by Cala Riley
“Where are you going, beautiful?” He attempts to pull me back in, but Dante’s there in a minute.
“Miss Isabella, I believe it’s time we go.”
“Hey, she’s safe with me. Why don’t you leave us alone? I will make sure she makes it home safely.”
The smile on Kevin’s face creeps me out, but I also don’t want to give in to Dante. While this isn’t the night I hoped for, I still want to have fun.
“Dante, stand down. I’m not ready to leave yet. I think I’m going to go get a drink. You boys behave while I’m gone.” I give them each a pointed look and don’t give them an opportunity to argue. Once at the bar, I glance back and meet Dante’s eyes. He followed me to the bar while Kevin moved to grab us a table on the side of the dance floor.
“You’re about to have a visitor.”
That’s the only warning I get before Matty slides up next to me.
“Hey, short stuff. Whatcha up to?”
“I’m not short, asshole. You’re just abnormally tall. I’m drinking. Want a shot?”
He grimaces. “No can do. I’m on babysitter duty tonight.” He gestures to the VIP area where I spot Greer dancing.
The bartender comes our way as soon as she recognizes Matt and takes my order quickly.
“Bash let his darling sister out of the house? I’m surprised. Should I go and have a drink with the girl?” I raise my eyebrow at her.
“Actually, I think you should go.” His hand is rubbing the back of his neck nervously.
“Excuse me? You know better than anyone not to tell me what to do.”
“I know, Iz. Listen, Giovanni’s here. He saw you dancing with some guy and almost lost his shit. He went to calm down, but I think you should go, unless you want your date to end up missing.”
I roll my eyes at him before taking the shot of tequila the bartender put in front of me. “Whew! Bring me another, hun,” I say to the gorgeous blonde.
“Sure thing, babe.” She winks at me, and I giggle.
I pick up my fruity drink and drink a third of it.
“Women are nothing but trouble,” Matt mutters to himself.
“Pardon me, Matty?”
“I said you’re a big pain in the fucking ass.” He wraps his arms around me. “Please do this for me. I need to watch Greer, and I can’t be on my game if I’m worried about you and Gio as well.”
Just then blondie comes back with my second shot.
“Thanks, babe. Put it on his tab.” I gesture to Matt.
He sighs and nods to her, and she smiles before walking away.
I hold my shot up to Matt before making a toast. “To good friends and the things they owe you.” Then I toss it back and hiss. “Tequila burns so good.”
“So?” he asks.
“Let me suck this drink down; then I will go home.”
“Alone, Izzy. Go home alone.”
His implication that I would take a stranger to my home angers me, but I attempt to push it back down.
“Don’t worry, Matty. The only man going to bed with me tonight will be B.O.B. He’s the only one who knows how to do it right anyway.” I suck down the rest of my drink while I listen to Matt groan next to me.
Magically, Kevin has appeared next to me. “Isabella, would you like to dance again?”
“She’s good,” Matt answers for me.
“I’m sorry, who are you?”
Matt goes to step up to Kevin, but I step between them. I stumble slightly as I feel the alcohol hit my system.
“Matt’s my brother. He’s going to take me home. I had a nice night, Kevin. Maybe we will see each other again.”
“I can take you home.”
“No thanks, I have a ride. Have a good night.”
He leans in to kiss my cheek, but I step back into Matt involuntarily. “Nice to see you again.”
Dante appears and takes my hand, leading me out through the back of the club.
“Isabella!”
I glance back and find Matt standing there stopping Kevin from following me. I give him a small smile then look forward again. Within minutes, I’m being led down the alleyway toward Dante’s car. I’m about to slide in when I spot two figures standing at the end of the alley. It only takes me a second to realize it’s Giovanni with a girl.
I act without thinking first. One minute I’m standing next to the car with Dante coaxing me inside; then the next I’m stomping toward Giovanni with Dante hot on my heels. Dante attempts to grab my arm, but I turn and punch him in the face. He drops my arm as I continue my walk.
“Seriously, you piece of shit asshole! You’re standing out here talking to some two-bit hooker while you have your goons escort me from the club. What kind of pathetic piece of shit are you?”
The girl’s eyes widen when she sees me.
“You sure you don’t want to come with me?” she whispers loud enough for me to catch.
“Sure, honey. He wants to go where fifty million other men have been before. Beat it before I tear those fake-ass extensions out of your hair.”
“You should go,” Giovanni says softly. “She’s a little crazy. Like I said, go down the street and make a left and you will see Lucky’s about half a mile down on the right. Be safe.”
She mutters a thank you and rushes off as I turn my attention to Giovanni.
“Crazy! Me? You’re a fucking ass! You have some nerve sitting here flirting with another woman while you’ve been telling me for months now how you want to talk to me, explain shit to me. How you still love me. Is it all an act? Do you only want what you can’t have? Fucking cockwobble. Answer me!”
At this point, I’m screaming at him and have gained the attention of pedestrians all around us. Dante goes to move toward me, but Gio holds his hand out to stop him.
“Izzy, it’s not safe to be standing out here. Let’s talk in my car.” He steps closer to me and places his hand on my shoulder.
“Oh, but it’s safe for you to stand here with some barely clothed hooker.” I push at his chest as I spit my words at him.
His eyes flare as he grabs my hand. “I don’t care about that woman. I care about you and your safety. Now get in the car, Isabella.”
I struggle in his grasp. “I don’t have to go anywhere with you. Don’t you touch me. Don’t make me scream.” As I rant to him, he starts to pull me toward his car. “Stop! What are you doing? Help! Stop! Don’t touch me!”
He stops abruptly, making me fall into his arms. Within a breath, I’m pushed up against his car as he presses his body into me. My breath catches in my throat.
“Are you done throwing your tantrum, Isabella?” His voice is calm, but I recognize the anger in his eyes.
A sane woman would stop. A sober one would have never caused such a scene. Right now, I am neither.
“No! Get off me. Let me go. Help!”
I barely get the last syllable out of my mouth before he presses his lips to mine.
At first, I freeze from the shock. Then I attempt to pull back out of anger. He doesn’t move his lips, just leaves them pressed to mine. Within seconds, the tingles his lips are causing melts my stiff body as I allow myself to fold into his body.
First, my arms move from his chest, up his arms, to wrap around his neck. Then, I press my lips against his instead of attempting to pull away. We each stare into each other's eyes. I notice the moment he notices the change in me. His anger is still there, but the heat creeps in, taking over.
As soon as I begin to move my lips on his, he takes over the kiss, licking the seam of my lips until I open for him. I don’t hesitate. My body moves with his like it hasn’t been years since they were together. I’m lost in the feeling of his lips on mine as his hands run up my body. I forget where we are and what we are doing. The only thing on my mind is him.
A throat clears behind Gio, but I ignore it, pulling him closer to me.
The throat clears again, but this time Gio attempts to pull away from me. His lips leave mine, but I chase after them, g
rabbing his shirt to pull him back to me. He kisses me softly twice more before a voice interrupts.
“Sir, we really should move her out of the open. This isn’t safe.”
That shocks Gio out of our spell. He pulls me away from the car before opening the door. “In.”
The demanding tone of his voice sends a shiver down my spine. I don’t even realize I have listened to him until he shuts the door. I watch as he speaks to Dante. Part of me is screaming to let Dante take me home. The other part, the one who is winning, is staring at Giovanni’s gorgeous body. He always did look yummy in a suit.
And that kiss. Holy shit, he has gotten better at it.
He finishes talking to Dante before passing in front of the car to slide in on the driver’s side. Once inside, I watch as Dante heads back into the club.
“Where’s Dante going?”
“He’s going to take over my job tonight. I’m your protection.”
The fighting side of me can’t stay quiet as he puts the car into drive as he pulls away from the club.
“Who said I need or want your protection?”
He chuckles. “Your lips two minutes ago. Now be quiet for a minute, I need to call Bash.”
“Don’t tell me to be quiet, asshole.”
He glares at me as he pulls his phone out and puts it to his ear. “Hey, I left Dante with Matteo and Enzo. I had an issue arise I needed to take care of.”
“Jerk, I’m not an issue.”
He growls, but otherwise remains quiet.
“I told them she could have one more hour; then they needed to take her back to your mother’s. I also had Dante call and add three more guards on her in the club.”
“Poor Greer. You guys treat her as if she’s a child. She’s an adult. Let her live her life!”
“Would you be quiet for five fucking minutes, Isabella? Fuck.” He sighs. “Yeah, I have my hands full. I’m going to take her home and watch her. Call me if you need me to go assist with Greer.” He pulls the phone away from his ear and throws it into the center console.
“How much trouble are you in with Bash for leaving his precious little princess at the club alone?”
“She’s not alone. She always has three guards with her that she knows about and another seven around the club keeping their eyes on her. We even have one of the guy’s girlfriends in the group of girls she’s dancing with. Trust me, she’s well protected.”
I cluck my tongue at him. “Naïve boy. If she wants trouble, she will find it. Trust me.”
“Just like the trouble you were getting into tonight? Did you even know the man you were dry humping on the dance floor?”
I punch him in his arm. “I was not dry humping anyone. I was dancing, and he tried taking liberties that I did not agree with. I stopped him as soon as he attempted to take those liberties.”
Gio slams on the brakes. I barely catch myself from hitting the dash as the seat belt digs into my shoulder.
“What the fuck!”
I look over and find Gio fuming.
“He touched you without your permission?” His quiet voice sounds calm, but his body shows the anger radiating from him.
“I didn’t say that. I can take care of myself, Gio. Seriously, I’m fine. Can you just drive? I’m ready to go home.”
He huffs before grabbing his phone and typing out a text. Horns blare around us, but he ignores them all. After finishing his texts, he puts his phone in the cupholder before continuing to drive.
I lay my head against the window as we ride in silence. As the city flies by, I notice we’re heading away from my home instead of toward it.
“Where are we going, Gio? You know where I live, right?”
“Of course I do. We aren’t going to your place.”
A ping of worry starts to creep up inside me.
Don’t trust anyone. Dante’s warning blares in my head.
“Listen, I’m sorry I was so difficult tonight. Just take me home, and I promise I will behave.”
He chuckles but doesn’t respond.
“Seriously. We can pretend I didn’t go out tonight. You don’t even have to protect me. I will be fine.”
He shakes his head. “There is no way I’m leaving you alone. You can get that out of your head.”
I chew on my lip as I stare at him. Within minutes, he pulls into the driveway of a gorgeous house with a garage. Once the garage is fully closed behind us, he jumps out of the car. He pauses as he stares at me in the car. After a moment, he comes over and opens my door.
“I would rather go home, Gio.”
My nerves are still on edge, but my body wants to go with him.
“Get out of the car, Iz.”
I swallow hard as I stare at the hand he’s holding out to me.
“Come on, I won’t bite. Well, unless you want me to.” He winks at me while giving me his signature smile.
I continue to bite on my lip while my mind goes over all the possible reasons we can be at this house.
“That’s your telltale sign that you’re nervous. Are you worried I will ravish you? Or do you think I’m going to kill you?”
The warmth my body gained from his first statement flees when he makes his second statement. Something must show in my eyes because he drops his hand and kneels between the door of the car and me.
“Do you honestly think I would ever lay a finger on you in a way that would be harmful?” he asks softly. His eyes show the hurt behind his words while his hands rest on my knees.
I feel my body soften as I stare at the sincerity in his eyes. “I don’t know what you would do. The Giovanni from five years ago would have never hurt me, but I don’t know that boy anymore.”
“I’m still that Giovanni. I’ve changed, but my heart is still the same. I would never hurt you no matter what. I would rather cut my own heart out of my chest than for any harm come to you by anyone's hand, let alone my own. I thought you knew that.”
I feel my breathing come a little harder at his admission. Instead of acknowledging his words, I deflect. “I’m cold. Do you have heat in this mansion?”
He chuckles. “It isn’t a mansion.” He holds out his hand, and this time I allow him to pull me from the car. “It’s only a three bedroom, two bath.”
He leads me inside the house, and I’m caught off guard by the lack of decoration.
“Didn’t your mom teach you how to decorate? Where’s the color? What’s with all the white?” I frown.
“I never got around to it. This is how I bought it.” He shrugs, as if he couldn’t care less.
“What a shame. Such a beautiful house being neglected.”
“My mom tried to come decorate once, but I told her I didn’t want her to.”
The green-eyed monster creeps in. “I see. Didn’t want any female company thinking there was a female presence here, huh?” I try and sound as nonchalant as I can as I walk along the back of the couch.
His quiet chuckle causes my hackles to rise as I whip to face him.
“What?”
“You’re about as subtle as a brick through a window, Iz.”
I can’t help the huff that comes out of my mouth. “I have no idea what you mean, Giovanni.”
He walks closer before brushing my hair off my collarbone. “Just ask what you want to know, Isabella. Ask me how many women I’ve brought here.”
My back stiffens at his words. An image of half-dressed women flashes through my mind. I don’t want to know how many women he’s brought here. I don’t want to know how many women he has been with, period. I swallow past the lump in my throat as I push him away from me before turning my back to him.
“I don’t need to know how many skanks you have fucked, Giovanni.”
He leans into my neck as he whispers his next words.
“I’ve never, and I mean never, brought a woman here. I never planned to bring anyone but you here. I didn’t want my mother to decorate because I always hoped that one day you would. As for women I’ve fucked, well,
the answer would surprise you, but know this, Isabella. Ever since you’ve come back into my life, I’ve been celibate.” At the sound of my sharp intake of breath, he chuckles. “That’s right, Iz. It has only been me, my hand, and sweet memories of you and your body keeping me warm at night.”
He places a soft kiss on the side of my throat while his hands settle on my hips. A shiver travels down my body as I relish the feeling of his lips on my skin. I wish I could blame the buzzing in my blood on the alcohol, but the drunk feeling intoxicating me now is uniquely Gio. He’s the only person who has ever been able to make me feel drunk without needing a drop of alcohol.
I open my mouth to speak, but words fail me. I want to live in this moment. I want to trust my heart and give in to my body. I want to be young and carefree like I was back when he was mine.
The only problem is my mind will not shut off. Even with the liquor I drank earlier, my mind is still reminding me of every little mistake I ever made. It still throws every time Gio has let me down in my face.
He moves away, and immediately I miss the heat of his body. He taps my hips twice before taking my hand and leading me down a hall.
“I can hear your thoughts from here. We don’t need to talk tonight.”
He stops in front of an open door at the end of the hall and gestures inside. I tentatively enter and stop at the bed. The room is sparse. There’s a huge bed taking up the middle, but otherwise the room looks empty. There is no sign this room has ever been used.
“I’m not sleeping with you.” I don’t know why I say it out loud, but I can’t stop myself.
“I didn’t think you would be, babe.” He walks to the closet I didn’t notice in the corner of the room. I watch as he opens the door to a huge walk-in closet. If the room is sparse, then the closet’s Christmas morning. What I assumed was a guest room I quickly realize is the master bedroom. Giovanni’s bedroom.
I watch as Gio walks into the closet and goes to an old dresser I recognize from our youth. All around him, suits are hung up. On one side, there is a wall of shoes, ties, and watches. Then in the back corner, the one thing that seems to be unique. Personal. The one thing that identifies the closet as Giovanni Catalini rather than a random soldier of the Italian mafia.