by Nina Singh
“Yes, please.”
Laney watched as Gianni made his way to the bar. Several of the groomsmen and guests stopped him to chat. Gianni had fit in rather well with the rest of the wedding party. The groomsmen treated him like he’d known them all for ages. His knowledge of kickboxing and the fact that he co-owned a string of gyms had broken the ice quickly with the other men. Including her new brother-in-law. Plus, Gianni had an easy manner that had also helped to acclimate him with the others.
Was there anything the man wasn’t good at?
She gave her head a brisk shake. She was dangerously on the verge of becoming besotted. And that would be perilous indeed. Despite their night of intimacy, they hardly knew each other. Though that was changing by the minute.
“Please explain to me what’s happened, Elaine.” Her mom’s voice interrupted her thoughts. Laney looked up to find her parents pulling out the empty chairs at her table. They both sat down and turned to face her head on.
Uh-oh. She’d been caught unaware. Too focused on Gianni, she hadn’t even seen them approach. But then again, her parents had a way of being stealth-like, particularly when it came to keeping their girls in check.
It was time for the Gianni third-degree grilling. Nothing she could do about it now.
She really had wished to put it off a while longer. She took a deep calming breath and prepared herself for the onslaught.
“What do you mean?”
Her mother pinched her lips before answering. “I’d think it was obvious. You were on the verge of being engaged yourself to Joseph. And now you’re with someone else entirely. Tell me again, how exactly did all that happen so fast? What in the world is going on with you?”
“Now, now, dear,” her dad said, patting his wife’s hand gently on the table. “This probably isn’t the time or place. We are here to enjoy Emily’s nuptials.” Laney hadn’t fully released her sigh of relief when her father turned his intense gaze on her. “But your mother’s right. You owe us some answers, young lady.”
“It just seems so sudden,” her mother continued, without so much as giving Laney a chance to respond. “Why, he’s practically a stranger.”
Laney cut her off before she could continue with that train of thought. “It’s okay, Mom, Dad. You don’t have to worry. We’re taking things slow.” She had to look away as she uttered the last word as memories of their night together rushed through her head. That was just physical. Not that she’d be sharing that bit of knowledge with present company.
“Good,” Mom declared. “I’m glad to hear it.”
“What does he do again?” her father asked, studying Gianni as he slowly made his way back to the table.
Laney caught his eyes, trying to send him an apologetic look. His shrug was almost imperceptible, but she caught the slight motion. Her father waved him over.
Don’t panic. All is fine.
They’d planned for this moment, after all. Hardly unexpected. Truth be told, she was surprised it had taken her parents as long as it had.
Gianni approached with a friendly smile and was at their table in no time. Charming as ever, he gave her mom a nod first, then shook her father’s hand after setting her wineglass down in front of her. He sat down in the remaining empty chair.
“Finally,” her father began without any kind of pretense. “A chance to talk.”
Laney tried to give Gianni a reassuring smile, but he didn’t seem fazed in the least, just sat there calmly sipping his beer before he answered. “Likewise. Laney told me so much about you when we first met. And Emily. You’re a lovely family.”
Whoa, fella. Try not to spread it on too thick.
Her mom leaned closer, resting her arms on the table. “Thank you. That’s a lovely thing to say.” She scrunched her face. “We’re looking forward to getting to know you better.”
Very subtle, Mom. A nice, roundabout way to tell him they didn’t know him that well. And they intended to change that fact as fast as possible.
“We were inquiring what it is that you do for a living,” her father supplied. The tag team was in full practice now.
“I’m a managing VP for Martino Entertainment Enterprises,” Gianni answered. “My father founded the company as a young man upon his arrival to the States three decades ago.”
“Martino Entertainment Enterprises. That sounds familiar,” her father said, his eyebrows drawn together in thought.
“We own and manage various fitness and entertainment venues. Everything from boxing gyms to gaming halls to smaller casinos.”
“Ah, yes,” her father responded. “Now it’s ringing a bell. I read somewhere you’re looking to expand.”
Was it her imagination or did Gianni flinch ever so slightly? “Always,” he answered with after another swig of his beer. “Got to grow the business. At all costs,” he added almost under his breath with another swig of his beer. She might not have heard him if she weren’t hyper-focused on the conversation.
He hadn’t told her much about his business. Or his family, for that matter. But clearly there was a story there. Maybe he’d feel comfortable enough with her at some point in the future to confide what that story might be.
* * *
Gianni hadn’t meant to say that last part out loud. Judging by the way she was looking at him, Laney had definitely heard him. Luckily, her father changed the subject. “It’s rather lucky, isn’t it? That you two met when you did.”
Yeah, the new subject matter could be considered equally full of landmines. “Laney tells me you were visiting the club one night, even though you’d never been there before.”
He gave her a sideways smile. “Guess it was meant to be.” Man, when he finally told her the full story, there was going to be so much explaining he needed to do.
“Yes, I’m glad she managed a plus-one to the wedding, after all,” her mother added. Laney’s cheeks were growing redder by the second. “Now, she just needs to figure out what to do about this trip to Italy she planned. Positano, then Florence, already paid for.” She patted her daughter’s hand, but there was zero affection in the gesture. “Yet another impulsive decision on your part that seems to have bitten you in the hind. I don’t suppose you can get your money back.”
“I have every intention of going still, Mother. Gianni might even come with me.”
Whoa. He hadn’t seen that coming. Laney looked ready to slide under the table. Clearly, she’d said it without much thought.
He wasn’t sure what to say. This whole conversation was throwing him off. He just wanted to somehow get the look of utter despair off Laney’s face. He had family in Positano. “I have a great aunt and several cousins in that area. Positano.”
Why had he thrown out that fact? It sounded like he was considering actually going with her. Of course, that was out of the question.
“Oh?” her mom said. “Where did you say your hotel was again, Laney?”
She hadn’t said, as her mother had never actually inquired about the hotel before. “A seaside hotel on the Amalfi Coast. The Palazzo Positano,” she answered.
“Is your family in that area, Gianni?” her mom wanted to know.
Before Gianni could respond, Laney jumped in. “I haven’t made any final decisions about the trip. Let’s just drop it, okay?”
Her mom gave her a sharp look that bordered on pity. “Of course.”
Several moments of awkward silence ensued. Gianni had taken gut punches in the ring that had left him feeling more comfortable. Luckily, fate intervened. Laney’s mom suddenly stood. “Well, it looks like they’re about to cut the cake.” She took her husband’s hand. “Let’s go, dear.”
Laney’s sigh of relief was audible as they walked away. “I am so sorry, Gianni.”
“Nothing to apologize for. That wasn’t so bad.” That much was true. Up until the whole Italy conversation, he’d been manag
ing pretty well.
“What I said just now, about you traveling with me to Positano, you have to know it was just for their benefit. So they would just drop the subject. I don’t really expect you to come to Italy with me.”
Ouch. As infeasible as it was, she made it sound like the idea was preposterous. “Yeah. Go figure.”
“I guess I should have seen that coming.”
“Hey, the good news is, you have a bit of a reprieve from the paternal third degree. And we’re about to eat some wedding cake.”
Her lips curled up in a smile. “I suppose so. Guess I should look on the bright side, huh? Silver linings and all that.”
He tipped his nearly empty bottle in her direction in a mini salute. “Always.”
She picked up her glass and touched it to his bottle. “A toast to silver linings. So, have you ever been, then? To Italy? You said you had family there.”
The question brought back a flood of memories. Most of them pleasant and joyful. Except for one moment he’d rather forget.
“A few times. I could recommend some places, if you’d like. If you do decide to go, that is.”
She studied his face. “Sure, I’d like that.”
Something about her expression made him want to pull her onto his lap and wrap his arms around her. In an alternate universe, this conversation could go a completely different way. He wished things were different. That they really were together and he could take this trip of a lifetime with her. He could show her all the sites in Italy he enjoyed, a lover slash tour guide in one. Then he’d have her meet his family.
He had no business even entertaining such thoughts. He was only here with her to play a part, to help her get through her sister’s wedding. They weren’t exactly a couple in any sense of the word, certainly not one who’d be planning any kind of international trip together. Though he couldn’t deny how much it shook him that he wanted to so badly. To travel with her, to show her his Italy.
Moot point. He couldn’t very well change reality, could he? As much as he wanted to. So he’d settle for being able to spend one more night with her before it all had to come to an end.
CHAPTER TEN
ONE OF THESE days maybe she’d learn to stop checking her phone for missed messages or missed calls. It appeared today was not that day. Though why she bothered was beyond her. One week since the wedding and Gianni hadn’t contacted her other than a perfunctory reply to her one text thanking him for attending with her.
Well, what had she expected?
Gianni had done her a favor that weekend. Nothing more. She’d asked him to help her save face at her sister’s wedding and he’d obliged. And he’d done so in a way she’d be eternally grateful for. Maybe if their paths crossed again, they could form some kind of friendship. As for their weekend fling, that was simply two adults enjoying each other’s company under some rather uncanny circumstances. Gianni had never alluded differently. And to be completely truthful, neither had she.
So she was going to resist checking her phone yet again this hour. In fact, she was going to set it to silent and not even look at it until the club opened for the evening. Business calls were a completely different number. And heaven knew, she didn’t have anything pressing that was personal.
She had a lot to do before she flew to Italy in a few days No time to constantly interrupt herself, looking for messages that weren’t there from a man she should just start to forget. Surely, in time, he would stop appearing in her dreams night after night. But she couldn’t deny the truth. Gianni Martino was going to be a hard man to forget and put behind her. The way he’d made her feel, the things he’d said to her. Almost as if he saw her in a way no one else had.
With a resigned sigh, Laney fished her phone out of her pocket to change the setting when a dull knock on her office door stopped her.
“Come in.”
Her head bartender poked her head in the door. “Hey, boss. Someone here to see you. One Gianni Martino.”
Laney’s heart gave a thud, then proceeded to pound wildly in her chest. Gianni was here? She couldn’t help the thrill that washed over her. He was actually physically here. That was better than any text message or voice mail. Had he missed her as much as she’d missed him? Another exciting possibility occurred to her that sent a lightning bolt through her midsection. What if he’d decided that he wanted to go to Italy with her?
“Oh?”
“I can tell him you’re busy. He said he doesn’t have an appointment.”
“No!” Laney jumped out of her chair, clearly startling the other woman. “I mean, no appointment needed. He’s a friend.”
When he stepped into her office a moment later, she realized just how inadequate describing him as a friend was. Dressed in a well-cut gray suit that fit him like a glove, he could have been an image out of a commercial. She itched to run over and give him a hug. But something in his manner gave her pause.
“Hey, Laney.” It sounded friendly enough, but his smile was off. No warmth. Not like the man she’d spent a heavenly weekend with just a short time ago. She held off approaching him, any sense of excitement washing away like water down a drain. Instead, she motioned for him to have a seat.
“This is a pleasant surprise.”
“Sorry, I’m here without calling first. I hope I’m not interrupting a busy day.” Unbuttoning his suit jacket, he sat across the desk from her as Laney took her own seat.
So formal, so...professional. Her senses were beginning to signal a high alert. “What can I do for you, Gianni?”
“There are things we need to go over, you and I.”
“Go over? What kinds of things?”
He took a breath before continuing. “Laney, there was a reason I was here that night. One I didn’t fully explain to you.”
What in the world was this about? “I don’t understand. Why exactly are you here?”
He rubbed his forehead. “I’m here on behalf of Martino Entertainment Enterprises.”
Laney had to swallow the brick that had formed at the base of her throat. This was all wrong. “To do what?”
“To make you an offer on your property. We’d like to acquire it as the site of our next casino.”
Laney’s vision blurred. A dull pounding sounded in her ears. She couldn’t have heard him correctly. “Please explain.”
“I think you’ll be happy with the figure. But of course, we’d be up to negotiate.”
Her mouth didn’t seem to want to work. How was any of this happening? It had to be some kind of joke. He was teasing her, no doubt. But one look at his face made it clear this was no joking matter.
So that’s what that weekend was about. The only reason he’d said yes to pretending to be her date. Did he think she owed him now?
And to not have told her the truth from the very beginning.
A horrified gasp escaped her lips before she could stop it. She’d asked him to spend the night with her for heaven’s sake! What a fool she’d been.
She had to get him out of here before she made an even bigger fool of herself and began to sob. The tears were perilously close, stinging the back of her eyes and clogging her throat.
Standing, she strode to her office door and yanked it open. “This conversation is over, Mr. Martino.”
She heard him sigh deeply. Several moments passed when neither one of them moved. Finally, Gianni stood to face her. “Laney, hear me out.”
She shook her head. “There’s no need. Save your breath. I have no intention of selling. Not to anyone. And especially not to you.” She pulled the door wider. “Please leave.”
He inhaled deeply. “Laney, listen. I wish things were—”
But she didn’t let him finish. There was no point. Everything was so clear. How many times in one lifetime could she let herself be duped like a naive, clueless child?
He was only aft
er her business. The one thing she was proud of. The one thing she could claim as having done right. Her one true success.
“Please leave now, Mr. Martino.”
She’d barely shut the door behind him when the tears began to flow and a sob escaped her lips.
* * *
Well, that went well, he thought with bitter sarcasm once he’d left her office.
Gianni entered his car and slammed the door shut so hard the window rattled. Then, for good measure, he pounded the steering wheel hard about half a dozen times with his fists.
It wasn’t enough and he wasn’t going to be able to get to the gym for another several hours. Laney wasn’t even open to the possibility. He’d tried to sound as professional as possible in there, so that he didn’t sway her into making a decision based on what they’d shared personally.
But clearly he had hurt her in the process.
How could he have been so foolish? Wanting to get it over with without too many advance questions, he’d simply shown up at her office to tell her all of it in person. It had backfired.
He certainly could have handled the meeting so much better. First, he’d waited too long to tell her the truth, and then he’d botched it royally when he finally had. Now, it was too late to fix things. She would probably never want anything to do with him after this. He wasn’t sure what he wanted when it came to Laney Taytum. But he knew with certainty that he would hate to live with the knowledge that she hated him. Though they had no kind of future together, he had to admit he’d grown fond of her. No. It was more than that. He cared for her in a way he hadn’t felt for any other woman before in his lifetime. And look at how he’d treated her. It was unconscionable. She’d told him opening that club had been a new beginning for her, after her dreams of becoming a dancer fell through. How could he have forgotten to take that fact into account?
He had to try to do something. Anything.