I almost called him back—but my pride wouldn’t allow it.
“Who the hell is that?” I whispered to Vanessa as we stood in front of the painting while nodding to her desk.
A large man sat there, dressed in a collared shirt and dark jeans. He didn’t look like the kind of man that belonged in a gallery, not with those cold looks and extremely short hair. He reminded me of Griffin—grim and angry.
Vanessa didn’t follow my gaze. “My new assistant.”
I gave her an incredulous look, not buying that story one bit.
She rolled her eyes and walked out with me as we headed to lunch. “Griffin doesn’t like me being here alone. He knows he needs to be at the winery, so he had me hire an assistant…but he doesn’t actually help me.”
“He just protects you.”
“Yep.” She walked beside me and turned into the café where we were about to eat. “He’s retired and has a family of his own. He was looking for easy work that would get him home by five every day. So Griffin asked him to watch me during business hours.”
“That’s sweet.”
“I tried to fight Griffin off in the beginning, but it wasn’t working. He said it was hard enough to leave me alone just as his wife, but now that I’m having his baby…he said he couldn’t stand the idea.” We both ordered then took a seat by the window.
“Understandable.”
“I wanted to keep fighting, but I knew it was an argument I would never win, so I just caved. That’s what marriage is all about—deciding the right time to cave.”
“He’s just trying to protect you. I can’t say that I blame him.”
“I can’t either,” she said with a sigh. “His heart is in the right place, so it’s fine.” She rubbed her stomach gently as it protruded through her sweater. “The baby has been kicking a lot lately. Griffin is fascinated by it.”
“Wow, that’s so great.” Seeing Vanessa married and pregnant gave me a hint of jealousy. I’d never been that way before, but seeing Luca the other day made me realize how much I wanted a family. Listening to how Griffin protected her made me realize I wanted that too.
Bosco fulfilled the second part, but he could never fulfill the first.
“Do you think it’s a boy or a girl?” I asked.
“Hmm…it’s hard to tell.” She removed her hand from her stomach and sipped her water. “But I think it’s a boy. He just kicks so much, even though it’s not too hard yet, like he needs to take up as much space as possible. He’s aggressive and bossy, making me throw up in the morning sometimes. So, it’s probably a boy.” She laughed. “Reminds me of Griffin.”
I chuckled. “You’re probably right.”
“So, what’s up with Mr. Panty Soaker?” she asked. “Are you still hooking up with him?” Unlike before, Vanessa ate her food quickly, her appetite forcing her to dig into her meal like she hadn’t eaten in days. She’d never had an appetite before, but now everything was different.
“Yeah…I’m still seeing him.” As far as Vanessa knew, this secret guy was just some random man who didn’t matter. In reality, I was in pretty deep with a dangerous man that I should stay away from. It was getting difficult to hide it—especially from her. I wasn’t sure what I was doing anymore, and that scared me.
“Really?” she asked. “So, it’s been a few weeks, then?”
“Yeah, about three.”
“That’s a pretty long time for just sleeping together…” She gave me a look full of accusation, her opinion written directly across her face. “Sounds like it’s a little more serious. Do you actually like this guy?”
“Yes. And no.”
“What do you like about him?”
I considered my answer for a long time before I gave it. “I like that he’s strong. He’s the protective type…like Griffin.” Bosco had saved me twice now, once when he wasn’t even there. He had the entire city under his control, giving me the power to walk freely without fear of harassment. He gave me something no one else ever could, not even my father.
“That was never important to me either, but after what happened with Knuckles, Griffin became exactly what I was looking for. It’s nice to know you always have him to protect you, even if you never need it. I guess it’s something all women are looking for…not realizing it until they find it. Men won’t even look at me when Griffin is around. He’s like the biggest shark in the ocean, and all the other men are fish.”
That was the same description I would give to Bosco.
“What else?” she asked.
“He’s has a sweet side…”
“Like roses and chocolates?” she asked.
I almost laughed because that was something Bosco would never do. “He speaks highly of his mother, who passed away a few years ago from cancer. She was a single mother who raised him and his brother, and he always has this respect in his voice…like he was so proud of her. He took care of her for the last ten years of her life. Since I’m so close to my family, I liked hearing that he is close to his.”