The Twelve Vitali Ch. 05

"Problem?" Matteo said, coming to where they stood. He had watched the exchange. He knew it was Cat who had broken up with Ricco and why. He'd read it in the report, and she had told him herself. The exchange told him that there were obviously still unresolved issues there for Ricco and that he had just scared her in some way. He considered his brother carefully.

"You left me unsupervised for too long, and now I have to go riding with Carlo tomorrow," Larry appeared and pulled a giggling Margarite into his arms. "Horseback riding!" he looked seriously crestfallen.

"Oh dear, that sounds just dreadful," she commiserated with a laugh, "But if it means I get to spend the day with Louisa than I'm sure you can suffer through it."

Matteo would never knowingly hurt his brother. He wondered if ripping the band-aid off for him by telling him he was planning on dating Cat would be a much kinder solution to both their problems than his obvious awkwardness. Ricco obviously couldn't, or wouldn't, offer her a future with any certainty.

"Horses?" Matteo looked up with a grin.

"Oh yeah, you're the horseman, I forgot," Larry nodded. "Come with us," he invited easily.

"I really want to, but I have a date tomorrow, and it's been hard to pin her down to a definite time, so I can't cancel," he said with mock sadness. "She stood me up for lunch today, but considering how beautiful she looks, it's hard to hold it against her," he winked at Cat, who blushed and immediately looked at Ricco, who turned on his heel and walked away.

"Oh, Cat, come out to Louisa's place with us, she won't mind," Margarite said, bringing her back to the conversation. "She's nesting, and Carlo won't let her lift a finger. She's grateful for anything that distracts him at the moment, so she'd love to have someone who is properly interested in horses out there to distract him rather than Larry, who would rather ride anything with an engine." Margarite bubbled away enthusiastically.

It was time to make his move with Cat. He'd enjoyed the time he'd managed to spend with her, and he would talk to Ricco for her benefit, and also so there would there were no misunderstandings that he planned to be standing beside her at midnight.

"I guess," Cat said uncertainly in the face of Margarite's enthusiasm.

"Great, I'll tell Louisa to expect two more for lunch!" she clapped her hands and immediately began to text her friend.

"They're starting to make the circle," Pete said, approaching the group and offered Cat his arm. "Andie sent me to escort you since I'm such a nice man and all." He chuckled and led her away. "Tradition," he explained, "Antonia likes to make sure she kissed every man in the room on New Year's Eve, and I think Peri enjoys it too." He placed Cat in the smaller inner circle with the women and took his place opposite her, smiling encouragingly.

"You're safe here with us, remember that," Pete murmured and kissed both her cheeks when the countdown ended. Then he let go and she found herself facing another man. She did well to remember so many names as she moved around the circle kissing cheeks and wishing people well for the new year until she came to Ricco and froze.

"I'm sorry, I was an idiot. You're free to do whatever you like, including dating my brother if you want. Honestly, I'd rather you dated him than someone I didn't know, and he would treat you well, he's a good guy," he said sadly. "I guess I'd just hoped..."

"I know," she stopped him. "That's why I had to move away. I didn't know he was your brother when I met him, and when I found out I turned him down flat, but he likes to argue, just like you." She gave a small laugh. "Happy New Year, Ricco, I hope this is a new beginning for both of us." She leaned forward and let her lips brush over his before kissing his cheek gently.

Matteo raised an eyebrow at her as she came to stand in front of him. Needing to make a point to himself, as well as Ricco and Cat, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her properly. The tender kiss deepening until she gave way to what he wanted and parted her lips, allowing him access to her tongue briefly. He had pulled her close to his body, and he could feel her begin to relax and kiss him back after a minute or two. It disturbed him how right it felt, and he knew he was playing a dangerous game. He needed to get the details of this contract in place before he did something he was sure he would regret with this girl.

When he ended the kiss, it was as if he had stolen her breath, and Cat looked up at Matteo, confused. They hadn't discussed intimacy of any kind except to joke about it. She was stunned momentarily, but the strength and passion of that kiss... but as she saw his eyes glance to his brother, she knew why he had done it. He was staking his claim, and she knew she didn't like that it was the reason for what had just happened between them, even if she had liked the kiss.

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