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“Damn,” she whispered, still out of breath. “That was…”
I collapsed on top of Gia, the sweat from my forehead mixing with hers when I dipped down to kiss her on the lips. “Therapeutic,” I answered for her.
She giggled. “That’s one word for it.”
“I can’t wait to make you my wife.” I kissed her on the forehead, slid out of her, and rolled onto my side of the bed. “Not many guys in my business can talk to their women the way I do with you.”
“This bedroom is sacred ground. You can tell me anything. There’s only one unforgivable act you could ever commit.”
I propped my elbow up on the stack of pillows behind me and turned to look into her eyes. “And what’s that?”
“Adultery. I would never forgive you.”
“Good thing you have nothing to worry about.” I kissed her mouth, making my way up to her nose and forehead. “I’ve never wanted another woman. Only you.”
She cocked a curious eyebrow at me. “Never? Not even once? You were never tempted at the strip club with your brothers?”
I shook my head. “Nope, never. Men cheat when they’re not happy or insecure. I’m neither of those things. The first time I kissed you was one of the best days of my life. You were it for me. I knew it back then, and I know it even more now.”
“For the record, I can’t wait to marry you, too. We have to get through my dad’s election first. I’d also like to lose some of this baby weight so I can fit into the dress your mom found for me.”
With Gia’s mother out of the picture, she had no one else to turn to but Ma, who was more than happy to fill the void. She took Gia shopping at every major dressmaker from Philadelphia to New England in search of the perfect gown.
“You don’t need to lose weight, babe.” I stroked her cheek with the back of my hand and smiled. “How many times do I have to tell you how beautiful you are just the way you are?”
She smiled. “Such a sweet talker, my Angelo. You always were.”
“Just stating a fact.” I removed my hand from her face to her stomach, slowly moving to her hip. “You’re perfect. Don’t change for anyone. I love you this way.”
“I love you, too.” She held her hand up to her mouth and yawned. “How about we get some sleep before Faith wakes up for her morning feeding?”
I pulled her to my chest, cocooning her in my warmth. “She’s been sleeping through the night.”
With her back to me, Gia nodded. “For this week, anyway.”
I laid my head on the pillow, with her hair in my face and the smell of her pomegranate shampoo filling my nostrils, desperate for sleep. My eyes closed a few seconds later. That night, unlike most nights where I awoke from nightmares of the horrible things I’d done, I dreamt of the only girl I’d ever loved.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Gia
I snuck out of my office when Sonny was in the kitchen grabbing a bite to eat with Faith. He wheeled her down the hall in the stroller and left one of his men to stand guard. I told his replacement I had women things to handle, pretended to go into the bathroom, and then rode the elevator upstairs to my father’s office.
My curiosity was still on high alert after I flipped through the file folders a few days before. I was sure my father had hidden something from me. We were selling off property and stock left and right as if we were in the middle of a fire sale. It drove me crazy when Angelo kept even the smallest secret from me, and even more insane when my dad did the same. He became more closed off after my mother’s death, keeping his distance from me. Dad used City Hall and his campaign for mayor as an excuse to stay away. But there had to be more to the story.
Once inside the office, I locked the door and went straight to the filing cabinet. My cell phone buzzed in my pocket. It was Sonny that much I knew without checking. He called me a few more times, all of which I didn’t bother to answer. Sonny knew where I’d be if he wanted to find me.
In a hurry, I tugged open the top drawer of the cabinet, pulled out a stack of folders, and dropped them onto the desk. I looked through the first file, about to read through the next, by the time Sonny banged on the door.
“C’mon, Gia, open up. I know you’re in there.”
I glanced at the door and sighed, knowing he would bang the damn thing down if I didn’t let him in. But I kept on going, too determined to uncover the truth. When I was in law school, I loved the research aspect of the job. Contracts were also my specialty. I knew where to look on each document and what kind of paper trail I should expect to see in its place.
Maybe if I stayed still, he would go away, or at least it was what I’d thought. Sonny jiggled the handle, a few seconds passing where he toyed with the lock before he burst inside.
He shook his head, irritated with me. “Gia, you have to stop doing this. Remember what I told you about your curiosity.”
“I won’t be the cat, Sonny,” I shot back, shuffling through the stack of folders on the desk. “You worry too much about me.”
