Carla was aware that right now, Leon was probably telling her things he had never shared with anyone else. He simply wasn’t the type of man to share such intimate secrets regarding his family. He was probably making an exception with Carla now as another way of apologizing for having doubted her innocence earlier. But that didn’t make it any less huge that he wanted to share this with her. Although she wasn’t sure Natalia would be as pleased to learn Carla knew some of her secrets.
Carla placed one of her hands on his as it rested on the breakfast bar. “No one seeing the two of you together could ever doubt how much you love Natalia and she loves you.”
He turned his hand over to clasp hers. “She’s spoiled and willful, but also the one constant in my life for the last twenty years, and I love her very much.”
“You never thought of marrying again?”
“Never. I told you, my marriage to Rosa was arranged, decided between our two fathers as a good match for La Famiglia. Once I became capo, I didn’t have the inclination or time to want that for myself again.”
“And yet you have no heir.”
“Not true. It’s taken a while, but I’ve finally brought our organization into the twenty-first century. Obviously kicking and screaming, in some cases,” he added in a hard voice. “That modernization means it’s now possible for Natalia to take over as my heir if she wishes to be capo.”
“Do you think she will?”
He gave an affectionate smile. “As I said, I love my daughter very much, and it’s because I do that I know Natalia would make a terrible capo. The first of the Famiglia who came whining to her over some minor slight, and she would probably tell them to either get over it or get a life.” He chuckled affectionately. “I have no doubt Natalia will forge her own path in life, and it will not be as the head of our family.”
Carla agreed with him. Natalia didn’t have the patience or empathy to rule the powerful Italian Mafia empire.
She also thought this conversation had become altogether far too serious. Yes, he had upset her by not believing her, and she was relieved he’d admitted he’d been wrong to doubt her, but she really didn’t want to get to know the Leon behind the mask of capo any more than she already did. To actually like him more than she already did, as well as physically desire him.
And yet…
She carefully placed her knife and fork on her empty plate. “As I said before, don’t you have somewhere else you need to be right now?”
Leon quirked one eyebrow. “Still trying to get rid of me?”
The wet channel between her thighs clenched in protest of that idea, her breasts aching to be touched. By this man and no other.
Carla chewed briefly on her bottom lip. “The opposite, I think.”
He stilled. “In the interest of self-preservation—I’m very aware of that thin ice beneath my feet,” he added self-derisively. “I’m going to need you to explain that remark.”
Carla didn’t have an explanation, as such, only a burning need to fully know this man’s lovemaking before he returned to his life in New York and forgot about her.
Perhaps she wanted that so badly because she knew that Leon would shortly return to New York and forget she existed.
But not until after he had dealt with the men who had tried to kill him. One of those men being Benny, the man Carla had once intended to marry, she reminded herself.
Benny was an adult of almost thirty, and he’d made his own choices. Initially, he’d lost her by taking another woman—women—to their bed. Then two days ago, he’d tried to further his involvement with the Mafia, to become a made man, by killing Leonardo Brunelli.
Even the thought of the vital and powerful Leon being dead caused Carla to draw in a pained breath.
No matter who or what Leon was, he had never demanded anything from her but instead had been attentive and protective where she was concerned. Admittedly, he had never made any secret of his desire to make love to her, but Carla found that physical intensity flattering rather than frightening. Besides which, she was very aware he would probably leave her apartment after tonight and never come back.
“You’re giving this explanation an awful lot of thought.” Leon winced. “Maybe I should just—”
“No!” The protest left her lips the moment she realized Leon was going to get up and leave. “No,” she repeated calmly. “Please don’t go yet.”
“I’ll leave Padraic downstairs to protect you—”
“I don’t want Padraic to protect me!” she almost shouted in her frustration. “I want— I want—”
Leon turned fully to face her before gently turning her body toward him until their knees touched. “Tell me,” he encouraged gruffly.
“You,” she burst out. “I want you, Leon.” Her voice broke emotionally. “I have no explanation for it, so please don’t ask me for one. Just please don’t go yet.” She reached out to grasp hold of both his hands. “Stay here with me for a little while.”
His eyes narrowed. “Carla, I have no choice but to punish your ex-boyfriend.”
She nodded. “I know that. Although I would really rather you weren’t the one responsible for ordering Benny’s death, I know that decision isn’t mine to make. You’re the one he attempted to kill in order to impress whoever it is he’s working for.”
“He almost killed you by mistake, and for that alone, he deserves to die.” Leon also believed Russo would already have put out a hit on the younger man. A hit Leon could stop but wasn’t sure he wanted to, not when the younger man had treated Carla with such disrespect in the past and then almost killed her yesterday, even if accidentally. The matter would need further consideration on Leon’s part. “The man
