To Intrigue a Cavelli [The Seven Cavelli Brothers #1]

10. | Brothers & Juliette |

Perhaps in a way Vitelli was to be blamed for their current awkward predicament. Normally, it wasn't like him not to contact his brothers before coming to a gathering such as this.

He might have been looking forward to spending time with Miss Olivia Clarkson more than he anticipated. It made him uneasy, what he wanted with Olivia was a session of hot bone-breaking sex. Not a solid relationship based on promises and rings.

He had seen the outcome of it, all his brothers had. And poor Carlos was left to deal with the mess afterwards. Not that he would call his only nephews a mess. It was his oldest brother's bad luck that he fell for a woman who preferred riches and the adventurous life of a city girl rather than the plainness and the comfort a ranch, a husband and kids could offer her.

Vitelli wasn't going to be the one in his brother's shoes, he didn't want to fall apart just because of a woman and he certainly wasn't going to let the restrictions of marriage control his life.

The tension in the room raises a notch and Vitelli knew the look on his mother's face. And he wanted to kick himself on his ass for being the one that she directed it at. His mother was already seeing wedding bells and more grandkids.

Olivia was consuming his mind more than he had anticipated and it was making him let his guard down. It wasn't good. He just needed to speed things up and take a good, long lick out of her delectable body and get on with his life.

"Now," His mother spoke in that tone of hers that made hairs stand on his flesh even after all those years.

"Do not make Olivia uncomfortable. I do not like my guests feeling uneasy in my home." She takes a long look at each of her sons who pointedly ignore her sharp eyes.

Ollie doesn't know whether to be amused or warily of how the fully grown and intimidating men reacted to the little woman. It made Ollie even more aware that Juliette was a woman who singlehandedly raised these seven men.

Suddenly, Ollie wasn't just feeling intimidated by the woman, but she felt more respect towards her.

"And Nikolas, we shall have this conversation later." She says and Ollie gets the feeling that look didn't have much anger behind it as Juliette showed. Nikolas winces and nods slowly.

Satisfied, Juliette turns back towards Ollie and beams brightly. "Come Olivia dear," She gestures towards the seats in the parlour where her sons had been seated before she and Vitelli entered.

"I prefer Ollie." It was an automatic response and she looks at Juliette in slight alarm. "Ollie then." The woman smiles welcomingly and waves Ollie to sit down.

Vitelli places himself next to her, she doesn't miss the look he sent his brothers. They look at each other in surprise.

"Aren't you going to introduce us to your companion, brother mine?" The man with the grey blue eyes asks Vitelli. Vitelli nods.

"Of course, pardon me." He says, "Olivia, meet my brothers, Carlos, the oldest," He gestures to the man who had spoken previously, "The twins, Leo and Nikolas," They were almost identical except the mismatched eyes Leo had.

"Orpheus," The man with dark blue eyes smiles slightly at her, pushing his glasses back up his nose, "Thanatos," Thanatos is dressed the most casual of them all, "Marco and my youngest brother, Thomas." Thomas hid behind his brothers, eyeing Ollie shyly.

He was a precious thing, with sandy blonde hair and light brown eyes. He bore no resemblance to the Cavelli's but from how Vitelli looked at him, Ollie knew that he was as much a part of their family as the rest of them.

"It's very nice to meet you," She smiles easily at them, "From what little Vitelli has told me about you, I gather you are all very close?" She asks and all eyes switch to Vitelli.

He rarely talked to anyone about his family. They all could see what Nikolas had seen when he had first talked to Vitelli about Miss Olivia.

"Yes, we are," It was Carlos who replied, "We are." He smiles at her and Ollie feels at ease.

"Well then Ollie," Nikolas offers her a sly smirk, "Why don't you tell us about yourself. After all, as Mama said, it's not every day Vitelli brings home a girl." Ollie laughs, she was going to get along rather well with Nikolas. He reminded her of her own brother back home.

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"Thank you for the wonderful dinner Mrs. Cavelli," Ollie says as she dabs her mouth with the napkin. "I am pleased you have enjoyed it." Juliette grins, she liked Ollie Clarkson. The woman didn't seem to be fazed by the grandeur of the Cavelli Mansion nor was she putting on a façade.

In Juliette's eyes, it earned Ollie points from her sides. Plus, it helped that her sons were at ease around her and as a mother, she could see just how much Vitelli was smitten with her despite Ollie, bless her soul had no idea about it.

"Come Ollie," Juliette gestures her towards the gardens, lit by lamps and giving it an almost magical glow. "We shall take a walk, let the men tend to themselves." She says and doesn't give the men or Ollie a chance to protest before she has Ollie out with a flutter of her skirts.

"The flowers are beautiful Mrs. Cavelli," Ollie says unable to hide her awe. There were various types of flowers, all scattered throughout the garden, in various pots and planted firmly in the soil, the light from the lamps made it seem as though a scene from a fairy-tale garden.

"I planted them myself. Every single one of them. My boys love them as much as I do, they used to play around in these gardens all day." Juliette smiles fondly at the memory.

She points to a pot, made of white stone, there were images of men in horses with spars in hand engraved on it. The plant in it seemed almost glowing, there were flowers of sapphire growing on them.

"Each of my boys have their own faults, and Vitelli's is that he doesn't see what's infront of him." Juliette turns around and faces her.

"Tell me Ollie Clarkson, how did you meet my son?" She ask her and Ollie doesn't look away. "At a charity gala my boss was holding," Ollie answers honestly, "We were having an auction for a date with the female workers and Vitelli was a bidder there and I was one of the workers." She shrugs and Juliette's eyebrows rise up.

This was interesting, Vitelli rarely bids on any of those, especially if those involved women. It seemed like something Nikolas would do rather than her second oldest.

"Why did you come?" Juliette asks her and Ollie smiles, "The dinner didn't turn out quite how we both expected and I owe him." Ollie replies.

"Once this is over, I don't think I'll have anything to do with your son, Mrs. Cavelli." Ollie says and Juliette smiles widely.

Perhaps she would be getting her daughter-in-law and grandkids sooner than she had expected.

Vitelli wasn't going to let Ollie off just like that, because if anything, Vitelli was a Cavelli and being married to their father, Juliette knew more than anyone that what a Cavelli wants, a Cavelli gets.

And her son wanted this woman, not for sex as Vitelli had convinced himself, but for a part in his forever.

"Welcome to the family then Ollie dear!" Juliette brings Ollie close and kisses both her cheeks. "Shall we return back then? Vitelli must be beside himself with worry thinking I have scared you off." Juliette grins and Ollie doesn't know that she wasn't just dealing with a mother, she was dealing with a scheming mother.

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Hi guys! Sorry for the really late update, but here it is! Tell me what you think yeah?