Tangled in Divine(Divine Creek Ranch 14)(77)

He groaned when he recognized his Grannie’s homemade ravioli and hoped there would be some left by the time he ate. When he came back inside, his brothers Pietro, Sergio, and Roberto had joined the horde surrounding Gwen, as well as a couple of his cousins. Feeling a little territorial at the Italian high beam charm they were directing at her, Chris elbowed his way to the center where she stood smiling and chatting with Julián.

Happy relief but not desperation shone in her eyes when she saw him and she immediately reached for him. “Like I was saying, my path crossed with Julián on numerous occasions on the rodeo circuit over the years and we became good friends. Unfortunately, I never came across your brother in the time he was riding bulls before he injured his knee. I’d have remembered him if I had.”

“Yeah, I remember something about his bum knee making him quit the bull riding. Doesn’t seem to me like you need your knees in bull riding like you would in football or soccer,” Roberto said, his eyes glinting with challenge as he glanced at Chris.

Opening salvo.

He knew he should ignore Roberto’s comment. Of all his brothers this was the asshole he’d never gotten along with. He was only a year older than Chris and the only one besides Chris who wasn’t married.

Gwen looked directly at Roberto. “Actually, Roberto, bull riding is the most dangerous sport in the world. Riders have to be in top physical condition, whether they’re large or small, and he needed his knees as much as his hands or any other body part. I’ve looked at his stats and if his knee hadn’t been an issue, he had the potential for making it to the World Championship. I’m glad he didn’t wait until a bull crippled him. You should YouTube his competition videos. He was poetry in motion, riding sixteen hundred pounds of wild bull.” She cast a cursory glance up and down Roberto’s lean physique and smiled beguilingly as she added, “Not many men can do that.”

Roberto gritted his teeth like he wanted to get mad but his eyes twinkled as she held his gaze as though recognizing a worthy competitor.

Within his hand, her fingertips gently stroked him and she smiled up at him, her eyes taking on the turquoise hue of her top and jewelry.

“Everything all right?”

“Yes. I was just talking about barrel racing. One of your brothers recognized my name.”

Roberto chuckled and said, “Now I’m curious. Maybe instead of YouTubing this pug ugly bastard, I’ll YouTube you so I can see if you’re poetry in motion.”

The hint and threat was undeniable in Roberto’s eyes. He’d love nothing better than to take Gwen from Chris. Julián chuckled in amusement, possibly catching his meaning. Roberto had a way about him that seemed to attract most women like bees to honey, but Gwen didn’t seem overly impressed. Her only reaction to his comment was a slight furrowing between her brows.

Chris slid an arm around Gwen’s waist and nuzzled her ear before he said, “They have the food set up outside now if you’re hungry.”

She gently rubbed her hip against his and whispered, “I’m starving.”

Chris cleared his throat to cover his soft groan and stroked the top of her ass cheek, trying to ignore the tingling in his cock. His sisters would be ruthless if they spotted him with wood that afternoon. He clenched his jaw as he led her with the others out back.

“Oh, this is incredible!” Gwen gasped as she looked around. The enclosed deck was his mother’s sanctuary and her favorite spot in their home. The structure which ran the entire length of the back of the house was completely closed in with tall glass windows from one end to the other, giving it a greenhouse effect. On the east end of the porch his father had built a container garden for his mother filled with many of the herbs they used in their restaurants. He could recall how she’d perch on the edge of the raised bed and work in the soil for hours, tenderly cosseting her plants, at peace when she was surrounded by chaos.

The memory made him smile as his mother approached with three white china plates in her hands. She gave them to Chris and said, “Gwen, as our guest of honor, we’d like you to serve yourself first. The others will get everything else set up at the tables so you take your time. Chris can tell you what’s what on the serving table. Please help yourself.”

Gwen nodded and smiled and went with him when he led her to the serving table. “Wouldn’t paper plates be easier? Less mess to clean up?”

Chris shook his head. “No, no. Not with these women around. I guarantee you the forces have already been marshaled and everyone has a task afterward. The dishes will be done in minutes. They don’t like paper plates. I think it’s because they own a restaurant. They wouldn’t serve their customers on paper and this is family so we eat off of the good china.” He pointed to the container holding semolina gold and handed her a serving utensil. “You’re in for a rare treat. That’s my Grannie’s homemade ravioli with sausage and spinach stuffing in sage butter. These are so good, you’re gonna take one bite and then you’re gonna die.”