45. Frankie
Chapter 45
Frankie
S o, this is it, time for the chat. Let me guess, he’ll punish me first for throwing water on him, then decide he wants me here as his permanent fuck buddy.
“Whatever you’re thinking … stop,” he tells me as he reaches over and rubs the crease from the middle of my brow.
“Why? I don’t know what you want to talk about, and you don’t want to hear what I think, do you?” I snark back.
His jaw clenches as he looks me up and down, biting in his lip. “Oh, I don’t?”
“No.”
“That’s where you’re wrong,” he tells me as he runs his hand through his soft dark hair. “What do you think?”
I turn to face him on the bed and shrug. “Ok, you really want to know?”
“Sure.” He nods.
“First, I think you’re gonna punish me for throwing water on you earlier, then you're going to tell me you want me here to be your very own sex slave,” I spit.
He laughs, and I scowl at him. “And what’s so fucking funny? That’s all I’ve been hearing from you,” I shout. “How I’m yours and I’m staying here forever even if you have to force me to stay … doesn’t that say sex slave to you?
“No, il mio tesoro , it doesn’t.” He clenches his jaw, watching me, as I sit waiting for an answer.
He stands from the bed pulling me gently to the edge and wraps his hands in mine as he gets on his knees in front of me.
“ Il mio tesoro , I would do anything for you. I’m on my knees and asking you to stay here with me … forever.” He smiles.
I can feel the burn in my eyes as they start to fill with tears that I don’t want to fall.
“You are mine, but I am yours too.” His eyes don’t leave mine and a tear escapes, dropping to his hand that’s resting on mine.
“Yes,” I say, my voice a whisper.
His lip lifts almost in a smile. “Just to be clear, you will want every punishment I give you, but we start now … a new beginning as partners.”
I can’t contain the joy I feel inside. I wanted him to feel the same way I did, but I never expected it to actually happen.
I jump forward and wrap my arms around his neck and hold him close. “Yes, yes, yes … to everything,” I tell him, the smile on my face wide.
He hasn’t told me he loves me, but dream Nicolas did, and that’s close enough … for now!
I pull back, nibbling my bottom lip. “Erm, I …I just have one question,” I ask him.
“Okay.” He sits back on the bed, his hand resting on my cheek. “You can always ask me anything. I don’t want any secrets between us, il mio tesoro .”
“My job, do I still have it?” I smile, hoping he’ll say yes.
“It’s dangerous,” is all he says.
“So am I,” I respond with a huge grin across my face.
“Yes, yes, you are.” He leans in and kisses me.
This kiss is different, it’s tender, loving almost, and I don’t want to ruin it by pulling away to get an answer, but we need to get everything out.
Pulling back, I look at him. “Well?”
“If something were to happen to you, I’d never survive it.” He exhales loudly. “I love you, il mio tereso .” His eyes soften, and I see his guard drop … for me.
My mouth parts. “W-what?” I ask in disbelief.
“I love you. If anything ever happened to you, I don’t know if I’d survive it.” He looks so vulnerable, and I’ve never seen him this way before. No one has ever cared about me enough to worry that something might happen to me, unless it impacted them.
“I love you too,” I tell him and lean over, kissing him softly. “But you do realize what you do for a living, right?”
He frowns and looks confused. “I don’t understand what you’re saying.” His hand rubs across the stubble on his chin. “If you understand how dangerous my job is, you can understand why I’m not happy about you going back to what you were doing before?”
“No, what I’m saying is I’m not asking you to stop, even though I know it’s dangerous. I know when you walk out that door, it could be the last time I see you, everyday will be the same, but I’m not the kind of woman, Nicolas, that wants to stay home and wait to see if you return.” I reach up and feel his stubble on my soft hand. “I want to be the woman that stands by your side and fights with you. You know I’m capable of it.”
“Fuck!” He turns his head away and looks at the crisp white bed, shaking his head. “We’ll try it, but you take your orders from me and only me, do you understand?” he tells me, and I feel a smile spread across my face.
“Of course, I wouldn’t want to take them from anyone else.” I kiss his soft lips. “Does this mean I get to be capo while Tony is out?” I bit the inside of my lip to prevent myself from laughing.
“Don’t push it.” He grabs my waist and pulls me onto the bed, holding me close.
I exhale as we lay there in each other's arms, my head resting on his chest listening to the steady drum of his heartbeat, and I can’t believe how my world has changed from the moment I accepted the offer to come to New York.
For a moment I frown against his chest as I think about what could have been, but when I think about what actually is, my heart races. I’ve never been this happy, and it’s all because of this man next to me.
I guess it really is true what they say, one man’s trash really is another’s treasure.
THE END