When she opened the envelope, and saw a stock certificate, she frowned. “What in the world,” she began as she unfolded it and read it. When she saw that the certificate was actually forty-eight shares of Trammel, and her name was listed as the sole owner of those forty-eight shares, she was stumped. She looked at Tommy.
“Happy birthday,” he said.
“But . . .you own forty shares of Trammel.”
“That’s correct. I did own forty. And then I bought out eight shares from various other investors, giving me a grand total of forty-eight shares. Which, if my math is correct, I have given to you.”
“For my birthday?”
“Again, you’re correct. With your ten shares, you are now the undisputed majority owner of Trammel. Free and clear.”
Grace shook her head. “I can’t accept this.”
“And why not?”
“Because it’s far too generous, Tommy. It’s too much.”
But Tommy would have none of it. “I can never be too generous to you. That’s an impossibility. And don’t you ever forget that. It’s the least I can do for the woman I love.”
Grace’s heart soared. The idea that she would own Trammel, and be able to make the kinds of decisions she had long wanted instituted in that company, pleased her. And she lunged over and gave Tommy a big bear hug, with tears appearing in her eyes.
When they stopped embracing, she smiled. “Jillian is going to have a fit when she finds out that her chief of staff is now her boss.”
“And you’ll be kind I’m sure.”
“I will be,” she assured him. “Unlike how she’d been to me. But I will be.”
“Make it clear to her, however, who’s in charge. That will be important.”
“I will.”
“Good. Now come over here,” he said, patting his lap, “and show me some love.”
“I just showed you love,” Grace teased.
But Tommy grabbed her by the arm and pulled her on top of him. “Not quite what I had in mind,” he said, as he reached into her panties.
Grace shook her head. “Reno was right, you know,” she said. “You are a maniac!”
Tommy closed his eyes and rubbed her. “Just for you, my love,” he said. “Just for you.”
But to prove her point, he nonetheless unzipped his pants, ripped the seat of her panties, and shoved it in.
The screech Grace made, as the feeling of raw passion, pain, and pleasure took hold of her, caused even their driver to do something he’d never done in all of his years of chauffeuring Tommy around: he glanced through his rearview.
A few minutes later, they were back of solid ground and stepping off of the elevator inside Grace’s apartment building. When they arrived at her front door, she unlocked it and then turned to Tommy.
“Coming in?” she asked him.
“I’d better make sure my own house is still standing. But I’ll call you.”
Grace smiled. “Sounds good.”
But Tommy continued to stare at her.
“What’s the matter?” she asked him.
“I’m sorry you had to experience that,” he said.
“You mean in the car, with you?” She grinned.
“Very funny,” he said. Then turned serious again. “I’m sorry,” he said.
She shook her head. She understood what he meant all along. “None of that was your fault, Tommy. None of it. Don’t you think for a moment that I blame you for any of that, because I don’t.”
Tommy’s blue eyes turned hard. “She could have harmed you,” he said. “She was capable.”
“I know.”
“That’s why Reno did what he did. He’s no cold-blooded killer. But she---”
“I understand. She would found a way to make our life a living hell. And she’d killed two of his men. Reno did what he had to do. And please don’t worry about me. I know you wouldn’t have let her harm me. ”
Tommy looked at her. Her confidence in him touched him deeply.
“Anyway,” she said. “Go home, get some rest. We’ll hook up later.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Tommy said with a smile. Then he reached over and kissed her on the lips. When their lips parted, and their eyes opened, they stared at each other. Grace wiped a tear from Tommy’s eye.
“I love you,” Tommy said.
“I love you, too,” Grace said.
Tommy smiled and turned to leave. “Oh,” he said, turning back. “I almost forgot.”
He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a ring box. Grace’s heart began to pound.
“Open it,” he said when she found herself just standing there staring at the box.
She opened it. A diamond ring shined brilliantly back at her. The Hope diamond could not have been more beautiful to Grace. She looked up at Tommy.
“Will you make a decent man out of me, Grace,” he asked her, “and marry me?”
Grace continued to stare at him. A decent man, she thought. Because that was exactly right. Tommy Gabrini was a decent man. A good, kind, decent man.
And there was no other answer she knew.
“Yes,” she said. “Yes.”
ROMANCING TOMMY GABRINI Page 24
