Lustful Cravings (The Seven Sin Sisters) (11 page)

“Layla
l
ove, you need only ask for anything you want. I will be happy to send someone after your things. And your sisters are welcome here anytime.”

“B
ut I am not allowed to leave.” Layla stated this as fact. So, Madden understood now
that
Anton
had explained
the compound’s
security in which Layla w
ould need to live.
Ah, he had wanted to wait a few days
,
but he supposed Anton had the right idea. She needed the understanding.

“Of course you can leave. As soon as I’ve assigned a security team, they will take you anywhere I cannot go with you.”

“So I
’
m a prisoner
,
” Layla snapped, her anger
he’d seen earlier
solidly back in place.

Madden fought to keep his own anger tamped down.
“You are my mate. You are not my pris
oner.” Madden’s anger r
o
s
e
, his words biting.

“Call it what you want but I don’t see why I might need security like this. It’s insane.”

Despite her own outrage at feeling confined, he saw the
fear flash in her eyes before she looked away
so
he capped his anger
and lowered his voice again, “Love, you must be protected now from people who do not like the work I do.”

“What kind of work? Anton explained you’re part of a security company and that you don’t work in the family business. So what is it exactly you do that would put me in danger?”
Layla regarded him with some skepticism
,
but the anger was softer in her eyes, directly impacted
by
his own mood.

“For now, you just need to know that I could never forgive myself if I allowed people who dislike me to hurt you. I cannot risk losing you.”

She spoke so quietly t
his time that it was barely audible, “because I am your mate.”

“Because I love you.”
Layla allowed Madden to kiss her
.
A
ll
the fight evaporate
d
out of her
at those fragile words spoken by such a powerful man
.
With Madden’s
lips strong and solid against her own
, she submitted to his minis
trations.
She
part
ed
her lips
to
allow
his tongue inside to stroke her. Lost in the kiss, lost in this man who
m
she could not deny, Layla gave herself to him.
She felt him pick her up
and
relished the feel of his st
rong arms holding her
as he
carried
her to the bed. Madden laid beside her and stroked her stomach.

His eyes
search
ed
hers. “I hate
so
much that you are so confused. I want to make this easier
,
but I can just assure you that I will always cherish you. Together, we will have a beautiful life.”

“You and me and Anton?”

“Yes, it seems that way.
” Madden couldn’t help the soft chuckle that reached his lips,
“
Did Anton explain?”

“He answered all of my questions.”
Layla buried her head into Madden’s shoulder
, obviously bashful on the topic
. Madden chuckled
again, amused at her sense of modesty
and held her while sh
e relaxed.

A long while passed before he lifted himself away from her and insisted they both get ready before his moth
er came for them
herself
. That
he definitely did not need.
It wasn’t long before they
strolled
hand-in-hand towards his parents
’
house, enjoying the gardens on the way.

“Will Anton join us?”

“Of course.
We’ll share the news together of the
Tre Adoro
Coupling
. He explained how rare it is, right?”

“Yes,” Layla
blushed
thinking about sharing such a thing with Madden’s parents.

“Hey,” Madden stopped her, “it’s nothing to be bashful about. Legend says only the strongest women can serve as the center of a
Tre Adoro
C
oupling
. You, Layla
l
ove, are our strength,” Madden kissed her on the tip of her nose. Somehow that felt more intimate than any other kiss he’d given her.

She held onto that moment as an anchor as Madden took her hand and turned up the path,
then
moved across the patio and entered the dining room through an exterior door.
The room was more like a ballroom than a dining room; Layla felt so small in comparison. With its arched doorways opened onto
the
elaborate
patio
they’d walked across, the room seemed nearly outdoors.
Vines ran along the far wall. Flowers and greenery adorned enormous vases that sat upon pedestals every few feet around the room
,
but the grandest of all was the heavy wooden table centered under a sparkling chandelier.

Overwhelmed by the
beauty of this room, Layla was thankful she
ha
d worn the dress Anton had set out for her. She owned no clothing suitable for such a room
and she fidgeted with her thin straps as she suddenly felt out of place
,
an outsider
intruding on a life
in which
she did not belong.

“Stop fidgeting.
You look amazing,” Madden spoke softly into her ear as he watched her take in the room before guiding her forward again.

As Madden
and
Layla
walked
to the table adorned in the most beautiful golden dinnerware she’d ever seen, an older man bearing Madden’s same coloring and build stood. A smaller woman
peeked around
from his other side but quickly moved in front of him.
These must be Madden’s parents.
Layla’s heart ratcheted up and, feeling her reaction, Madden squeezed her hand reassuringly.
She r
ealiz
ed
she had
been holding her
breath since entering the room
so
Layla let out
it slowly
and smiled.

The man she assumed to be Mr. Santucci returned her smile. Madden tugged on her hand
.
Layla
hadn’t re
alized she’d also stopped walking
b
ut she needn’t have moved as the older man came to her. He knelt onto one knee in front of her and took her hand from Madden, holding it out between them.

“
Che bella
donna
. Che bella
donna
,” the man spoke
as he seemed to be searching her eyes for something. Not understanding but wanting to be polite, Layla smiled and nodded. She very much wanted to pull her hand back, to wrap her arms around
herself
and ease the discomfort she was feeling
,
but all the etiquette training her mother insisted on was forcing her to smile and wait.

Madden leaned
into her, his hand reassuringly placed on her
lower back
and translated, “my father says you are beautiful.”

“Thank you,” Layla responded to his father who was still kneeling in front of her.
H
is eyes were now looking past her as she heard footsteps coming towards them.

Mr. Santucci rose to his full height
.
After his
gentle
welcome,
she
became
less
intimidated by his
formidable figure
.
H
er nerves were
beginning to
calm.
She watched him smile
,
and
though he still held her hand in his own, he
nod
ded
in Madden’s direction just as she felt the warmth of a
nother
hand on her shoulder.
She
didn’t
need
to turn around for she was embraced by the familia
r scent that she knew so well already. It was Anton.

And so it was with Anton’s hand on one shoulder and Madden’s hand on her
back
that she stood
and accepted
the soft kiss on the top of her hand. “Layla, this is my father, Valentino.”

“It is an honor to have you as part of our family, Layla
,
”
Valentino Santucci spoke with a broken Italian accent.

Valentino a
llow
ed
her hand to drop
from his
and stepp
ed
to the side to allow his wife to stand next to him. Her sm
ile was infectious, her embrace even more so as she pulled Layla to her, kissing her cheeks and giving a shrill laugh.
Fo
r every feeling of formality Layla
got from Mr. Santucci, she received equal informality from this woman who had to be Madden’s mother.

“This is my mother, Adelina,” Madden gave the formal introduction but it seemed nearly unnecessary.

“It is good to finally have you here with us. I have waited so long for my son to find his soul mate.
We are honored.
”

Shaken, overwhelmed, and with tears forming in her eyes, Layla shook her head
.
“I
am hono
red
.”

“Oh, my child
.
”
Mrs. Santucci took Layla from the men and hugged her tightly while Layla cried.
As Adelina comforted her, she also reached out to hit her son on his arm
.
“You my son, you are an idiot sometimes. Why did you not reassure this beautiful creature?”

Madden had no chance to respond before the men were instructed to go
.
“
O
ff with you. Go into your father’s study and have a drink. We wil
l delay dinner a bit while I get to know Layla. Go.” There may have been some pleading
,
but even Layla knew who would win this argument. She loved Mrs. Santucci already.

“Sweet, sweet child, you are more beautiful a woman than I had imagined,” she walked them to two plush chairs set out on the patio
.

Layla sank into its comfort and worked at drying her tears
, “
Mrs. Santucci, thank you so much. And please forgive me. I haven’t a clue why I am so emotional.”

“
No more Mrs. Santucci.
Someday you will call me
Mamma
. Today you will call me
Adelina,” she paused to pour two glasses of
clear liquid
from the pitcher that sat on the table near them. Handing one to Layla, she instructed, “Drink this. I make it myself
. It calms the soul. And I am guessing it may be something you need as you acclimate to the changes around you.
”

“I feel so alone.” The words slipped out of Layla’s mouth before she had the chance to consider holding them in.

“Sweet child, of course your emotions will be all over this place.” Adelina waved in a typical Italian form and Layla smiled remembering her grandmother who would do the same when she couldn’t translate her thoughts to English words.

“I should be happy,” Layla explained
,
but t
he scowl on Adelina’s face instantly made her wish them back
,
but that was not part of her powers.

“I
don’t
mean to say that I do not have feelings for Madden. He’s treated me quite well.
Anton
as well
.
They have both been wonderful. But,”
Layla
paused.

“But what?
What is it, Layla?”

“I miss my sisters. It sounds so childish but I have never been away. I
can’t
talk to Madden like I would one of my sisters.”

“I am but a poor substitute but I am happy to listen and offer advice,” Adelina assur
ed Layla and whether it was that assurance or this most delicious water,
Layla
began feeling calmer.
Adelina looked up and smiled widely, “but
it seems I can give you another confidant
e
.” She rose with her arms spread wide and called out, “Davina, darling child, come to
Mamma
.”