Unforgivable Ties

Chapter 25

Stephanie

V incenzo was sleeping soundly in his bed next to me. Watching him in this state, it was almost easy to forget he was a mafia member, cold and hardened to the outside world. His hair had fallen out of his ponytail and laid messily across his chest, covering the expanse of tattoos.

Though he wore an expression of peace, the gun on the nightstand was a stark reminder of the danger that trailed his existence like a shadow.

What would a relationship with him look like? He had told me I was the only one he wanted, but never explicitly asked “Stephanie, will you be my girlfriend?” He held my hand while we were shopping together but put a three-foot distance between us when we entered the mafia warehouse.

Vincenzo held me close and whispered both sweet and dirty things in my ear at night, yet maintained a stern persona in front of his men during the day. The duality of his nature intrigued me, but also filled me with apprehension.

“What are you looking at?” he asked, his eyes still closed.

I jumped at the sound of his voice, caught off guard. I had assumed he was sound asleep and had been completely lost in my thoughts.

“Nothing,” I responded quickly, darting my eyes away from his closed ones.

“You’re lying,” he said, his eyes opening to meet mine.

Yes, I was lying, but I couldn’t tell him about the turmoil swirling in my thoughts. He would think I was weird for already wanting to be so committed to him.

“I’m thinking that it’s Christmas morning,” I said, scooching myself so I was on top of his chest. “And you’re still in bed.”

“Well, aren’t I the lucky one? Waking up to such a gorgeous woman on Christmas morning,” he said, his voice still rough from sleep.

“Flattering,” I teased, trying to straighten his hair back into place. “But I want to have coffee.”

He went to wrap his arms around my waist, but I had been expecting it. I spring boarded off his chest and pushed myself out of the bed before he could pull me back down.

“Get up,” I said with a mock scowl, pulling the covers off his body to reveal his shirtless torso and boxer-brief clad lower half.

“Fine, fine,” he said, sitting up reluctantly. He stretched out his arms, the dawning light casting a soft glow over the spider web tattoo that sprawled across his back.

As soon as he hopped out of bed, he was on my heels, chasing me out of the bedroom and down the hallway. My squeals of delight echoed in the penthouse as I darted down the hallway and into the living room, stopping in front of the Christmas tree.

Last night, the only gift sitting underneath the tree was Vincenzo’s cuff links. Now, a second gift sat next to it, the box slightly larger than the cuff link box.

My heart raced with excitement. I had told Vincenzo he didn’t need to get me anything; yet there it sat, a beautifully wrapped box with my name on it.

“You got me something?”

He shrugged casually, though I could see a hint of a smile behind his nonchalance. “Open it.”

I hesitated for a moment, taking in the pretty bow and the shiny wrapping paper that was almost too beautiful to tear. But my curiosity won over, and I gently unwrapped the gift while he watched.

It was the most beautiful watch I had ever seen in my life. The watch was a gorgeous concoction of silver and delicate diamonds, its face adorned with roman numerals. It was an exquisite piece of craftsmanship that simply took my breath away.

“Vincenzo, I...” My words trailed off as I stared in awe. The diamonds shimmered under the Christmas tree lights, casting mini rainbows around the room. This must have cost a small fortune.

“Like it?” His words were a soft whisper in my ear, his warm breath against my neck causing shivers of pleasure to dance down my spine.

“I do. It’s beautiful,” I murmured, my eyes never leaving the watch.

I flipped it over and saw a crest that had been custom laser engraved into the back. It was his family crest; a serpent coiling around a sword. My heart jumped at the sight of it, my eyes flicking to Vincenzo with surprise. This watch was more than just a gift; it was a silent way of branding me as his.

He was standing close, so close I could feel the heat radiating from his body. His fingers brushed lightly against my own as he took the watch from me, deftly unclasping it and circling it around my wrist.

As the cold metal met my skin, a shiver ran through me. Not from the chill of the watch, but from how intimate this moment felt. He secured it with a soft click, his fingers lingering on my skin a moment longer than necessary, igniting a familiar warmth that traveled up my arm and pooled in my chest.

“Perfect fit,” he murmured, his dark gaze steady on mine. I swallowed, his proximity along with the gravity of his gift making my skin tingle in anticipation.

Suddenly, the $160 cuff link set I bought him felt woefully inadequate. The disparity between our gifts was embarrassingly evident, like comparing a homemade ashtray to a Cartier brooch. I glanced over to the small box that held his present, tucked away in the far corner of the room, wrapped hastily in cheap wrapping paper. A sudden heat rushed to my cheeks.

Unaware of my inner turmoil, Vincenzo picked up the small box I had left for him under the tree. He carefully unwrapped it, undoing the red ribbon around the box with a precision that paralleled his meticulous nature. I watched him, my heart pounding in my chest like a hammer against an anvil.

“Oh?” he said, a smirk playing on the corner of his lips.

Oh god. He hated it. Of course he did, he could afford $160,000 cuff links and mine were .001% of that.

“You can return them if you want,” I blurted, red hot embarrassment creeping through my body. “If you hate it—”

“SR?” he asked, holding up the cufflink.

“Huh?”

The cufflinks were supposed to have his initials “VL," engraved on them. The company must have given us the wrong set.

My face turned even redder when I realized it was my fault. Amid filling out the mountains of paperwork they had given me, I had accidentally put my initials on what should be engraved. Stephanie Reinhardt.

“Oh my gosh! It-it was supposed to say ‘VL,’” I said, trying to swipe the cuff links out of his hands. “I can get it fixed.”

He pulled it out of my reach, still admiring my gift. “No, I think I prefer it this way.”

His words were met with a stunned silence from me. How could he not be upset, embarrassed even? I’d given him a gift that screamed of my own ineptitude and yet...there was something in his eyes, a softness that almost looked...pleased?

“Really?” I asked, barely able to believe him.

“Yes, really,” he replied, his voice firm and steady. Vincenzo turned the cufflink over in his hand, carefully studying the initials ‘SR’ etched into the polished silver.

“Sorry that’s all I got you,” I said, looking sheepishly down at my watch. I mean, there was no way I could have afforded something as nice as it was. What could I possibly offer to Vincenzo, a man who had everything?

He looked at me, his eyes soft. “Stephanie,” he said, his voice low and large in the quiet room. “This is the most meaningful gift anyone has ever given me.”

I blinked in surprise, my mouth hanging open slightly. I was speechless. “Meaningful?” I managed to squeak.

“You knew I needed new cuff links, didn’t you?”

“Well…yeah. I mean, you always wear those old ones. They’re so out of place with your suits.”

“And you thought to buy me a new pair,” he mused, his eyes dancing with an appreciative gleam. “You notice the details.”

“Thank you,” I mumbled, trying to hide my embarrassment.

Inside, my heart was doing flips that he liked the gift. I wanted to thank my past self for screwing up the paperwork, as it seemed to have resulted in something far better than I’d planned.

“But there is one last thing I want.”

He sat the cuff links on the table. Then, he reached down to the floor and grabbed the bow I had discarded from the wrapping on my gift before finally sticking it to me.

“Really?” I giggled as Vincenzo adjusted the bow on my head, squinting at his work.

“Mhm.”

The playfulness in his eyes was replaced with an intensity that had my breath catching in my throat. He looked at me for a moment, his piercing gaze holding mine. Then his hands moved to either side of my face before pulling me in for a deep kiss.

“Should I have my gift in the bedroom?” he asked, placing kisses along my jaw. “Or maybe on the sofa?”

His hands trailed further down my body, gently playing with the elastic of my underwear. He dipped one hand in and gave my ass a gentle squeeze.

I could tell he wasn’t going easy on me today. There was no way the sofa would work.

“I think the bedroom would be a nice place to a enjoy a gift,” I whispered, leaning into his chest.

Vincenzo hoisted me up, and I wrapped my legs around him. His kisses down my neck were messy as he navigated the two of us down the hallway. As he slipped his finger through the crotch of my panties before we reached the bedroom, I was sure he wouldn’t be going easy on me.