“He said he doesn’t know where he is,” Dante says and shrugs. “But yeah, fuck it. Let’s go.”
“Who went to see him?”
“Frankie’s kid, Lenny.”
“Maybe Lenny hasn’t been paying attention. We’ll pick him up on the way and show him.”
Dante also nods looking down at his phone.
With that set. There’s only one thing left to do. I leave the kitchen to say goodbye to my fiancé.
To my surprise, I find her in my bedroom. She’s back in her white dress. It fits her like a glove, showing off every curve of her body. And has thrown over my black cashmere sweater, that she’s left open. Her stiletto heel catches my eye as I look up her long, lean legs to her face. The sight of her never fails to turn me on.
I stand speechless, not just because she is so beautiful, but because she looks as though she belongs here, in my room, in my closet, in my life. I don’t know how to do this, to play husband and wife. I’m not good at feelings. But I want to be for her.
She flips her hair, shaking it out, oblivious to my presence in the doorway until her head turns and our eyes meet. When nothing leaves my lips, she looks down to the bottle in hand and sighs, putting the cologne back in its place.
“What? I like it. And I couldn’t just walk around like this!” She opens my sweater, and moves it over her shoulders, to show her dress.
She thinks I’m lost for words because I caught her using my things, not because she’s fucking gorgeous and wearing my scent. When she’s frowning, looking at me, waiting for me to talk, I finally remember what I came here for.
“Tommy’s going to take you shopping today. He’ll take you wherever you want to go.” I walk closer, her suspicious eyes watching me. “That doesn’t include the airport, so don’t bother asking.”
“Duh.” She relaxes her shoulders and rolls her eyes.
My lips twitch as I pull out a wad of cash. “Get everything you need.”
The look on her face is like she’s battling with herself. Her eyes grow harsher as she stares at the cash. It’s clear she doesn’t want to take it; but I’m not sure why.
All of a sudden, a smile hits her face, and she lights up, coming to her decision.
She snatches it from my hand. “That should do for today.”
A smile creeps over my face. “No thank you?”
“Oh sorry. Where are my manners? Thank you for clothing me, after kidnapping me and leaving all my belongings behind.”
“You’re welcome. Not gonna lie, I had to think twice about it. I wouldn’t mind if all you had to wear was my t-shirt and that dress for the rest of our lives.”
Her cheeks flush pink, and my dick jerks to life remembering the night before. Falling asleep when I knew she was naked under my shirt was impossible without another trip to the shower.
She doesn’t break our gaze, and if she wasn’t fighting this obvious attraction between us, I would have thrown her on the bed, and everyone would be starting their day a lot later.
She looks down as she shoves the money inside the sweater pocket. “So, do I have a curfew? Like three hours? Five? Seven days… never?”
That hits me, like a slap. Needing to ask for permission is not what I want. But if I didn’t reign her in, she would never come back.
“Before dinner.” I feel like a dick saying it.
“Cool.” She smiles, effortlessly rolling with it, like she’s used to men controlling her.
While the anger bubbles within me, she walks past me as if I’m not there, her eyes fixed straight ahead. It takes a minute to settle the fire in my stomach, before I remind myself about the mechanic and the deadbeat husband. At least I know how I’ll get my frustrations out. Unlucky for them.
“I’ve already tried. He says he doesn’t know.” Lenny leans forward, excited to be involved with today’s business.
We are parked outside the small mechanic workshop downtown. I sit in the driver’s seat, Dante to my side and Lenny in the back as we wait for the right time to make our visit.
“But he talks to him?” I keep my eye on the building.