“I believe congratulations are in order,” Elisa Accardi says, smiling as she hands me another beer. I came up to Glencoe for the weekend to check on the progress of the house I’m building, and I’m staying with Elio in Elisa’s and Caleb’s guest wing. Dinner earlier was a lively affair with three kids under the age of four, but they’re all sleeping now, so the adults finally get to talk.
“Sloane looks perfect,” Gia Accardi says, flopping down on the couch beside her husband. “When I saw you’d requested a recheck of her background, I personally went through her file.” Gia works in intelligence gathering and analysis for La Cosa Nostra, and she’s one smart lady. I wasn’t aware she’d looked at Sloane’s file, but it reassures me she did.
Joshua and Gia live in the house next door to Caleb and Elisa on the grounds of the vast estate they co-own in Connecticut. The Accardi twins have been my best friends since we were kids. They were more like my brothers than my actual brother growing up. That they ended up married to best friends and continue to do everything together is no surprise to anyone who knows them. Caleb and Joshua are tight, and no one comes between them.
The twins bought this huge plot of land the year before their kids arrived. It’s not too far from where their parents live, which is handy when they need a babysitter. When I told them I was house hunting in the area, they didn’t hesitate to offer me the opportunity to build on their grounds, and I jumped at it.
They have a secure setup, and it’ll be good for Elio to grow up with friends. My plan is to permanently relocate here when our house is built. Right now, my penthouse in the city is home, but I want Elio to have a yard to run around in. While we have Central Park at our doorstep in Manhattan, it’s not exactly safe. None of us has forgotten the Sinaloa Cartel or their threat to come after us. All because of a loose cannon in Miami who is now dead.
Dominic Ferraro and his son Cesco created this war with the cartel, leaving behind a mess we are trying to clear up. The only reason the cartel hasn’t come at us yet is because the US government wants their heads on spikes for causing so many fentanyl deaths in Florida a few years ago. All the cartel leaders have had to lie low while the FBI and Homeland Security search for them. They know the instant they set foot on US soil, they’ll be arrested.
So, we have a reprieve, but it won’t last long, and we all need to be vigilant. Me more than most because my brother Cruz set everything in motion with the cartel before he died, and I’m guessing the DiPietro name is as heinous to the cartel as it is to Rafaelo Da Rosa. Which is why I’d prefer my son grows up safely guarded here in Glencoe. I already have him enrolled at the local private school, and he’ll attend pre-K here too.
“Oh, she’s perfect, all right,” Caleb says, wearing his signature smirk. “At least Cristian thinks so.”
“Shut up.” I level him with a warning look as I raise my bottle to my lips. I shouldn’t have said anything to Caleb about my concerns or how gorgeous Sloane is.
“What don’t I know?” Elisa’s gaze dances between me and her husband.
Caleb slides his wife into his side, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. “Cristian didn’t want to hire her because he’s afraid he won’t be able to keep his hands to himself. Apparently, she’s stunning and far too tempting.”
I narrow my eyes at my best friend. So much for keeping my confidence.
“Is that why you requested a recheck? Were you hoping to find something she lied about in her application to justify not offering her the position?” Joshua asks, swirling whiskey in his glass.
“Not really. It was more she seemed too good to be true,” I say. She has the perfect credentials, and though she doesn’t have a ton of experience, Elio loved her when she came by to meet him yesterday, and that’s what matters the most.
“Is that the truth, or is it the fact Isa is dead set against her?” Gia inquires.
“How do you know that?” I didn’t mention the huge argument Isa and I got into after Sloane left my office on Wednesday to anyone.
“I’m a good judge of character. I can read that witch like a book.”
Gia has not held back on her opinions of Isa. She has visited here with me a few times, and Isa and Gia butted heads right from the start. If I didn’t know Gia, I might think it’s connected to Bettina—Isa’s older sister, who was Elio’s mom and Joshua’s ex. But I do know Gia, and she’s not the spiteful type. She simply doesn’t like or trust Isa.
“Well, you’re right. Isa doesn’t like her at all for the job, but she doesn’t get to make the decision. If I weren’t short on options and time, I would find someone else, but there is no one. Sloane ticks all the boxes. I can’t not hire a nanny just ’cause I think she’s hot and I’m worried I’ll be tempted to make a move on her.” I had actually offered a different woman the position, but she turned me down because she’d accepted another nanny job.
“There’s no law that says you can’t.” Gia tucks her knees up onto the couch and snuggles in closer to Joshua.
Sometimes, it’s difficult to be around my friends and not feel envious. I’m happy they’re happy, but being married and having kids is something I’ve wanted for a long time, and it doesn’t appear to be in the cards anymore. Not that I’d change the decision I made to raise my nephew as my own. I have no regrets. I’m just lonely, and I wish I could’ve found someone to share our lives. But it’s not meant to be, and most of the time, I’ve made my peace with that. It’s only odd moments, here and there, that are hard.
“Joshua was my boss, and that didn’t stop him,” Gia adds with a saucy wink.
“You had my twin breaking all kinds of rules for you, Gigi,” Caleb teases.
“There are some rules worth breaking,” Joshua agrees, smiling. At one time, we all would have keeled over to hear our strait-laced friend say something like that, but Joshua is more like his old self these days. Gia’s love has cracked through the hard shell he had erected, and she’s softened all his rough edges. I love that for my friend.
“Love you.” Gia brushes her nose against Joshua’s before lightly kissing him.
Joshua holds her tight. “Love you too.”
“Barf.” Caleb fake gags, but he’s ridiculous. He’s as loved up as his twin and equally into the PDAs.
Joshua flips his brother the finger, and I knock back more of my beer.
“When do we get to meet Sloane?” Elisa asks.
“We can put her through her paces,” Gia offers. “Make sure she’s as good as she seems to be.”
“I don’t want the girl scared off, and it’d be nice if you all got along.” When we move in here, we’ll all be spending lots of time together, so it’d make it easier if everyone gelled.
“When does she start?” Joshua asks.
“A week from Monday. Isa is going to train her for her last couple weeks.”
“I already feel bad for Sloane,” Gia says. “I can’t manage one hour in Isa’s company without wanting to claw her eyes out. I still stand by what I said. She wants you, Cristian. She wants you bad.”
“She isn’t interested in me like that,” I protest, like I have every time Gia has mentioned this. “And she knows I have no interest in her like that either.”
“She’s getting married soon, Gigi,” Elisa says. “If she wanted Cristian, she’d have made a play for him already.”
Four pairs of eyes land on my face. “Fuck off,” I say, but there’s no heat behind the words. “I told you she hasn’t made a move on me, and it wasn’t a lie. No offense, Gia, but you’re wrong on this occasion.”
“I’m happy to be in this instance, but seriously, Cristian, if anything should develop between you and Sloane, it wouldn’t be a bad thing as long as it doesn’t interfere with her care of Elio. Don’t close yourself off to it. Sometimes love finds us when we’re least expecting it.”
“She’s Elio’s nanny. I wouldn’t risk messing that up, which is why she will remain firmly an employee and nothing else.”
“This is your room,” I say, depositing Sloane’s suitcase on the hardwood floor in the large guest bedroom. My new nanny didn’t bring much stuff, which I hope isn’t a sign she doesn’t see this as a long-term move. I made it very clear I wanted someone who would be with Elio for the long haul. While I can’t stop Sloane, or anyone, from resigning and leaving, I hope I conveyed how much of a disappointment that’d be. I don’t want Elio having a succession of nannies. He needs security and permanency, not a revolving door of different women taking care of him. “You have a walk-in closet and an en suite bathroom,” I explain, gesturing around the room.
“It’s a beautiful room, thank you.”
Her soft, dulcet tone stirs longing inside me, but I stamp it down, reminding myself of the pep talk I gave myself this morning.
Sloane is Elio’s nanny. Period.
“I’ll let you get settled. Dinner will be at six.”
“Sounds great. Thanks, sir.”
My dick jerks, loving that more than it should. “It’s Cristian, Sloane. Please just call me Cristian.”
“Okay, Cristian.” Her lips twitch.
My dick jerks again—fuck my life. How can every word out of her mouth sound so seductive?
“I’ll see you at six.” I back out of the room and close the door, leaning against the wall for a second to catch my breath.
“Cristian?” Isa stares suspiciously at me from the end of the hallway.
“Yes.” I pull myself together and walk toward her.
“Is everything all right?”
“Yes. Why wouldn’t it be?”
She crosses her arms. “It’s okay to admit you made a mistake. I can talk to Carmine and—”
“Stop.” I rub my aching temples. “I’m sick of having this argument with you. The decision has been made. Sloane is here, and you will make her welcome for Elio’s sake.”
Her lips pull into a thin line. “I see the way you look at her, you know.”
“Isa.” My tone carries a warning. “Enough.” I walk past her, counting to ten in my head.
“Just be careful, and remember you hired her to be Elio’s nanny, not your plaything.”
I whirl around and glare at her. She’s pushed me too far this time. “You are way out of line, and I think it’s time you were going.”
Hurt splays across her face. “I know when I’m not wanted.” Removing her apron, she shoves it into my hands. “Your dinner is keeping warm in the oven, and Elio is drawing in the living room.”
“Thank you.”
“I’ll be here in the morning unless you’ve changed your mind about me training her?”
I run a hand through my hair. “I would still like you to show Sloane the ropes, and it would be better for Elio if there’s a transition from you to her, but let’s just do it for the next couple days, yeah? I’m sure you could use the extra time to prepare for your wedding. You’ll be paid in full, of course.” I don’t want Isa around Sloane any longer than necessary because I can’t be sure she won’t run her off.
I think Isa is jealous because Sloane is drop-dead gorgeous. But I’ve been pondering if maybe Gia is right, even if it doesn’t seem to make sense, because Isa hasn’t ever hit on me, and she’s marrying Carmine by choice. I’ve concluded she’s one of those women who is naturally competitive with other women. I dated a girl like that once, but the relationship didn’t last long. I ditched her fast because I can’t stand catty women.
“Fine.” Isa glares at me. “I’ll just say goodbye to Elio, and then I’ll be out of your hair.”
Why did I say I wanted a woman again? Honestly, at times like this, I’m glad I’m single.
