But now forever stretched before us in all its terrifying magnitude. Could I make her happy outside of the bedroom? Looking into Gemma’s vulnerable eyes, I wanted nothing more, but I just didn’t know.
I kissed Gemma because that was something I could do. My tongue stroked hers, the promise of more. She leaned into me, allowed me to avoid an answer, a little sin of omission. A rustling made me pull back, my body tensing and hand going to the gun under my jacket.
Toni and Diego stepped out from behind a bush, looking ruffled. One of Toni’s spaghetti straps hung off her shoulder, her lipstick was gone, and her hairdo was ruined. Diego didn’t make a better sight with his wrongly buttoned shirt, open zipper and tousled hair.
I grimaced.
Savio didn’t share my embarrassment. “Sex with the ex?”
I stifled a laugh at my brother’s caught expression. Toni looked completely mortified, so I decided to save her before Savio said something that would make it worse. I went over to her and grabbed her hand, then led her away to another secluded spot of the ridiculously vast premises.
“Sorry,” she whispered. “I didn’t mean for you to see that.”
I gave her a look. “Toni, there are only two reasons why I don’t want to see it: I’d rather pretend my brother doesn’t have a sex life, and I don’t want you to get hurt. You know how it ends.”
She shrugged. “It’s just sex. I’m not holding my breath for a relationship with him.”
I gave her a doubtful look.
“It’s true,” she said. “But the sex is too good to say no.”
My nose scrunched up. “Toni, please.”
She laughed and touched my cheeks. “You’re turning red again. I wonder how long that’ll last now that you’re married to Savio.”
I glanced at my elegant gold watch, my seventeenth birthday gift from Savio. It was almost midnight, which was the designated time to retire for the groom and bride. A hint of nerves filled my belly thinking about spending the night with Savio. I’d been in his bed before, but I hadn’t been myself back then, so it seemed almost like a dream, not something that had really happened.
Toni linked our hands. “Are you nervous?”
“I’m not going to sleep with Savio tonight.”
Surprise flashed across Toni’s face. Wasn’t she the one who’d told me to make him work for it after how much of an asshole he had been? It seemed sex with my brother had shifted her priorities momentarily.
“Really? After years of pining for him, you won’t allow yourself a joyride on his bull?”
I rolled my eyes. “It’s more about not allowing him any joyrides before I’ve made him suffer.”
“You think he’ll accept that?”
“What can he do?”
Toni made a face and motioned around us. “He is a Falcone. He owns the West. He can do whatever he wants and get away with it.”
Toni sometimes had a tendency for dramatics. “Savio is not like that.”
“Oh, Gemma, even you can’t be this lovestruck. Did you hear what he and his brothers did to the Russian that attacked you? You know what kind of man he is. What kind of men he and his brothers are. Don’t tell me you think he’d have qualms about non-consensual rough play.”
“What’s gotten into you?” I asked. Toni usually wasn’t like this.
She flushed and looked away. “Nothing.”
“Toni,” I said firmly. “Tell me what the fudge is wrong with you.”
Not even that brought a smile to her lips.
“It’s about the Arena. Apparently, Dad’s been slacking with bookkeeping, so we didn’t send enough money to the Camorra. Fabiano had a talk with him about it yesterday.”
“Oh, no. I’m sorry. Is that why he’s not here?”
“It’s not that bad. But he got a black eye and a broken cheekbone, and is nursing his hurt pride at home. It was his fault. He knows you never mess with the Camorra’s money.”
“It’s difficult to think that both Savio and Diego do horrible things.”
“You’re part of the scariest family now, Gem. I can’t imagine living in a house with all of them.”
“I’ll be fine,” I said uncertainly.
Toni wrapped her arms around me. “So is Savio a good kisser? With all the practice he’s had, he should be amazing.”
I bit my lip. “He’s very good. I don’t know how he does it, but I can feel his kiss everywhere.” My cheeks heated.
Toni grinned. “That’s how it’s meant to be. Have you practiced like I advised you?”
I groaned. “No.” Toni had suggested I practice making a man happy on a banana, but that was too embarrassing to consider.
“Are you still on the ‘I’m never going to do it’ train?”
“Yes.”
“I doubt Savio will be happy about that.”
“Are you on my side or his?”
Toni rolled her eyes. “Yours, always yours, which is why I want you to have an amazing sex life.”
Diego tried to straighten his hair, which was futile. Toni must have tugged at it so hard it was forever frozen in its disarrayed state.