Accardi (Genevieve and Matteo) by Allison Franklin novel Chapter 121

Chapter One Hundred and Twenty–One

Matteo completely ignored whatever Alessio was telling him. Something about how he’d called his lawyers and they were scheduled to meet with them tomorrow. His attention was elsewhere; his bride, his wife. Genevieve was dancing with her father who had demanded nothing more than a firm hand shake

when he’d handed over his daughter to a lesser man.

Matteo’s eyes ventured down Gen’s exposed back and admired the way the fabric clung to her curves. When he’d seen her coming down that aisle

surrounded by friends, family, and enough flowers to pollinate eastern Europe, his heart had stopped for five very long, very painful seconds. He’d kissed her

the moment she’d stood beside him, earning a few chuckles and coughs from the audience. He didn’t give a damn. It was his wedding. She was his bride. If

he wanted to press her against the flower filled archway, tangle his hands in her hair and kiss her until the priest was done talking he would. He didn’t.

Matteo let the man talk while he stared into the brightest blue he’d ever known.

Those same blue eyes watched him now from where she rested her head on her father’s shoulder. He could only guess what her father was telling her but

whatever it was made her smile and her eyes shimmer with unshed tears.

Alessio knocked Matteo on the shoulder, breaking his eye contact. He glared over at his cousin.

“You have developed a habit of not listening when I am talking to you, Cugino,” Alessio growled.

Matteo took a sip of his whiskey and rolled his eyes. “You’ve developed a habit of being long–winded,” Matteo mocked. “It’s my wedding. Fuck off.”

Alessio exhaled a few curse words under his breath before he shoved away from the table and strode toward the bar. Matteo looked back to where he’d last

seen his wife to find her walking toward him. He sat up straighter as she approached. She kicked his toes until he widened his legs far enough apart for her

to step between them. She ran her hands up his shoulders and cupped his neck in her small hands.

“I saw you staring at me, Marito,” Gen whispered.

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Matteo gripped her waist and ran his hands up her bare back, making her shiver. “Is there something wrong with admiring what’s mine, Mrs. Accardi?”

Gen smiled wider and bit her lip as if she was worried her grin would split her cheeks. “There is when all you’re doing is admiring. I prefer a man of action,” she said, stepping back out of his embrace with a look of challenge.

“A man of action is what you want?”

She nodded, her lip still caught between her teeth.

“I did vow to honor and obey. Let’s see if I can find one for you,” Matteo said, standing up quickly and grabbing her by the waist to throw her over his shoulder.

Her laughter filled the open airway, drawing everyone’s attention as he marched her toward the dancefloor. In the center of the area they’d cleared for people to dance, Matteo carefully set her down on her feet. He didn’t let her remain standing for long. He swept his arm around her waist and bent her backwards to capture her mouth with his own. Glasses tinked around them along with a few loud shouts and applause. He slowly pulled her back up, keeping their lips connected until he was certain she had her balance. She giggled again and shook her head before looping her arms around his neck and swaying to the music. Matteo rested his hands on her waist and followed her lead as she moved like they were at a middle school dance.

“I love you,” she said with another shake of her head and the smile that made his heart feel close to exploding.

“I love you too. How does your hand feel?” he asked, gently taking her left forearm so he could pull her hand down and inspect her palm.

Thin gauze wrapped around her hand to cover where he’d drawn blood for her oath as Donna. He had been so proud. She’d barely flinched when the knife sliced across her palm. She’d stood firm while he clasped his own bleeding hand with hers and had her recite the vows in Italian. She’d certainly been

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practicing the language. The words fell from het lips like a prayer she’d been reciting her entire life. She was born to be Italian, she was born to be his. He lifted her hand up to kiss it, smirking when he noticed her hooded eyelids and parted lips due to his small, delicate inspection.

“It still stings a bit, but nothing I can’t handle. Everything else is distraction enough. Like you in this tuxedo,” she said, her hungry eyes going over his suit like she’d never seen him in one before

“You haven’t been drinking, have you, Weakness?” he asked on a chuckle as her hands found his chest and skimmed downward.

“Mmm, no… I just feel…” Her eyes followed her hands until they got dangerously close to a part of his anatomy that had taken to listening to her more than him. He grabbed her wrists, making her eyes flash back up with a mixture of triumph and defiance.

He glanced around to find a few people watching them, but no one important. He leaned close to her ear, just in case. “It must be your hormones. If you want to let them rule you, I can get you out of here in five minutes and take you to where we’ll be spending the next four days.”

“We won’t be staying here?” she asked, her arousal still swimming through the bright blues of her eyes.

Matteo shook his head. He released one of her wrists so he could pull her bottom lip down before licking his own. Despite the fact that he hadn’t allowed her hands to keep going, his lower appendage had the foresight to know what its master wanted and was now standing at full attention, hoping to please her.

“I rented us a place a little ways down the road so it could be just the two of us.”

Genevieve glanced around. “Do you think people will mind?”

Matteo laughed. “I think they’re already amazed we waited this long. Come,” he said, holding his arm out for her to take.

Matteo led Genevieve around the tables. He stepped back while she hugged her sister, her roommates and her father. While she walked away to speak with Charlotte, he decided to take a cigarette by the cliffside. He and Gen had pulled Charlotte aside that morning to explain what would be going on at the accounting firm over the next week. Charlotte was shocked, to say the least. More than that though, she was pissed. It quickly became clear why she and Gen had taken to each other so well and gone into business together. Most of the time Charlotte was the pillar of customer service. When someone came after her friend or her business, or in this case, both, she turned savage. Matteo respected her far more after their discussion.

Someone smacked him on the back, causing him to drop his cigarette down, down, down to the ocean below. He took a few sharp steps backward and quickly glanced over the party to get his mind off the height.

“That’s unfortunate,” Frankie said, whistling long and making a muffled explosion sound behind his hands. “Here, Man,” he said, procuring another cigarette for Matteo to take,

“Thanks. We’re heading out.”

“Can’t wait another second, can you?” Frankie asked with a laugh.

Leo came up to them then with Louis on his heels. Matteo glanced over their heads to find Genevieve returning with Charlotte.

“No, I can’t,” Matteo finally answered. “Can you blame me?”

Frankie took a moment to check out his new Donna. “Nope.”

Leo smacked Frankie on the back of the head. “Watch it.”

“Please, don’t act like the two of you aren’t planning your own freaky night,” Frankie argued.

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“Planning of seizing?” Leo said with a mischievous grin making the other men gape.

“Woah–oh, Leo,” Louis said with a grin of his own. “Didn’t know you had it in you.”

“He didn’t,” Frankie said, stifling his boundless laughter. “It’s in Lucy.”

Frankie had to dodge Leo’s fist which released a large burst of laughter, drawing the women’s attention to them.

“Ah, let him go, Leo,” Matteo said with a shake of his head. “He’ll be here soon enough with his lady.”

Frankie immediately stopped laughing. “I don’t have a lady.”

“Right, no, of course not. You just have your brother stationed at a safe house watching a friend, right?” Matteo asked, taking a long dramatic pull of his

cigarette. Frankie’s eyes were wide and his jaw looked dislocated. Matteo scoffed. “Can you believe this guy thought he could keep it a secret?” he asked Leo

and Louis. “Even if Gen hadn’t told me everything…”

“I can’t believe it,” Frankie hissed. “Four hours as the Donna and she’s already creating dissension in the ranks.”

*What is your Donna doing?” Genevieve asked, pushing through the throng of men to get to her own.

Matteo pulled her into his side and she set her hand on his chest. “He’s upset you told me about Lilah.”

“Lilah?!” Louis asked. “The new nurse at the club?”

Frankie’s glare toward Gen was hot enough to give her sunburn. “You. Traitor.”

“Her name isn’t really Lilah,” Gen explained.

“Of course it’s not. She’s one of Nora’s girls,” Matteo explained with a pull of his cigarette.

*Nora’s girls?” she asked, looking up.

“The bartender,” Louis explained. “She takes in girls from bad situations, usually mafia related. Helps them find new lives.”

“That’s wonderful,” Gen said. “So what’s ‘Lilah’s‘ story?” she asked Matteo.

“No one is allowed to know,” Frankie cut in sharply as if Matteo would actually divulge that in front of a crowd. “Only Nora knows.”

“Hmm, does she? Or did you figure it out on the night of the Royale?” Matteo asked with a raised brow.

“I don’t have time for this,” Frankie growled, stalking off in search of booze to make the denial easier.

“Why?! Do you have to make a phone call to your looove?!” Gen called after him with a snicker. Frankie raised his middle finger at her in answer. “Dang, he really is in love.” Gen looked up with a pleading expression. “May we leave now, Husband?” She turned to face him fully and placed her palms against his chest. “I only get four days of being your wife before you leave me, after all.”

Matteo flicked his cigarette away, grabbed her waist and pulled her against his body. “Bridal or caveman?” he asked with a smirk.

“Bridal?” she said uncertainly.

Matteo bent and swept her legs out from under her. She squealed and laughed as he held her against his chest. He strutted through the crowd who had

Chapter One Hundred and Twenty–One

gathered to see them off.

“Is this part of your plan for getting me in bed tonight?” she teased.

He didn’t bother looking down. He kept his eyes trained forward, his mission well laid. “Sure, a bed. We could start there, Weakness.”

Her hand skimmed further over his shoulder so she could whisper into his car.

“Want to know about my plan?” she asked before tugging his earlobe with her teeth.

“Hmmm, tell me,” he growled, her breath against his car driving him crazy.

She laughed, low, sexy with a teasing lilt at the end. Her lips wrapped around his ear lobe making his breath stutter out of his chest. “I’m going to finally make you wave the white flag.”

Matteo stumbled over a cobblestone in the driveway two steps away from the car.