I feel like falling asleep beside you again.?
I didn抰 care if admitting it weakened my position. Santino was jealous so he too must feel more for me than lust.
揧ou think that抯 a good idea??
It most definitely wasn抰。 Nothing about this was a good idea. 揑 don抰 care.?
Santino chuckled sardonically. He stretched out beside me and pulled me against him. 揙ne day, I抣l regret this, but as you put it, I don抰 care.?
This was the first time I抎 face Anna抯 family again after we抎 started our affair, or whatever we had. At this point, it was hard to say. Whatever it was was limited, and if Anna and I didn抰 manage to hide our less than professional relationship from her family, it would be terminated long before Anna entered the holy bond of marriage with Cliffy梑y my cruel death at the hands of Valentina and Dante. I was sure they抎 both join in the dismemberment for this special occasion.
揧ou look tense,?Anna said as we waited at the airport.
One of my eyebrows twitched up. Even if she liked to pretend otherwise, her excessive cleaning spree in the last few days told me she was just as nervous about her family抯 visit. She抎 cleaned every surface where we抎 had sex in the last few months at least twice. 揇on抰 tell. Shouldn抰 you be nervous too? You realize that we抳e both been betraying your family for the last five months??
Anna had finished her first semester and we were supposed to fly back to Chicago for the summer, but first the Cavallaros would spend a week in Paris to celebrate Valentina抯 birthday.
揃etrayal is a strong word for what we have.?
揥hat would you call it? We both gave your parents our word that there would never be anything between us.?
揟hey won抰 find out. We agreed that we wouldn抰 sleep together while they抮e here.?
It would be easier to pretend we weren抰 sleeping together if we kept a physical distance, but it would be hard. Anna and I had barely been able to stay away from each other these last few months. Now we抎 have to go without sex for weeks, because even after the Cavallaro抯 Paris visit, we抎 still have to spend a few weeks in Chicago before only the two of us would return to Paris alone.
Dante, Leonas, Beatrice, and Valentina, followed by my dad, stepped into the waiting hall of Charles de Gaulle Airport.
While Anna rushed toward her family, I went over to my father to greet him. We hugged briefly before he pulled back to look at me. 揈verything good??
揙f course,?I said. Nobody knew about my affair with Anna, not even Arturo, and certainly not Dad. Though he probably still suspected something.
I wasn抰 sure if Anna had shared anything with one of her friends. Speaking about something like that over the phone was definitely too dangerous so I suspected she hadn抰 either. Of course, I knew she抎 disclose every last detail of our affair with Sofia and Luisa as soon as she met them in person.
Dante came over to me and shook my hand. His expression didn抰 show a hint of anger or hostility, so he didn抰 suspect anything. We抎 just have to keep it that way. 揑 must say I抦 very satisfied with your work so far. Your daily reports were very informative.?
And mostly made-up shit. I had to leave out half of the activities Anna and I embarked on. 揑抦 glad.?
Valentina came over next, and even she seemed less suspicious than last time. 揑t抯 good to see Anna so happy. Thank you for making sure she抯 safe while living her dream.?
揑t抯 an honor,?I said.
揥hy don抰 you and your dad join us for dinner tonight? Dante has booked a table in the hotel抯 Michelin Star restaurant and I抦 sure they can make room for two more people.?
揑抎 prefer to have a quiet dinner with my son tonight, if you don抰 mind,?Dad said politely.
He probably just wanted to grill me on every little detail of the last few months, but I actually didn抰 mind. I wanted to keep my interactions with Anna limited while we were around her family.
揙f course,?Valentina said immediately.
We split into two cars because one wasn抰 enough for all of us and headed to the Four Seasons where Dante and the family would spend the week before we抎 all fly back to Chicago. Anna was in a car with her mother, Bea, and my dad, while Leonas, Dante, and I rode in the other car.
揑 really missed pissing you off,?Leonas said with a sly grin. Almost sixteen and still as annoying as I remembered.
揕eonas,?Dante said in a sharp tone. 揝antino is Anna抯 bodyguard and should be treated with the according respect.?
揂s if Anna always treats him with respect.?