“We talked on the phone every day, Beppe,” Gia pointed out.
Beppe laughed and didn’t let go of her hand even as they entered the living room and sat down on the sofa. He talked about everything. Grappling in his mind for anything he might not have already told her, he rambled on because he was afraid that the moment he stopped talking, she would hear his heart breaking.
******
Beppe took one last look in the mirror before leaving. It had been exactly three years to the day since he’d returned from Tuscany and Gia had rejected him. God, it still hurt.
He could still remember the first girl he’d fucked to dull the pain. Not many of the others, though. It was a mere two weeks after he’d come back. She’d been pretty and aggressively flirtatious. She’d taken him to her flat and they’d had sex for most of the night. In the morning Beppe had snuck away without saying goodbye.
Beppe shook his head in an attempt to shake away the thoughts that attacked him every year on this day. Paolo had taught him not to look back, but look forward with his head held high. Beppe instinctively tilted his chin upwards and winked at his reflection. Much better.
He hadn’t made any special effort for tonight – they were going to Lisa’s, he could go in his sweats if he wanted to. Nobody would mind. Unlike some, his friends didn’t give a damn what he looked like. Still, Lisa’s cousin would be there and he wanted to make a good first impression so leisure wear was a big no-no. He’d put on his favorite pair of jeans –baggy and faded from too much washing, but they clung to his hips and looked damn sexy. To keep the didn’t-put-any-effort-in-looking-this-good look, he’d worn a vintage t-shirt that did nothing to hide his lean body or the tattoos peeking from the short sleeves. If he raised his arms, casually, above his head, a couple of inches of perfectly toned abs came into view.
Beppe knew that less was more and that tiny peak of skin was sexier than full frontal nudity.
Not that he was aiming for sexy tonight, but it didn't hurt.
He knew he was handsome and women found his charm and his looks very appealing, so he’d learned to use it. It was like second nature by now. He ran his tongue piercing along the back of his front teeth, and reached up to casually ruffle his long bangs, before exiting his bedroom. He knew Gia loved his tongue stud, even though she’d die before she'd admit it. The two of them hadn't properly kissed since he'd returned, so she didn’t know the full extent of pleasure such an accessory could give. But, he could still see it brought a dark flood of lust to her eyes every time she caught a glimpse of it, Beppe loved to torment her and wore it every time they were together.
As Beppe made his way through his penthouse his mind wandered back to his grandfather. The time he’d spent in Tuscany with him had been more effective than any therapy. Paolo had taught him more in those two years then his parents had in seventeen years. His grandfather had made him work hard, taught him to appreciate the little things in life, and most importantly – showed him that his life was his own and nobody had the power to control him. Especially not his worthless dead father. His grandfather had warned him that if Beppe spent his life affected by what Marco had done, it meant his father had won in the end. According to Paolo, Marco had got what he’d deserved. It was up to Beppe to let go of the pain and misery, come to grips with the memories of abuse and neglect, and move on. True, Beppe still locked the bathroom door behind him even when he was alone, but that was a hard habit to break and besides, it gave him peace of mind. Beppe worked very hard every single day to keep his demons at bay and not let them rule his life, so if a simple turn of the lock managed to do that, he wasn’t going to sweat it.
Paolo had been right about everything and Beppe couldn’t ever thank him enough. He’d saved his life. His calming presence, understated compassion and charisma had influenced Beppe a great deal.
The only thing Beppe never could, never would let go of was his love for Gia. She was the only woman he’d ever loved and he was still very much in love with her. However, their separation had affected her very differently. She’d closed herself off to everything and everyone. Not even Beppe, could fully penetrate the walls she’d built around herself. He used to be allowed in, the only person who was allowed in, but not anymore.
Beppe understood why. While he’d had Paolo to guide him through the worst time of his life and help him come out the other end a stronger person, Gia hadn’t had anyone she could lean on, but herself. She’d achieved so much – she’d helped Max through his ordeal of getting clean and sober; she’d graduated with honors, and had been offered jobs at the top restaurants in Genoa. Gia ultimately picked ‘Orchidea Nera’ and was slowly, but steadily working her way up. She was building a very successful career in a male dominated profession. They were still very close, but not as close as they had been. Beppe realised they’d both changed a lot and nothing could ever be how it used to be, but he was determined to break through Gia’s walls. He was determined to see all of her once again and to be the only man, ever, that she showed it to.
Beppe was going to have his Gia back and once he’d got her, he wasn’t letting her go again.
CHAPTER NINE
“Hey,” said Beppe as he slipped into the back seat of Max’s BMW. Max turned to the back and they did their man-shake – lots of palm clapping and fist bumping. Gia rolled her eyes at the two of them, just as Beppe focused his attention on her. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders, hauled her in for a sloppy kiss on the cheek.
“How are you, bellissima? Happy to see me?” She pushed him away with mocking disgust, and he grinned devilishly. Max shook his head as he laughed and started the car.
“Ecstatic.” Gia turned to face Beppe as he slouched back in the seat, giving her his trademark seductive half smile. Thank God she was immune to it by now. “Couldn't you have made at least some kind of effort?” said Gia as she gestured towards his clothes. “Lisa’s cousin’s going to be there.”
“Hey! He’s wearing jeans and a t-shirt.” Beppe pointed in Max’s direction.
“At least his jeans don’t have holes in them. And his t-shirt is relatively clean,” said Gia and turned back around to hide her smirk.
“I'll have you know these are designer jeans. They are supposed to look worn out. And this t-shirt is very clean. Smell me.” He leaned between the seats and pressed his body into Gia’s.
She closed her eyes for a moment and inhaled deeply. He smelled so damn good. Gia’s stomach fluttered alarmingly as she was pressed against Beppe and felt the heat of his skin even through his t-shirt.
Want.
That’s all she felt.
She wanted to brush her lips over the pulsing patch of skin under his jaw. Wanted to lick his neck and taste him. Wanted to forget how much it had hurt when he left and allow herself to get lost in him again.
Gia made an involuntary sound at the back of her throat that sounded very much like a whimper. When she realised what she’d done, her eyes snapped open to see Beppe who wasn’t smiling anymore. His chocolate eyes had darkened with the same intense desire Gia was feeling. She wondered if he could see right through her and read her mind.
“Fine. You don’t smell. Whatever,” she said when she found her voice. Summoning all of her acting abilities she attempted to sound and look disinterested. “Get off me.” She shoved Beppe and he fell back in the seat. He didn’t say anything and Gia’s curiosity won over her stubbornness as she turned slightly to glance at him. He had been expecting that and was staring right at her. The confident smirk on his face and the suggestive clicking of his tongue stud over his teeth erased any hope that he hadn’t noticed her reaction.
Gia sighed with relief as Max parked in Lisa’s driveway. A big house with lots of space sounded like heaven after being cramped in the car with Beppe and feeling his hot gaze upon her the entire ride. She bolted out the car and rang the doorbell, eager to put some distance between them. Lisa took her time opening the door and by the time she did, the boys were right beside Gia. Beppe’s presence unnerved
her in a way she hadn’t experienced in a long time, especially not with him. Max was the first to greet Lisa and walk in. They followed him, exchanging kisses with their friend and handing her a bottle of Prosecco they had brought.
“I’ll put this in the fridge. Go on in,” Lisa said and headed for the kitchen. Gia attempted to follow her when Beppe seized her upper arms and pulled her back into his chest.
“What do I have to do to get you to make that sound again?” he whispered. His warm breath caressed her ear and Gia felt her traitorous skin erupt in goosebumps as she shivered.
“What sound?” she asked, her voice coming out rough despite her efforts to sound normal.
“The sexy little whimper you made in the car,” Beppe said, his voice low and patient.
Gia had no doubt he knew she was playing dumb, but he was willing to play along. Anger flooded her, not so much at Beppe’s words as at her own actions. How could she have lost control like that?
“Fuck you,” she said as she pulled out of his grasp and turned to face him. With eyes blazing, she took a step back.
The air between them crackled with electrical charge as if fed by the intense anger and the desire Gia was feeling.
“Oh, we’ll get there, dolcissima,” he replied, smirking arrogantly. He ignored her glittering eyes and swatted her ass as he brushed past her. Gia was left with her mouth hanging open as he strode away. What had just happened? Beppe had been back for three years and even though they had flirted a little bit now and then, it had been more of a friendly banter than anything else. Now, all of the sudden in the space of a short car ride the whole dynamic had shifted. Gia was thrown off guard and for the first time since she’d known Beppe, she wasn’t sure how to handle the situation.
We’ll get there, dolcissima.
What did that mean? Did he still have feelings for her? Or was he tired of trying to remember all those girls’ names and waking up in a different bed every morning? Gia wasn’t sure what Beppe’s deal was, but if he thought she’d be one of his meaningless fucks, he was in for a rude awakening.
“What are you doing?” Lisa’s voice shook her out of her thoughts. “Why are you standing here all alone? Gia? Everything OK?”
“What? Oh! Yeah, yeah I'm fine, I was just thinking about something. Come on, let’s go. I wanna meet Stella.”
When they walked outside, Max and Beppe were all over Stella, each of them trying to get her attention. By the looks of it, Max had the better chance – Stella was looking at him as if she wanted to lick him all over. She laughed at Beppe’s jokes and was polite to him, but there was no mistaking who she wanted. And the way her brother was staring at Stella, as if he wanted to haul her over his shoulder and take her somewhere more private, he was as enthralled by her as she was by him.
Interesting. Had Max finally found someone he could really care about?
Stella swung her legs over the lounger she was sitting in and Gia noticed her foot was bandaged. When she put her full weight on it trying to stand up, she lost her balance. Max was right there beside her, wrapping his arms around her waist to steady her. He whispered something in her ear and Stella blushed, but didn’t move away from him. Beppe frowned, but before he had the chance to say something and embarrass them both, Gia came to Stella’s rescue.
“Don’t mind them Stella, they’re idiots,” Gia said as she approached her and kissed both her cheeks in greeting. “I’m Gia, idiot number one’s sister,” she said and gestured to Max who was still holding Stella. “Come, leave them to their BBQ. Let’s get us a drink.” Max reluctantly released his grip and Gia swung her own arm around Stella’s waist, leading her away from them.
The rest of the evening flowed smoothly. They all had an enjoyable time, as they always did when they got together. It was a rare treat because of everyone’s work and study commitments. But it only made them appreciate being together more. Gia relaxed and pushed all thoughts of Beppe and what had happened earlier into the back of her mind. She would dwell on it later. Instead she chatted with Lisa and caught up on what was going on in her life. Lisa was gushing about her internship in an art gallery and her summer job as an art class teaching assistant. Gia had no doubt she was great at both, because she had seen some of Lisa’s paintings and she was an incredibly talented, passionate artist. In turn, Gia told her about the job at ‘Orchidea Nera’ and how inspiring it was. She raved about her boss – Francesco Naldo – who was a well-known businessman and restaurant owner in Genoa. She glanced up in time to see Beppe roll his eyes, but didn’t comment. Strange, Beppe didn’t often bite his tongue like this. Usually, he voiced his opinion whether people wanted to hear it or not. Something was definitely going on and Gia would have to find out what it was later.
Stella seemed to fit right in with their company, managing to keep up with their banter and constant switch between English and Italian. She didn’t say much, but smiled a lot, her gray eyes warm and her posture relaxed. Her long honey colored hair kept getting in the way as she ate or laughed at one of Beppe’s jokes, and she tried to tame it into a messy bun. Max watched her every move, his eyes sparkling with mischief. When Stella piled her hair at the top of her head and tried to catch it all with a hair band, Max’s breath caught. His lips parted and he licked them, his eyes fixed on Stella’s exposed neck.
Gia had never seen her brother react like this to a girl. He wasn’t the man whore Beppe was, but he definitely didn’t lack female attention and more often than not he took full advantage of it. But Gia had never witnessed him so caught up in a girl. He followed Stella’s every move and Gia had no doubt he was calculating his chances with her and the best way to attack. Poor girl – she had no idea what Max was capable of when he put his mind to something.
Stella finally managed to tame her hair and relaxed back in her chair, taking a sip of her lemonade. Max continued to watch her, mesmerized, and Gia felt it was time to break in.
“So Stella, do you have any plans? Anything you want to do while you’re here?”
“No, I haven’t made any particular plans. I’m up for anything, I guess.” Stella focused her gray eyes on Gia and smiled, completely unaware of Max’s attention. Her voice shook him out of his trance and he pulled his gaze away from Stella to take a swig of his beer.
“Good. We’ll take good care of you, then.”
“Are you coming with us to the football match on Saturday?” Beppe asked.
“A match? Isn’t the season over?”
“It is. But it’s a charity match between Sampdoria and Genoa. The whole town will probably go.” Beppe’s eyes lit up as soon as he started talking about football – a major passion, besides women.
“I wouldn’t miss the local derby for anything. Count me in.” Stella awarded him with a broad smile and they launched into a discussion about football. At that point Gia tuned them out, because as much as she enjoyed going to games or watching a match on TV now and then, she wasn’t that interested in talking about football.
As the discussion grew more heated, Gia stood up and started clearing the empty dishes away. Lisa joined her and they chatted a bit more in the kitchen as they finished their wine.
“Hey, is everything OK?” Gia asked, noticing Lisa’s wry smile and thoughtful expression.
“Yeah, I guess. I’m probably overreacting, as usual, but I don’t think I’m too comfortable with Max and Stella’s... whatever it is.”
“They've only just met. I’m sure it’s nothing.” Gia wondered if Lisa had also noticed the lingering looks her brother threw at Stella or if there was something more to it.
“That’s the thing. They didn’t just meet.” Lisa glanced nervously at Gia as she bit her lip.
“What do you mean?” Gia asked softly, encouraging her to continue. Lisa sighed as she leaned back against the counter playing with her wine glass absentmindedly.
“Yesterday when Stella arrived I wasn’t home from work and she went for a walk on the beach. She saw this lifeguard. She couldn’t stop ravi
ng about him. She went on and one about how sexy he was.” Lisa tripped over her words as if trying to get everything out before she changed her mind. “Then, this morning, she went for a run on the beach and injured her foot while staring at said lifeguard who, by some odd twist of fate, was jogging towards her. He helped provide first aid for her foot and then left. When I got home, Stella told me what had happened and I could tell she was crushing hard. She said how attracted she was to him and how she wished she could have a hot, summer fling with him.” Gia was pretty sure how the story ended but didn’t say anything, afraid that if she interrupted Lisa’s monologue, they wouldn’t get to what was bothering Lisa about all this. “That lifeguard is Max, Gia. Max. My best friend Max. And Stella... I love her, she’s my cousin and one of my closest friends, but she lives in London. Long distance relationships don’t work. I know I’m going to sound like a bad person when I say this, but I don’t want to be forced to choose between them when things fall apart.”
Lisa took a deep breath having spit out her worry. Gia had a weird feeling that she wasn't saying everything , that there was more to the story, but decided against pushing her.
Gia contemplated her own glass of wine before setting it on the counter and looking back up to Lisa.
“Well, I know what I’m gonna say probably won’t help much, but I saw how Max was watching Stella tonight. He wants her, Lisa. You know how he gets when he sets his mind on something.” Lisa’s shoulders slumped in defeat and she nodded. “But hey, don’t worry about it, OK? I don’t know about Stella, but we both know Max. Even if we tried talking to him he's just going do what he wants anyway. So why bother? Let them figure it out on their own.” Lisa nodded again, but didn’t seem any less concerned as she gave Gia a sad smile. Gia hugged her friend and as she stepped back she saw Beppe storming through the living room towards the front door, reminding her she had problems of her own to face.
Then, Now, Forever (Heartbeat #2) Page 7