Things are far from sorted out. I still have nothing, but it would have saddened me deeply if William had thrown away my paintings.
The door opens, and Lurlene comes in with a cautious smile on her face. She takes off her sunglasses, and mischief flickers in her eyes.
“Hi, Aunt Lurlene,” I say, feeling my cheeks burn with embarrassment. I only call her aunt when I’ve done something wrong.
“Hello, Niece Willow. Is the drop-dead gorgeous naked man still upstairs in your bedroom?”
“No.”
She’s carrying a few grocery bags and makes her way to the table to set them down. She then turns to face me and tries to bite back a smile.
“He was really gorgeous. You did exceptionally well, my girl.”
“I’m so sorry. I really am. I know it’s not okay, and I don’t want you to think that when you’re away, I’ll have all sorts of strange men over.”
“Sugar, if they’re as gorgeous as him, you can have them over anytime.” She laughs and tucks a lock of hair behind her ear. “Besides, who do you think you’re talking to?”
“I know. It’s just… I don’t want to take advantage. I also don’t usually have men around where I live.”
“No, you don’t. You seem to forget that I really know you, and you seem to think I’m upset by this. I’m not. I thought I’d even go out and give you some space.
I was supposed to be away for the whole day, so it’s my bad for coming back early.”
I grit my teeth. “And you caught us naked.”
She laughs. “Sex is part of life, honey, and I completely approve of your very handsome stranger. I can see God has been very good to him and blessed him in many ways.”
Oh my God. I bring my hands to my cheeks as embarrassment takes me again. I can’t believe she caught us naked. Just after Donny and I had sex. She obviously saw him in his full glory too before he had the chance to cover himself. I’m never going to forget this or live this down. She bursts out laughing when my hands fly up to my cheeks.
“Oh, Lurlene, I really am so sorry. You shouldn’t have seen any of that.”
“Forget the dang apologies, sugar. I want to know what’s happening next.” She comes closer and sits on the arm of the sofa while I settle down on the rug and hug my knees to my chest. “This is the same guy from the other night, I take it. If it’s not, then damn, girl, you certainly have them coming.”
I chuckle. “Yes, it’s the same guy. I left my bracelet at his place, and he brought it over and, um… well, he stayed over.”
She looks intrigued, like I’ve just hit her with the best news ever. “My God, this is so juicy. What’s his name?”
“Donny.” It occurs to me that I don’t have a last name for him, and he doesn’t know mine. He found me though.
“I like it. And when will you be seeing Donny again?”
I bite the inside of my lip. Lurlene is a woman of adventure, but even she’s going to think my plans for later are crazy.
“He wants me to go to his place later, and … um, stay for the rest of the week,” I answer tentatively.
It’s her turn to catch her face now. Her hands go to her cheeks, and her mouth drops open.
“Holy hell. Damn, girl, you got this guy good. I told you Italian men are delicious treats, aren’t they?”
“I’m going to agree with you.”
“Are you going?”
“I’m… planning to, unless you can think of any reason I shouldn’t. This is crazy, and I’ve accepted that William might have finally pushed me over the edge. I might not be making the best decisions.” Although I laugh, I’m being serious.
To my relief, she shakes her head. “No. You won’t hear a thing like that from me. Crazy is not always bad. This kind of crazy is nice sometimes. I always think if your life means you’re worrying all the time and following rules people think are normal, you miss out on opportunities you only get in a crazy situation.” She nods with conviction.
“So, this is okay?”
“Yes. Willow, you haven’t dated since William. This is definitely okay. It’s natural that a part of you would have shut down after the horror you experienced with him. Being with Donny means you’re moving on, healing, trusting, and coming out of the shit of a funk. Go with the flow.”
I get up and hug her. “Thanks, I needed to hear that. I really did.”
She takes both my hands into hers and stares me straight in my eyes. “Have fun. You deserve fun. If there’s anyone who needs fun right now, it’s you. But, my love, please promise me you’ll be careful. That’s the only caution I’m going to give you.”
I nod my agreement and think of the gun again. Something pinches in my chest, but I push it away. He must have had it for protection. That was it. It must have been that, right?
If I believe that, then the next question that follows is going to be protection from what. I know we can’t be too careful and all kinds of crimes happen on a daily basis, but you wouldn’t really carry a gun with you on the regular.
God… I get the feeling I like this guy so much I’ll believe anything. I’ll make myself believe anything to push my worries out of my mind. That by itself is crazy and I should know better no matter what I feel for him, or how he makes me feel.
It’s just that… this is the first time in forever that hope has filled my heart. The hope isn’t even to do with wanting a relationship. It’s more about finding myself and absorbing something positive. That wild chemistry and attraction that lures me to Donny is something I can’t deny. So… maybe it’s okay to tell myself the gun is just for protection.
“I will be careful. I promise you that,” I assure her.
“Good. I want to hear all about everything when you get back,” she delights with elation twinkling in her eyes.
“Lurlene, please.”
“We can swap stories because I’m going to be away too.”
“Oh, my goodness. You’re going away again?”
She gives me a wide smile. “You don’t get to have all the fun. Yes. I’m going away over the weekend, so we’ll both be back by Monday. How about I make us a good dinner and we have a girls’ night in?”
“I would love that.”
“Wonderful.” She claps her hands together and stands.
“I better pack.” I straighten up.
She nods with approval. “I guess you better do that.”
It’s six. I don’t have much time left. It’s about an hour to Donny’s place. I’ll get everything together and leave at seven.
* * *
“Gira a sinistra,” Donny says with emphasis on the last word. He’s been teaching me a few Italian words, and I absolutely suck.
He’s telling me how to say turn left, but I just can’t get the pronunciation.
“Gira a sinisetraraaaa.” I burst out laughing, and so does he.
I love his laugh and the way his hair falls over his eye when he tilts it to the side. The wind picks it up a little, and he runs a hand through it, shaking his head.
“Bella, Jesus. You’re gonna have to stick with me a little longer. Think of the sinistra like Frank Sinatra, but there’s an ‘i’ and a ‘s’ in between the words instead of the ‘a’.”
“Sinistra.” I try again, and he gives me two thumbs up.
“Yes. Perfetto.” He chuckles.
“I got there in the end.” I smile, stabbing the last piece of steak on my plate with my fork.
He watches me as I eat it, pretty much the same way he watched me all night. I’ve been here for over three hours, and we’ve already had sex twice.
Instead of the little black dress I had on, I’m wearing one of his shirts now, and we’re out on the terrace eating the last of the feast he cooked for us.
Lurlene never told me that the men here are excellent cooks too. Donny sure is. He made us juicy sirloin steaks and roasted spring vegetables. Everything was perfect and amazing. Including the conversations we had as we tried to get to know more about each othe
r. He talked about growing up here in Sicily and I talked about L.A. We also finally shared surnames. His is Caporetti. I should have known that even his name would be sexy—Donatello Caporetti. I definitely love his name even more.
“You’re watching me again,” I point out.
“I like looking at you.” He leans forward onto the table, and his muscles bulge, showing off the intricate work of his tattoos.
“I won’t complain, then. I like looking at you too.”
“Look all you want Bella Bellissima.” His lips arch into a sexy smile.
I continue looking, but then silence falls between us, opening the floor for me to ask him the questions on my mind.
“What?” he says, and I press my lips together.
“What do you mean?”
“You look like you want to ask me something.”
I laugh. “How did you find me the other day?”
“I have my ways.” He eyes me with suspicion. “I checked my phone and found the taxi company you called.”
“Oh.” I’m impressed by that. “I’m touched you went through all that trouble for me.”
“Bella, I don’t know what man alive wouldn’t go through any kind of trouble to see you again.”
“You’d be surprised.” I don’t want to think about William when I’m with Donny. It’s not right, but I find myself comparing because the two are so different.
“Trust me, Bella, any guy who doesn’t isn’t worth your time.”
“Thank you. I guess I better hope you stick around for a while, then.” I know I’m pushing the limits by saying something like that. It’s just wishful thinking.
He steeples his fingers and gives me a lopsided grin. “Don’t worry. I’m not going back to Chicago anytime soon.”
“No?”
“No. I won’t be. What about you? When are you heading back to L.A?”
I shake my head. I decided on my way here that I’m going to stay around for a while. I don’t need to be back home for anything, and definitely not when I’m not ready to face the aftermath of the loss of my business.
“I’m not going anytime soon either.”
“Well, that’s really, really good to know.” He presses his lips together and intensifies his stare. He looks at me like he’s trying to figure me out, and I know he has more questions on his mind too. For me. “Willow, what happened to you?”
There it is. The extended version of the question of what sent me to the club.
I draw in a breath and take a sip of my water.
“It’s okay if you don’t want to talk about it, doll. I just want to know,” he adds.
“I’ll talk. It’s just hard.”
“Tell me what happened. What made you cry?”
“My… ex. My… monster of an ex,” I answer.
Most people who know my situation were at my disaster wedding, so I don’t usually have to backtrack when I talk about William. The embarrassment from that day is enough for them to understand why I don’t talk about it. For Donny I’ll have to start from there in my explanation of what happened to me.
I do, and as sympathy fills his handsome face I instantly feel bad. I don’t want him to look at me like that.
Talking about reality has invaded the magic, piercing through the bubble of fantasy I feel when I’m with him. Feeling the weight of his stare I set my fork down and drop my gaze to the plate even though there’s nothing left on it.
“That shit should never have happened to you,” he states and I return my focus to him.
“I wish it didn’t.”
“You’re better than that. I’m sorry it happened. He was an asshole, consider yourself lucky you didn’t end up with someone like him.”
I never thought about it like that. Never thought of the break up as a lucky escape. Now that so much has happened and I’ve seen what William is truly like, I agree. It was a lucky escape.
“Thank you.”
“Do you still love him?” he asks with guarded eyes.
“No. I don’t. Now I can confess that I stopped a long time ago, long before the wedding. I was just going through the motions and I should never have continued down a path that I knew would lead me nowhere.”
“Can’t always know doll.” His face softens.
“I guess not. Well… now you know more about me and my problems.” I bite the inside of my lip.
“They’re past problems. Your ex’s loss is my gain. I know how to treat a woman who’s priceless.”
Priceless… I’ve never been called that before. This guy could charm me into doing anything. He makes me feel so good about myself.
I smile. “You are too much, Donatello Caporetti.” I like saying his name.
“I haven’t started yet, Willow Belmont.” He stands up, walks over to me, and takes my hand.
I stand too, and he slips his arm around my waist, positioning me to dance with him.
“We’re dancing?” I ask.
“We’re dancing. I never got to dance with you at the club.”
“There’s no music out here.”
“We don’t need it. Just sway with me and feel me…” His voice is a gentle rasp.
He rests his chin on top of my head, and I do feel him. I lay my head on his chest, listening to the rapid beat of his heart as we sway in a dance that moves us with the emotion that courses between us… the passion. Us. Whatever we are, there’s a definite bond of energy made of chemistry and raw attraction that has us under its spell.
I’ve never met a guy like this before, and I do really like him.
My heart opens as warmth fills it. I never expected to open my heart again to anybody. This guy here has worked some kind of magic on me because he makes me want to try again.
I want him. As crazy as it may be, I want the guy who looks at me like I’m everything.
How can I be blamed for wanting that?
Chapter Ten
Donny
It’s Monday morning. Early.
The sun has just risen and I’ve enjoyed watching the radiant rays cast their glow over the beautiful raven-haired woman in my bed. Willow looks like a princess pulled from a fairytale. Perfectly beautiful and gentle. Pure.
I’ve been sitting by the window bay smoking a cigar in my boxers, contemplating life as I watched night turn to day.
I’ve had this beauty in my house for the last few days, and every day she’s been here, it’s felt more and more like she should be part of my life.
One week. It’s been one week and a day since I’ve known her. It’s too fast, too soon, and the wrong time. I can’t think about anything when I’m with her and that isn’t going to help me in my pursuit to take charge of the business here. Distractions like her will get me in the shit, or worse, get me killed.
I need to get my act together because there’s still no sighting of Mario. I’ve had my best men on the street looking for him, scouring the place to find his ass and they haven’t found shit. It’s like he’s just disappeared, or he’s been well hidden. Thoughts like that remind me of Pa’s warning about spies.
There’s only so much a man can do to hide himself in the circles we travel in. My fears are that whoever he’s working with has his ass covered up so well we won’t find him until they’re ready to make their presence known. I just keep hoping Gibbs can work his usual magic.
Regardless of the lack of information I have, today things have to change. I have to go out on to the streets and act like the leader I’m supposed to be. Basically, no matter what temptation comes to claim me today, I can’t fuck around anymore playing house with my doll.
My doll? Yeah, I want her to be. I’m just not sure if I can keep her yet. I’m not sure it’s a thought I should be entertaining.
I look over her perfect body as she stirs and rolls on to her side. The sheet slips down to her waist and exposes her beautiful breasts, the sight hardens my cock, again.
I know what she wants. She wants the guy who will keep her safe and love her. She wants t
he good guy who will be reliable and won’t bring shit home for her to worry about. That means she shouldn’t be with a dangerous man like me.
That fucker, William, who hurt her is lucky I’m all the way over here. I checked him out, and when I saw he was a lawyer, I thought it would fit that she’d be with someone like that. A guy who’s on the right side of the law.
My phone buzzes next to me with a message, a sign of how this day’s going to go. I reach for it before it can buzz again and wake her.
It’s Gibbs. I open the message and relief washes over me when I read it :
Found where Mario is staying. He’s just gone to sleep.
I’m getting the men together.
Thank fuck. Quickly I text back:
Good job. Send me an address, I’ll meet you there.
It takes seconds for Gibbs to send the message back to me with the address. I know the area. It’s in the slumish parts of town. It fits the scum Mario is.
I get up and walk over to the dresser to check for my gun in the top draw. I’m taking my good weapons today— my Berettas. I can’t wait to get my hands on Mario.
One bullet in his head after I get the info I want. I need to get details of how deep the shit runs and what’s going on. All that he did and who’s involved. Then I’ll kill the motherfucker. Claudius will expect me to do that anyway. He’ll want truth and then an end to the miserable son of a bitch.
I take the gun out carefully and glance at Willow. If she sees it, I know she’ll freak, which is one reason why I have to be careful with her.
I place the gun in my jacket pocket, and when I turn back to face her, I still when I see she’s sitting up. I’m not sure if she saw the gun or not, but the pale look on her face and the slightly wide expression in her eyes suggests that she might have.
“Morning…” she says, and her face softens.
The Sting of Love: USA Today Bestselling Author Page 9
