She nodded and sat across from me beside Charly. “A bit of a break,” she said.
I pursed my lips, saying nothing. Theo broke the tension, pulling on Stefano’s hand. “Dad, you said you’d push me on the swing. Bring Luna.”
Stefano gathered his daughter against his chest, walking toward the play set we had built. Theo loved the slide and the monkey bars. He liked to go high in the swing, and as long as one of us was there to watch him, he was allowed. The baby swing for Luna was swung with far more care, acting as a soothing motion for her. I stood and joined him, unable to be so close to Kelly at the moment.
I strolled over and took over pushing Theo, smiling at his shrieks of delight. Luna gurgled and kicked her feet, grabbing one foot and lifting it to her mouth. Stefano chuckled, tickling the tiny toes. “To be that flexible,” he muttered.
“No kidding.”
With his focus on his daughter, he spoke again. “You okay?”
“I’m good.”
“Gabby said she was in the house. I assume you saw her, given your brilliant performance of nonchalance over there,” he said.
“Yeah, I did.”
Theo decided it was slide time, so I helped him slow down, chuckling as he jumped off the swing, rolling in the grass and bounding to his feet, running to the slide.
“If only I recovered that quickly,” I observed, moving over to where Luna was cooing and still grasping for her toes.
“You sure you’re okay?”
I met Stefano’s concerned gaze.
“I’m fine. Given she is Charly’s best friend, we were bound to run into each other again. It’s all good.”
“You know she’s staying.”
I snorted. “She says that, but it never happens. She’ll make up with Carl and be off soon enough.”
“Charly thinks it’s different this time.”
I heard his warning. His worry. I met his gaze with a curt nod. “It’s fine. The bottom line is I no longer care.”
“You sure about that?”
“Yes.”
He lifted Luna, cradling her against his chest. “You might want to tell your fists that. If they were curled any tighter, you’d snap your bones. Never mind the tension in your shoulders. You’re gonna have one hell of a headache later, my friend.”
He walked away toward the group, leaving me alone with my thoughts.
We ate the feast Stefano and Gabby laid out, including the delicious ziti and meatballs Rosa brought with her. Theo ate two plates of it, making Rosa beam at him, pinching his cheeks and calling him her favorite bambino. He grinned in delight.
A short time later, Rosa and Vince left. She patted my cheek, telling me to come with Stefano and Gabby for lunch soon. I kissed her cheek, promising I would do that. I walked the property, gathering up some sticks for kindling, knowing we’d have a fire soon. Gabby and Charly loved evening fires, and it was a tradition for us.
I wasn’t sure how I was going to sit across from Kelly with a fire going. It always seemed to spark something intense. As if the glow from the burning wood lit the silent flame that existed between us.
The first time we’d kissed was the night of a bonfire at Maxx’s place. I’d fucked her for the first time later that night.
In the barn.
I was still living at Maxx’s place, in the apartment behind the garage. Chase wasn’t part of our circle then, and Stefano was living at Mary’s. After the fire broke up, I headed toward the garage when I noticed the barn door was partially open. I peered in, surprised to see Kelly sitting on the workout bench. She was doing something with her hands, concentrating in the little pool of light of her phone.
I stepped in, meeting her gaze.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
She looked up. “Waiting for Charly and Maxx to wear themselves out.”
I chuckled, walking toward her. “You might wait a while.”
She shook her head. “They just need to move out of the kitchen area. I figured I’d give them fifteen and head on in. They should have headed upstairs by then. Pre-wedding celebrations and all.”
I stopped in front of her. “What are you doing there?” I indicated the straw in her hand.
“Oh, just weaving a silly thing to pass the time.”
She met my eyes, falling silent. The heat from earlier flared and grew again. I shifted on my feet as all the blood pooled from my body into my cock while I thought about kissing her before. How she felt pressed against me. She was small and slender, with perky, high breasts, and a tiny waist that flared to softer hips. Her legs and arms were well muscled and taut from the work she did carrying equipment all the time. She was incredibly sexy, and I found it hard to keep my eyes off her.
“Something about that kitchen, I guess,” I murmured, my gaze on her mouth.