“Yeah,” I whisper back softly.
He squeezes my knee. “No matter what happened between us, I’m here for you if you need me.”
I feel a genuine smile cover my face as I let my mind take a break for once. “Thanks, G. I know you are.” I place my hand on top of his and watch the surprise fill his eyes.
Maybe Nonna Rosa is right. Maybe I am wasting time.
Giovanni
I watch as a real smile fills her face. She’s gorgeous when she smiles. She’s gorgeous anytime, but especially when she smiles.
“Thanks, G. I know you are.”
Her words are a balm to a wound, easing the unrest in my soul. Then she touches my hand, surprising the hell out of me. Her touch lights me on fire. The calm her words brought me melts away as I feel the fire swim through my veins. She must notice the change in my eyes because she squeezes my hand as her eyes darken in a way I haven’t seen in years. Usually when she looks at me it’s with anger, sadness, or a wistful look that tells me she’s living in the past.
Right now, she’s looking at me like she can’t wait to get her hands on me. It’s the same look I had seen millions of times when we were younger, which usually led to her screaming my name. I’m about to speak when Bash interrupts me for the second time tonight.
“I think it’s time for that cigar, brothers.”
“Oh, I really do want smores. Can you light the fire out back?” Sofia pleads. “Please?”
Bash lets out an overexaggerated sigh then smiles. “Sure,tesoro. Anything for you, my beautiful wife.” He gives her a kiss and gestures to us to follow him.
I turn back to Izzy and squeeze her knee one last time as I lean in to whisper in her ear. “I’ll be right outside if you need me.” I place a chaste kiss on her cheek before I stand up and follow the guys from the room.
Once outside, Bash takes four cigars out of his pocket.
“Gurkha His Majesty’s Reserves. Only the best cigars for my brothers on this momentous occasion.”
“Thank you, brother.” Lo claps him on the back. “I can’t believe I’m going to be a dad.”
Bash clips his cigar and hands the cutter over before pulling out his torch lighter, lighting his cigar. He takes a puff before handing the lighter to Lo as Lo hands the cutter to me. “Believe it, Lo. I never thought I would see the day, but I can’t say I’m disappointed.”
Lo puffs his cigar while handing the lighter to me. “I never thought I would find a woman who would fit me so perfectly.”
I pass the cutter and lighter to Matt before I chime in. “I never thought you would pull your head out of your ass and stop pushing her away.” I puff my own cigar, the aromatic Louis XIII cognac filling the area with a killer aroma.
“I don’t deserve her, but I’m too selfish to let her go.”
“She was worried you didn’t want kids. Treat her right and make her feel confident. That’s all she needs,” Matt says as he hands the cutter and lighter back to Bash.
“I will make sure she never doubts me or my feelings again.”
“Good.” Matt nods.
I look out over the yard as I change the subject. “When is Greer going home?”
“I wanted her to be on a plane today, but she’s a pain in my ass. She claims she wants to spend more time with Ma, but I don’t believe it. I think she’s looking for trouble.”
I chuckle. “How many men do you have on her?”
He groans. “Four of my best. She still slipped away three days ago. It took them hours to find her. She was at some club in the Bronx. I don’t know if I should be pissed or grateful that she stayed out of my club.”
“Pissed. At least in our club, she would be protected,” Lo grumbles from beside me.
“She’s too smart for that. When are you planning to send her home now?”
“She begged to stay until we go on our honeymoon. Sofia might have persuaded me on her behalf. So, two weeks.”
