by Ciara Cole
Tiana sighed dramatically. “Thwarted for the penis yet again. Speaking of, what do you know about his friend Antonio?”
“Not much. They’re best friends and second cousins. He’s a real estate developer.”
Tiana said nothing else, just made a small humming noise over the phone. “Fine, abandon me for Gio. I’m knee deep into a story on the Deputy Mayor’s daughter’s wedding to some hedge fund guy, so let’s meet up next week sometime for food and drinks, yeah?”
“Sounds good. I’ll call you after my Wednesday meeting with Mara. Bye.” Talia disconnected the call and stared out the window. The day was bright and sunny, yet her window was cool to the touch. She would have to dress warm, she thought absently, watching a couple kiss under an awning down below. Talia wanted that, and she hadn’t realized how much until she’d started spending time with Giovanni.
She made a promise to herself, as she looked out over the city she loved. She’d come to New York for college more than a decade ago and instantly fell in love with the sights, sounds and even the smells of the city. She would throw herself into this thing with Giovanni and give it an honest try. It might blow up in her face, but it might give her the happy ending she craved.
~
Giovanni had the strangest feeling all day long and it left him feeling uneasy. Today was the day Talia would find out whether or not she was pregnant, and the idea of her being pregnant didn’t leave him feeling as terrified and anxious as he would have thought just last month. But maybe that’s because it was too soon; he didn’t really know.
Things were going well with him and Talia, giving him hope that maybe this was more than an affair. That alone was a terrifying thought for him. He’d kept an eye on her, partly because he just couldn’t stay away and also because there was a chance she was carrying his child.
Certainly the sex between them was wild, uninhibited and more passionate than anything he’d ever felt. There was something between them and he intended to explore it. Thoroughly. He didn’t know what kind of future he had, or what kind of future they had together, if any. It was widely known—and much talked about—that Giovanni was not a man prone to commitment. He was rarely seen with the same woman more than a handful of times and he never made promises because he knew he wouldn’t keep them.
Was he capable of giving Talia the commitment she deserved? He wasn’t sure because it had only been a month. A thrilling and sensually explorative month, but still just a month.
Giovanni wandered around the restaurant with his loose gait almost like a cowboy, checking and double checking the tables. It was the family-style service combined with an upscale menu that made The Family Table such a hit in a city where fancy minimalist plates reigned supreme. There were two-top tables dotted along the walls, but most of the tables sat at least four people so everyone could get a taste of the dishes, just like at home.
He’d come a long way since his days as a semi-pro boxer, enforcer for one arm of the Tucci family. The criminal arm, that is. He’d gone to great lengths to separate himself from that part of the family, the part that had sucked him in and guilted him to join what Uncle Vincenzo referred to as ‘the family business’. Giovanni cringed when he thought back to those days, to the things he’d done. It made him sick, and he worked hard to keep the past where it belonged. He was a new man. A law-abiding man with a successful restaurant, not to mention many other businesses that padded his wealth.
“Gio, my boy. You’re looking well.”
The sound of that smoky voice told Giovanni exactly why he’d been feeling uneasy all day. “Cristofano, are you here as a paying customer?”
“You not happy to see me, Gio? We used to be friends. We’re still family.”
“I’m aware of that, Cristo, but you and Uncle Vincenzo seem to be unaware of how your presence makes my life more difficult.” All he asked was that they didn’t eat at The Family Table and not show their faces around the joint. It wasn’t too much to ask.
“Yeah, well the boss man is worried you might be tempted to talk, now that you’ve gone straight and all.”
Gio scoffed. “Like you said, we’re family. I’ve held up my end of the bargain.” He gave Cristo a pointed look to illustrate that it was their side who was unable to do the same. “I have no reason to talk to anyone and as long as you don’t show up here, no one has a reason to ask me any questions. About anything.”
Cristo nodded, getting the message loud and clear. “Well, I’m already here now, why don’t we sit and have some pasta? You can tell me how your folks are. Your mom never forgave Vincenzo for bringing you into the biz and he’s dying for information on them.”
Giovanni nodded. It was a rift he felt terrible about, but Uncle Vincenzo knew what he was doing when he’d recruited his nephew. He also knew how much his sister-in-law would hate it. Camellia Tucci had put her foot down and refused to attend any family function attended by Vincenzo. Even after Giovanni had left the organization, the tension hadn’t lessened between them, which meant Vincenzo hadn’t spoken to his brother in about twelve years. “Mama and Daddy are doing well. He’s close to retirement and I’m sending them on a cruise for their anniversary.”
Cristo smiled sadly. “You’re a good boy, Gio. We miss you.”
“My fists, you mean,” he corrected bitterly. As an enforcer for Vincenzo’s organization, Giovanni had beaten, pounded and crippled men within and outside of the organization who threatened their goals. Of course he’d been taken in by Vincenzo’s promises to make him a better boxer, but all he’d gotten was bruised and bloody knuckles, a broken dream and a few close calls with the law.
“You know that’s what I mean. You were the perfect enforcer,” Cristo said wistfully. “If I could create one, he would be in your image. Compassionate and lethal; who knew it would be a special blend that kept everyone in line?”
“Vincenzo knew.” Gio looked around at the mostly empty dining room, sucking in a silent breath when Talia walked through the door. She looked breathtaking in fitted black jeans, knee boots and a silky blouse that gave her skin a healthy glow. She smiled at him and he smiled back, motioning her toward the bar.
“A friend of yours?”
Giovanni nodded. “Yes. She’s profiling the restaurant for a magazine.”
Cristo rubbed his scratchy face. “Good ‘cause for a moment there, I thought there was something more going on.”
“If there were, it wouldn’t be your business or anyone else’s.”
“Maybe so, but Vinnie always harbored hopes you’d marry Sofia Izzo.”
“Never happening. Look, Cristo, my lips are sealed so just stay away, okay? I have a restaurant to run.” He stood and walked away, telling the server to give the man what he wanted to eat and drink. He hated that Cristo had stopped by, and not only because Talia would likely have questions about a known mob underboss enjoying a casual conversation with the chef and owner. Then there was the issue of the police, who would no doubt be darkening his door real soon.
“Hey,” he greeted Talia, sliding into the space just beside her.
“Hey yourself.” She smiled up at him, sipping her drink. “How’s it going?”
He shrugged. “Slow aside from lunch, but most people don’t have time to sit for a lengthy delicious meal.”
“Hence the popularity of those cancer-pushing fast food chains passing their products off as food.”
Giovanni looked at her curiously and then burst out laughing. “No, Talia, don’t hold back. Tell us how you really feel.”
She dipped her head in embarrassment. “I’m just speaking the truth, Giovanni.” She took another sip from her glass. “Do you always chat with your customers like that?” She nodded to where he’d been talking with Cristo.
He shrugged. “Not always, but he’s a relative and I hadn’t seen him for years.”
“Oh, okay.” She didn’t ask any more questions about his family, for which he was grateful. “Have you ever visited Italy?”
Hi
s bright smile made her own appear. “Of course. It was required of all of us before we became adults. Then when I was about twenty, my grandparents finally bit the bullet and moved to New York.”
“Was it as beautiful as I imagine it to be?”
Giovanni couldn’t help it; he leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her cheek. “Nope. It’s more beautiful than the most beautiful image you can conjure up.” He told her all about the olive groves, the impromptu parties full of fresh seafood and homemade pasta. “I’ll make you gnocchi this weekend,” he promised.
Talia raised an eyebrow to him. “Did we make plans for this weekend?”
Giovanni leaned in close and whispered in her ear, “We just did.” He felt a weird sensation in his chest when she shivered at his words.
“Well then, I guess I’d better bring my appetite.”
“And enough clothes for the weekend.” Their eyes connected, his dark pools of chocolate pulling her in, her amber gaze telling him she wanted him. He wanted her, too, dammit, but right now he couldn’t have her. Well, maybe just a taste. “Come here,” he growled and pulled her into the kitchen and down the hall, closing the office door behind them. “Much better,” he said and cupped her face, bringing his mouth down onto hers in a kiss that was searing and quickly growing out of control.
“Damn,” she whispered when he pulled back slightly. Talia smiled and pulled him down for another kiss. She took control this time, letting her tongue slide between his full lips and into the sweet hotness that was his mouth. Her tongue darted around, exploring every inch of his mouth while her fingers wrapped around his curly hair and held him close. The kiss was never ending and Giovanni cupped her ass, bringing her center close to his.
He groaned when she pulled back, gasping for air. “I want you so bad right now, but I can’t.”
She smiled. “I know. My place after work?”
He groaned but nodded. “Definitely.” He gave her a cheeky smile.
“Interview first,” she reminded him.
“Naked interview, first.”
“An article of clothing for every question answered.”
He moaned in her ear. “I’m looking forward to it.”
~
“Is it me or do things just keep getting better and hotter around here?” Talia had been embarrassed to ask the question but it just kind of popped out in the post-coital glow of a lengthy session that began with a ninety-minute interview. She was completely naked by the time she’d asked her last question and as soon as she dropped her pin, Giovanni had been on her, attacking her mouth with his. He’d kissed up and down the length of her body until she’d been nothing but a quivering mass on the dining room table.
“I think it's safe to say yes, things keep getting better.” He kissed her throat and nuzzled behind her ear, pulling her close so their naked bodies were pressed together tightly.
Talia opened her mouth to speak when her stomach growled. “Well, I guess that answers my question about round three.” She laughed and jackknifed up, letting the sheet fall around her waist. “What did you bring?”
Giovanni grabbed her wrist and pulled her flush against him. He quickly flipped them so she was under him and wrapped those delicious lips around her breasts. “I don’t recall,” he squeezed enough to make her gasp, “but I have everything I need right here.” His hands and his mouth teased and tasted her until she squirmed and begged him for more. “Sorry I got distracted. Food, you said?”
“You rotten scoundrel, you get back here and do me, dammit!”
Giovanni chuckled and gave the lady what she asked for. Twice.
Much later, Talia was finally giving her stomach some nourishment. Wrapped in a sheet and propped on one end of her red sofa, she watched Giovanni as he watched her eat. “You’re seriously going to watch me eat this delicious food and not have a bite?”
“I’m going to have more than a bite, but damn, watching you eat already has me hard again.”
He groaned from somewhere deep inside of him and the look in his eyes was like an arrow of lust that pierced her armor and spread to all of her hot spots. “I think you just have a strong appetite. It has nothing to do with me.”
His hand snaked up her leg. “See, that’s where you’re wrong. If you come closer, you’ll see it has your name written all over it.”
Talia tossed her head back and laughed so hard tears streamed down her face. “You’re a very funny man, Giovanni Tucci. Very.” She always had a fondness for a man with a great sense of humor and so far, Giovanni never failed to get her chuckling.
“I take it that’s a plus in your book?”
“Who doesn’t like to laugh?” she asked with a frown.
“Women with recent Botox injections,” he answered matter of factly.
She stared at him with brows furrowed before she laughed with a playful shake of her head. “You really do have horrible taste in women. What a pity when you seem like such a catch.”
“Yeah, well, when you’re as rich as I am, women will put up with a lot.”
“Hmph,” was her only response as she finished the chicken masala he’d brought from the restaurant. “You could stop dating gold diggers, then I guess you might end up with a woman who wanted something your money couldn’t buy her.”
He raised a brow. “What’s that?”
She would have laughed at the confused expression he wore if it wasn’t so sad. “Commitment.” At that moment, she knew she was falling for him yet still she hoped she wasn’t pregnant with his baby. Giovanni wasn’t a man to walk away from his responsibilities, but he also wasn’t the sticking around type. She sighed and reached for her wine. “I guess you get what you want, and they get what they want to an extent.”
“I’m not an asshole. I let them know not to expect that from me.”
“But you wine and dine them, charm them and make it hard not to fall for you, then they end up the fools because…you told them.” It was sad because he had so much to offer, but at least she knew before it was too late. She could stop this train, put that horse back in the barn before things really got out of control.
“Are you going to judge me because of it?”
His deep voice tore her from her thoughts. “Not at all. It’s just a good thing to know.”
“You’re mad.”
She shook her head because she really wasn’t. “I’m not. But now I know to ignore your charm and just enjoy your food and your body.” She smiled to take the sting out of her words.
“Talia,” he began but she could tell he didn’t know exactly what he wanted to say, so she gave him an easy out.
“Don’t worry about it, Giovanni. You’re a billionaire playboy, and I’m just enjoying this…interlude for what it is. Fun.” Now she just needed to get her heart on board with the new plan.
Chapter Five
Several days after an unexpectedly serious dinner at Talia’s place, Giovanni was feeling ill at ease. He’d gotten something wrong that night and he knew it, despite her words. What he did not know was why he felt the way he did. Talia had been honest, but he didn’t like the idea that she would just chalk up his charm to playboy bullshit. He was happy she wanted to use his body, but he wasn’t thrilled that she wouldn’t even entertain the idea of falling for him. He knew it was a silly reaction since he’d gone thirty-six years doing his damnedest to make sure no one fell in love with him. Ever.
She wasn’t just beautiful, she was smart and funny and witty, and Giovanni would be a lucky bastard if a woman like her fell for him. It had been a million years since he’d been so attracted to a woman that he practically vibrated with need. He wanted her all the time and she was always in his thoughts, so he knew he was half gone already. And she laughed prettily, but genuinely, at his jokes and stories, and shared a few of her own.
Luckily Talia was as easygoing as she was gorgeous, because she’d opened the door for him the night after that too-serious conversation and welcomed him in with open arms. There was a difference t
hough. She wasn’t quite as affectionate and her smile wasn’t as bright as it had been. He shook it off. She hadn’t broken things off, so there was still a chance. For what, he had no idea.
His thoughts were interrupted by a ring of his doorbell followed by an insistent knock. He put his coffee down and answered the door, barely stifling a groan when two detectives in cheap suits appeared on the other side of his door. “Detectives, what can I do for you?”
The pale detective with the beach ball hidden under his shirt spoke first. “Do you know anything about Giancarlo Melucci’s death?”
“Who?”
The other officer, a young black guy, sighed. “Do you mind if we come in?”
Giovanni stepped back and waved them in. “This way.” He guided them to the dining room. It was enclosed and offered them no chances to snoop. “Who is this guy and why are you asking me about him?”
“We found him beaten to a pulp near the river. Isn’t that your preferred place to dump bodies?” Paunch Belly scowled at him.
“I don’t dump bodies and therefore have no spot, favorite or otherwise, to dump them.” Gio stared at the man until he nervously looked away. “Is there a specific reason that you’ve come to me or did you just decide to go through the phone book and harass every male with an Italian-sounding last name?”
“We all know you’re connected, Tucci, don’t treat us like we’re idiots,” Paunch Belly replied.
“Then you ought to check your information. I am a businessman, a legitimate businessman, as is my cousin Antonio, my father and most of my family.” He looked at the other detective, the one playing the nice guy. “Would you even be a cop if you were judged based on the worst member of your family?”
The young detective’s nostrils flared in anger but Giovanni refused to flinch. If he was supposed to take his lumps, this guy could too. “Yeah, I suppose you have a point. But your car was spotted in the area on the night of the crime.”
