Renzo (The Ciprianos of Kellington)

by Bergman, Jamallah

  “I’ve wanted to give you that kiss all damn day.” Softly he kissed the tip of her nose along with her forehead. The touch of his lips sent heat through her body.

  “Did you mean everything you told me over the phone earlier today?” She didn’t need an answer for his smile told her that he meant it. To reassure her, he kissed her once more to seal the deal. Never had she felt such love by a man, it didn’t seem real to her. Ever since she met this man, her life was coming undone. She didn’t know whether it would be for the best or for the worse, but she was willing to chance it. If she was going to be happy, Jaslyn knew he had to know her story. “Ren, is there somewhere we can go and talk?”

  “We can talk right here in the kitchen,” he said. When she pointed toward the door, he realized his brothers had been watching them the entire time, smiling and grinning.

  “You know you guys are horrible for spying on us. Come on, Ren, lead the way because we need to talk.” As she passed the guys, she saw Filomena coming up the hall spouting something in Italian and the boys followed her back into living room. All she could do was laugh as Ren pulled her down the hallway. They came to a door and he dug in his pocket, pulling out a key. “Why do you have a key to this door?”

  “Well this is my room, plus we all have keys to our rooms here for when we come and visit.” Unlocking the door, he let her go in first as she walked into a darkened room. He went over toward the wall and clicked on the light. She saw a king size bed nicely done up in colors of red, gold, and brown. The whole room reflected masculinity. “Come sit over here, next to the fireplace.”

  Putting two logs in the fireplace, he added kindling in between and below them. Next, he lit the match to ignite the kindling. Once the logs started to catch and the flames started to grow, he added another log to the fire. Soon a nice roaring fire ensued and after a couple of minutes, he put the fire screen up. He looked over at her sitting in his antique red arm chair and sat down on the ottoman in front of her. Holding her hand he said, “All right, we are here all alone, and you have my undivided attention.”

  Just breathe, sweetheart, she could hear her father telling her and being a daddy’s girl, she did exactly as told. It seemed to do the trick and she felt a bit better when she looked back into his eyes. “I think before anything more happens between us, I need to tell you about myself and what I’ve been through before I came to this town.”

  Renzo watched her try to talk.

  “When I was in New York, I was doing really well with my antiques…just like here. I really enjoyed going to parties and meeting new people. I honestly wasn’t looking for a relationship because my job was my first love. Then one night I went to a party one of my clients was giving over in the Village. There I met Gerald—tall, dark, and handsome. He reminded me of Tyson Bedford. I didn’t pay him much mind because I was interested in getting new clients. But, he would purposely bump into me with the same stupid line, ‘We really need to stop bumping into each other like this, you know.’ By the fifth time I told him, ‘You know what you’re right we need to stop bumping into each other like this.’ That was our first conversation and instead of me looking for clients, I ended up chatting it up with him. He was smooth that man was, and then he asked me out on a date. He wined and dined me. It was probably the best first date I had in years. He treated me like a princess. After that, he would come to my shop and take me out to lunch. He was a photographer and did a lot of model shoots. Sometimes his work was even published in Cosmo and Vogue. He also had photos on display in some of his friends’ art galleries in the Village and Manhattan. Sometimes he would take pictures of me working at the shop.” Jaslyn smiled remembering those first couple of months they were together but then the smile slowly departed from her lips.

  “What, Jaslyn, tell me what happened?”

  Her throat got so dry and she found it hard to swallow. She let out another deep sigh before talking again. “We were dating for about six months when the beatings started. At first, I thought maybe he was angry because he wasn’t selling much of his work. It started with the name calling, and worked up to belittling me in front of my friends as well as some of my customers. Then the physical part came with slapping me in the face so hard sometimes it would knock me down on the floor. When we were out, he had me sit right next to him. Whenever we were in the clubs, he had my arm underneath the table in a vice and would wring it so hard.”

  Renzo looked down as he watched her mimicking the way he had done it. It was too heartbreaking to see. He closed his eyes for a moment. “No, don’t close your eyes, Renzo. I don’t want you to close your eyes. You’ve got to see so you can know.”

  He looked back at her nodding. He took her hands once more in his, rubbing her knuckles with his fingers. “Also, I didn’t mention he had moved into my place at the time. He didn’t want me going out unless I went out with him. The only time I could go out anywhere was to work and if I went to work, I had to come back home after I closed up. He would put me down to the point I felt I couldn’t do anything without him. I was dependent on him for everything and I didn’t want to make him angry with me.

  “He would punch my body, never my face except for when he slapped me. I would wear long-sleeve shirts and blouses during the summer instead of wearing dresses and short-sleeve shirts like I normally would. My parents and brother started asking me questions. They knew something was wrong. But I would deny anything was wrong, telling them it was all in their heads and everything was fine. But it soon all came to a head. I was late coming home. I had been dealing with calls nonstop that day with a new big client. I completely lost track of time and forgot to call to let him know I would be a couple of minutes late. When I got home, he was on me as soon as I walked in the door. He made assumptions I had been off sleeping with another man and that’s why I was late. I kept telling him that wasn’t the case but he wasn’t listening.”

  Tears cascaded down her cheeks in streams as she relived the moment. The sobs began to hurt her chest. Renzo grabbed hold of her while she continued crying.

  “You don’t have to say another word please, Jaslyn, I hate hearing you like this,” Renzo pleaded. She fought against him holding her.

  “No, I’ve got to keep going, Ren. No matter what I’ve got to keep telling you,” Jaslyn demanded. He quickly got up, motioning her to wait a minute. He walked into the adjoining bathroom and she heard water running. He came back with a washcloth and handed it to her. She wiped her face with the warm wet cloth. “Thank you.” She smiled while a soft sigh escaped from her lips. “He ended up beating me up so badly I woke up in the hospital. I was in a coma for two weeks. My neighbors had heard my screams and called the cops. By the time they got there, I was a bloody mess and Gerald was gone. When I had woken up, they asked me who did this. I couldn’t speak because I had a breathing tube, so I wrote it down even though my hand was in a cast. It took about two months to find him. During that time I had physical therapy to walk again, which had been painful as well as hard. When they had him in custody, he denied ever beating me, but the neighbors told them that for months they had heard us getting into arguments and such. Why they didn’t call sooner I will never know, but it took them hearing me screaming to call. We ended up going to court and that was the hardest time I had ever had to spend in front of him. He would try and stare me down when it came for me to talk. I was still using a wheelchair even though I was able to walk. He only ended up getting a year in a half in jail and five years probation.”

  “A year in a half, how in the hell could that had happened after making you go through so much?”

  Jaslyn could only shake her head. She could never understand why he got so little time. “He ended up being released after about eight months, which angered my family and friends, especially my brother who wanted to kill him with his bare hands. I pleaded with him not to go do anything to him. We had to move on and I did just that. I couldn’t let what happen get to me anymore. My brother decided to not pursue it. One of his frie
nds had a different idea. Harry and I grew up together and he always thought of me like a little sister. He helped me while I was in therapy by taking me out to eat or bringing me food when I was too tired. Harry had plans of his own to make things right. One day, the cops came to my mother’s house questioning me as Gerald was missing. They said it looked like there was a fight in his apartment since most of his things were thrown around. Plus they figured he had been beaten because there was blood. I told them no because I honestly didn’t know a thing. They questioned all of my friends and my brother, but no one knew anything.”

  “By this time I was walking with the help of a cane. They did heat massages and other things to help with the pain since I couldn’t take the medicine. It wasn’t until about five months later they had found him dead miles outside of town. He had been beaten up so badly they had to identify him by his dental records. He had been shot ten times. I went into a state of shock, ending up having a nervous breakdown to the point that I couldn’t talk for days. My mom took me to a center where I underwent private counseling for three months. It was there I gradually healed. I had never endured anything so intense in my entire life, but it made me a stronger person, both mentally as well as physically. So now you know my story.”

  * * * *

  All Renzo could do was marvel at the woman sitting before him. She indeed had been through hell and back again. His little dove was a strong woman to contend with, but deep down when he looked into her eyes he knew that there was love there to give as well as to receive. He knew he wanted to be the one to give it to her, to put a smile on her face every day, to make every day with him a pleasant one. Sitting up on his knees in front of her, he wrapped his arms around her waist moving her closer to him as she stared down at him with those beautiful eyes. “I know that you have been through so much, but I think we both have been through a lot. I haven’t been through as much as you have, but we’ve both been through a lot with our significant others in the past. I care a great deal about you, Jaslyn darling, I have to admit that I’ve fallen for you hard.”

  “How can you say that?”

  “I know it seems farfetched that I could be falling in love with you. But when you meet the one person that will make your life complete, you feel it in your heart. You start to think about that person every second of the day, every little thing around you reminds you of them. That’s how I’ve felt about you since the day I walked into your shop and I honestly haven’t stopped wanting to be with you. You have to be one of the strongest women I’ve ever met, next to Mom. I think that’s what drew me to you…besides your beauty…it was your strength. I wanted to show you that even though you’ve built up such strength, you can still love and someone can love you for who you really are. I want to be the one to love you, Jaslyn. I want to show you that even with all the gossip you’ve heard about me and my brothers, it isn’t true about me. My brothers, I have to admit are somewhat still set in their ways, especially Gianni and Federico. But for me, I have only wanted one woman in my life.”

  He took her hands, those delicate fingers that he remembered touching his body that night at the restaurant, when they had their first kiss. “And that woman is you, Jaslyn. I think there was a reason for us to be together and it all started with us meeting at your shop. I know it was meant for us to meet and be together. Now that I have you in my life, Jaslyn, I don’t plan on ever letting you go. You are going to be in my life until the day we die,” Renzo told her, meaning every single word.

  Jaslyn shook her head in disbelief. “You know you’re crazy saying such things, right?”

  “The only thing I can say for a fact is that I am crazy about you. Jaslyn, do you understand just how amazing you are? I want us to get to know more about each other. I want to take you places, show you things, and explore everything this world has to offer us both. Just as long as I have you by my side throughout all of this, I will be the happiest man in Kellington.”

  “You know you say such nice things, Renzo, but how can I know you are for real?” Jaslyn wondered.

  “Just let me show you, mia colomba. I just want you to know and see that I am the man that I say I am. Then you can say to yourself Renzo Cipriano is trustworthy, dependable, loving, caring, and thoughtful. I want you to see me for who I am and not what you have heard.”

  * * * *

  His smile was sweet and he warmed her heart when she felt his cheek against her own. It made her feel good to have gotten it off her chest…it was something that had to been said if she planned to have any type of relationship with this man. She had to be truthful about her past before she could have any kind of future with him. She was falling for him just as much as he was falling for her. It was hard not to fall for him. He was suave as well as sweet, a gentleman who completely understood her and her needs. He still had plenty more to prove to her about himself, but so far he was doing just fine. Wrapping her arms around his neck, he held her tighter as she heaved a sigh when she felt his hands rubbing her back softly. God his hands feel wonderful. Feeling his fingers trace along her spine sent shivers through her. Soon soft kisses fondled her neck as she said, “You have amazing hands, you know that?”

  His lips softly nudged her earlobe, taking it between his lips to kiss it. The response her body gave made her moan when he whispered, “And what about my lips, mia cara, Jaslyn?” His breath was so warm when it blew across her lobe, it made her almost dizzy enough that she had to lean in as close as she could.

  “I like how they feel on my skin, makes me tingle.”

  He chuckled a bit while a primal growl vibrated in her ear as his lips caressed her cheek quickly capturing hers. God she could stay like this in his arms forever, in his room kissing him just like this. Her hand rubbed the inside of his coat along his chest. “Take off your jacket.”

  Looking at her, he quickly took off his jacket and began to undo his tie when she put her hand on his own. “Let me do that for you.”

  “Will you be doing this for me every night when I come home from work? Undoing my tie and taking off my clothes?”

  “Aren’t we getting a little ahead of ourselves, Mr. Cipriano? Next thing you know you’ll be picking out china patterns for our wedding.” Slowly she slipped the silk tie off his neck and locked onto his gaze.

  “You know how beautiful you are, Jaslyn?”

  Shaking her head Jaslyn almost blushed. “No, but you’ll probably tell me how beautiful.”

  A soft knock on the door interrupted the mood in the room as Filomena peeked her head in. “I’m sorry, you two, but I was wondering where you were and the boys said that you came down the hall. I am heading off to bed. Tomorrow is a busy day and I wanted to wish you both goodnight.”

  They quickly stood up. Jaslyn threw his tie over to the side while Renzo gave his mother a hug. “Goodnight, Mom, pleasant dreams.”

  “Goodnight, sweetheart, are you going to spend the night here? I told the boys I would make a big breakfast before they left tomorrow.”

  “Breakfast sounds great, and yeah, I’ll be spending the night.”

  Filomena walked over to Jaslyn and gave her a hug. “Sweet dreams, darling.”

  “Sweet dreams, Filomena. I’ll help out in the morning with breakfast.”

  “Thank you.”

  Jaslyn swore before the woman closed the door, she saw Filomena smile, which made her giggle.

  “Why are you giggling?” asked Renzo, taking her into his arms once more.

  “Your mother knew you were going to spend the night. She knows you won’t leave me here by myself.”

  “She’s right. Now that I’ve got you with me…” Before she knew it he scooped her off her feet, laughing at her reaction. She held on tightly around his neck. Carrying her over to the bed, he laid her down on the soft comforter. “I don’t plan on letting you go. I want you to be mine forever, mia colomba. I want to make you happy for the rest of your life, if you’ll let me.”

  Jaslyn couldn’t believe all the things this man was tel
ling her, but in a way it had been a long time coming.

  Chapter Eight

  “There hasn’t been a moment during the day or at night since I first met you that I haven’t thought about you. Your smile, your eyes, your voice…the entire package is what I’ve always wanted. I know you’ve been hesitant about even thinking of getting with me because of my past. But my past is just that, the past and this is the present. Jaslyn, you are my future.” His fingers traced her jawline while his thumb rubbed her full lips.

  Jaslyn reached out to run her fingers through the front of his hair while he continued touching her face. “What am I going to do with you?”

  He softly kissed her lips, arching her neck to capture them fully until he pressed her back down onto the pillow. “Farò l'amore con te questa notte, amore mio”

  He intensified their kiss positioning his muscular body between her legs. Her legs wrapped around his lower back while he grabbed a hold of her hips. A soft murmur escaped her lips as his fingers dug deeply into her flesh.

  “Help me get out of these clothes, baby.”

  Nimble fingers quickly undid the buttons on his white shirt, her fingers touching his warm skin sent shivers through him. She slowly took off his shirt revealing his bare chest. Her fingers explored every inch of him, as her eyes scanned his entire body. He began to take off her top, bunching it up from the bottom slowly pulling it over her head while her hair cascaded down along her shoulders. She sat there before him wearing a simple white cotton bra and a sweet smile. Kissing her forehead, his fingers traced the waistband of her skirt. She sat up as he slowly took it off. Her legs were thick, shapely, and once he ran his hand up one of them, they were also smooth to the touch and warm like the rest of her beautiful body. Renzo couldn’t stop looking her over even as her fingers start undoing his belt. “Tu sei davvero una visione, mia colomba.”