Slow burn PART 2

Chapter 21

Renzo was like a shark already coming for me again. I yelped and tried to swim away. Grace stayed far away from the horsing around, but I liked this playful side of Renzo. Love it, in fact. Grace was just floating beside her finances dangling leg. 

"I'm kinda pissed I can't go swimming" Dante pouted. I turned from where Renzo was swaying me around creating ripples on the deeper portion of the pool. He held me against him so I could be there without drowning.

        "I told you, you can sit on the steps, to about your waist, but any lower and the chlorine water will mess with your incision" I started mothering him again. I couldn't help myself. I had made it my personal mission to nurse Dante back to health. 

Having him that close to death had shaken something deep inside me. "Yeah alright" Dante agreed and stood up from the edge to go around to the side of the pool that has four descending steps into the shallow end. 

        Renzo brought his mouth against my ear and whispered to me. "Do you know how badly I want to defile your body right now? You in swimwear, it does something to me" he teased me. When I used my hold on his arm to turn to him I was smiling, but that's because I was recalling the memory again. 

"Yes, I believe last time you saw me in swimwear you couldn't resist yourself from having a taste, if memory serves" I tipped my chin up and tipped my head like I was thinking. 

"Oh you have no idea what went through my mind that entire day" a wicked grin spread across his face and my heart fluttered at the sight of it. He looks beautiful when he smiles. 

I oddly feel like us putting a title for us somehow soothed something inside him more than it even did me. He's calm today. He's in good spirits. He is touchy even in front of people. Maybe he didn't realize he wanted that assurance as much as I did?

-

        We only left the pool when burgers were being served. From swimming and horsing around with Renzo I had built up quite an appetite. We dried off and went to the terrace table so we could all sit together and eat. 

I had spent time with the Revello's that time I crashed their family reunion in the restaurant, but I see now that it always feels rather easy being around them. They don't ask me embarrassing questions or stick their noses up at me for any reason. 

I feel like they accepted me as Renzo's friend back then, and continue to accept me now even knowing how complicated our journey has been.

        I'm already friends with Dante, Grace, and Rocco, so it was really only me inserting myself with Renzo's parents that I'd been somewhat nervous about. I figured it was one thing to be the 'friend' of the mob boss of all the Italian crime families, and it being another thing as his girl. 

I don't know what I thought they might think about it. That I'm not Italian. That I'm not in the Lifestyle and aren't suitable for the boss. Either way none of that was relevant. We spoke comfortably amongst ourselves, and once we were full his parents went inside for a bit while we all digested our food. 

That gave Renzo a free pass to be naughty.

        Renzo pulled me from my chair and sat me on his lap. When his arms came around my middle I caught eyes with Dante who looked rather surprised, but then split into a mischievous grin. 

"I'm glad you came, Kat" Rocco spoke about my presence first. "Thanks, I'm glad to be here. That pool is amazing. I've never had one" I told the table as a whole. 

"It's heated if it needs to be. My parents used to keep the pool open for a longer time than just the end of summer, but now that us kids aren't living in the home the pool wasn't used enough for them to care to keep it open past summer" he explained to me.