Her Man: An Interracial Romance (The Bentini Brothers Book 2) (18 page)

     “So
o
o
…you wanted black friends when you were younger?”

     Glancing at me in slight exasperation, Antonio
says, “I had black friends. I
have
black friends, Tiressa…I have all
kinds of friends with all kinds of backgrounds and skin color.  That wasn’t,
nor is it, the problem.”  When he pauses too long, I give him a little nudge. 
“So, what was the problem?”

     “My parents aren’t perfect.  They’re very
traditional.  They raised us to be loyal and dutiful.  They have expectations. 
The problem is that my parents were willing to tolerate what they deemed ‘my
rebellious phase’, but they drew the line at…”  I give him a steady look when
he stops talking.  “…They’re
not
racist…”

     “I know that Antonio.  But what are you trying
to say?  That your parents put their foot down when you wanted to date a
black-girl?”

     Exhaling heavily, he replies, “Yeah, something
like that.  I thought my parents were raising us to look beyond ‘color’, but
apparently, I was wrong.  Well, not about my dad.  He’s always supported me in
just about whatever I wanted to do…including marrying a black woman.”  He
slides a proud sexy smile my way.

     “You talked to your dad about us?”

     “Yes, we have his complete blessing.  I never
doubted that he would give it.  It’s my mother—”

     “Antonio, you really can’t be surprised by
that.  Although your dad is wonderfully progressive, your mom is very much a
traditionalist.  She wants her handsome Italian boys to be with pretty Italian
girls, and make beautiful Italian babies…”

     “Damnit Tiressa—”

     “I’m not saying I agree with that, but I can
understand the sentiment.  Some of the older members of my family feel that way
too—my dad, my grandpa, a few of my uncles and aunts.  Deep down, they would
prefer to have a more traditional African-American family, but they know that
ship has sailed.”

     “Yeah, but you have a very diverse family with
just about every color of the rainbow.  And regardless of how they may feel,
they fully accept and welcome new members into the family no matter what color
their skin is.  I can’t tell you how much I appreciate being embraced by your
family…your parents, your grandparents, all the other relatives…it was
incredible…although I think your sister still wants to put a bullet in me.”  Laughing,
I refute that charge.  “No, she doesn’t…she’s coming around.”  Chuckling, he
agrees.  “Yeah, I suppose she is.  That’s what I want for you, Ti.  I want my
entire family, especially my mom, to embrace you and welcome you with open
heart into our family.  I don’t think I’ll be able to forgive her if she
doesn’t.”

     “Don’t say that Antonio.”

     “Well, it’s true.  Anyway, getting back to my
explanation…I wasn’t brave enough to go against my family and date any of the black
girls I was attracted to in high school, but when I was away at college I finally
got up enough courage to follow my heart.  In my last year, I started secretly
dating a girl I was really hot for.”

     “What happened?”  I ask with a little more
force than intended.  His talking about being hot for another chic, no matter
how long ago, is not something I want to hear –ever. 

     “My mother happened.  She found out about our
relationship and paid my girlfriend a visit one weekend when I wasn’t on
campus.  She actually manipulated the situation so that I wouldn’t be on campus
and my girlfriend would.  Gawd, she’s diabolical.”

     “And ruthless.”  I can’t resist mumbling.  “Let
me guess, she offered your girlfriend money and your girlfriend took it.”

     “Yep, without a second thought.  She dumped me
as soon as I got back on campus.  She didn’t even attempt to lie about the
cause of our break up.”

     “My mom was furious.  Apparently, that was
part of the deal… she burned both of us.  I was glad that my mother’s deception
was exposed.  But it wasn’t enough.  In retaliation, I married an Italian girl.”

     “How is that a retaliation?”  I ask, obviously
confused, it sounds like Mrs. Bentini got exactly what she wanted.

     “I found myself a woman—an Italian woman—that
I knew my mother would absolutely loathe and detest and be truly horrified to
have in the family…and I married her.”

     “Oh no, Tony, how could you?  That poor girl—”

     “
That poor girl,
my ass.  We were using
each other.  I got my revenge on my mother and she walked away with a couple of
million.”  Glancing over at me, he scowls and demands, “What the hell…Are you
crying?!”

     “You made me believe that you weren’t in the
habit of doling out money to women.”

     “I’m not.”

     “You paid off your first wife.  You gave me
money.  How many more are there?”

     “None.  And it’s not the same.  I didn’t love
her and she didn’t love me.  She entered into it knowing what it was all about.”

     “It was still wrong Antonio.”

     “I know, but back then, I just didn’t give a
damn.”

     “How long were you married to…”

     “Nikki”

     “You’ve got to be kidding?”

     “No. That also drove my mother crazy.”  He
laughs.  “The charade went on for just shy of a year.  Then we had the marriage
annulled…as planned.  She went her way and I joined the army.” After thinking about
it for a minute, I realize something. “You joined the army because it was
another thing that your mother couldn’t control.”

     “That’s right.  That was my initial reasoning,
but as I got more into my training, I discovered that I liked what I was doing
and had a real talent for…what they were training me to do.”

     “Go on.”  I prod him when he stops talking.  “The
Army taught me so much more than discipline and military strategy.  When I got
out, I put my skills to use and started a security firm.  The rest, as they
say, is history.”  I’m sitting in the car quietly watching the scenery as we
enter the city, we’re less than thirty minutes from home.  “Well?”  He asks.

     “Well what?”

     “Are you okay with …my past?”

     “Yes, I’m okay with it.  I don’t like it…but I
understand.”

     “That’s my girl.”  He says, reaching over and
taking my hand.  “Do you want to stop and get something to eat or head straight
home?”

     “I want to go to the pet hotel and get my
babies.”  I reply giving his hand a squeeze.  “Ti, it’s close to seven, they’re
probably closed.  We can get them in the morning.”  Letting go of his hand, I
fold my arms and turn my head towards my window.

     “Come on, Ti, don’t be that way.”

     I’m not normally the bratty type, by any
means, but this is too important to me.  “I don’t care if they’re closed or
not, I want my babies and I want them now!  I’m not going another night without
seeing my babies and knowing that they’re okay.  I want my babies Antonio!”  I
honestly thought he was going to ignore my childish outburst, but ten minutes
later, we’re pulling into the parking lot of the pet hotel.  “I’ll be right
out.”

     “Antonio—”

     “I said I’ll be right out.”  He tosses back as
he closes the car door. 
Damn
, now look what I’ve done.  I feel like
such a bitch. He’s back in less than ten minutes with the puppies in their
carrier.  But instead of putting them on the back seat, like he did last time,
he places the carrier in the trunk area.  I’ve already pissed him off, so I sit
quietly as he gets back into the SUV and pull out of the parking lot.  “Do you
want to pick something up or order out once we get home and get settled?”  I
exhale a relieved breath.  If he’s talking to me then he can’t be too annoyed. 
“We can order something from your place.”  He shoots an exasperated look my
way.  “I don’t want you to think of it as my place…it’s
our
home.”

     “I’m not trying to fight with you Antonio, I
already feel shitty for throwing a bitch-fit and making you go get the puppies.”

     “What does that have to do with this?”

     “I don’t want to fight with you.”

     “We’re not fighting, Ti.”

     “We may, if you know that I don’t really feel
comfortable in your house.”

     “You don’t like my house?”

     “I’m sorry Antonio…but there’s just so much
glass and metal… it’s not really my style.”  He laughs deep and long before
answering the questioning look I’m giving him.  “It’s not my style either.  The
guys convinced me that it was the perfect house for a man of my status…it was
supposed to make the right impression on the right people.”

     “Did it?”  Antonio pauses at the security gate
and waits the few seconds before he can drive through and onto his property.  “Yes,
but that was unattached, bachelor Antonio.  The man I am now is ready for a
family and the perfect home to go with it…including lots and lots of West
Highland Terriers.”

     “Ohhh, Antonio…”   

     “I know baby, now bring me those lips.”  He
stops the SUV and leans over to kiss my lips.  This kiss turns real hot, real
quick.  “It’s been three whole days since I’ve made love to you.  I’m hungry,
and not just for food.”  He growls. 

     He should be
hungry
since, as I had
predicted, we were found out and he was promptly invited to occupy the guesthouse
for the remainder of our visit.  There was no more tiptoeing through the house in
the middle of the night.

~~~~

     “Did you enjoy your reunion with your
babies
?” 
Antonio ask coming into the dressing room.  Standing on the fancy eight-inch high
footstool, I’m concentrating on not falling as I try to put my travel bag on
one of the top shelves with the other bags.  I’m thinking that if I continue
staying here, I may need to rearrange some things.  “You haven’t answered, Ti.”

     “Yep, it was wonderful.  We’re all settled.”

     “Good.”  He groans in my ear, startling me.

     “Antonio, what are you doing?”  I ask, feeling
him press against me, holding me securely as he maneuvers me and the footstool
from the shelf, to the bare wall next to the shelf.  Not until I turn around to
look at him, do I see that he doesn’t have a stitch of clothes on.  “Antonio?”

     “Yes Baby.”  He says all silky sexy as he runs
his fingers through my hair removing the hairpins and smoothing my hair down. 
“One day I want to feel you hair on my shaft.”

     “I didn’t know you were kinky.”  I laugh not
attempting to move away.

     “I can’t help it, your hair turns me on.”  He
admits running his big hands down my thighs and then back up again, sliding my nightgown
up and over my head, he tosses it to the floor.  “Antonio, are you really going
to take me against the wall like this, standing on this stool?”

     “Yes, I sure am. I told you I was hungry.”  He
takes off my bra and tosses it to the floor beside the nightgown.

     “Then let’s go eat.”

     “I am…everything I need is right here.”  He
says just before he goes down on his knees behind me.  “Step out of your
panties.”  He commands.  I do it without hesitation.

***

     Kathy parks her car in the service area around
the side of the building, and enters the mansion thru the service door that
leads straight into the guardhouse.  Leaving the guardhouse, she walks into Mr.
Honeycutt’s chamber, and then heads to Mrs. Bentini’s office towards the back
of the mansion. 

     “Katherine, do you have a moment?”  Recalling
how he had, just days ago, bent her over her chair and had his way with her,
Kathy drops her eyes, embarrassed at how brazen she had behaved that night.  “I
can’t William.  Mrs. Bentini is expecting me.”

     “She’ll be tied up for a few minutes with Mrs.
Llewellyn.”  Familiar with how talkative Mrs. Llewellyn can be, Kathy knows
that’s probably true.  Still…   “I don’t think—”

     “Please Kat, I need to talk to you.” 
Remembering
his noncommittal response
, after they had made love and she had asked,
“Where do we go from here Will?”
  She really
doesn’t expect this conversation to be any different than their previous
discussions about their distorted relationship.  But there’s something in
William’s expression that causes Kathy to allow him to gently pull her into the
empty library.

     “Don’t William. You said talk.” Kathy
reproaches him as he attempts to take her in his arms. 

     “I know, but I just wanted to hold you for a
minute.”

     “What do you want William?”

     “I want us to start over.  Well, not start
over exactly…”

     “What are you saying Will?”  Unable to believe
what she thinks he may be saying.

     “This situation with Mom and Antonio has made
me see that you have been right all along.  As much as I love my mother, I
can’t let her tell me who I should be with…who I should marry.”