Page 45 of Because I Need You
“You’re better off without him,” Giovanni said quietly.
“Of course, you’d say that.” I swallowed. “Let me guess, you’d step right into the doting boyfriend role.”
“Maybe.” There was a challenge in his eyes that made my pulse quicken.
“Isabel,” Will called, smiling again, “Join us. I’ve been raving about my incredible girlfriend for an hour now and telling them that I got all your favorite flowers for the center pieces and your favorite food catered, but without you here, they’re going to start thinking I’m lying about you.” The people around him laughed. “Really, she’s absolutely amazing,” he continued, raving on about me as I started walking away.
“Still think you can be a better boyfriend?” I paused, smiling over my shoulder. I hadn’t even finished turning back around when he grabbed my arm and pulled me flush against his chest.
“I don’t have to be a better boyfriend,” he growled against my ear, sending a shiver down my spine. “I’m your fucking husband.”
He let me go, then. It took me three full seconds to compose myself and keep walking without my knees buckling and giving out beneath me. I joined Will and played the part of good girlfriend, but in my heart, I knew I’d end this before the day was over. It would hurt. I’d probably cry. He’d probably demand answers. But it wasn’t fair to continue on the way we were, knowing that, even without Giovanni in the picture, our relationship had an expiration date.
20
GIO
She was slowly consuming me, and I hated every bit of it. It was the way she baited me. The way she looked at me square in the eyes and treated me like I was just some random guy off the street. She was getting to me, and to top it all off, for some idiotic reason, I kept reminding her that I was her husband. I didn’t know why it felt so satisfying to say those words aloud, to see the reaction she gave me. I didn’t expect her to admit that she liked it, but the fire in her eyes seemed to crackle when I mentioned it. Maybe I liked it, too, the idea of belonging to someone like her. A helper, a teacher. I shook the thought away. I didn’t belong to anyone. Mike would joke that I belonged to the streets, and he’d be right. Mike, who I was currently waiting for in her rum bar while she was sitting in my condo. I’d let her see her grandmother and go to the luncheon, but that was where I drew the line. There would be no secret meetings between her and that clown. There definitely wouldn’t be room for them to have sex. She was mine now. For the time being, anyway. Mike walked in the door, finally, and waved at the guys behind the bar before sitting across from me.
“For someone who doesn’t drink rum, you sure love coming here all of a sudden,” he started, “Why are we meeting here and not my place?”
“I wanted to assess the damage.” I nodded toward the bar. “I thought maybe I’d be able to figure out who was here.”
“And?”
I shook my head. No dice. They didn’t break anything. Didn’t take any rum. Didn’t even check for money. Dean said it was probably my mother, but if it had been, she would have made it a point for them to steal things so that it looked like a robbery. Whoever it was went straight to the office in the back, straight to the safe. By now, everyone knew about Charles’ death, which meant everyone knew he’d handed everything down to her. It could virtually be anyone who was after those warehouses and containers. The containers, we’d secured, but the warehouses were still MIA. I’d have to sit down with Isabel and tell her the truth about all of this. Maybe if I did that she’d understand the gravity of it all. I should’ve already done that, but I thought we’d be able to do this without getting her too involved. I was sure she’d hate knowing the extent of her father’s deceit. Then again, it couldn’t possibly be worse than the things she already knew.
“I was at a luncheon today,” I said, “Isabel wanted to go with William, and it would’ve looked weird if she didn’t show up, especially after he bought her a first-class ticket to fly over here.”
“And you were there doing what? Securing the perimeter that your security detail had already secured ten times?” Mike raised an eyebrow, shaking his head. “I’m telling you, man. She’s not the one. I know you have a teacher fetish, but go find another one to bother.”
“I can’t.” I set my glass of carbonated water and lime down.
“Jesus.” Mike chuckled. “You’re unbelievable, you know that? You’ve slept half the female population, not all by choice, I’ll give you that, but you still have so many others you can get with. Why can’t you leave her the hell alone?”
