Her hair smelt like coconut and vanilla, and her body was so soft next to mine. Well not exactly next to. She was practically on top of me at this point. Once she settled down I was able to breathe easy again. We’re gonna have to find other arrangements tomorrow night. I was pretty sure that I wouldn’t be able to go through this shit one more night.
One more day spent trying to ferret out the culprit, with no results. I’d left Natalia in the care of my old nurse. She was a trusted family member, after years of looking after us kids. When the last of us had outgrown the need for her, she’d been kept on as an assistant for my mom.
She hadn’t asked any questions, by now she knew that was a no-no. She was also privy to some of the shit that has been going on, and was only too happy to be of help in anyway she could.
Natalia wouldn’t let me leave without a kiss goodbye, which only complicated my shit farther. Now I’m missing her while I should be concentrating on the shit I was doing. Not only that, but her kisses left me wanting a hell of a lot more than her tongue in my mouth.
I should’ve known that my penchant for calling her by the Italian derivative of her name was a huge warning sign. I don’t think I’d ever done that shit before. Somehow it felt like I was staking a claim or some shit. For fuck sake Gianni it’s just a name, don’t be such a bitch.
I headed back to the estate after calling her five or six times in five fucking hours. Between running down leads on who the rat could be, and making sure my family was okay, my mind kept drifting back to her.
“Gianni, what did I usually do during the day? I feel like I should be doing something.” She had plopped her fine ass down in my lap and wrapped her arms around my neck.
I wasn’t exactly prepared for all the questions that might crop up, and I wasn’t going to lie to her. Neither did I want to say or do anything that might harm her in some way.
“You don’t have to do anything babe.” I kissed the lips that she held up to me, feeling guilty; I did notice the guilt wasn’t as bad as the first time she did that. Was she always this affectionate before? That thought, for some reason, pissed me off. It got me thinking abut her life before me.
Who was she? What kind of girl had she been? And worst of all, had there been a man in her life. That one most of all made my gut burn. The more time I spent with her, the more I wanted.
“Maybe we should take you shopping.” I remembered that she had no clothes. I’d had to trash the ones she’d been wearing since they were covered in blood. She’s been wearing my old sweats and tees.
I guess like every other female, she was into that shit because as soon as I said the words she was up and running. “Come on let’s go.” She pulled on my arm until I stood with her, all excited about a shopping trip.
Chapter 8
I took her in and out of every designer store they had in the little shopping center. All I knew about the place is that the women in my family shopped there, and it was expensive as hell.
I had some serious moments of guilt mixed in with pure lust and joy. Had we met under different circumstances, I could’ve gone for her. She was sweet, and affectionate, and she couldn’t seem to keep her hands off me. If not for the specter of her memory returning, I probably would’ve fucked her by now.
But I’m not exactly an animal; I couldn’t justify taking that kind of advantage of her. Though being locked away in the house, just the two of us, might be asking for trouble.
I hadn’t told the guys about her condition and had no intentions on doing so. My family knew I had taken her, but that’s all I’d told them. As head of the family my decisions were not to be questioned, just backed by the others.
With the masterminds behind the hit taken care of, I could do what needed to be done from the estate, at least for the next little while. It shouldn’t take much to shore up the organization since it was already in good standing.
Grandpa had run a tight ship, but he’d been known for his fairness, and his men had stayed true and loyal over the years; even the offspring of some who’d been with him from the beginning. At least that part of my job was easy.
After our little shopping marathon I took her to dinner; it was over the antipasti that she really let me know where her head was at. “Gianni, where are my wedding rings?”
I almost choked on a fucking olive. I realized sitting in the darkened corner of that restaurant that I was at a crossroads. Why the fuck this shit would happen to me in the middle of the fuckery that had become my life? I’d never know. I didn’t have time to think, so I went with my gut.