Mafia Born

Chapter Thirteen: Women Stick Together

**Veronica's POV**

Teo moved closer and whispered in my ear, "Scommetto che hai un sapore piu dolce delle caramelle.."

I swear I felt my body betray me as he spoke his native tongue gently in my ear slowly increasing my desire for him. I arched my body closer so I could feel his skin on mine. Heat. Nothing but heat and tingles could be felt up and down my body.

"W-What did you say?" I stuttered barely even able to get any words out.

His eyes scan my lips and back up to my eyes before responding. I feel him slowly drag his finger down the side of my face caressing my cheek before slowly gracing his finger on my lips.

"I said I bet you taste sweeter than candy." His eyes still on my lips.

"Well you should know already. You've had a taste before, smartass." I say while turning my head away from him.

Teo takes my chin and pulls me to look back at him. I could see lust and desire in his eyes and my body wanted him.

"Such a foul mouth on a beautiful woman. You like to test my patience, don't you?"

"You don't seem like the patient type to begin with..." I respond.

He chuckles and then rolls off me causing me to miss the heat his body radiated off of him while we were entangled under the covers.

We both lay in the bed looking at the ceiling feeling the growing s****l tension between us. I wanted him so badly to just roll on top of me again and kiss me roughly. I wanted to feel his body on mine once again. I don't know if it was all the drinks at dinner but I couldn't deny my attraction for him any longer. Maybe if I just surrendered to him for one night, my lust would be fulfilled.

I decided I was feeling confident and climbed on top of him so now I was in control staring down into his beautiful eyes. I could tell he was surprised but he didn't push me off. Instead he placed his hands on my hips to hold me in place just a little above his... well you know.

I lowered myself closer to him returning a whisper into his ear before I gently nibbled on his earlobe.

"How patient can you be, Teo? Hmmm? No potete occuparvi di me."

I looked back down at him, his eyes were closed tight, like he was fighting something, but I heard him let out a soft lust-filled groan before a satisfied smirk crossed my face.

I go to get off of him but he holds my hips tighter and moving me so I'm settled perfectly on top of him and his package. My eyes widen when I can feel how turned on he already is. I try to wiggle out of his grasp when he groans again but louder.

"If you keep moving like that, I'll show you exactly how I can handle you..." Teo said while moving his thumbs on my thighs.

I was playing a dangerous game and I don't think I was going to be able to win. I told myself I was going to stay away from him but yet here I am tempting him to take control.

He took one hand off my hip and started to caress my body. His hand slowly passed through the space between my breasts down to my exposed stomach. I closed my eyes as I felt his hand go under my top by my stomach and started to run his fingers on my skin, teasing me as he was just below my breasts. I tilted my head back and gave him full access to explore wherever he wanted.

I felt his hands slowly inch closer to my chest. He was just about to finally touch when we were both interrupted by his cell phone going off near the other bed's dresser.

We both let out a heavy sigh and I quickly get off of him so he can answer his phone. I didn't even give him the choice of continuing. The phone completely ruined the moment and I was happy about it. I almost gave Teo what he wanted and I was disappointed in myself.

"What?" Teo said as he answered the phone. His voice was stern and serious. All the playfulness he once had when I was on top of him was now gone.

"Have Tony or Luca do it. I'm not in town. Don't worry about where I'm at, Marco. Just get someone else to do it!" He shouted quietly, if that's possible, to Marco before finally hanging up. He ran his fingers through his hair and gave a short huff before looking back at me laying on the bed.

"Get some sleep. Long day tomorrow." Teo said before he grabbed a shirt and left the room.

I was disappointed how he acted like nothing just happened between us but I wasn't surprised if I'm being honest. Teo was constantly hot and cold. One moment he's all serious mafia gangster and then the next moment he's feeling up my body causing wonderful tingles to spread all over.

I decided just to forget about the heated moment and try to sleep. Even though sleep will be hard with all this tension I know have built up. I sighed and closed my eyes forcing myself to drift asleep.

**Next Morning**

I awake to the smell of bacon and eggs filling my room. I stretch and open my eyes to see I was alone in the guest room. It looked like Teo slept in the other bed last night but was no longer there this morning. I shrugged my shoulders and threw a hoodie over my tank before heading to the kitchen. Didn't want have my chest all out in front of my grandparents.

As I walk in, I see Bella cooking on the stove, Emilio sitting at the table reading the newspaper, and Teo chewing down on some toast while he's scrolling on his phone. For moment, you would think this is a normal family morning but I know better now. My father made sure I understood how dangerous the family business can truly be.

"Good morning, darling. How did you sleep?" Bella asked as I walked into the kitchen.

"Very well, thank you. I think all the limoncello I had last night helped knock me out." Everyone chuckles lightly at my comment.

Teo just rolled his eyes as he took a sip of coffee. I don't think he believed I had liquid courage last night but that was my story and I'm sticking to it.

"Teo has some business he needs to take care so it's just going to be us girls this morning. Hope that's alright." Bella stated as she handed me a plate of food. "Well, us girls and one of Emilio's body guards. Just in case. Can never be too cautious. Even down here."

"I understand completely, Bella. When did you want to head out?" I asked as I took a bite of crispy bacon.

"After you finish breakfast, darling. No rush. Just wanna get down to the market before rush hour. Too many people for my liking. Even though, the men down here are spectacular to gawk at." Bella said with a giggle. I joined in and noticed Teo didn't like that I thought it was funny.

"I'm not too worried about finding a man right now, Bella." I said making eye contact with Teo. He smirked and took another drink without looking away. He was teasing me. Two can play at this game, I thought to myself. "I'm more interested in finding a man to just keep the bed warm from time to time, if you know what I mean." Emilio coughed and Teo spit out his drink. Bella started cracking up while trying to clean the kitchen.

"I hope you're not serious, Veronica. I don't think your father would like hear his daughter having s****l escapades while in my care." Emilio said in a stern serious tone.

"Oh, leave her alone, Lio. She's an adult. I'm sure she's responsible." Bella said with a wink. Emilio shook his head and Teo decided he was full, excused himself from the table, and left. I guess I won this round.

After breakfast, I quickly walked down to the guest room and begin picking out my outfit for the day. I'm looking through my luggage when I hear someone clear their throat behind me. I jump from being startled to see Teo standing behind me in nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist. Water still slowly dripping down his hair and his torso. His towel barely hanging on tied to his body exposing a well defined v-line making me shiver with temptation.

"f**k! What did I tell you about sneaking up on me like that?! Didn't your mother teach you any manners?" I yell attempting not to look down and scan his body again.

"Not my fault you're scared of everything." He chuckles moving close to me backing me up to the bed almost causing me to fall down. I hold my stance and gulp.

"Can you give me some space please? I have to get ready and head into town." Teo huffed and turned away. I wanted more of a reaction from him so I decided to tease him some more. "Plus, don't want to leave all those men lonely, right? I could even meet someone. Who knows?" I picked out a black flowing sundress and spun it around to show Teo what I was going to wear.

He looked at the dress and then back at me before I saw the look in his eyes change to a dark, dangerous hue. He quickly moved back towards me and pushed me back on the bed. I was going to attempt to get up until I found him on top of me once again. But this time, he was just in a towel and water was dripping off of his naked body right on to me.

"You may gawk at other men, but we both know it's me you dream about." He playfully nipped at my nose before slowly getting off the bed. He turned and his towel fell down exposing a very plump backside. I was surprised there was no ink there but then again, who would want to ruin that ass? I bit my lower lip and he chuckled.

"I can feel you staring at me, mio petardo. Enjoy your day." Teo said before he disappeared back into the closet.

I shook my head in attempt to shake many lustful thoughts that were bouncing around, grabbed my dress, and ran into the bathroom to get ready for the day.

After getting dressed, I quickly met Bella outside by her car where I noticed she's was talking to another woman. Getting closer, the woman was tall, long black hair that was tied neatly into a bun, and dressed wearing a woman's suit with thin white pinstripes.

"Oh there you are, darling. Let me introduce you to our bodyguard for the day. This is Sofia. Sofia, this is Veronica. She's my grand-daughter I've been telling you so much about." Bella smiled and Sofia nodded her head in acknowledgement.

Up close, I could tell Sofia worked out. She had muscular arms that were hard to hide in her jacket. She looked to be around my age but I wasn't able to tell. She had a scar running across her cheek that reached her mouth. I wonder how she got that?

"Pleasure to meet you, ma'am." Sofia held out her hand for me to shake. I shake her hand and try to keep a straight face as I feel how strong her grip was.

"Nice to meet you too, Sofia. And please, call me Ronnie. I'm not that old to be called ma'am. At least not yet anyways.'' I replied as they both laugh.

"Ready for an adventure?" Bella asked both of us with a huge smile on her face that also warmed my heart. It felt nice to be around family. Even though I don't remember them, I'm actually happy to be here.

"More than ready, Bella. Let's have an adventure!" I shout as I jump into the back of the car. Bella laughs and Sofia smirks before joining me.

The car ride into town wasn't too long and it was already bustling in the late morning. People walking around all over, shopping, exploring the market, and enjoying the great seafood served in the area. We quickly parked the car and joined the crowd.

Bella had locked arms with me so she didn't have to shout when explaining certain shops and what different items were called in English. Sofia was always close behind us never losing track of our movements. I had to check over my shoulder every so often to remind myself she was still guarding us. Bella mentioned she had to run an errand and would meet us back at the car since we finally finished shopping. In total, I believe we were in town for about three hours. Time flew by as I was gawking at all sights and mesmerized by all the attractive people. Strong, handsome, Italian men and women, with beautiful olive skin and radiate smiles that could hypnotize. I felt out of place. My curvy stature, blue eyes, and blonde hair constantly make me stick out and today felt like I was in the spotlight. Many of the those stares were friendly but I noticed some women roll their eyes at me as I passed by. I don't know what that was all about but I ignored them. The men, on the other hand, were extremely friendly, for the most part. Many greeted us with a "Buongiorno" or "ciao" and even offered us some freshly made baked goods to take home. Overall, it was a great experience and I can't wait to come back to explore some more.

"How are you liking Italy so far, Ronnie?" Sofia asked.

"Besides almost getting killed and kidnapped on the first full day I was here, I think I like it so far." Sofia's eyes widen and I just smirked.

"My apologies, Ronnie. I forgot that happened to you. Unfortunately, being in the mafia, no matter what your position, there are many risks. I assume you know basic self-defense?" She eyed me up and down with her arms crossed. I couldn't help but gulp.

"I know the basics and then some. But not much. I was too busy with running my coffee shop and taking care of my mom to get back into training after college. However, the mechanics are all still there. Just gotta get back into the zone, you know?" I replied.

"Of course. If you would be interested, I could help you get back into training while you're down here? I'm sure Teo would probably want to have you all to yourself but I feel it might be better to work with a woman. Men can be too hard headed and short tempered. Us girls need to stick together. Am I right?" Sofia smiled down at me. Her emerald eyes were bright in the sunlight. Looking at her more in depth, she appeared to have a tattoo on her neck but was hidden with her blouse. She had sophisticated cheek bones that framed her face perfectly. She appeared more like an Italian goddess dressed for a business meeting the more I noticed.

"I agree, Sofia. Can we start tomorrow? I'm ready to get back into some kind of shape if I'm going to constantly be around Italian models." We both laugh.

"You're too hard on yourself, Ronnie. The blonde hair alone will get anyone's attention over here. Just have to be confident in who you are. I'll help you with that as well. I'm more than just a bodyguard. I'm a friend."

I smiled up at her, since she was so much taller than me, and brought her into a warm embrace. I'm grateful for meeting Sofia. I think in time we could probably become great friends.

"Sorry about that. Took longer than I expected. Just had to pick up something from the tailor." Bella said sounding almost out of breath. I noticed she was holding a clothing bag over her shoulder as she reached the car.

"What's in the bag?" I asked with a puzzled look.

"Oh don't worry about it darling. Ready to head back to the house?" Bella asked both Sofia and myself. We both agreed that is was time to leave for the day. The sun had been bright and I can already feel my cheeks begin to burn. I regret not putting sunscreen on before we left.

After getting back to the house, Sofia and I helped Bella with all the shopping bags we collected from our trip and entered the house. Sofia said her goodbyes and I gave her my phone number so we could talk more about our training session tomorrow. I was so excited that I didn't notice Teo watching us from down the hallway.

"Sofia, didn't know you were working down here." Teo called out. Both Sofia and I turn to acknowledge Teo. Sofia smiles and walks over to him giving him a very friendly hug. I saw Teo make eye contact with me from his hug and winked in my direction. I rolled my eyes and forced the tiny feeling of jealousy back to the bit of my stomach.

"As soon as Emilio retired, I thought I was going to as well but he offered me a generous amount to stay on and who am I deny a good chunk of change?" Sofia and Teo laugh. "Still with Lorenzo?"

"You know I'm not going anywhere but as of right now, I'm on babysitting duty." Teo glances over to me making Sofia turn around. I let out a huff and crossed my arms glaring at him angrily.

"Oh geez thanks. If anyone needs me, I'll be in my room." I turned back to Sofia giving her another hug. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" Teo asked confused.

"Sofia offered to help me get back into training and I accepted." I said with a smirk. I saw Teo's face change from amusement to something else but I couldn't figure out what.

"You don't have to do that, Sof. She's too stubborn and probably won't listen to you." Teo stated.

I was a little taken aback by the nickname Teo used for Sofia. I guess they have history. I mean, of course they would have history. Teo's too good looking for his own good and Sofia could have been a model if she didn't join the mafia.

"f**k you, Teo! Always such an asshole. I'll see you sometime tomorrow Sofia!" I called back as I disappeared down the hall and into my room.

Teo knows how to get under my skin. No matter what he says or what he does, he somehow manages to piss me off. Why are all the handsome men jerks? I take that back. Yes, Teo is handsome but he's definitely not a good guy. He's the bad boy your mother warns you about and tells you to stay away. But how can I stay away when I feel a magnetic pull bringing me closer to him every time he's near? I know nothing good could ever come from him but a tiny taste never killed anyone, right? Just a bite.

Shut up thoughts! Every damn time I'm alone doing something, Teo just controls my thoughts. Every. Single. One. I bet he doesn't overthink like I do. I bet he never gets nervous or anxious and takes what he wants. He seems like the type. However, tomorrow should be a good time. Finally get to hang out with a woman closer to my age and get back into the gym. I need a good night's sleep so I can be well rested. Hopefully Teo will leave me alone tonight. But for some reason, I don't think he will.