Italian Stallions (7 page)

The next hour went by in an uncomfortable blur. Gianna was extremely aware of Gabe sitting in the back circular booth. Tressie informed Gianna he had insisted on sitting there. Of course, he could watch Gianna run around like the proverbial chicken with her head cut off,
and
Tressie informed Gianna, Gabe insisted on waiting for Gianna to eat dinner.

Gianna strode up to his table after an hour. “Mr. LaMotta?”

Gabe held up a hand. Warmth spread across her skin as she looked at the big thick fingers and neatly manicured nails. Just one touch of those big hands made her feel things she’d never felt. Gianna licked her lips and looked at him. He grinned wide, his white teeth shining in the low candlelight of the table. “I think, Gianna, we have gone past the formalities of mister and miss.”

Heat scorched her cheeks and zipped southward to her thighs. Her nipples tingled. Gianna shifted her feet. “Gabe, I have a long night ahead of me. Please, go ahead and eat.”

He sipped his wine and shook his head. “I had a late lunch. I’ll wait.”

Gianna spun around on her heels and was glad to see Tucci’s men gone. But she knew they were now aware of Gabe. He’d made no effort to hide his disdain from them. Several times she found the three of them doing the old stare-down.

G
ianna steered clear of Gabe for the better part of the evening. Tressie however, had a sparkle in her eye that made Gianna very nervous. Several times her cousin walked past her with a shit-eating grin plastered across her face and acted like she had a big secret. Try as she may, Gianna could not extract information from her.

Finally feeling as if the joke was on her, Gianna marched up to Gabe’s table. “Mr. LaMotta, we’re going to be closing in thirty minutes. I’d like to close out your tab now.”

Gabe poured another glass of wine from the half-empty bottle. His dark eyes glowed seductively in the candlelight of the table. Gianna groaned. Her skin flushed, and she wanted to slide in next to him in the spacey booth.

“I’ve been waiting for you.”

She raised a brow. “Really? Twice last night you couldn’t wait to get rid of me.”

Gabe reached out and touched her hand. Her skin warmed. “I’m here to beg your forgiveness.”

Gianna slapped his hand away. “Save your sweet talk for someone who’ll appreciate it.”

She turned and hurried away from him, nearly laying flat Treesie and the laden tray she held out. When she turned the
CLOSED
sign over for the evening and saw the last diner out from the restaurant, Gianna turned to the back of the dining room.

“Mr. LaMotta, it’s time for you to go.”

“Oh, no, Gia, his dinner is finally ready,” Tressie said as she sashayed past her with a tray containing enough to feed a dozen people. The fresh-cooked aromas of garlic and butter tempted her more than it should have. It occurred to Gianna she had not eaten. From the moment she had opened the box of cherries, to the arrival of the goombahs, and then Gabe’s arrival, she had not been able to contemplate food. Suddenly she was ravenous.

Gabe smiled at her and raised his glass. “Come have a glass of wine with me, Gianna, and some dinner. I don’t want to eat alone.”

She moved toward him. Her gaze did a quick scan of the plates. Shrimp scampi, veal piccata, and rosemary rack of lamb? “You ordered lamb?” It was one of her favorites and not on the menu.

“Tress told me how much you enjoyed it.”

“But it’s your dinner.”

“
Our
dinner.” He scooted over and patted the burgundy leather seat. “C’mon. Sit down.”

“I have a restaurant to close.”

“I’m on it, Gianna,” Tressie said, her voice bubbly. Gianna wanted to shove a breadstick in her mouth.

Gianna turned to her cousin and narrowed her eyes. “Are you, now?”

Tressie nodded and put a large plate of spaghetti and meatballs on the table. Gianna gave her a look that said, “What the hell are you doing?”

Tress smiled,
“Mange.”

Then she proceeded to stalk off to the kitchen. Gianna looked around the restaurant. The bussers had cleared and reset all of the tables, save Gabe’s. Jimmy came in with the vacuum cleaner and did a quick thorough job of vacuuming the tile and carpeted floor.

Gianna turned back to face Gabe. He watched her quietly. “I’ll leave, Gianna, if I make you uncomfortable.”

She collapsed next to him and pushed him over with her hip. “You don’t make me uncomfortable,” she lied.

“I’m glad to hear that.”

He poured her a glass of Chianti. She noted the vintage of the bottle and smiled. It was one of their best and most expensive. He raised his glass to hers and said, “To second chances.”

Gianna raised a dubious brow. “You had a second chance.”

He clinked his glass to hers. “Then to the third time being the charm.”

A wave of warmth rippled through Gianna’s body. Gabe’s dark eyes twinkled in the candlelight. His big fingers held the wineglass, almost covering it. He had big hands and big thick fingers, square fingernails with blunt fingertips. She looked up at him. “What exactly do you do for a living, Mr…. Gabe?”

“Real estate.”

“What kind of real estate?”

“Commercial, industrial. I specialize in cross acquisitions.”

She wrinkled her brow. “Cross acquisitions?”

He nodded and set his glass down and proceeded to place several fat juicy shrimp on her plate. “When someone needs money and has a piece of real estate they want to hang on to but don’t want to sell outright, I locate either a temporary buyer or a suitable partner to regenerate a cash-flow problem for the property owner. Or, sometimes for legal reasons, a person needs to look as if they don’t own property. I find a legitimate tenet to hold the property in trust, so to speak, until such time the owner requests full ownership and deed returned.”

“Isn’t that illegal?”

“Nope.”

Gabe smiled and plucked one of the shrimp from her plate. He held it out to her lips. “If this tastes half as good as it smells, I might take your chef home with me tonight.”

Gianna laughed and leaned into his hand. “I don’t think Dante will like that.”

He moved closer and traced her lips with the shrimp. She opened her mouth, and he placed it on her tongue. When he didn’t pull his finger away, she closed her lips around his finger and softly sucked it before moving back. Gabe’s eyes darkened, and she heard a small intake of breath. Slowly Gianna chewed. After she swallowed, she licked her lips. Gabe moved in close to her. He smiled and lowered his head, and licked at the corner of her mouth.

“You missed a spot.”

The contact sent her senses reeling and her world tilted. Quick intense jolts of desire pricked her senses. Gianna looked over her shoulder to see if anyone witnessed his touch. She closed her eyes and breathed a sigh of relief. Most everyone was busy shutting down for the night.

Gabe speared another shrimp and plopped it into his mouth. He chewed with gusto. Mesmerized, Gianna watched the full curve of his lips move in sync with the strong line of his jaw. His eyes locked with hers.

“Gianna?” Tressie called as she made her way to the back of the dining room. Gianna tore her eyes away from Gabe’s mouth and turned to see her cousin saunter their way. A smirk hovered on her lips. Gianna flushed and smirked back. “I’m heading out for the night. Everything is cleaned and locked up except your plates.”

Gabe stood and extended his hand to Tressie. When she gave him her hand, instead of shaking it, he brought it to his lips and kissed it. “Theresa,
grazi
, for everything.”

Tressie grinned and withdrew her hand, looking down at Gianna. Her smirk turned into a knowing secret smile. “Anytime.
Ciao
!” She said over her shoulder as she strode from the room. Before Tressie exited the room, Dino’s “That’s Amore” piped softly through the sound system.

“You’re fired,” Gianna called to her retreating cousin. An answering laugh was followed by the slam of the front door, then the lock turning.

“I like your cousin,” Gabe said, scooting closer to Gianna.

She scooted away. “I used to like her.”

“Why are you afraid of me?”

“I’m not afraid of you!”

“What happened to the firebrand who jumped me last night?”

Gianna frowned. “She got a grip.”

Gabe plucked another shrimp from the plate and wagged it in front of her mouth. Gianna reached up and tried to take it from his hand, but he shook his head. “Open.”

She kept her lips shut. He slid the shrimp along the crease of her lips. “C’mon, Gianna, you know you want it.”

“No—” He plopped the shrimp in. She pulled away from his fingers. He grabbed a tender piece of lamb and took a bite of it right off the bone. He chewed slowly. “Mmm, that is delicious.”

“That’s my recipe.”

He took another bite and slowly chewed, savoring the taste. “Perfectly grilled. It’s so pink and juicy. Like you.”

He took another rib and held it for her to bite into. Gianna snatched the bone from his hand and sunk her teeth into the rare meat. She twisted her head and ripped it off the bone. As she chewed and swallowed, Gabe grabbed another rib and wagged it under her nose. “C’mon, Gia,” he softly said, “take another bite.”

When she moved forward and opened her mouth, Gabe’s lips swooped down on hers. He set the rib aside and plundered her mouth. His body swelled when he felt Gianna’s breasts press against his chest in response. Slowly he tasted her, his lips nibbling her tongue, and he tasted the lamb and the essence of Gianna.

He moved back and, only a few inches from her face, brought the rib bone up to her lips. She took a bite. He took one as well. They both chewed, their eyes watching, their nostrils flaring, each very aware of the other. Gabe swallowed and grabbed his glass of wine. He pressed it to Gianna’s lips. She took a sip; Gabe took a sip. Her lips glistened a deep burgundy color. Gabe kissed her again, softly this time, a savoring exploration.

He felt her muscles loosen. Gabe smiled against her lips. “You taste better than anything on this table.”

He smiled down at her then and looked over at the plate of spaghetti and meatballs. He took his fork and twirled a gob of pasta. “Open,” he said. Gianna complied. He put the fork full of pasta in her mouth. A long strand hung out. Gabe nibbled at it while Gianna chewed. “Mmm,” Gabe murmured. He sipped his wine again and gave some to Gianna. He went back to the shrimp and by design dropped it. The succulent meat plopped onto the high swell of her breasts, then landed between her ample cleavage. Gabe smiled. “Oh, I’m so sorry, Gianna,” he said. “Let me get that.”

He licked the trail of butter and garlic sauce on her right breast and then dipped his mouth down into her cleavage and sunk his teeth into the shrimp. Gianna arched against him. Her breath hissed as she inhaled.

Gabe chewed the shrimp and moved slightly away. His dark eyes glowed molten in the low candlelight. He was having one hell of a time sticking to his keep-your-dick-in-your-pants policy. “Gianna, I want to touch you more.”

He touched her thigh near her knee.

Heat flared in every inch of Gianna’s body. Her hands trembled; her lips twitched. Her gaze traveled across Gabe’s rugged face. She wanted him to touch her more too. A lot more. “I…I…” She couldn’t tell him she wasn’t given the name Madonna for nothing. And despite last night with him, he’d probably run to the front door and crash through it if he knew she was a virgin. Guys like Gabe liked slick, sophisticated, experienced women. Not little Italian church mice.

Suddenly she felt like a freak again.

Gabe’s eyes twinkled as he regarded her. Did he suspect?

He took her face between his hands. His eyes glowed; when he spoke, his voice dropped several octaves. “Just a few more tastes, Gia.”

He brought her lips to his but dropped his right hand to her thigh. In a slow slide, he pushed the skirt back, then slid his big hand between it and her skin. Her leg trembled. His thumb swirled in slow light circles on the tender skin of her inner thigh. Her skin reacted, skittering against his fingers. Gianna gulped in a deep breath. Her defenses were easily foiled. She’d tried really hard to ignore the man’s sensuality. But when she felt her pulse lurch in her throat, and he looked at her with that deep soulful look that said she was the only woman in his world, she couldn’t resist. She was weak. She was vulnerable, and she didn’t care.

“Why me?” she managed to squeak out.

Gabe smiled slowly and pressed his forehead to hers. “Because, if I don’t, I won’t be able to concentrate on another thing until I do.” His thumb brushed the fullness of her bottom lip. “Please, Gianna…” A violent tremor passed through her.

Her tongue darted out and touched the tip of his finger. A hot rush passed through her womb at the simple sensuous gesture. She liked the alternately smooth and rough texture of his skin. His sharp intake of breath set the rest of her body into a spiral plunge. Gianna surged against him. Gabe dug his fingers deep into her hair and pulled her lips to his. The contact was violent, fast and explosive. It knocked Gianna for a hard loop she was not prepared for. Terrified by the tide of desire she experienced, she pushed Gabe away. Her body trembled. She looked at him and read the same shocked expression in his eyes.

Gianna backed away. Gabe pulled her toward him. “What’s wrong?”

She hung her head, unable to explain her feelings. Heck, even she didn’t know what to make of them. She really wanted to go all the way.
Really
, she did. And she wanted to with Gabe, but she felt stupid. Fake. Like a freak. “I can’t do this with you.”

His dark brows crashed together. His big warm hands slid up her arms to her shoulders. “I won’t push you, Gianna. But if it’s me, tell me. I can take it like a man.”

Gianna almost choked. Her eyes scanned his face; she wanted to tell him it wasn’t him. No, he was what schoolgirl wet dreams were made of. It was her, pure and simple. As usual, when it came time to do something for herself on a purely selfish level, she balked. She’d been the insignificant Madonna for so long, she didn’t know how to accept attention. She wasn’t comfortable with it. When her breasts emerged one day, Papa explained she was cursed with the body of Sophia Loren, but God showed her mercy when he gave her a plain face. It would keep the boys from panting at her doorstep, and in so doing save herself from a world of hurt. Because, he told her repeatedly, the boys only wanted the goodies. And they would promise the world to get them. Gianna hunched back into the padded leather booth but continued to contemplate the man next to her.

He was exquisitely constructed in a rugged manly way. Every hard sensuous line of his face flowed effortlessly into the other. His black hair held the unruliness of a boy, yet the fire that burned in his eyes was that of a full-grown man. A man who made passion a way of life. A man used to having the crème de la crème between his sheets.

Not her.

What could he possibly see in her? As she traced his face with her gaze, she wished she were braver. Exciting. Lusty.

“I’m not cut out for this kind of stuff. I’m a frigid ice queen. And I’m okay with it.” The minute she said the words, she felt like a complete idiot.

Gabe slowly moved toward her. A flirty smiled tugged at his lips. New heat rushed her cheeks. He knew she was looking for an out. And he wasn’t going to give it to her. He reached out a finger and traced the subtle curve of her jaw. She couldn’t help the warm flush that flashed in its wake.