King of Hearts

by C. A. Szarek

  “What?”

  He dragged his thumb down her cheek and across her lips. “I’m here, Mads. I’m not going anywhere.”

  “I’m ready!” Jake announced.

  Maddie jumped.

  Gio kissed her forehead and gently released her. “All right, champ. Let’s go on our men-only outing.”

  “Yes!” Her son pumped his little arm.

  “Say goodbye to your mom.”

  “Bye, Mom!” Jake waved, only a few feet from the front door.

  For some reason, it snapped her back into her own skin. “I don’t think so, bud. Come hug me, and I want to inspect your cleanup job.”

  With an overdramatic sigh only a seven-year-old boy and a teenage girl could perfect, Jake’s little shoulders caved in and he lumbered to her as if she’d asked him to bury a body.

  Maddie let it slide and cupped his cheeks. “Teeth.”

  He rolled his eyes—thanks, Jamie—but obeyed.

  “No smurf in sight.” She made a loud smacking kiss on his cheek, but her son grinned instead of making the face she’d expected.

  “Love you, Mom.”

  “Love you, too, buddy. Behave for your dad.”

  Gio winked on their way out the door, promising to take them out for lunch when the mission-haircut was accomplished.

  Maddie stared at the door, rubbing her arm.

  He’d said he wasn’t going anywhere.

  He kept saying it.

  How long would it last?

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Maddie paced. Gnawed her thumbnail. She should use the unexpected alone time to go over her official statement one last time, but she was blowing the time on obsessing over the eavesdropped conversation.

  Not to mention Gio’s vow.

  The federal prosecutor on the case, as well as the team working on the Cesare Fratelli trial wanted full disclosure, so they could compare notes, and she still had tons of work to do. She probably owed Special Agent Grey another call, too.

  Funny, how easily Griggs had relinquished her command. The jerk had gotten out of a lot of the paperwork.

  Her mind spun in a chaos of foolish hope, back to calling herself an idiot.

  Gio had been so great that weekend they’d spent as a family, before the chaos of getting removed from the case, the threat to her son’s life, and Elise showing up with the hard drives.

  Then the takedown, and now…they were settled in Vegas, she was starting a new investigation on Monday.

  Gio had pulled back.

  He’d been inching away little by little, and it’d been driving her crazy; not to mention left her with blue balls.

  They’d had sex a few times, but not like when she’d first arrived, and him not spending the night was confusing the hell out of her.

  Gio was still great with their son, of course, but what about her?

  Hadn’t he declared he wanted to be a part of her life, too? What if he didn’t mean permanently?

  The confusion only sky-rocketed when he’d kiss her like he had before they’d left—and last night, too—then said he was there for good.

  If he was there for good, why had he been so…distant?

  The push and pull spun her into havoc.

  What the fuck did it all mean?

  She believed he’d always be Team-Jake, but what about Team-Maddie?

  Maddie sighed and yanked her ponytail. First thing this morning, Gio had chided her for the up hairstyle; said he loved her natural waves free and flowing.

  What did she want? Expect?

  Gio.

  In her life. In her bed.

  Forever.

  His ring on her finger, his last name behind hers. Behind Jake’s.

  She closed her eyes and told herself to breathe as her vision spun all over again. Refused to cry.

  Things were good with them; who cared if he’d backed away, slowed things down without talking to her about it?

  It didn’t mean things were off track, did it?

  Tears cascaded and she called herself an even bigger fool.

  Her cellphone rang and she jolted. Answering was rote, and she didn’t check to see who was calling. “Granger.”

  Silence greeted her for a split-second.

  “Mads?”

  “Yeah?” The word came out choked, so she subtly cleared her throat.

  “Are you…crying?” Gio all but demanded.

  She forced a laugh. “Yeah, silly me. Watching a sad movie. Wasting my time, really, since I should be doing more case wrap-up.”

  Again, he was quiet.

  Nico Giovanni could see right through her, even over the phone. Would he call her on her BS?

  He cleared his throat. “Well, I just wanted to give you a heads up we’re about done. Wanted a feel about lunch…grab food and come back or did you want to go out?”

  “We can go out.” The sentence was rushed, and Maddie winced. She was effing up this call, for sure. Dreaded looking into his sapphire eyes when they got back. If he could tell she was lying over the phone, looking at him would doom her.

  “Maddie.”

  Her name was all warning.

  “Gio.” She returned, going for the same tone. Failing miserably.

  “You know, eventually you’ll blurt it out. You always do.”

  “What?”

  “Whatever the hell crawled up your ass.” This was half-irritated, half-exasperated, and all Gio.

  “Hey, watch your mouth around Jake. Jamie already has him saying ‘dammit’.”

  “You never could keep a secret from me,” he continued as if she hadn’t spoken.

  Except Jake.

  Maddie wouldn’t say that, even joking.

  She wouldn’t keep secrets from him. Really didn’t need to.

  He doesn’t know I love him.

  She was doing okay with that secret, right?

  “Maddie?”

  She jolted and rolled her eyes. “I’m here. Just contemplating…you.” She cursed that bit of truth.

  He laughed. “I don’t know if that’s good or bad.”

  Neither do I.

  “Anyways, let’s go out to lunch. Jake said he wanted burgers last night.” Maddie prayed she sounded normal, even. And that Gio would leave off the inquisition.

  “All right.”

  “Good, see you guys when you get back.” Her thumb hovered over the red end circle.

  “Mads.”

  The nickname made her pause and put the phone back to her ear. “Yeah?”

  “We’re not done with whatever you’re not telling me.”

  She didn’t bother outright denying it. “I didn’t think you’d leave me alone. But you’re being silly. I’m good.”

  “Right. Well, just so you know, we’ll never be done.”

  Gio beat her to ending the call.

  Maddie cursed like she never could when Jake was around.

  ****

  Gio wrapped Jake’s small hand in his, and his son grinned up at him. He couldn’t help the upturn of his mouth, too.

  Last week, he’d finally got his hair cut, returning to the neatness of a trimmed back and sides, just a little on top, and now the seven-year-old was truly his miniature.

  Maddie was going to be blown away with how much they looked alike.

  His Mads…

  Something was upsetting her, and he’d get her to tell him; hopefully before the diamond ring he’d had with him every day for over a week—since the day after they’d slapped metal bracelets on Gian Falcone’s wrists—burned a hole in his pocket.

  He’d been trying to find the right time.

  Gio hadn’t planned on waiting, and the conversation that morning with Jake had spurred him on. The kid wanted them to live together as much as he wanted it.

  He would’ve asked her the night Elise had given him their mom’s ring, but since the conclusion of the case, Maddie had been…weird.

  She’d withdrawn. Had been stiff with him, and he’d lost his nerve.

  She
wouldn’t say no, right?

  Before Jake and Jamie had come back to Vegas, Gio had made the decision to do things right. Stop the sleepovers until he and Maddie had a serious “them” talk, but then the chaos of the case had happened. Not to mention the threat on Jake’s life. Time had never manifested for it.

  He was trying to respect her, until she was his wife, but her behaviors weren’t encouraging.

  They hadn’t had enough sex, either. Not nearly enough. It killed him to keep his hands to himself.

  Elise kept asking him if he’d proposed yet. His sister had been hounding him, really. It was good to see she still adored Maddie and wanted them to be together. His sister’s blessing meant the world to him.

  “Dad, when will I see Aunt Elise and my uncles again?” Jake asked, tugging him free of his hand as they got to the GTO.

  “Soon, champ. Aunt Elise wants you to come over tomorrow.”

  “I wanna see Uncle Dom, too. He’s cool!”

  Gio wanted to roll his eyes. Of course, his kid would be intrigued with the black sheep.

  His brothers had been stunned to learn he had a son, but both had accepted Jake with hugs and huge welcomes. Considering their dad’s degrading condition, maybe they all needed something family-related to cheer on.

  The kid had warmed to all three of them, but Elise had taken to the boy more than the guys. Or in a different way, perhaps. Jake was just as entranced with his aunt, and no doubt she was going to spoil the shit out of him to no end.

  “I’m sure you will, soon.”

  Dom was still leery of him, and they had a little mending left to fully repair their relationship.

  He wouldn’t push the guy. His gut told him Dom needed to come to him, but Gio was glad his brother hadn’t taken his ire out on Jake.

  “I can see Uncle Sam at Aunt Jamie’s work, huh?”

  His youngest brother was in his last semester at the University of Arizona, and he did the majority of his classes online. He’d already been working at the casino part time, but Elise had just promoted him. Sam was now the Entertainment Manager, or some shit, and he was running all the show schedules and whatever came with it. It was out of Gio’s wheelhouse, so who the hell knew. No matter what was involved, Sam would excel; he always did.

  Damn good thing their sister hadn’t given that job to Dom; the middle child would’ve tried to screw all the dancers.

  “Yeah, I guess so, bud. Not that your mom would want you running around with showgirls.” He winked.

  Jake wrinkled his little nose. “What’s a showgirl?”

  Gio smirked. “Your Aunt Jamie’s new job.” Much to Maddie’s chagrin.

  “But she’s a dancer.”

  “Yup, that too.”

  “Mommy doesn’t like it. Said she needs to make something more of her life. Is being a dancer bad?”

  “You know what, champ? That’s something you should ask your mom.”

  Jake nodded seriously, and Gio had a hard time not groaning. Although, overhearing Maddie try to explain it might be entertaining, too.

  He could hear her calling him a coward in his head.

  “Are we picking Mom up for lunch?”

  “You bet.”

  “Yay!”

  He chuckled at the kid’s fist-pump.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Maddie had mostly pulled herself together by the time her boys got back to the apartment and she met them in the parking lot to go to lunch.

  When they were done, after the ice cream dessert upon Jake’s insistence, she couldn’t really take Gio’s soulful silence and questioning eyes anymore.

  “What?” she demanded in a loud whisper.

  Their son had run to his room for something he wanted to show his dad, and God knew the kid wouldn’t be gone long enough for an argument.

  “What?” Gio parroted, arching a one dark eyebrow.

  She growled in her throat and narrowed her eyes. “You’ve been staring at me all day. What’s your problem?”

  He smirked, and she cursed the fact it was so damn sexy.

  “I told you before we left; you’re the one that seems to have a problem with me. Just waiting for you to out it, is all.”

  Maddie prayed for patience not to throttle him. She needed to breathe through her irritation, because she just might blurt the overheard confession.

  That would be a bad thing, wouldn’t it?

  “Come sit with me. Let’s have a real conversation.” He slid onto the couch, and patted the cushion next to him.

  She crossed her arms over her breasts and stayed in the kitchen.

  Gio had to crane his neck to make eye contact over his shoulder. “At least I know he comes by it naturally.”

  “What?”

  “You’re too stubborn for your own good, just like your kid.”

  Maddie tried not to smile. “So, now he’s just my kid?”

  His mouth—so damn kissable—curved in a lazy, sexy smile. “Will you just freaking come here, already?”

  “You’re getting better at not cussing.”

  Gio’s smile slid into a grin. “It’s hard as hell.”

  “Heck,” Maddie supplied, but she inched over to the sofa.

  His big hand swallowed her wrist, and he pulled her down.

  She landed half on him, half beside him, and it took all she was made of to pin to her brain their son was down the hallway, and she could not climb on Gio’s lap and have her way with him.

  Besides, she was mad at him, right?

  He helped her straighten, and slung his arm around her shoulders. Plastered her to his side.

  His warmth seeped into her, and her tummy wobbled at the same time her heart skipped. Maddie bit her bottom lip.

  “Wanna tell me what’s bothering you?” he whispered.

  She shook her head.

  “Why not?”

  “Because…”

  “Mads…”

  “I heard you, okay?” Her cheeks heated, half from embarrassment, half from her libido.

  “Heard me?”

  Why did his eyes have to be so damn blue?

  She sniffled and tried to avert her eyes, but something wouldn’t let her.

  “Heard me what?” Gio prompted.

  “You told Jake you love me.” Her vision blurred and she really wanted look away.

  “I do.” Confusion crossed his expression. “Why’re you crying?”

  Maddie shook her head, then closed her eyes when he brushed his mouth lightly over hers. Shivers danced down her spine. “You’re a big jerk.”

  “I am?” He reared back, arching an eyebrow again, like he had minutes before.

  “You’re so damn confusing! You pull away from me. Stop sleeping over. Barely touch me. I thought…I thought… Then you tell our son you love me, but…” She had to pant to breathe, and her tears spilled over. “But you’ve never said those words to me.”

  Gio thumbed them away, then closed his eyes. “I’m a fucking idiot, is what I am.”

  Maddie gave a half-laugh. “I certainly won’t disagree.”

  “I’m so sorry, Mads. There was a method to my madness, really.”

  “What?”

  “I wanted to do things right.”

  “Meaning?”

  “I want to be with you and Jake, but I didn’t want to confuse him with the back-and-forth, with the sleepovers, so I thought…” He sighed and shook his head.

  “You being here is doing things right.” Her bottom lip wobbled, but Maddie sucked in a relieved breath. What he’d said made sense. “I wish you would’ve said something. It would’ve saved me tons of turmoil.”

  “Turmoil?”

  She nodded. “I’ve been a mess inside since you’ve been so distant.”

  Gio shook his head. “You’ve been really weird.”

  Their gazes locked and held, then they both laughed.

  “Can I start over?” he whispered.

  Maddie nodded again, because she didn’t think she could speak.

>   “I love you, Madison Granger. I fell for you when I was a hotheaded little shit, eight long years ago and I never stopped loving you. You gave me a son I couldn’t love more than I do. I’m going to love you both for the rest of my life.” He gently pushed off the couch, and knelt in front of her, digging something out of his pocket.

  “Gio…” she sputtered. “What’re…what’re you doing?”

  Gio flipped open a little black box, and Maddie hiccupped.

  “Mads, will you marry me?”

  Her vision wouldn’t clear. She swiped at her cheeks but more tears came. “How…how can you ask me that?”

  “What?” He blinked, and licked his bottom lip, as if he was nervous.

  “I haven’t even told you I love you, yet.”

  Gio’s shock melted away, and he grinned. “You just did. Besides, I already I know.”

  “You do?” She cocked her head to one side.

  “Jake said he heard you tell Jamie.”

  Maddie’s own bark of laughter shocked her, and she shook her head. “I’m gonna kill that kid!”

  “Mom, will you tell him yes already, so I can come out of my room?” Jake’s voice was filled with exasperation.

  Her gaze locked with Gio’s. “Did you tell him?”

  He shook his head; the surprise on his face was genuine.

  The moment might’ve been broken, but somehow it was still perfect.

  Maddie laughed again, despite the tears still wetting her cheeks. “Yes, Nico Giovanni, I’ll marry you. And, yes, I do love you. I’ve loved you for as long as you’ve loved me.”

  Gio pushed off the floor and crushed her against his chest. He covered her mouth with his and kissed her until her whole body was jelly, and she wished like hell they were alone.

  “I love you so damn much,” he whispered against her lips.

  “I love you, too.”

  His hand shook as he pushed the gorgeous cluster of diamonds on her left hand’s ring finger. “This was my mom’s, and I think she would’ve loved you to have it.”

  “Oh, Gio.”

  Jake hopped down the hallway, a silly grin on his face. He threw himself at them, and they laughed as they caught him up together. “We’re gonna get married?”