An Aria in Venice: A Musical Interlude Novel by Kasonndra Leigh

feeling
fluttering inside my chest—the one that tells me doing something like this will
make Nikolai insanely jealous. It also gives me the chance to make well on my
bet with Lis. However, I also suspect that Simona’s voice—the almost desperate
tone she used when she asked me—has a lot to do with my decision as well. The
mother of the Martuccio brothers is just as intriguing as her sons.
    “This
makes me so happy. You get to see all the places where I used to go with my
Giuseppe,” she replies, beaming.
    “Giuseppe?”
I ask, wondering how in the world I’m going to be able to escape my mother and
brother’s anger when I suddenly go missing for five days.
    “My
husband,” she announces as an immediate silence falls over the area. From the
way her shoulders suddenly slump and the way the brothers go silent, the
light-heartedness that has surrounded us since I arrived evaporating as well, I
can tell we’ve touched on a subject that still haunts this gorgeous family. “He
passed away eight years ago.”
    The
back door slams shut and yet another brown-eyed, raven-haired hottie bounds
through the doorway. Is this family blessed with insanely gorgeous genes, or
what? He’s wearing low slung jeans with a red T-shirt—a combination that
emphasizes his broad shoulders and muscular physique—that has the words “The
Cruiser” etched across the front in shiny black lettering. His dark, longish
hair on top of his head falls in his face, giving him a mischievously boyish
appeal paired with a set of gleaming, light brown eyes. He’s walking
testosterone on a stick and he knows it, just as his other two brothers must
realize how insane their presence makes the average female feel as well.
    I’m
beginning to wish I would’ve brought Lis and Jojo along. They would be eating
all this eye candy up right now. Since I’m the lucky recipient of the moment, I
intend to make sure I take in as many views as possible so I can … um, report
back to my friends with all the juicy details.
    The
mood among the two brothers and their mother shifts at once. I think the birds
have even stopped singing and the wind that has been pushing little fuzzy
things into my plate suddenly stops blowing. It’s kind of like a high tide of
heat just washed over the patio and wiped everybody’s smiles off their lips,
leaving behind a sea of strange expressions and deepening frowns on the faces
of Luca and Rafe.
    A
gorgeous redhead steps through the doorway behind The Cruiser , her
shoulder-length bob flopping into her eyes. She glances across the table until
her gaze stops on Luca. A strange, but knowing look passes between the girl and
my fake boyfriend just before the Cruiser beams a smile and stretches his arms
wide. He ignores both of his brothers and steps right over to where Simona sits
at the head of the table, her face beaming. This visit from what has to be yet
another one of the Martuccio boys was unexpected. I can tell by the way her
expression changed from wide-eyed and wondrous to a beaming grin, an almost
manic one filled with love for nothing but the Cruiser as he embraced her.
    “ Ho perso tu, Mama .” I missed you. Cruiser wraps his arms around his mother
and lifts her petite body as he tells her how much he has missed her.
    “My
Giovanni. I knew you would come.” Simona gasps as she rests inside her son’s
muscular arms, but I don’t think her reaction happens from feeling any pain
because of the way he’s holding on to her, though. Her positivity is
infectious, and seeing her beaming a smile at her son makes me feel happy for
her.
    “Careful,
you idiot,” Rafe barks at the Cruiser named Giovanni. Releasing his mother, he
turns around, his gaze finally landing on Rafe. He seems to be completely
ignoring Luca.
    “Brother.
How nice of your charming self to invite me back to my own house,” Cruiser says
with more sarcasm than I’ve ever seen Jojo use.
    “Do
not abuse Mama’s hospitality or that can quickly change,”