He got out of bed, removing his naked body from hers, and headed for the bathroom. He took a quick shower. But even as he showered, his mind kept drifting back to her folks. Rodney and Cassie Jones. The salt of the earth type people. What, did he think people like them would turn their daughter over to a man like him without any hesitation? Especially with Rodney listening to some fool tell him Sal might be, or could be Mafia. No proof. But all inferences. Where there’s smoke, there’s fire, that kind of shit. And nobody, except Gemma herself, had ever given Sal Gabrini the benefit of the doubt.
He got out of the shower, dried off, and headed back into the bedroom.
Gem was still in bed, now lying on her stomach, and was just waking up to what she viewed as a delicious treat: a naked Sal, showered and dried, coming out of the bathroom.
“You’re up.”
Sal smiled at her. “And off, yes.”
This concerned her. “Off? Off where?”
He walked over to the underwear drawer. He had almost as many clothes at Gemma’s house as he had at his own. “I need to fly to Seattle,” he said.
“But we just got back from Indiana. You’re going to run yourself to death, Sal!”
“I need to make an appearance. Tommy’s just getting back, I haven’t been there, I need to check in.”
“What about tonight? What about the family get-together and our big announcement? An announcement they don’t even know is coming.”
“I’ll be back tonight.” He was rummaging through the various drawers. “It’s just a two-three hour flight. Don’t worry. I’ll meet you at Reno and Tree’s. Tommy and Grace are coming, I already told them I needed to see the whole family. And I’ll be there.”
Gemma sat up in bed. Although the bottom half of her naked body was under cover, her top half was now exposed. She pulled her legs up to her chest, and wrapped her arms around her legs. “We haven’t had a lot of time to really talk things over,” she said.
He looked at her. “Things? What things?”
“Like our wedding, Sal. It has to be planned, you know. We don’t even have a date yet. And what about our living situation?”
Sal knew what she meant. “What about it?”
“We’ve got to make some decisions. You live in Seattle. I live here in Vegas. Something’s got to give.”
Sal saw the anxiety in her eyes. He left the chest of drawer and walked to the bed. He sat down on the edge. “What do you want me to say?” he asked her. “I have multimillion dollar businesses in Seattle, and you have your law practice here in Vegas.”
“And Champagne’s.”
“And your clothing store, right. Something’s got to give, but what?”
“We first need to decide where we want to live. I like Seattle, but I love Vegas. You love Seattle, but you only like Vegas.”
“I would love it if Reno wasn’t here running everything.”
Gemma couldn’t smile. “I’m serious about this, Sal. My business is really picking up now. I have more clients than I can hardly handle. And Champagne’s doing much better too. The idea of packing up and leaving is kind of scary for me, I can’t even lie.” Then she looked into his eyes. “But I’ll do it if you tell me to.”
Her willingness touched Sal deeply. He knew it wasn’t easy for her. But instead of gratitude, a disconcerting look appeared on his handsome face. He moved his hand beneath the covers and began to rub her thigh. “I’m not going to disrupt your life, baby, that’s for damn sure. How am I going to swing it? I don’t know. I haven’t had a chance to hear myself think lately, let alone actually think. But I’ll figure something out.” He began to massage her clit. “You hear me? That’s not for you to worry about.”
“But it is, Sal. Don’t shut me out. We need to discuss this. Together. I don’t want you making unilateral decisions. I need you to talk to me about it before you decide anything. Will you promise me that?”
Sal stared at her as he massaged her. He loved her flawless dark skin. He loved her big brown eyes. He loved her natural hair that had such rich texture and bounciness. He loved this woman. “I promise not to disrupt your life,” he said.
“And to talk with me before you make a decision?”
“I’ll talk to you before I decide, yes.”
She smiled. “Thank-you,” she said. But he still had that disconcerting look on his face. “What’s the matter, Sal?”
“You’re going to be in court today on a case?”
“Three cases.”
“Wow. It really is picking up.”
“Big time. I used to think I was the worse attorney ever. But now that I’m winning, my services are in demand again. It’s nice.”
Sal nodded.
But he still looked perplexed to Gemma. “What?” she asked.
“Looks like I’ll be moving to Vegas.”
“You?”
“Yep.”
“But what about the Gabrini Corporation? What about Diamante’s? What about Taste of Southern? What about all of your main businesses, Sal? They’re all in Seattle.”
“I’ll have to commute.”
“Every day, Sal?”
“Well you as hell won’t be commuting. That’s for damn sure.” Then he frowned. “Fuck it!” he said. “We’ll figure something out.” She smiled as he leaned over to her. He kissed her on the lips. “Now get your ass up,” he ordered. “I don’t want any of those jerks around that courthouse complaining about my wife being late.”
“I’m not your wife yet.”
Sal stared at her. “A mere technicality,” he said.
Gemma felt warm inside.
And that look on her face, her gorgeous dark face, did something to him. He sucked one of her bare breasts, and then the other one. He made her feel sensual just that quickly. And then he kissed her, long and hard, on the mouth. And before she knew it, he had moved down, removed the covers and lifted her thigh, and was placing his head between her legs.
He started licking up the vaginal juices his massaging had created. Licking her so achingly sweet that every muscle in her body, not just her vaginal muscles, were tensing up. She squirmed and arched until he had laid her back down, had her legs in the air, and was eating her as much as he was licking her. He ate her with such passion that she came. And he wouldn’t let up. He couldn’t. He ate her with such powerful ferocity that his penis continued to expand to a point where there was no room left. And he came too. He poured out as he ate her! And he ate harder and harder as he poured more and more. Even Gemma was amazed, as he ate her until she was almost off of the bed, and he was still cumming.
When he stopped, and looked up, and as the throbbing in his dick continued to pulsate, he shook his head. He couldn’t believe it. “Sonafabitch!” he said, as his chest pounded.
Gemma was breathing heavily too, as she moved her body back straight onto the bed. Her vagina was inflamed from his oral, and was still contracting.
“Sonafabitch,” he said again. As if he still couldn’t believe it. He’d never cum outside of her, or anybody else’s vagina, while giving cunnilingus. Not ever. But he did this time.
It was so startling to Sal, and exhilarating, that it took several more minutes for him to settle back down. But he did, eventually. And stood up.
“I mean it,” he said, as he started heading for the bathroom, to clean up again. “Get your ass up. You represent me now.”
Gemma smiled when he said that. Because she loved the thought of it. The idea that she represented Sal Gabrini now felt like music to her ears. And she hated the idea that he had to leave town again, even if it was just for a day and he promised to return tonight. It scared her how much she hated it.
CHAPTER TEN
Jimmy Mack Gabrini sat on the sofa beside Valerie, his wife. They were inside his father’s penthouse waiting for the rest of the Gabrini family to get there. They were trying to decide if this family function would be the perfect time to tell their good news. They, after all, just found out this afternoon themse
lves. Should they wait? Was this the right time?
“Why wouldn’t it be?” Jimmy asked after Val posed that question. “We’re married. We’re legal. We just found out ourselves. Why would they object?”
“Your father might think it’s too soon,” Valerie said. She and Jimmy’s father Reno were on decent terms, but she still feared him.
“Too soon?” Jimmy asked. “But I’s married now,” he said in a female’s voice, as he quoted a famous line from The Color Purple.
Valerie hit him on the side of his ever-expanding bicep. “Quit playing, boy. I’m serious!”
“I’m serious too. It’s not too soon. And if it was, that’ll be for us to say. Not him.”
“You sound like my dad. I told him you couldn’t have dinner with him tonight, and you know what he said to me? He said good, there’s this woman he wanted to spend time with anyway. Here I was feeling bad for him, and he’s already moving on.”
Jimmy smiled. “He told you to come with me tonight?”
“Yep. I told him it was a Gabrini family meeting. He told me I was a Gabrini now. Get my ass over here too.”
Jimmy laughed. “I love your Dad! He’s always right.”
The doorbell rang. “If you say so,” Valerie said.
“I say so,” he said, and was about to rise to answer the door. But Trina Gabrini came into the living room from the back of the penthouse, and headed for the door herself.
“I’ve got it,” she said. “I want you to be the bartender tonight, Jimmy.”
“My life’s ambition,” Jimmy said as he stood on up and headed for the bar in the back of the room. “You think of everything, Ma.”
“Do my best,” Trina said as she opened the door. Then she smiled. “Guys and Dolls, come on in!” Then she realized it was Tommy Gabrini and his pregnant wife Grace at the door, and Gemma Jones with them. “Or should I say Guy and Dolls?” she added as she looked beyond them. “Where’s Sal?”
“He’s coming,” Gemma said as she and Grace entered first. “His plane should land within the hour.”
“Why couldn’t he ride the same plane as Tommy and Grace?”
“I’ve got to fly on to Rome after this meeting. He and Grace will fly back to Seattle.”
“Oh, the life you jet-setting people live,” Trina said with a smile.
Gemma headed toward Valerie, whom she had not seen in a while, as Trina hugged Grace’s neck. “Girl, you’re the only woman I know who looks younger the older she gets,” she said. “And given how Tommy treats you like a kid, I’d bet he just loves it.”
“You’d win that bet,” Tommy said with a smile as he and Trina kissed on the lips, and then hugged.
Valerie stood and hugged Gemma as she approached the sofa. “So good to see you again, Val. It’s been a while. What have you been up to?”
“Working hard. Thanks to Mr. and Mrs. Gabrini referring so many of their friends to us, my Dad’s real estate business has exploded. But he’s hired three more realtors, so that should give me a little bit of a break.”
Gemma looked over at Jimmy. “What’s up, Jimmy Mack?”
“Bartending,” Jimmy responded, holding up an empty glass. “Ma seems to be under the impression that I like serving you old folks.”
Gemma laughed. “Old my ass,” she said, as she sat down on the sofa.
At the front door, Trina was closing the door. “How does it feel to be with child?” she asked Grace.
“Between Tommy’s overprotectiveness, and Little Tomalina’s wild rambunctiousness,” she added as she rubbed her stomach, “it’s been a trip. But a loving trip.”
“What’s so loving about it?” Reno Gabrini asked as he entered the living area from the back rooms. “I’ve made that Seattle-to-Vegas run a thousand times. Was nothing loving about it! Hey Grace.” He kissed Grace on the lips and then hugged her. And then he and Tommy exchanged a warm embrace.
“She wasn’t talking about the flight, Reno,” Trina said. “She was talking about being pregnant.”
“Oh, right!” Reno said as he looked down at her stomach. “You’re really showing.”
“Of course she’s really showing,” Trina said. “She’s really pregnant. Or have you forgotten that fast? Sophia isn’t that old! And Grace, I heard you mention Tomalina. I hope you aren’t planning to name your baby Tomalina.”
Grace looked at her. “What’s wrong with Tomalina?”
“Nothing’s wrong with it,” Trina admitted. “But . . . Well. . . You know. It’s not exactly the most creative name out there.”
Grace laughed. “Just fooling! We haven’t come up with a name yet. Tommy says it’s bad luck. He wants to wait until she gets here.”
“What are you guys having to drink?” Jimmy asked from across the room.
Tommy smiled. “What Jimbo, you’re the bartender tonight?”
“You know it, Uncle Tommy. Mom and Dad won’t let me relax to save their lives.”
Tommy looked at Reno with a smirk on his attractive face. “You have nearly a thousand people working for you, and almost all of them are downstairs at this very hour. From the lounges and restaurants, to the casinos and this five-star hotel itself, you have all of this staff. But you still won’t hire one of them to work your parties. Instead you work poor Jimmy and Trina to death. It’s a shame, Ree.”
“Fuck shame,” Reno said, with a smile of his own. “I don’t want my employees all in my business. They stay their asses right down there where they’re supposed to be, and I’ll keep my ass right up here where I’m supposed to be.”
“I guess Trina is the chef tonight?”
“Damn right,” Reno said assuredly.
“Not really,” Trina said.
Reno looked at her. “What do you mean not really?”
“Chef Paul will be serving us tonight.”
Reno didn’t like it. “But I thought I told you I wanted a home cooked meal tonight.”
“And you’ll get a home cooked meal,” Trina responded. “Cooked at home by Chef Paul.” Tommy and Grace laughed. “My ass is just as tired as yours.”
“Tell him, Tree!” Tommy said.
“Yeah, right,” Reno said. “Let Grace give you lip like that. You’ll be changing your tune real fast.”
“Come on and have a seat everybody,” Gemma said from the sofa. “As soon as Sal gets here, I guess we’ll get started.”
“Started on what exactly?” Tommy asked. “What’s this meeting about?”
“I don’t know what Sal wants to talk about,” Trina said, “but Gem and I have a plan we want to run past you people.”
“Who are you calling you people?” Tommy asked with a smile.
“Misinformation,” Grace said as she and Tommy headed for the sofas. “I thought this was Sal’s meeting.”
“It’s that too,” Trina said. “But since it’s not every day we get this many Gabrinis in the same room at the same time, we want to discuss our issue too.”
“Where’s Aunt Fran?” Jimmy asked. “She’s not here.”
“She’s got a new boyfriend,” Trina said. “She wants to be left alone.”
Jimmy remembered all of the trouble Fran often ran into with those so-called boyfriends of hers. “Please don’t tell me he lives in a trailer in a trailer park,” he said.
“Nope,” Trina said. “Wrong. He doesn’t live in a trailer in a trailer park this time. He lives in an RV in a trailer park this time.”
Jimmy laughed. “That’s my aunt,” he said and they all sat down on the two facing sofas and the two flanking chairs. Jimmy served alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinks until everyone had something to sip. Gemma sat on the sofa beside Grace and Tommy, and Reno and Tree sat on the opposite sofa beside Jimmy and Val. They laughed and talked and enjoyed the evening. It would be nearly two hours later before Sal arrived.
“About time,” Reno said as he opened the door.
“What about time?” Sal asked, offended. “I’m on time, sucker!”
“Sure you are. And b
ears don’t bite.”
“Depends on the bear,” Sal said with a smile as he entered the penthouse and headed for the crowd.
Gemma was so inwardly happy to see him that she wanted to run to him and throw herself into his arms. But she remained where she sat. She was not about to show that level of emotion in front of all of these people. Sal didn’t like it and she wasn’t comfortable displaying it. She stayed put.
And she was pleased that she did. Because Sal, whom she knew thought of public shows of affection as a kind of weakness, sat in one of the flanking chairs and barely glanced her way. To the untrained eye he looked super-serious. To Gemma’s trained eye, he looked tired. Bone tired. But she still wanted them to make the announcement. She still wanted them to finally make their engagement public to the full family so they could get serious about the planning process.
But Jimmy and Val stole their show. Before Trina discussed what she and Gem wanted to discuss, Jimmy had an announcement.
Reno looked at him suspiciously. “What announcement?” he asked.
Valerie looked at Jimmy. Jimmy smiled. “You’re going to be a grandfather, Pop,” he said.
Reno and Trina both jumped from theirs seats. “You’re pregnant?” Trina asked them excitedly.
“Yes!” Valerie said even more excitedly.
“Already?” Reno asked, but excited too.
And everybody hugged Val and shook Jimmy’s hand.
Even Sal, who was thrilled by the news. “You’ll make a great father, Jimmy Mack,” he said.
“Really, Uncle Sal?” Jimmy was always pleased to get his favorite relative’s support.
“Sure you will! Just watch how your old man does it, and do the exact opposite.” They all laughed. “You can’t lose that way!”
Eventually the congratulations ceased, and it was Trina’s time to take the floor. “As you guys know,” she said, “Gem and I, and Liz Mertan of course, own Champagne’s, our very nice, very high-end clothing store.”
“How’s business, by the way?” Grace asked.
Sal Gabrini 4: I'll Take You There (The Gabrini Men Series Book 7) Page 7
