Forever Wicked: A Wicked Lovers Novella (1001 Dark Nights) (11 page)

“Without love, I can’t stay.”

“So that’s it? You’re going to divorce me on our anniversary and walk away because I won’t give you syrupy words I don’t believe in?”

“No.” She approached him on bare feet. “I’m going to let you go so you can find someone you will fall in love with so you can see how real it is.”

With a controlled sigh, he clenched a fist. “I don’t want ‘someone.’ I want you. I’ll treat you like a queen and give you the world. Can’t that be enough?”

Gia’s first instinct was to refuse. If she did, it would mean spending her life without Jason. Should she relinquish the man she loved over an ideal? Who was to say that he wouldn’t eventually realize he more than wanted her? That maybe he even loved her deep down? Or was she rationalizing because he had her heart and always would?

Suddenly, her phone rang from a distant corner of the house. A quick listen told her the ring tone was Mila’s. Had something happened to one of the kids?

Sending Jason a glance that pleaded with him to understand, she dashed for her purse upstairs.

He followed. “Who is it?”

“My sister-in-law,” she tossed over her shoulder.

Cursing under his breath, he trailed her into the bedroom, watching with unwavering focus. Gia couldn’t mistake his impatience to finish their earlier discussion. She felt the same.

Today had, perhaps, been their most honest conversation. Before they’d married, she and Jason had lived in the moment. She’d read enough about his upbringing online to know that hers had been vastly different. He must know that, too. Since she’d returned to Jason, they had shared space, but they hadn’t really tried bridging the chasm between them.

This morning felt like a first step.

As the fourth ring pealed, Gia snatched her phone from her purse and hit the button, pressing the device to her ear. “Hello?”

“Hi, G,” Mila greeted. “Sorry to bother you. Just a quick question. Where did you leave TJ’s insurance card?”

Her sister-in-law had taken to calling Tony Jr. by his initials because Mila could no longer bear to speak her late husband’s name.

“It’s not in your purse or affixed to the fridge?” Gia asked.

“No. It’s not in the junk drawer or with your mom, either. I’ve looked in the obvious places. Last I remember, you had it when you took him in for his cough.”

Crap. Yes, she had—the day before she’d come to Jason’s.

Gia plowed through her purse and found her wallet. The second she opened it, the little card spilled out. “I’ve got it.”

“I need it.”

Her heart stopped. “What happened?”

“Nothing. I totally forgot that TJ has a well appointment today. I wish they’d let me use my card, but I guess the insurance company is cracking down against members using the wrong one, so…” Mila paused. “Is there any way we can meet so I can get it? His appointment is at three.”

A glance over her shoulder told Gia that Jason stood in the doorway, staring and conscious of every word she spoke to her sister-in-law. She barely managed not to wince. Introducing Jason to Mila might as well be introducing him to the whole family. No way would her brother’s wife keep quiet about a man. But Gia already knew that crossing town to spend a few hours without him wasn’t an option. She’d committed to spending twenty-four/seven with him until their anniversary.

“How about if I drop it off at the doctor’s office and you can pick it up there? I have to get back downtown this afternoon, and I’d rather not fight rush hour traffic.” Gia rubbed at a pain in her chest that couldn’t be anything but a stab of guilt.

“Sure.” Mila sounded a little surprised and hurt that she didn’t want to meet for a cup of coffee or lunch, like they usually would, but her sister-in-law could be a one-woman inquisition. If Jason was anywhere in earshot, he would state the bald truth.

What a terrible way for her close-knit family to find out the two of them had been married for nearly a year.

“Great. I’ll have it there by one or so.” She sent Jason another glance for confirmation, and he nodded.

Then he slipped from the room and headed down the hall, toward the stairs. Gia breathed a guilty sigh of relief that he’d elected to let her finish her conversation in private.

“Perfect,” Mila assured.

“How’s the new nanny?” Gia almost held her breath, anxious for the answer.

“Incredible! I don’t know how you managed to talk your new boss into paying for someone so amazing. The kids love Colleen, and she’s made life so easy. I wish I could keep her forever.”

A sad relief. Great that the woman was working out, but Gia’s worry that she’d failed her family hurt. She’d given her all, but between work and hunting Wayman, there hadn’t been enough of her to go around.

“Glad to hear it.”

“They miss their Auntie G,” Mila added.

“I miss them, too.” She tried not to cry. In truth, she missed her whole family.

“Hopefully, you won’t be busy much longer,” Mila said gently. “Oh, the other reason I called… We’ve had to move your father’s birthday dinner to tonight. I know it’s short notice and you’ve got a tight job, but any chance you can make it? It would mean a lot to your parents.”

“Tonight? Dad’s birthday isn’t for two weeks.”

“Thanksgiving is late this year, so his big day falls on Black Friday. The Delvecchios are out of town that weekend for the holiday.”

The family owned her dad’s favorite little hole-in-the-wall for food. He wouldn’t want to celebrate anywhere else.

“Your mom and I realized it this morning, so we rescheduled,” Mila went on. “Please come.”

How would that work? She doubted seriously that Jason would allow her to attend a family event without him. In fact, he’d told her just minutes ago that he wanted to be with her a lot longer than nine days. It stood to reason that he’d demand to meet the Angelotti clan.

When she and Jason had first eloped, she’d had a plan to invite her parents over for dinner, introduce Jason and let them get to know him over the meal, then announce that they were husband and wife. But once Tony had been killed, her plan had gone out the window. Gia didn’t know how to broach the subject with them a belated year later. Or if she even should. She’d know what to do once she’d decided whether to stick it out with Jason or throw in the towel. But springing a surprise marriage on her father, especially when it might not last, wouldn’t be much of a birthday gift.

“I want to come, but I’m really tied up here.” Gia winced. “I’ll see what I can do… If I get free, tell me again what time I should be at Delvecchio’s.”

“Five thirty. It was the only time they could take us last minute.”

“I’m not sure I can be done with my downtown appointment this afternoon by five thirty. Don’t be surprised if y’all have to go on without me.” Gia made a mental note to ask Jason if they could shop for a gift today and drop it off at the restaurant before her family arrived.

“I was afraid you’d say that.” Mila sounded disappointed. “If your schedule changes and you can make it, then come by. I know your dad would be thrilled.”

“Sure. Yeah. Thanks for the heads up. If I end up having to leave the gift at the restaurant, I’ll text you. Talk to you soon.”

Gia shoved her phone in her purse again and turned suspiciously to the hall, wondering if she’d find Jason lurking there. But no. She crept downstairs and found him in the kitchen sipping coffee and browsing his newspaper.

“So we need to drop your nephew’s insurance card by the pediatrician’s office?”

His question rattled her. “I can take care of it and be back by two.”

Jason’s blue eyes turned dark, his entire expression disapproving.

Or not…

“I’ll be driving you, Gianna.” He spoke her full name, telling her with just one word that she’d reached an unbendable boundary.

She tried to hold in a sigh. “I also need to drop off a little something for my dad. Would it be possible to stop by a mall first?”

“Of course.”

“If you don’t have time, I understand. You sounded like you were on an important call when I first came downstairs, so—”

“Nothing is more important than you.”

His words made her stomach flutter. Honestly, she didn’t understand her husband. He hadn’t even pretended that he believed in love, yet he’d done everything to make her happy, comfortable, and sated since she’d walked through his door. If he’d told her that he loved her this morning, she would have believed him. Oh, his demeanor could be remote. But his
behavior
spoke volumes, every word saying so clearly that he cared.

Confused and yearning, Gia lowered her gaze. “Thank you.”

“My pleasure. Why don’t you shower? I’ll set out something for you to wear. We’ll leave when you’re ready.”

“I can find my own clothes. You don’t have to…”

Gia stopped. No, Jason didn’t have to choose her clothes, but his raised brow told her that he wanted to. In fact, he insisted. It should really bug the independent woman in her, but the idea that he sought to select every stitch on her body from the skin out excited her.

“All right,” she murmured.

“Excellent. Off with you. I’ll take care of everything else.”

* * * *

Jason watched his wife walk up the stairs. She intended to keep him separate from the rest of her life. Not acceptable. He suspected Gia worried about her parents’ reaction to their marriage. No, he wasn’t Catholic, but Marco and Silvana Angelotti would surely find other redeeming qualities in him—namely that he would always take care of their daughter.

Later, he’d allow himself to feel disappointment in Gia’s behavior. Now, he had other plans.

Before he’d asked Thorpe to reach out to his wife, Jason had examined his marriage from every angle and found three impediments to making their relationship last. He’d cured the first by bringing Gia here to actually spend time with him so she could see what their life together might be like. He hadn’t completely fixed the second problem, but he’d started the process. It shouldn’t take much longer. The last? Well, maybe today he could enact change...even if he had to force her to face her fear.

For now, he’d show her a pleasurable afternoon while he ironed out this new wrinkle between them: her insistence on love.

Frowning, he pulled out his phone and made a few arrangements, then headed upstairs to the bedroom he shared with his wife. That had a nice ring, and he had to admit that he’d been much happier since getting her under his roof. She looked better rested. He’d even managed to put a few pounds back on her. All in all, it had been a successful nine days.

Time to step up his game and close the deal.

Once in the master bedroom, he heard the shower running behind the closed bathroom door. Prowling to his adjoining walk-in closet, he opened his armoire and pulled out a few bags. He’d carefully chosen the contents of each over the past week. A bra here, a skirt there. Understated but sexy heels. A designer bag with a beautiful pop of bright pink. According to his assistant, these would thrill Gia, and he enjoyed buying her things she’d never buy for herself.

Next, Jason pulled open the jewelry drawer. Inside, he found the Tiffany blue velvet box with Gia’s wedding ring tucked away and clutched it in his fist.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained…

With a decisive nod, he shut the armoire doors and laid all the items out on their bed, including the ring.

Quickly, he made use of one of the showers down the hall, then returned and dressed, just waiting for her reaction. It should be enlightening.

Chapter Six

About mid-morning, they pulled up in front of one of the swanky, old-money malls of Dallas. She’d heard of this place, but it was easily thirty minutes from her part of town, and she’d never had the bank account to shop here.

Gia pursed her lips. She couldn’t blame Jason for bringing her to this mall when she hadn’t been specific about which one she wanted. His condo wasn’t far from here, and to a guy, one shopping center was probably as good as the next. Hopefully, at least one store would allow her to buy a present for her dad that didn’t cost her an arm and a leg. But when they breezed in from the parking lot and the first merchant on her right was Tiffany, Gia didn’t hold much hope.

And it reminded her of the little blue box Jason had put on the bed beside the ensemble—minus panties, of course—that he’d instructed her to wear. In every other way, the outfit was classy, well-made, and fit perfectly. She’d squealed over the raspberry-colored Kate Spade bag. Even the black Jimmy Choo kitten heels were surprisingly comfortable. Since the tags had still been on everything, she’d choked at the cost. Was Jason insane? Nine hundred dollars for a Roberto Cavalli skirt? She would never have even looked at something this pricy, much less bought it. But this was his show, so she’d worn everything he’d given her, hoping like hell she didn’t spill anything and stain the garments.

Jason escorted her inside, then stopped her with a subtle grasp in front of the legendary jeweler. “Where’s your ring, Gianna? I set it out for you to wear.”

Damn. She’d known he would ask. “In my purse. I don’t think wearing the ring is such a good idea.”

“Because you don’t think you’ll be Mrs. Denning much longer?”

Gia hesitated. Everything between them was up in the air. Until she figured out whether she could stay with a man who might never say he loved her, she had to play it safe. “Because at this point we’ve only agreed to spend a few more days together. I’d hate to lose it while we’re deciding about the future.”

He didn’t look happy with her answer. “Do you dislike it?”

It was far bigger than anything she’d ever imagined someone putting on her finger. She was almost afraid to find out how much he’d spent on it. Every minute she’d worn it last year, she’d checked to make sure the center stone hadn’t somehow popped out or that the ring hadn’t slipped off her finger.

“If you don’t like it, I’ll get you something else.” He looked toward Tiffany & Co.

“That’s not it. I just…” How did she put this into words? “The conversation we had this morning disturbed me. The point of marriage and family is love. Desire isn’t enough.”