A Change for the Good

by Melanie Jayne

  “I had gone through months of negotiations regarding the divorce, I agreed to walk away with very little. It was the easier route. I just wanted it to come to an end and be done with Nate. Next there was the investigation into Nate and then me. I was finally cleared of any wrong doing but I had to jump through lots of hoops.”

  Two gut-wrenching hours later, Geno put his pen down and sat back in his chair. Zoe was talked out and emotionally depleted. She provided Geno the detailed information about her social and work history with phone numbers, names of references, her attorney’s information and access to her banking records. She e-mailed copies of documents and copied Tony. She called her attorney in Denver so that Geno could be introduced. She really couldn’t think of anything left to go over.

  The phone on Geno’s desk rang. “Excuse me, it’s my wife.”

  Tony took Zoe’s hand and asked, “Need more to drink?”

  “No, thank you. I’m good.”

  Geno hung up the receiver. “Tony, Patty wants to talk to you at the house.”

  Tony smirked. “That is a not so subtle cue for me to leave this meeting. I’ll see you in a few.” He stood and brushed a kiss on Zoe’s cheek.

  After the office door closed, Geno leaned back into his chair and tapped his pen on chest. He seemed to be holding a silent discussion with himself. She watched him for several minutes, she was just getting ready to speak when he let out a loud sigh. He frowned then sat up and leaned forward in his chair.

  “I know that this is going to sound very unprofessional. Now hear me out. I want to give you some advice, relationship advice. I find that I like you. And I like you for my brother.”

  She nodded, “Okay, uhm, go ahead.”

  “I know that you and my brother have not known each other for very long but he is growing attached to you. I’m happy that you agreed to allow him to sit in and hear your history. I don’t want to cause him any more pain or frustration. He would have felt both if you had excluded him. He tends to be protective and possessive of those he cares about and he cares for you. I witnessed first-hand the other day at the hospital.”

  “I have put up a fight against becoming involved with Tony. We are very different. I think I’m failing miserably, because I care about Tony. Since all of this has happened, I don’t want to keep secrets from your brother, Mr. Alessi” She felt the cold sweat break out along her spine. This was the first time that she admitted that she cared about Tony.

  Geno paused. “Yes there are differences but you both share something too. You’re both survivors. Consider this advice. Stop looking for reasons not to be involved, and concentrate on all of the reasons to be involved. A good partner makes even the roughest of times bearable and better. I think you could be a really good partner, if you will let yourself.”

  Zoe nodded and smiled shyly, feeling that she had Geno’s approval.

  He switched gears, back to business. “Now here is my standard contract. I’m requesting a five thousand dollar retainer because this is going to take many man hours. I can wait a few days for you to gather the money.” He continued the spiel. “I can send you a weekly billing statement or bi-weekly. That’s up to you. If this isn’t wrapped up in thirty days then I will send a statement and we can discuss the plan to move forward.”

  “I can write a check today. I do appreciate you taking me on as a client, although, I believe that Tony gave you no choice.” She tried to keep from smiling when she said Tony’s name, but failed. “Thanks also for the other advice, I will think about it and I don’t think that you are unprofessional. I think it’s great that Tony has a family that cares so much about him.”

  Tony met them as they walked to the main house. He pulled Zoe to his side and hugged her. “Geno, give us a minute?”

  Geno continued on, flashing a huge smile, giving the couple privacy.

  Tony turned Zoe so that they were facing one another, “So how did it go with Geno after I left?”

  “Well, he didn’t pull out a bright light and tie me to a chair for additional questioning.” She teased.

  “You did fine.” He pulled her close and kissed her lips.

  “Are you okay?” Zoe knew that he understood that she was referring to her story.

  “Zoe, you are amazing. You’ve had it rough but you are here, with me.”

  “I meant what I said about you asking questions. You know about anything I said.”

  “I heard you, babe and I appreciate the offer. Now onto the next topic, Patty has invited us to stay for dinner. Hold on, before you get worked up, I told her a little about your past, only that you had a rough divorce and that your ex was a thief.”

  “She’ll hate me.” It came out as a whine.

  “No, she will be sympathetic and not cross-examine you over the salad. Trust me. If I thought there would be a problem, I would take you home right now.”

  “You had better be right.”

  “I’m always right.” She smacked his arm. “Except when I’m wrong.”

  They entered the house laughing.

  A few hours later, they were driving back to Zoe’s apartment, she felt relaxed and comfortable. “You were right, dinner was amazing. I loved the wine and oh my God, the sauce, I cannot believe that Patty made it herself.”

  “I’m glad you enjoyed it. My sister-in-law is an awesome cook. Now don’t get me wrong, she can be nosey, pushy, and a pain in the ass, but I forgive her everything when she cooks. Plus, she and Geno are a good match. She was a trauma nurse until she went through the breast cancer thing. Now things are fine and they are stronger than ever.”

  “I didn’t know about the cancer.”

  “I was working in Charlotte. Geno was a mess, the kids were really little and Patty was so strong. She refused to let it slow her down. She’s been cancer free for years.”

  “I like her. I got the impression that she was giving me a pass tonight but next time, she will corner me for questioning.”

  “Sounds about right.”

  “I wanted to talk about you staying with me.”

  Tony turned his head abruptly and interrupted. “Babe, I’m with you.”

  “But Tony, don’t you have things to do?”

  “Yeah, take care of you.“

  “What about the gym or jobs for your brother?”

  “Zoe, I got it under control. Are you telling me that you don’t like me being around?”

  She felt the blush stain her cheeks as she searched for an answer.

  He shot a knowing smile in her direction.

  “It’s not that I don’t like having you around. I mean, I …”

  “Finally, progress. You admit that we have something.”

  He was smiling so big, she had never thought about what a shit-eating grin looked like but Tony was wearing one.

  “I don’t know how to respond to that.”

  “Someone broke into your home, Zoe and they have been stalking you. We need to find out what is going on and stop it. I can protect you and in the meantime it gives us time to get to know each other.”

  “But.”

  “Zoe, stop fighting it and me.” Tony’s voice was firm.

  Oh Lord, I am in so much trouble. She was thrilled to find the warmth spreading through her chest and around her heart.

  Once in the apartment, Zoe stood at the bottom of the stairs. “I’m pooped. I think I’ll go to bed and maybe read until I fall asleep.”

  “It’s a little early for me, I think I’ll watch some TV before I come up. Is that okay?” Tony asked.

  “Of course. Do what you want.” She walked into his arms and gave him a hug, then a kiss on his cheek.

  Zoe woke as the mattress depressed from Tony climbing into bed. She turned to him and pulled him closer to her body. He kissed her deeply, as his hands traveled to her breasts.

  God his callused hands felt so good on her sensitive skin. She purred. “Have I mentioned that I really like how you wake me?” She nipped his earlobe.

  There was a qui
ck intake of breath as he pinched her nipple. He bent his bead to suck on the right point through her t-shirt.

  The combined friction between his lips and the t-shirt made her moan. She ran her fingers through his hair, loosening his ponytail. The thought flashed into her mind, Was Tony uncomfortable with the things he heard this afternoon? What if hearing about her old life turned him off? She tried to turn her brain off and enjoy Tony’s hands and mouth on her. It wasn’t working. Taking a deep breath to gather her courage she told herself for the multi-millionth time that you can’t change the past, you can only learn from it. “Do you have any questions or anything that you want to say about what I talked about today?” she asked cautiously.

  Tony’s hand stilled on her breast. “You want to talk about this now?” He was incredulous.

  She sighed, “Kinda. I …I need to feel like you understand, from how I grew up to now. Why I’m trying to make good decisions.”

  Tony’s hands stilled. “Am I not a good decision?”

  “Yes, yes you are. That’s why I need for you to understand how things were.”

  He shifted his body and rolled onto his side, resting his head on his hand. “It’s a lot to digest. I didn’t read your divorce documents. How did that work out?”

  Zoe rolled to her side, facing Tony. “My attorney was slick. We knew that thanks to my father, I was set to inherit enough money to live comfortably. So when I grew tired of the constant settlement battles, I walked away.”

  “You let that jerk off the hook? I can’t believe that you didn’t try to take everything from him.” Tony sounded incredulous.

  “I can see why you would think that, but I was so worn down. I just wanted out. Plus, I knew I would be better than okay with the inheritance. I was so tired of the constant pressure of the battles plus the only ones’ getting anything out of it, were the attorneys.”

  Tony rested his warm hand on her hip. “You got to such a low place that you knew you needed to make a change or you would be lost?”

  Zoe felt some of the tension leave her body. God, Tony was a good guy. “Exactly. It took a while for me to gather myself. I realized that I needed to start over and I had to get away from Denver to do it. I had been broken, but I was slowly putting myself back together. I learned that I am a dangerous woman when I have a plan. I threw caution to the wind and picked Columbus for my fresh start.”

  “I’m glad you did.” Tony moved in to kiss her lightly on the lips.

  Her heart skipped a beat, Tony was winning her heart. She knew that from the beginning there was a connection between them. Was it strong enough? She couldn’t say, but the foundation was there. The realization gave her the courage to continue. “I’m, trying to live and learn from my mistakes. My plan was to stay in the apartment until I’m sure this is the place for me. I might build a house. I’d like something in the country where I could have some animals. In my old life, I couldn’t have animals, they didn’t fit in with that lifestyle, too messy, too needy.”

  “I have a cabin in the country,” Tony blurted out.

  “You do? Do you have animals?”

  “Not yet, I’ve never had the chance to live there full-time. But yeah, I would like some animals.”

  ****

  Listening to Zoe describe her life in Denver, it seemed like she was talking about an entirely different person. Even with his training and undercover work, it was hard to reconcile the person Zoe described to the vibrant woman beside him. Tony knew that his response to her outpouring would be a major milestone in their relationship.

  She turned so that her back was resting against his front, cradled in his arms. He sensed that she had not fallen asleep. He willed his mind to stop harping on the one question that he wanted to ask. “I want you to know that I understand that it is hard to relive the past, especially the parts that are upsetting, the difficulty in finding the right words to express the pain. Baby, I’m grateful that you shared all of that with me. I’ve got one question. If your ex came back today would you explore forgiving him? Time has passed and that initial shock and pain have lessened. Would you consider reconciling?”

  Zoe shot to her knees, turning to face Tony. “God no, not on your life!” Angrily, her voice rose.

  He could feel her shaking. “Zoe, I didn’t mean to upset you, I’m trying to fill in some gaps.” He hoped she wasn’t as upset as the tremors in her body led him to believe. He wrestled her back into his arms, this time with her body facing his.

  Her voice was roughened by emotion. “I fell out of love about seven years into the marriage. I had a romanticized view of what married life should be and I put up with a lot. We were public partners, understanding the roles we had to play to compliment the other’s career. When I look back, it embarrasses me that I was fine with going through the motions, like a robot.

  “To add more injury, Nate humiliated me in a deposition after he was indicted. He hinted that the divorce was my fault because I wasn’t paying attention to his needs. Ha what a lie! I was the one who was neglected, probably because he was fucking around. When I initiated sex he wasn’t interested. I tried, really I did. I wanted to try things, sexually, I wanted more. When I suggested we try anal, he humiliated me by saying that ‘no man would want to put his cock in your fat, cottage cheese ass.’ That was the last straw. I moved into the spare bedroom that night. In my own way, I left the marriage way before he did. I wasted a lot of my life on that relationship.”

  Tony could hear the tears in her voice. He stroked her hair and considered his response to the bombshells she had just dropped. “Shh, Zoe.” He ran his hand from her shoulder to her hip. “I think you are beautiful and sexy. I noticed you that first day in the gym and the only thing I could think about was fucking you, how it would feel for my hands to sink into your hips as I pounded into that soft flesh, your pussy gripping my cock. It was the first time that I’ve wanted to fuck since getting shot. I wanted you and if you had given me any indication you were willing, I would have pulled you into the locker room and fucked you in the shower.”

  Zoe’s breathing quickened as she stretched to meet his lips. When she pulled away slowly, her leg was draped over Tony’s thighs and his hand was on one breast and the other tangled in her hair. Yes, there definitely was chemistry between them, explosive if they ever unleashed it. Tony could hear the smile in her voice. “You said the perfect thing. Thank you.”

  “Just the truth, babe. I’m an honest man. I don’t like games or subtext, you ask and I will answer. I’m gonna have your sweet pussy with my fingers, my mouth, my cock and any other thing I choose. I will have you screaming my name every damn time I’m in you. Now that I know your ass is virgin, it’s mine. Be warned, I am not gentle. I’m a demanding lover. You are a sexual woman, Zoe. I sensed it and I see the proof in how you respond to my touch. You have been waiting too long for a man to see to your needs. I am that man. So prepare yourself because when you are better, I am going to be on you and in you.”

  “Holy shit! I can’t wait to see what you are going to do.”

  Tony wrestled her back into their sleeping position. “We need to get you healed so that I can show you all the things I want to do to you. With you, Zoe.”

  When he fell asleep it was with a good feeling in his heart.

  Chapter Eight

  The next morning the alarm company installation crew arrived as scheduled. Tony supervised the setting up to ensure that everything was operating correctly. Zoe had been quiet all morning, he assumed it was due to an emotional hangover.

  After lunch, she napped while Tony called Geno to check in. “The crew just wrapped up, thanks for pulling strings to get the job fast tracked.”

  “All part of the service.” Tony could hear the office chair creak and he pictured Geno leaning back with his feet on his desk. “How’s Zoe doing today?”

  “Last night was rough. She told me more about her marriage. I think she is worn out from talking about it. I’m planning a date night at McClary’s. W
e need to get out and clear our heads.”

  “McClary’s is a great choice, good food and candlelight. Romance her but don’t get pushy. I mean you’re already living with her.”

  “I know. I am trying to give her plenty of space.”

  “I’ve been looking through her documents, the newspaper articles and court records regarding the divorce and her ex-husband’s case. He is a piece of work. He skated by on home detention for two years, lost his license to practice law but he isn’t hurting too badly.”

  “How far are you into the review?” Tony asked.

  “I’m about twelve hours in.”

  “Thanks for this. I know you burned the midnight oil.”

  “I like her, Tony. I’ve been curious since I met her at the hospital.”

  “And?” Tony prompted.

  “Watching the two of you together, I get it.”

  “What did Patty say?”

  “You know Patty, she’s protective. She didn’t have much to say last night. I think that is a good sign.”

  “I’ll take that as a positive.” Tony knew that Patty would be Zoe’s toughest hurdle.

  “It will take more than one dinner before Patty will cast her vote. I was impressed, that Zoe didn’t use our time alone to ask questions about you or Atlanta.”

  “Zoe treads lightly regarding my past. It’s almost like she is afraid of what I have to tell her.”

  “If that is how she feels then it’s because you’ve planted that idea that she shouldn’t want to know. She seems like she can handle the truth.”

  “Oh so now you know her better than I do?” He closed his eyes to help calm his churning emotions.

  “No. That is not what I am saying, Tony. I can see that you care about her. You watch her and have a smile on your face. She smiles when she mentions your name.”

  “She does?” He knew he was grinning like a sap.

  “Yes she does. If this is what you want, then I want it for you, too. What I’m saying is, don’t scare her off with mysterious hints. I think she is strong enough to hear whatever you feel like sharing.”