Chapter 10: Chapter 10

SANTINO

“Okay, but he”—Ted pointed at Santino—“isn’t the one that dropped you off last night. That looked like it was this hunk here.”

He pointed at Elio. Elio preened just a bit at being called a hunk.

“But he”—Ted pointed back at Santino—“is the one we saw ~advertising~ in your doorway when we glanced over this morning.”

“I was not advertising!” Santino protested. “Elio got worried because I wasn’t answering my phone.”

“Oh! Tell us more! Especially why you weren’t answering your phone and came to the door sans shirt,” Dan said as Ted grabbed his husband’s hand and squeezed it.

“We, uh,” he started, glancing at Presley, who shook her head. “We were in bed.”

“I knew it! Pay up!” Florence held her hand out, and the men groaned.

“They don’t need any more encouragement!” Presley croaked as she recovered from her coughing fit.

Ted and Dan both pulled out their wallets, and each slapped a fifty-dollar bill into Florence’s outstretched hand, grumbling about bed and sex not being the same thing.

“Semantics, darlings,” Florence sang as she folded the bills and tucked them into her sports bra that accentuated her already enhanced chest.

Santino caught Elio staring and grinned at him. Elio shrugged.

“Tell us, Santino.” Ted eyed him up and down. “How did you meet our girl, and how did you end up in her bed so quickly?”

Santino barked out a laugh, and Presley put her forehead on the table.

“Please, call me Sonny. She thought I was a setup.”

“No!” the husbands gasped.

“Does he know Tally?” Dan asked.

“You know the cupcake?” Elio looked at the group.

Dan erupted into giggles. “Cupcake fits her perfectly.”

“Yes, they know Tally,” Presley mumbled.

Santino stretched, flexing his muscles before setting his arm on the back of her chair. “I asked her to coffee, and she went off on me before stomping out of the club. Elio went after her to make sure she was all right, and she gushed to him about how hot she thought I was.”

“Oh my God, why has everyone turned on me?” Presley groaned.

“She sure did,” Elio proudly stated. “I expected her to slip me a note to pass along.”

“I had six glasses of champagne,” she said to no one in particular.

“But she didn’t. She just walked away without even getting my number. I was so wounded,” Santino sniffed dramatically.

“It was terrible,” Elio said solemnly.

Their eyes slid to Presley.

“I hate all of you,” she said, refilling her glass.

Santino smirked and pouted. “I had to beg her to let me take her to dinner. Then she ignored my texts after she got home.”

“I went to sleep! And you barged over here in the middle of the night!”

“It was after six in the morning,” he corrected. Santino was having a blast teasing her.

“Same thing!” she shouted, taking a big sip.

“I’ve never had to chase a woman like this before,” he said with a thoughtful expression. “It’s a new experience.”

“Okay, but get to the good stuff,” Florence wiggled in her chair.

“She couldn’t wait to get me in bed,” Santino said as he leaned back with smug satisfaction.

“I knew it!” Florence tapped her nails on the table, giving Elio a dazzling smile.

“And let me tell you,” Santino continued. “That was the best nap I’ve ever had.”

Ted and Dan sat back, both crossing their arms and staring at Presley.

“Nap?” Dan asked.

“We went to sleep!” Presley shouted. “Seriously, nothing happened!”

The group burst out laughing, and Presley turned pink.

“He’s a keeper, Press.” Ted stood up and held his hand out to his husband. “Let’s leave these two to their ~nap~ or whatever it is the kids call it these days.”

“Thank you for breakfast, gentlemen. It was outstanding.” Santino stood and held his hand out to Presley to help her up.

Florence grabbed her empty martini glasses and pitcher, glancing at Elio. Before she could open her mouth, Presley spoke.

“Flo, I will squirt you with the hose if you say one word.”

“Jealous bitch.” Florence winked at her and air-kissed her cheeks. “Love you. I want all the details later. And you, handsome,” she said to Elio. “You ever want to come over and play naked yoga, let me know.”

“Out!” Presley shouted, pushing her toward the door.

Santino and Elio sat at the table, listening as Presley thanked everyone for embarrassing the shit out of her and showed them out.

“You going to take Flo up on her naked yoga offer?” Santino grinned at his right-hand man.

“You never know.” Elio’s phone chimed with several messages. “It’s Paulie. Your uncle has been running around town and checking in with our associates like he’s the one running things.”

Santino sighed out of irritation. “Enough is enough. He’s not getting it. Tell Paulie to take him somewhere—anywhere. I don’t care. Just get him off the streets until I can talk to him again.”

Elio heard the front door close and lowered his voice. “You got it, boss.”

Presley joined them at the table with a tired sigh. “I feel like I should apologize, but I warned you.”

“Are you kidding?” Santino grinned at her. “They were great. I haven’t had that much fun in a while.”

“I love them,” she admitted. “You pretty much met my adopted family.”

“Florence is…interesting,” Elio said.

“She was a showgirl in Vegas. Legs forever.” Presley grinned. “She is right though. I am a jealous bitch. Everything about her is just fabulous.”

Santino thought Presley had nothing to be jealous about. His eyes lingered on her pretty face as she talked about her neighbor.

She was a knockout and just as fabulous as the former showgirl. He couldn’t keep his mind from wandering back to the night before when he caught a glimpse of her perfectly round ass.

“Miss Stafford, it’s been a hell of a twenty-four hours with you.” Elio grinned.

“Call me Presley or Press, please.”

He stood and put his dishes in the sink. “Sir, I’m going to get going.”

“You better run to the car. Flo might be hiding in the bushes,” Presley joked.

“I might just let her catch me,” Elio said with a wink.

Presley slapped her hands over her ears. “I don’t want to know! Stop talking and get out of my house!”

The men started laughing as Santino stood up to show Elio out. His phone chimed with a text as he shut the door, and he glanced at it.

Espinoza

Santino, you can’t just cut ties. We need to talk.

He had to read the ominous text twice. Santino walked back to the kitchen, frowning. He looked up to see Presley at the sink, putting away the last of the dishes. He shoved the phone back in his pocket and flashed her a grin.

“They’re a handful.” He liked her adopted family.

“All the time.”

“You can tell they’re good people though.”

“They really are,” Presley agreed. “As much as they aggravate me, I adore them. They have seen me through some really great things and some really tough things. I wouldn’t give them up for all the chocolate chip muffins in the world.”

She turned to face him, leaning back against the sink. Santino stared at her, watching as her nerves started working up again. He really needed to deal with his uncle and Espinoza, but he wasn’t ready to leave her just yet.

“I’d like to spend the day with you,” Santino blurted out.

“I’d like that,” she said softly.

“What would you like to do?”

“I have no clue.” She burst out laughing, her nerves getting the best of her. “I’m sorry. I’m nervous.”

He walked over, stopping in front of her and leaning close, a self-satisfied smile on his face. He watched as she bit her lip, fumbling with the cords of her hooded sweatshirt. He liked that he affected her so much.

“Do I make you nervous?”

“Yes,” she whispered, big eyes staring up at him.

“Why?”

“I don’t know. You just do.” She shrugged and stepped around him. “I don’t know about you, but I need some water. I also should probably call Tally and let her know I’m still alive.”

She grabbed two bottles from the fridge, handing one to him as she left the kitchen. He chugged his water, grabbing another bottle and stepping outside the back door. He needed to call Gia before she showed up here and caused a scene.

She picked up her phone on the first ring.

“Santino,” she purred.

“Gia.” He wrinkled his nose, her nasally voice grating on his nerves.

“I’ve been calling you.”

“I know. Look, it’s been fun, but we’re done.”

Gia laughed. “I heard about your little club girl. Enjoy her while you can, Sonny. Men like you have appetites that one woman can never satisfy. I’ll be seeing you soon.”

“You’re wrong,” he said. “It just takes the ~right~ woman. Goodbye, Gia.”

She was still laughing as he hung up and blocked her number.