by Love, B. T.
“I know,” I smiled. “And just so you are aware, you really seem to be the whole package, if it wasn’t for your circumstances.”
His lips twisted in thought. “Well, I’m still trying to convince you of things otherwise. Will you still let me at least try?”
“There’s no harm in trying,” I joked. “But please don’t be mad if the end of the journey leads us to being just friends.”
The words pained him, I could tell by the expression on his face. God, they pained me. I didn’t want to be just friends with this man; I was very interested in him. But if he dealt in illegal activity, then how would he be any different from me dating some low-life who sold drugs? I mean, I might as well date Clyde. I had to keep my head on straight and not fall into traps with men who were no good for me. My ex was a perfect example of that, and I needed to steer clear of that situation for the rest of my existence if I wanted to end up happy.
“Just friends, huh?” he pondered the thought out loud. “Well, if that’s what this ends up being then I guess I’ll have no choice but to be okay with that. But I’m not giving up yet.”
“No, I didn’t think you would.”
He smiled and held his arm out for me to take. I laced mine in his, instantly feeling the warmth of his skin against mine. This friend thing was going to be very difficult.
The rose garden was breathtaking. It was a maze of bushes filled with different colors of the brilliant flower, the garden itself maybe a half of an acre in size. Below our feet was bright green grass and we walked across it, enjoying the scenery around us, going nowhere in particular. When we reached the center there was a single bench with a water fountain beside it, trickling pleasantly with pristine water that looked good enough to drink in.
“Would you like to sit down?” he asked.
“Sure.”
I took my arm away from his and we both sat on the bench, him relaxing back against it bringing his ankle to rest against his opposite knee. “I love this garden,” he said. “It’s so peaceful.”
“It is. Does anyone else come and enjoy it?”
“You mean my family? Nah, not really. It gets well taken care of by the gardeners but it’s pretty much been forgotten by everyone else. I used to play here when I was little; hide and go seek, mostly.”
“That’s cute, thinking of you running around here.”
“Yeah, my dad used to chase me up and down those rows over there,” he said, pointing at a large section of roses along the corner of the property. “I would always hide in the same spot and he would pretend he didn’t know where that spot was. He was a really fun dad.”
“He’s not fun anymore, huh?” I teased.
“No, he’s not alive, unfortunately.”
“Oh. I’m sorry.”
“Yeah me too.”
“Do you mind if I ask what happened?”
He looked over at me, shaking his head slightly. “That might be a story for another day.”
“Oh, okay.” I respected his right to not discuss what happened to his dad. It was probably a very sensitive subject for him.
“So,” he continued, “I think I know what bothered you so much coming here.”
“You think so, huh?”
“Yeah. Your attitude changed once I brought up my grandfather. It’s him, isn’t it?”
I was surprised he figured it out so quickly. “Well yeah, actually. I’ve heard some things about him that aren’t so great. And then it got me thinking about how you’re involved with the same things.”
“Wait a second,” he stopped me, bringing a hand up in defense. “I am not my grandfather, let me tell you that right now. I love the guy but we are very different.”
“But I heard you run things for him now.”
“I do.”
“So that makes you just as bad as him.”
His eyes rolled. “And how bad is that?”
“Well you don’t have to give me an attitude, I’m just trying to be honest with you.”
“I know you are, but I need to know what you know so I can set you straight.”
“Set me straight?” I huffed. “Listen, I tried to stay away from you, you know that. But you just wouldn’t leave me alone. You came into my life and you, you treated me very kindly which I appreciate, but it just hit me that I got too caught up in the kindness and ignored the reality of the situation.”
“And what situation is that?” he asked, dropping his ankle and turning on the bench to face me.
“That you’re dangerous.”
“And how do you know that? You barely even know me.”
“I don’t have to know you too well to hear the things I’ve heard about you.”
“Like what? Tell me.”
“Why?”
“Because I want to get this all out in the open, lay it all out on the table. Ask me anything you want, and I mean anything, and I’ll answer honestly.”
I pulled in a heavy breath through my nose. “How did your dad die?”
He watched me silently, his eyes darting around my face while his mind worked at what words to say. “I’ll tell you that after I answer the other five hundred million questions you probably have for me.”
“Okay, fine. Do you do anything illegal?”
“Yes.”
“Does your grandfather?”
“Yes.”
“What illegal things are you involved in?”
He leaned forward and placed his elbows on his knees. “God, woman,” he said as he hung his head and ran a hand through his hair. “I don’t think I should tell you that. You’re not even mine yet.”
Not even his yet. Those words, although they seemed like he was labeling me as a piece of his property, were a gigantic turn on. I wanted him to own me; I wanted to own him.
“So you won’t answer then?” I asked.
He looked over at me and then sat back up. “I usually only discuss business with a cigar in my hand.”
“Is that why you smoke in the restaurant with all of those other men?”
“Yeah. And I don’t like discussing business without one.”
I looked down at his masculine hand resting on his knee. “How’s this?” I asked, placing my hand on top of his.
He smiled and turned his over so our palms were touching. “That’s, that’s better than a cigar.” His other hand came to rest on top of mine and he stroked the tops of my fingers, giving me chills in places I forgot I could get them. “I’m heavily involved in illegal activity,” he divulged with honesty. “I do my business carefully so I don’t get caught. I have many people who work under me who end up taking the fall so I don’t have to. It’s not the prettiest occupation but, I have to tell you, I have a lot of money from doing it.” He looked over at me with a straight face, waiting for my reply.
I stared into his eyes. “I don’t care about money.”
“Yeah, I know that about you. I like that. But I have to tell you, I’m very wealthy.”
I shook my head. “That doesn’t even phase me.”
“And why is that?” he smiled.
“Because it’s your money, not mine.”
“But it could be yours eventually.”
“Well I’ll deal with it if and when that time comes,” I said with a smile.
He grinned handsomely. “You’re something else, you know that?”
I looked down at our hands that were still joined together. His fingers were so warm and manly, rough enough but not completely worn. I imagined them running down my neck and over my breast, caressing me gently, stirring my blood.
“What are you thinking about?” he asked.
My head snapped up and my erotic thoughts dissipated. “Oh, nothing. Anyway, back to what we were talking about. What kind of illegal business do you do?”
“Right to it, huh?”
“Yep.”
“Well, you do know after I tell you I’ll have to kill you, right?”
For a moment my breath caught, but then his lip twitched with a smile, giving
away his humor. “Good one,” I chuckled. “Although it is a possibility that you aren’t joking.”
“Of course I’m joking. I would never lay a hand on you.”
“No, you’d just hire someone else to do it,” I teased. He was quiet, which made me focus back on his face. “What?” I asked.
“I would never let anyone hurt you, I don’t care what the circumstances are.”
“Really?”
“What do you mean, really? You honestly think I’m a danger to you, don’t you?”
“I, I still don’t know what to think. Everyone I know is so afraid of you.”
“That’s just what happens when you’re in a position like mine.”
“And what position is that exactly?” I asked, turning to face him a little better. “Your grandpa is the head of the family so you’re obviously below him in, what, rank or something?”
“Well, he handles a lot of things still but a lot of it has been handed down to me. And when he dies I’ll take over the rest.”
“The rest of what? Selling drugs?”
“No, I don’t sell drugs.”
“Oh don’t give me that,” I hassled him.
“I don’t personally sell drugs.”
“No, of course not. That would be below your standards.”
He puffed out a laugh of air. “You’re right about that.”
“So you just oversee the drug trafficking then?”
“Yes.”
“And what about the illegal gambling?”
“What about it?”
“Are you involved in it?” He nodded. “And you’re not afraid of getting caught?”
He shook his head. “There are people under me who take the fall. When someone gets caught I change things to throw off the police. I’m very good at what I do.”
“Yeah, I bet you are,” I said, my eyebrow lifting. I couldn’t help myself; I saw a double meaning and I ran with it.
He cocked his head to the side. “Really . . . Hmm.”
“I’m so sorry,” I chuckled, looking down at my lap with embarrassment. “I don’t know what came over me.”
“No, are you kidding? Don’t be. That’s exactly the kind of things I want to hear you say to me.”
“I’m sure,” I said, looking back up at him.
He squeezed my hand gently. “So what else do you want to know about me?”
My lips pursed together in thought. “Hmm. Well, what else are you in charge of?”
“Well, on top of what I told you already, I also have a nightclub.”
“A nightclub? Really?”
“Yep. I handle a lot of my business there.”
“Wow. That’s actually really cool. Maybe I can go see it sometime.”
“Yeah,” he shrugged. “Maybe.”
I was a bit confused by his lack of excitement. “What? You don’t want me to?”
“No, it’s not that. It’s just, I don’t think you’ll like what goes on there. There are women who, you know, dance there and stuff.”
“Oh,” I nodded. “I see. So it’s a strip club.”
“No, actually, it’s not. It’s a dance club with a few topless girls scattered throughout. It helps business.”
“Hmm,” was all I could say. The thought of him being around half-naked girls made me jealous, and also made me a little pissed off at him. But I had to calm myself. After all, he was a single man who was running a business. And, you know, illegal businesses on the side. Yeah, come to think of it, pretty much everything he did pissed me off.
“Well,” he sighed, “I guess I’ve done the opposite of impress you. I might as well take you home.”
His comment made me laugh. “Yeah, you’ve given me a lot to think about. And I wanted to say I’m sorry I asked you earlier about how your dad died. It’s really none of my business.”
“Nah, it’s fine. I just didn’t want to tell you because it would scare you away from me.”
“How would that scare me away?”
He let go of my hand and went back to leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, his hands clasped together and resting against his bottom lip. “This garden has a lot of wonderful memories for me; I played so much with my dad here. He was a great man.”
“Like you,” I complimented him.
A quiet laugh vibrated from his chest. “Yeah, I wish I were as great as him. I try to be, but, he’s a hard person to live up to. He died when I was ten years old. It was mob related.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry. So he was involved in the family business as well?”
“Yeah he ran it with my grandfather. There was another family they were in competition with, the Petini family; there was some bad blood between them I guess. Anyway, one day my dad was handling some business outside at a little café on the other side of town and someone drove by and just shot him right in the head.”
“That’s so horrible, Trent,” I said, leaning into him and resting my hand on his back.
“Yeah, I was devastated. At first I swore I wouldn’t get involved in the family business, but as I grew older I got angrier and decided I wanted to take part in whatever I could to run this city and put the Petini family to shame.”
“And did you succeed in that?”
“Yeah,” he chuckled to himself. “They’re not really around anymore.”
“Well that’s good.”
“Yeah.” He sat up and gave me a down-turned smile. “Well, that’s the danger of being involved with the stuff I’m involved in. It’s a dangerous job.”
“But somebody has to do it, right?” I joked
“Exactly.”
“So, what you’re saying is you got involved in the family business to avenge your dad or something?”
“It sounds cheesy, but yeah, at first. But then I got addicted to the money and the power, to be completely honest. There’s something about being powerful in a city like this that gives you a high. People know who I am and treat me with high regard. You see that yourself.”
“Yeah, which is why I was so nervous about messing up your drink order the night I met you.”
He chuckled at the memory. “That was a good night. That was a very good night.”
I smiled at him and took my hand away from his back. “Well I really appreciate you being honest and open with me today.”
“Did I destroy any chance I had with you? I really hope not.”
“I guess you’ll have to wait and see.”
“Oh yeah? You’re going to make the most powerful man in this city wait, huh?”
“Absolutely.”
“Good. I need to be brought down a notch.”
“Yeah, I think you do,” I teased, lightly nudging his shoulder.
“Well,” he said, standing up and reaching out his hand, “I guess I better get you home before it gets dark.”
I smiled up at him as I took his hand and let him pull me to my feet. “Awe, you remembered that I’ll get murdered by a crackhead if I’m not home by nightfall. You’re so sweet.”
He laughed loudly and pulled me against him. “I told you I wouldn’t let anyone hurt you, remember? I’m a man of my word.”
Whatever I had planned on saying next vanished from my brain. His body was pressed against mine, his arms wrapped tightly around my waist like they were meant to be there all along. My hands found the back of his neck and my eyes found his, the vibrantly hazel orbs already locked onto me.
“Kiss me,” I begged him against my better judgement. “It will help me make my final decision.”
The corner of his mouth lifted, his smile soft and satisfied by my request. “You don’t have to ask me twice.”
He leaned in and closed the small gap between our lips, the action sending me to a heavenly state. His kiss, smooth and soft in the beginning, slowly deepened into something much more romantic. I pressed harder against him as his tongue parted my lips and traced along my own. I was melting. I didn’t realize just how much I missed the feeling of a man until Trent Falco had m
e wrapped in his arms. I could literally stay there for hours.
He ended our kiss by slowly pulling away and smiling softly at me, his eyes sparkling with delight at the fulfillment of the moment. “You have no idea how much that kiss just made my day.”
“I think I have a pretty good idea.”
What Trent didn’t realize was how much it made my day. I was falling for the guy big time. Boy was I in trouble.
Seven
There was a knock at my door. In the peephole I saw Sophie, dressed in a tank top and what appeared to be booty shorts. “Hi,” I said as I opened the door.
“Well hello there,” she said with a sassy grin.
“What?” I laughed. “What’s up?”
“You tell me? That hottie you had here yesterday, I knew his name was Trent but I had no idea he was Trent Falco.”
“Yeah, it was. You heard of him?”
“Everyone’s heard of Trent Falco. I just haven’t seen him before. He sure is easy on the eyes, isn’t he?”
“Yeah, I guess so.”
“You guess so? You must be mad at him or something to not acknowledge that obvious fact.”
“Okay,” I chuckled. “If it makes you happy I’ll acknowledge his attractiveness.”
She smiled warmly. “Anyway, I was going to say you can come get the bed now, but if it’s a bad time—”
“No,” I cut in. “Not at all. I appreciate you giving it to me.” I stepped forward and shut the door behind me. “Is it very heavy?”
“Not too bad. It’s a queen, though. I hope that’s not too big. I noticed your comforter on the floor looks like a twin.” We stepped over to her door and she opened it, going in first. Her apartment was surprisingly clean, and she had average looking furniture and knick knacks. I had imagined her house to be cluttered and trashy, to be quite honest. But again, that was judging a book by its cover. Or actually, by its occupation. “It’s back here in my room,” she said.
I followed her to her room and saw the mattress and box spring propped against the wall, with a larger one in its place. “Queen is perfect,” I told her. “I only got a twin comforter set because I thought it would be the only size I could get that was cheap enough.”
“Yeah, my friend gave me this set which is much bigger.”