by Ava Catori
“I’m not sure what to say, but wow,” I said wrapping myself around him.
He laughed. “I tried my best. I know how important first impressions are.”
“Oh, and I see you’re ready to make a second impression as well,” I purred as I felt him still hard against me.
“That’s because I’m inspired,” he chuckled as I let my hand slide down his abs and then lower.
As the tip of my fingers reached his erected length, he hissed, and I regretted the darkness. I would have loved to watch his expression as I caressed him. Was he trying to look at me, too, or had he closed his eyes in a sweet surrender like I had a few minutes ago.
My head followed my hands tracing a road of hot kisses until my lips reached his sensitive tip. A small kiss and his hand was on my head, a flick of the tongue and his fingers dug in my hair. I teased for a bit, but he didn’t push or pressure me.
The sound he made when I engulfed him was the sweetest aphrodisiac ever. His hips lifted and soon enough I could feel him struggling. His fingers gripped my hair as he attempted to pull me away. I made a sound to indicate I was not letting go and the vibration did him in. I took all of him in as well as every drop of his essence and rested with my head on his tummy until he caught his breath.
A few minutes passed. The wind howled and the rain pounded the windows.
“We still need to talk,” he whispered in my ear after pulling me up to him.
I laughed. “I thought it was woman’s thing, you know, the talking after sex.”
“Well, I wanted to talk before, but somehow I got side tracked by a dazzling mermaid.”
I nuzzled his neck and answered, “Flattery won’t get you anywhere but just in case you were worried, I have an IUD. I won’t be knocking down your door in nine months to present you with a surprise baby.”
“Hmm…” he said. “Too bad, because it’s kind of fun to have cousins who are close in age.”
I ignored his answer. The last thing I wanted to think about now was my family and my horrible cousins.
“Also, I’m clean.” I added. “And it’s the first time in my life I didn’t use any protection.”
“Same here,” he answered surprising me. I would have thought that he’d gone without when he was with Tiffany. He must have sensed my reaction because he explained. “When Tiffany and I got back together, I suggested we both get tested to dispense with the condoms. I took the test right away but she kept forgetting so …” he didn’t finish his sentence. He sighed and continued, “I couldn’t figure it out, but now I know. She had someone else.”
“She told you?” I asked spontaneously.
“You knew?” The hurt was palpable as if I’d been the one who betrayed him.
“I only found out when I was in Atlantic City with my mother,” I told him, hating myself for feeling guilty.
“Sorry. I shouldn’t be mad at you. You didn’t do anything wrong,” he admitted while holding me tighter. “And I guess you didn’t have much of an opportunity to tell me,” he mumbled his lips in search of mine.
“I can’t believe I’m saying this,” I said. “But pretending to forget to take the test was one way she stayed loyal to you.”
He laughed. “You and Barbara, I’m wondering if you’re not related, because you have the same ability to point to the silver lining.”
Unsure I was as positive as Barbara, I took the compliment without protesting. I couldn’t anyway since his lips had found mind and there was no way I was interrupting this kiss.
* * *
20
Hunter
I didn’t want to leave her side, but I’d made a promise I needed to keep. I pulled away from her sweet lips one last time. The rain had slowed, though I wasn’t sure if the streets were flooded. We’d made it through the night without much more than flickering lights that finally gave out.
“I’m going to check things out, see if the roads are passible. And while I’m out, I have to go take care of something,” I said, keeping it vague.
“Can I come with you?” She snuggled in closer.
“It probably wouldn’t be a good idea. Why don’t you stay here and make sure everything is okay. I won’t be too long. I’ll come back for you.” I raked my fingers through her hair and looked into Gia’s eyes. It was hard to tear myself away, but I promised Tiffany’s mom I’d help remove the hurricane shutters. While I may have split up with Tiffany, I was good for my word, and her mother hadn’t done anything to upset me. The least I could do was keep my promise.
“Why wouldn’t it be a good idea?” she asked cautiously. “I can take care of myself. Besides, if there’s flooding, I don’t want you getting stuck alone.”
I swallowed hard and looked away. “I have to stop by Tiffany’s house. I told her mom I’d help her with something.”
“You what? I’m sure her mother will be fine,” she said, her jaw growing tense. “What exactly do you have to do? You realize she cheated on you right? You broke up with her. That means the two of you go separate ways. It’s convenient how you forgot to mention you were running back to Tiffany before we got…intimate.”
“It’s not like that, Gia. I’m not running back to Tiffany. Her mother has physical limitations and simply needs help with the shutters. It’s nothing more than that. I’m a man of my word. I told her I’d do it, and I will.” Couldn’t she see this had nothing to do with Tiffany? I thought I made it obvious I wanted to be with her. Did she think it was only physical? “Gia, it’s not what you’re thinking-”
“You’re so damn sure you know me.” She pulled away. “You don’t know me at all.”
“I know I want to be with you, not just sleep with you. I want you by my side. I love you, Gia.”
“So much that you’re running back to your ex-girlfriend right after making love…wrong word choice…having sex with me.” She got up, pulled clothes on, and paced.
“Stop, don’t be that way. That’s not fair. Everything happened so fast.” I dressed as I spoke.
“Just forget about it. Go help lover girl’s mommy. I’ve got my own stuff to do.” She’d closed down. Nobody was going to hurt her, and her thick armor was more than obvious.
“Gia, come on. I love you.”
“Just don’t, okay? It’s not like that. It was just sex. I’m not looking for more than a good time.” She lied, thinking she was good at it, but I saw through her act.
I pulled her closer, but she yanked away. “Gia?”
“Not now, okay; maybe later.” She turned her back to me.
My heart broke. I couldn’t understand how she could be angry. Didn’t I show her and tell her that she was the one I wanted? And yet, I somehow screwed something up, because I was heading out after the storm, not floating from the experience of making love to her. I was torn up over the misunderstanding. I hated leaving her like this.
“Just go,” she mumbled flatly. “I’ll talk to you when you get back.”
I looked at her one last time before leaving. It wasn’t a big job. I wouldn’t be long, but Tiffany’s mom needed help with some bigger physical jobs. She’d lost a lot of strength and muscle tone the last few years. An autoimmune disease left her weaker each year.
I made my way to my truck and climbed inside. Gripping the steering wheel tighter than normal, the tension started in my shoulders and rode up my neck. What just happened? Everything I wanted, I held in my arms. I thought I was what she wanted too. Was I throwing away our relationship by keeping some small promise? Really? Come on, if she was that insecure…not fair. I’d only broken it off with Tiffany hours ago. I closed my eyes and sighed. Getting out of the truck, I headed back in to see Gia.
“What are you doing here?” She glared at me.
I walked over to her and took her hand. “Come on, you can come with me and wait in the truck.”
“Great, now you think I’m some little girl, insecure and lost. Just go…”
“I don’t get it,” I groaned as frustration filled my head.
“You want to go, but when I come to get you, now you don’t? I can’t win. What do you want from me? You’re the one I want. I’m just doing some odd job for a lady who needs help. Why can’t you see that? Are you going to be one of those jealous women?”
She shrugged. “Did you come back just to offend me? Because if you did, it’s working; maybe this entire thing was a mistake.”
I wasn’t in the mood for head games. “Gia, you either want to go or you don’t. I’m leaving. You’re welcome to join me.”
She looked away. “I have things to do.”
“Whatever,” I said, storming out. What the hell was wrong with her?
* * *
21
Gia
As soon as Hunter left, I worked on removing all traces of our presence from the office. The electricity wasn’t back on yet, but looking out the window, I could see the damages weren’t as severe as feared. Cars drove by. Of course, there was a wake of water behind each, but it didn’t look so bad. Even though my car wasn’t as high as Hunter’s truck, I would be able to leave without drowning my engine.
Rolling up the air mattress, I cursed myself and then tried to rationalize my conduct.
After all, I had fantasized about the man for so many weeks that sleeping with him was not a bad idea per se. In a perfect world, our night together would have opened my eyes to the fact he was just another guy … except, he was so much more than that. I sighed. Instead of satisfying an absurd craving, his touch ignited a brand new need. Dealing with needs wasn’t what scared me. There were enough ways to handle that: cold showers and battery-operated devices could do the trick. No. That wouldn’t be an issue.
What really annoyed me and made me mad was that, for a few hours, I let myself believe him. But then he’d been perfect. He knew me so well. All those conversations we had about our lives and the way we felt about people had given him enough insight to know precisely what to tell me. He knew all the right words to make me fall. Yep, he played me, and I enjoyed every bit of it.
I brushed my teeth with bottled water in the office bathroom, happy there was almost no light. I was no morning beauty. It was probably only in the movies that women woke up with their hair artistically spread out on the pillow. On the big screen they looked their best as they opened their eyes at the crack of dawn to kiss their lovers. Well, this was not me, especially not after a crazy night of love making.
I caught myself. For me it had been love making, but obviously not for him. Nope. For him it had been a night of fucking, and probably not even a great night of fucking because a few seconds after opening his eyes, his first thought was to run. I caught my reflection in the window as I finished packing my bag, and realized I couldn’t really blame him. Compared to his impeccable blonde, I was rumpled mess. Still, he could have come up with a better reason to vanish.
The shutters! What a lousy excuse. I was aware it was unpleasant to spend a day with the shutters on, especially when the power was out. But no matter how annoying it was to remain in the dark, there was no urgency in shutter removal. Tiffany’s mother could have spent a full day in the dark and been just fine. The shutters were just an excuse to rush out.
Locking the door behind me, I silently thanked Hunter for his stupid lies. If he’d told me anything else, I’d still be with my head in the clouds. Had he told me that he needed time to think after last night, I would have felt sorry for him and pined away waiting for his return. His absurd shutter alibi had been perfect in as much as it had been lame enough to burst my bubble.
Such a pitiful escape plan had been a blessing in disguise. It opened my eyes. Now I knew what the real score was. I sure as hell wasn’t going to hang around waiting for him to see if Tiffany had changed her mind. No, sir, I refused to be his plan B.
It took me fifteen minutes to realize which direction I was going. I was heading home. My mother would be delighted to have me back, and as much as I hated returning, her house was probably the safest place for me to stay. Barbara wouldn’t miss me. She’d be too involved with the baby to worry about me, and as far as business was concerned, I doubted anything would get started again for a several days. Even if it did, my absence wouldn’t be an issue, Ryder and Hunter would be able to handle it.
Hiding out in my mother’s house wasn’t the bravest course of action, but it was the safest. I could think of no other place to remain while I waited for Sunday to catch Barbara’s grandfather after mass. I didn’t know yet how I was going to present the situation to him, but I was pretty sure I’d be able to approach him at the end of the service. I hadn’t been to Santa Lucia since my Nona’s death several years ago, but I was willing to bet a year’s salary that people still lingered on the porch to indulge in the town’s favorite Sunday activity … the evil but ever so delightful sin of gossip.
Getting close to Domenico Guarnieri wouldn’t be difficult, what would be tricky would be finding a way to speak to him alone or at least out of other people’s hearing. I could try a frontal approach, walk up to him and congratulate him on his grandson. That would get his attention!
Barbara said she was leaving it all to me. She understood I couldn’t let my father rot in jail because of a misunderstanding. Barbara also agreed that a Guarnieri interference was the only explanation for the way our suppliers had behaved in the past weeks. Contractors didn’t cease to be reliable overnight without a damned good reason. She wanted the air to be cleared and if that meant having to meet with part of her family, a part which had never acknowledged her before, she was ready to pay that price.
Thinking about Barbara made me forget about Hunter for a while. He was just a man, and getting over a man no matter how adorable or delightful he was, probably didn’t measure up to the challenge my friend was faced with: meeting with a father who ran away before she was born. How deliciously ironic that in order to show him respect, she would have to call him father.
* * *
22
Hunter
I made quick work of the shutters so I could get back to Gia, only when I returned she was gone. No note, no call, no nothing. I felt the cold chill of her absence. Her car was gone. I tried reaching her on her cell, but she didn’t answer. It went straight to voice mail. I’d expected a warmer reception. She wasn’t thrilled I went back to Tiffany’s to help her family with the shutters, but I didn’t think she’d close me down. Not like this. Maybe I was imagining it. Maybe she was busy. Things would fall into place when the craziness of the storm passed.
I headed to Ryder and Barbara’s to check in on them, and see if they knew her whereabouts. Gia and Barbara were close, so I assumed she’d have an answer. Only, on arriving, Barbara was clueless. I went back to her regular place, but still no Gia. Where had she disappeared to?
I missed her already. I wanted to spend every waking hour with her. Didn’t she see that? Couldn’t she tell what happened was a big deal? She was my future. Dread swept through my body. Did she regret what happened? Could she not see herself in my life? Was it simply sex…a one-night stand? My stomach twisted. Were my feelings unrequited? I’d made more of it than I should have. I made love to her, but maybe I was simply a warm body on a cold night. A lump caught in my throat.
I drove home and sat in the driveway way too long. I couldn’t move. Where did she go? What was racing through her mind today? I kicked myself for rushing to Tiffany’s house. I realized how it might have looked, but it was innocent. I was in a hurry to get back to her, and wanted to get it out of the way. I needed to keep my word, and yet what did it cost me?
Every fiber of my being was wrapped around Gia, her body, the friendship we shared, the thought of her being the mother of my children, and the need to move her in with me so we didn’t have to be apart. Too fast, slow down, ole boy. We’d been friends for a while, and everything felt natural. This is what I wanted, no, needed, all along. I was just too blind to see it. Moving back home, things just fell into place, and I found the security of what I used to know with Tiffany. Only, it w
asn’t love. There was only room for one person in my heart. Why did I wait so long?
I tried to focus on cleaning up the yard. Branches had come down in the storm, and I was certain the properties we were working on needed to be cleaned-up as well. I’d head over and work on those until I heard from Gia. I hoped the damage was minimal, but with the wind and rain, it could be a bitch.
I sent a text to Ryder to let him know I’d do some early surveillance. It’s not like I had anything else to do.
I must have driven by the work building and Gia’s place a dozen times, checking for her car, but there was still no sight of her and still no returned call. It was a long day. By the time I got home, there was a car waiting for me. A big guy wearing black jeans, a black T-shirt, and a black leather jacket towered over his car. He had on black sunglasses, even though the sun had given way to clouds.
“Are you Hunter?” There wasn’t room for small talk apparently.
“Who’s asking?”
There was no mistaking his tone. “I’ll take that as a yes. I’ve got a message for you. Stay away from our girl, or you deal with me. You touch one hair on her body, and I’ll cut off your balls. Got that?”
“Better bring a big knife - I’ve got balls of steel.” I knew my answer was over the top but I couldn’t think of any other way to let him know I would hold my ground. I stared at him, refusing to flinch. Had she sent him, hoping to deter me? If not, who did? I knew she had connections with a family, but I didn’t think she wanted to hurt me. If not her, who interfered, and how did they know?
His answer didn’t help. “You got the message.” He got into his vehicle and left.
If I’d thought of it, I’d have grabbed the tag, not that it would have mattered who the car was registered to. I knew this had to do with Gia, and until I spoke to her, I didn’t have a clue what it truly meant. Had she asked someone to send me a clear message, an empty threat to make her case? Did last night change how she felt?