“How were your parents growing up?” Chase asked.
“I had a nanny who looked after me. I spent much more time with her than I did with my parents. They were always busy, but I saw them in the evenings at dinner. I was given the pasta course to tell them about my day. Even now, the sight of fish makes me talk faster. Dad was good and we did things together, but my mother… she was the tough nut. I don’t think she liked being a parent—at least not until I was twelve, and then I was sent to boarding school in Bologna. It was a lonely way to grow up sometimes, but my nanny was good to me, and she made sure I got the attention I needed.”
“Do you still see her?”
Antonello nodded. “You met Maria before. My first nanny, the one I had until I was eight, is in Naples now with her family. I see her whenever I’m there on business.” He couldn’t help chuckling. “She still makes me her amaretto cookies every time I tell her I’m coming.”
Chase watched Ricky play. “Jump in one more time, and then you need to get out and towel off.” Ricky did as he was asked, and then Chase wrapped him in a towel and got him settled with some food and a small glass of juice.
They talked through the rest of breakfast. Chase got Ricky dressed before packing up. Antonello ordered a car, and they met it in the drive. They piled in and rode to the main train station, where Antonello got Ricky a gelato before they boarded the train back home.
Part of him was ready to return, but another part, the one that was truly relaxed and happy, wished they could stay in Rome forever.
THE RIDEback was comfortable. Once they got off the train, they walked through to the historic center of the city. Antonello escorted Chase and Ricky home, sharing a kiss with Chase once Ricky had hurried to his room.
“I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“I wish you could stay,” Chase whispered.
“Me too. But I better go. I have things I need to do before I go into the office, and I suspect Ricky is going to conk out at any time. I’ll see you in the office.” They kissed again, and Antonello left through the front door, walking the streets he knew like the back of his hand to his family home. He went inside, carrying his case, only to be met by his mother, her expression thunderous.
Chapter 13
CHASE DRAGGEDhimself into the office on Tuesday. Antonello’s door was closed, which indicated he wasn’t in yet, and that was unusual. Antonello usually beat him into the office. Chase checked the time and sat down at the desk, where he pulled out his laptop and checked emails. Thankfully there were only a few automated reports from the weekend, which he scanned and cleared before getting a start on the week’s tasks.
His job was to see to it that everything went according to schedule and to keep everyone working together and management up to date. On the surface it didn’t seem like much, but it meant he spent a lot of time writing emails in an attempt to try to stave off questions and phone calls, or worse, meetings that wasted everyone’s time. Dave ran most project meetings, with Chase reporting progress on his pieces of the larger project, and he wanted to be ready.
He was just finishing some materials for Dave when Antonello thundered into the office. Chase heard the receptionist greet him, and Antonello ground out a good morning before stomping into his office, closing the door harder than he needed to.
Chase opened their connecting door and poked his head in. “Who pissed in your Cheerios?”
Antonello responded with a spate of Italian that Chase did not need translated to know that something was very wrong and that it had to do with his mother. “She met me when I got home,demanding to know what I was doing in Rome. Apparently she had invited the daughter of one of her charity acquaintances for lunch on Sunday, and I wasn’t there.”
Chase shook his head. “Didn’t you tell her you were in Rome?”
Antonello shook his head. “My father knew, but….” He sighed. “I don’t feel the need to tell my mother where I am and what I’m doing. I have my own wing of the house, and I come and go as I please.” He glowered at Chase. “I basically run the entire family business, and I don’t need to inform my mother about every move I make.”
“Okay.” Chase stepped back. There was definitely more to this than Antonello was saying, and he wasn’t going to pry, but he figured his mother’s matchmaking was beginning to drive a real wedge between them.
“She wanted to know why I brought you and Ricky to Rome.”
This could be interesting. “And what did you tell her?” Damn, sometimes he was just wicked.
“That you were a business associate and I took you to Rome to show you around. Which was true.”
Chase nodded and stepped closer, then shut the door. “And us only using one bed—was that business?” Chase had been teasing, but Antonello clearly didn’t take it that way. He turned to Chase in complete shock.
“You know it wasn’t. My feelings for you personally have nothing to do with business. When we’re here, we act professionally at all times, but when we’re… when it’s just us, then everything is different.” He swallowed, and Chase wondered just how different Antonello felt. Weeks ago they had decided that they would be professional and nothing more. But that seemed to have flown out the window. Now Chase wasn’t sure where things stood with Tio. Were they friends withbenefits, or was something more happening? He had more than his own heart to think about. Ricky was becoming attached to Mr. Nello and asked about him all the time. If things went badly, then it would be more than just him who had the potential to get hurt.
“Duuuude…,” Chase said, harkening back to their college days whenever he’d explain to Antonello that he was being played. He needed to get this conversation back onto more solid ground.
“Stronzo,” Antonello swore without heat, his expression softening. “I have never taken business associates to Rome before, and I have certainly never….” Words seemed to have escaped him.
“Slipped anyone the big Italian sausage while you were there?” Chase teased.
Antonello glared at him before shaking his head. “You Americans.”
“I seem to remember you have a thing for them, especially around the pool at night.” He kept his voice low, and Antonello growled at him. Chase smiled and turned to leave his office. “I guess I should ask if things are okay now with your mother.”
