“But . . .”
“Next time, I would love to,” Gina says.
Opposite me, I press my mouth to Gina’s earlobe. “Bella, I need to have a quick conversation with Ma about her medication. You might hear shouting and her threatening my life, but that’s perfectly normal. You won’t leave, will you?”
The air between us shifts as Gina smiles.
Toni sniffs. “Good, I’ll keep the wife company. Ask her more questions—”
I order, “Clean up, Toni.”
Gina replies, “I’ll help.”
“Gina—”
The woman of my dreams shrugs. “You love your uncle. I’ll give you that, sweetheart. Ask your questions.”
I escort my ma upstairs and watch her consume an assortment of pills that’ll keep her heart ticking. A few minutes later, I’m back in the kitchen. My niece hasn’t laid off the questions, and Gina seems to be answering them all.
Without a word, I circle Gina’s waist and bring her into the hallway. “There’s something imperative I’ve been meaning to ask you all night.”
“Yes?”
My voice deepens, filled with intent. “Let me have you tonight, Gina. Own you.”
She stares at me. Right away, I realize Toni has changed up her questioning tactics to admitting what happened the other night.
Gina nods her head. “Okay.”
My lips crash into hers, and I hold her against me.
“Mmm,” she moans. “I had you pegged wrong, Santino. You’re the nice guy.”
“The nice guy,” I murmur, feeling the heaviness of the title I’ve held for the last couple of years. Antonia had grown too old to pull the wool over Ma’s eyes, and Ma’s health was deteriorating. I extracted myself from the comfort of a quick dollar under my uncle’s authority. No more home invasions, now all I did was come out on a stage or in a house—dick swinging.
I had changed for Toni to this good guy. Staring at Gina, I’ll set aside the erotic costumes and uniforms to become an all-around good guy.
“Yeah, Bella. The good guy. So put my dick in your pretty mouth when I get you to my place, okay?”
With her eyelashes sweeping upward, Gina looks up at me. Her flawless face is filled with hunger. She comes so close. My bicep crushes her soft breasts. She whispers in my ear, “After seeing your well-endowed dick, it would be my pleasure to try and get it all into my mouth.”
My hand skims her neck because as you see, we’re falling in love. I haven’t quite met Gina “The Grinch” Galloway. So, I caress her pretty brown skin instead of owning it likebad Santinowould’ve. And I tell her how I’ll teach her to get my dick all the way down her throat.
11
Gina
Electricity sparks around us as Santino’s fingers glide along the small of my back. He says, “Your first challenge is to keep your hands to yourself all the way home.”
I’ve never met an impossible challenge—but I will now.
It’s almost ten pm and hotter than Morocco. Santino swoops an arm around me as we stroll down the street.
“I can’t touch you, Santino, but you can touch me?”
Santino takes my hand, spinning me around until I’m wrapped in the protection of his strong arms. A soft laugh flees from my lips until he says, “No.”
Desired and frustrated, I mutter, “I call bullshit.”