16. Gia

16

GIA

I have no idea what I’m doing. I suspect I shouldn’t be doing it. Not because it’s wrong. Not for any reason Max gives for saying this part of our relationship is immoral. But because I’m falling into the same trap I did six years ago when I spent time with Max, slept with Max, and fell in love with Max.

Watching him with the kids tonight, my heart cracked open. I want this. I want a life where my kids are happy with a man who delights in them and whom they adore. But I’m a fool to think this time could be any different, that Max would choose me and the kids over his fears of Nic’s response or societal norms around our age and situation. He didn’t choose it before. Granted, my father threatened him and me, but if that was the deciding factor, he would be so against a future with me now.

So, knowing that I’m about to lead myself down the path of heartache again, I lower to my knees and look up at Max. His expression is one of desire that makes me feel powerful.

His voice is hoarse when he says, “You don’t have to.”

“I don’t feel obligated.”

He clears his throat, his hand resting on the palm of my cheek. “It’s just that some women don’t like it.”

“I won’t know until I try. Do you like it… I mean, when a woman?—”

“Yes. In fact, the thought of you sucking my cock makes me hurt. I’ll give you anything… everything… I so fucking want that.”

I wonder what he’d say if I told him I wanted him. All of him. Instead, I laugh. “Well, then. Tell me what to do.”

He quickly undresses, asking me to undress too. “It can be messy.”

I do as he says and then get back on my knees to study his dick. It almost looks angry. It’s hard, ridges lining the length of him. A drop of liquid sits on the tip. I lick it up with my tongue. He lets out a feral growl and his dick bobs in front of me.

“It’s like sucking a lollipop,” he says. “But again, if you don’t want to?—”

I suck the tip into my mouth.

“Aww… fuck yes… Gia.” His moan is long, rumbling through his body. His fingers thread through my hair. He’s not touching me, but his reaction is making me hot. So hot.

I do my best to suck and lick. I work him into my mouth as far as I can take him without gagging. All the while, I pay attention to his reaction. His moans. The way his hips buck forward, his fingers grip my hair.

“Let me do it,” he says. “Just hold still.” He moves, rocking forward and back, like he’s fucking my mouth. I worry he might go too far and choke me or make me gag, but he doesn’t. It’s like he knows. Well, of course he does. His dick has probably been in Whitley’s mouth among countless others. I shake that thought away. Right now, he’s mine.

He brushes my hair back, looking down at me. “Fuck…I ’m gonna come. I Can pull out?—”

I shake my head. I want to experience this fully. My lips tighten around his dick. I use my hand around him, squeezing.

His head flies back. A wild yell rips from him. Liquid warmth splashes in my mouth. I work to swallow it, but with each thrust, more comes. He tastes salty, not unpleasant.

He steps back, and I move to wipe my mouth, but he lifts me up and kisses me hard. “I’m going to make you come so fucking hard.” He moves me, tossing me on the bed.

I let out a little squeak and laugh. “I take it I did okay.”

He falls over me. “Is the top of my head still there? I think you blew it off.”

This part of him fills me with joy. Max can be so serious, rigid in his ways. But like this, I see humor and happiness. It makes him even more handsome.

“Open up, Gia, and hold on.” He pushes my legs apart as he moves down my body. The next minute, his mouth is doing glorious things and I’m flying, not once, not twice… it’s like I'm coming over and over, or maybe it's one long orgasm.

And when he moves away, I think it’s over until he rolls on a condom and plunges inside me. Immediately, my body pulses. Sparks fly, and I’m coming again. When he finally finishes, I’m completely spent.

“I don’t know that I can make it back to my room,” I say, wondering how I have the energy to speak.

“I’d invite you to stay, but I know you want to be near the kids.”

God, how I want to stay. Tonight. All nights.

We lie there a few more minutes, and then he tosses me his robe again and then picks me up.

“What are you doing?” I ask, looping my arms around his neck.

“Carrying you to your room. You said I fucked you so good, you can’t walk. God, Gia, words like that make my ego the size of Everest.”

I laugh. “Just what we need, Max with a big head.”

And so it goes over the next week. I settle into a rhythm—breakfast with the kids and Max, schooling with the kids, working in the afternoon while Maria entertains the kids, dinner with Max and kids, spending time playing or watching TV, and then into Max’s bed, where he’s been showing me the wonders of sex. The only downside is leaving his bed.

The playground is in and the kids couldn’t be happier. Max is even talking about putting in a basketball court and a place for the kids to skate.

Thanksgiving is tomorrow, so I’ve given the kids a day off from schooling and right now, they’re making pies with Maria. I’m glad because I have work to finish before the office closes in New York at three, noon here.

But of course, best laid plans and all… I tap my fingers against the desk in frustration as I stare at my laptop screen. I’m having trouble accessing data I need to complete my report for today.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Cantore," Angela's voice crackles through the speaker of my phone. "Those files are only accessible through the secure server. I can't email them."

"There has to be a way." I lean back in my chair, running my hands through my hair. "Nic needs this analysis."

"Well…" Angela pauses. "Mr. Giraldi should have access. His office is connected to our network."

What are the odds that I can convince Marcus to take me to Max’s office? Less than nil.

"Thanks, Angela. I'll figure something out." I blow out a breath and then decide to call Max and see if I can convince him to let me come to his office to do my work.

“No.” Max’s answer is swift.

Many words come to my mind, but I hold them all back, leaving the line silent.

“Gia?”

I stay quiet. I hate not having any say in my life.

“Why don’t you tell me what you need? I’ll get it for you.”

“I need to do my job, Max. You know, there’s been nothing with my stalker for a long time. He’s probably given up. I should think about going home.” It’s petty.

“That’s Nic’s call.” Max’s voice is tight, though, letting me know I hit a nerve.

“I’ve got to go.”

“Gia… fucking hell.” He lets out a frustrated growl. “Fine. I’ll make arrangements with Marcus.”

I smile. I won. I can’t believe it. I won. “Thank you.”

I check on the kids and make sure Maria will be okay watching them. They barely acknowledge me, having too much fun rolling out pie dough.

Ten minutes later, I’m in the back of an SUV as Marcus drives me to Max’s office located in the casino.

We enter through a VIP entrance. The bells of slot machines echo through the area.

“This way, Mrs. Cantore,” Marcus says, leading me toward elevators. We walk parallel to the main casino floor, the din of chatter filling the air even at ten in the morning on Thanksgiving eve.

We’re nearly at the elevator when a man steps in front of me. “You’ve got to be shitting me.”

I stop short, and Marcus rounds me, his arm coming out to block the man. “Back off.”

“Benny?” I ask.

Benny holds up his hands in surrender. “I’m family. Practically her son.”

“Don’t care. Back off before I throw you off the property.”

Benny steps back. “Wow, you’ve gotten high and mighty since your brother took over.” Benny's face twists into an ugly sneer. He's thinner than I remember, his eyes wild and desperate. He glances at Marcus. “Did she tell you she had my father killed? Stole my inheritance.”

“Back the fuck off.” Marcus waves over toward security.

Benny looks at me. “Someday, I’ll prove that money is mine. Those bastard twins aren’t my dad’s.”

I flinch. How could he know that?

“Get him off the property. Don’t let him back in… ever,” Marcus tells the men who rush over to us.

Benny backs away. “No need. I’m leaving.”

“Follow him,” Marcus tells the security men. Then he takes my arm and escorts me to the elevator. “Are you alright, Mrs. Cantore?” he asks as the elevator rides up.

“Yes.” Shaken, but alright. I think back to the talk I had with Max about potential stalkers. Wasn’t Benny on the list? Did he follow me here? Except, how would he know I’d be coming to the casino today? No, more likely, Benny is doing what Benny does—gamble.

We exit the elevator, and Marcus leads me down a hall filled with offices. “Mr. Giraldi says you can access what you need here.” He opens a door to an empty office. “Your access codes should work. I’ll be out here if you need anything.”

“Thank you, Marcus.” I check my watch, knowing I don’t have much time to get the data and synthesize it into a coherent report for Nic.

Five minutes before noon, three eastern time, I get the report off to the New York office. I reach my hands overhead and stretch, feeling satisfied that I got the job done. I rise from the desk and exit the office.

“Mr. Giraldi has asked that I bring you to him if you’re finished,” Marcus says.

“Am I in trouble?” I’m joking, mostly.

Marcus’s lips twitch up, which is unusual for the normally serious man. “Hard to say.” He leads me down the hall, around the corner and down toward double doors. He knocks, opening the door only after he hears, “Come in.”

“Mrs. Cantore, Boss.”

I step in behind him, having my first look at Max in his element. And goodness, is it sexy. He’s wearing his expensive suit, which I’ve seen before. But never in his office, the backdrop of Las Vegas money and power behind him through the window.

Max comes around his desk toward us. “Thank you, Marcus. You can wait outside.”

Marcus nods and leaves us, Max shutting the door behind him. “Did you get your work done?”

“I did. Thank you.”

Max studies me. “I understand you had a confrontation downstairs.”

It takes me a minute to realize he means Benny. “It was nothing. Benny being Benny.”

Max crosses his arms. “It’s not nothing, Gia. He’s stalking you?—”

“We don’t know it’s him for sure.”

“He’s here, isn’t he? He confronted you.”

Not liking being talked to like a teenager, I move around Max and go to the window. “This is a casino. Where else would Benny be? And he saw me, so he confronted me. He didn’t follow me, send cryptic texts. Benny isn’t sophisticated enough for that. I’m sure his being here when I was is a coincidence.”

“Are you willing to bet your life on that? The kids’ lives?”

I whirl around on him. “I’m not reckless, Max. Besides, your men ran him off.”

He stalks toward me, his eyes wild with fire. “That’s right… he’s off in the wind now, which means you’re not safe.”

“I’m with you. Surely, I’m safe.” I hope my words defuse the anger. The air between us crackles with electricity as his anger transforms into something more primal.

"Gia…" His voice comes out rough, strained.

“I’m okay, Max.”

His hands grip my arms and his mouth crashes into mine. The kiss is desperate, hungry. His hands slide around me, pulling me flush against him as I thread my fingers through his hair.

He moves us toward his desk. “I’m going to fuck you on my desk, Gia. What do you think about that?”

This is reckless, dangerous. Anyone could need him, could knock… But I don't care.

“I think you should hurry.”

His lips trail down my neck. Papers scatter to the floor as he lifts me onto the polished surface. My skirt rides up my thighs as I wrap my legs around his waist. His kisses grow deeper, more demanding. I arch into his touch, losing myself in the heat between us.

Here, in his arms, everything else falls away. The danger, the complications, the reasons we shouldn't. There's only Max, only this moment, only us.

He stops mid-unzipping his pants. “Fuck.”

“What’s wrong?” I reach down to finish undoing his pants.

“I don’t have a condom.” His eyes pierce mine. “I guess I’ll just have to use my tongue.”

I like it when he does that. But I like his dick better. “I’m on the pill.”

His brow furrows. “What?”

“After the kids were born, I didn’t want… with Aldo… not that he had much interest in me but…” God, I’m rambling.

Max’s hands cup my cheeks. “Gia.” He lowers his forehead against mine. I’m not sure what’s going on with him.

“Is that a problem?” All of a sudden, I’m feeling like I’ve said something wrong.

He lifts his head. “No, sweetheart. I just… I never not use a condom. I’ve never wanted to risk pregnancy.”

The irony isn’t lost on me, but of course he doesn’t know that condoms don’t always work.

“The pill is more effective than condoms.” I don’t know why I say this because all of a sudden, the mood is broken. He’s effectively told me he doesn’t want children, while I’ve been spending the last week hoping he’ll want me and the kids enough to keep us. God, I’m such an idiot.

I wave my hand. “It’s okay.” I slide off the desk, giving him a gentle push to step back. I smooth my skirt back down. “I understand. You’ve never wanted a family. Besides, I need to get going. It’s Thanksgiving tomorrow and there’s a lot to do.” I move past him, but his hand reaches out, taking my arm.

“Gia.”

I avoid his gaze, not wanting him to see my humiliation and hurt.

He gives me a little shake until I look up at him. “I’ve hurt you.”

“No.” I shake my head. “You’re being honest. I mean, you can’t risk a pregnancy fucking your goddaughter, sister of your best friend, who’s nearly twenty years younger than you.” Inwardly, I wince at my outburst. I’ve just proven him right. He hurt me. I blow out a breath. “I’m sorry. That’s not fair. Your feelings are valid. I don’t mean to belittle them.”

He closes his eyes in that way that tells me he’s having a tug-of-war in his mind. When he opens them, they’re soft, filled with yearning. His hands cup my cheeks again. “I want you so fucking bad.”

“I’m right here, Max.”

He kisses me. This time, it’s soft, sweet, and it makes my heart fill with emotions I shouldn’t feel, can’t seem to stop from feeling.

“You’re sure?” he asks as he turns me back to his desk.

“I should be asking you that.”

“I’ve never been more sure of anything. You, my sweet Gia.”

I tell myself this is sex talking. He’s not confessing his love for me. But my heart still grabs onto the words as if they do mean something.

There are no words after that. Just kisses and caresses. He unbuttons my blouse and unhooks my bra. His hands knead my breasts. His lips suck my nipples.

He slides his hands up my legs, lifting my skirt and tugging down my panties. I undo his slacks, freeing him, marveling at his length and hardness.

He steps between my legs, his eyes intensely gazing into mine. I give him a nod and he thrusts inside me. He’s hot, smooth, thick, filling me.

He lets out a feral groan, his fingers gripping my hips as he rocks against me.

His hand slides down my thigh, lifting it as he tilts me back further on his desk. “Fuck… so fucking good. Do you feel it?”

“Yes.” It’s so deliciously good. I hold on to his shoulders, my legs holding him to me as I move with him. It’s a perfect dance. Can’t he see that, how good we are together? Not just like this, but in all things.

I want this moment to last forever, but my body has other ideas. Max drives in, grinds against me, and I’m soaring. Pleasure washes through me. My body shudders around him.

“Gia.” He calls out as he thrusts again, warmth filling my body as he comes with me. “Sweet Gia.”

It’s a most beautiful moment, and I do all I can to sear it in my memory because I know that this won’t last. He cares for me. I know he does. But he doesn’t want a family. He doesn’t want to risk my brother’s friendship. When my stalker is found, this will end. There’s nothing I can do to change that.