Chapter 11
FRANKIE
Dante is about to rise from his chair, but I stop him with a hand in the air.
“Seriously? I’m fucking pregnant, and you still have her dangling?”
He shakes his head, as if he actually doesn’t know what I’m talking about. “Who?”
“Jessica!” I shout, then lower my voice to a hiss. “Unless you have another sidepiece I don’t know about.”
“Jessica?” he repeats, acting like he’s confused. “I haven’t even thought of her that way since—”
“Oh no? You don’t think about the woman who sucks your dick during the workday?” The volume of my voice is kicking up again. It’s taking all my will not to scream at him.
“Frankie, what the hell are you—”
“I heard you! The two of you. In the front room, at the house. She was on her knees sucking you off and you called her beautiful in Italian and I SAW her wipe her filthy mouth—”
“It wasn’t me,” Dante says as he gets up, raising his hands in an attempt to placate me.
“Yeah, I’ve heard that song before,” I scoff, backing away.
My cheeks are flaming hot, the burning in the base of my throat almost suffocating. I need a drink. I need my damn tummy tea.
“I don’t know what you saw or heard, but it wasn’t me,” he repeats. “Swear to God, I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He edges around the desk cautiously, like I’m a terrified deer that he’s going to scare off. Right now, I’m a goddamn lioness and he’d better watch out.
“Why should I believe you? You’ve lied to me before.”
Dante’s eyes narrow. He’s losing patience, I can tell, but I don’t care. Jessica shouldn’t be here. She should have been fired and gone. Oh wait, she had been fired and gone, but for some reason she’s back now. She’s always back.
“Frankie, I haven’t touched another woman since we were married. That’s the honest truth.”
God, he sounds so sincere. I want to believe him. But I don’t know if I can.
He’s come completely around the desk, his body mere inches from mine. I look into his eyes, searching for any hint of deceit. My pulse ticks up as my anger begins to fade.
Seeing me waver, Dante pulls me close by degrees, inch by inch, giving me an out if I want one. But I let him gather me against his chest, my hands sliding around his back. I don’t want an out. I just want…reassurance. The kind I can trust.
Nuzzling my ear, he murmurs, “Listen to me, please. I swear on my life—on our child’s life—that I’ve been faithful to you. Even when I thought our marriage wasn’t legal. Because I still loved you. And I still do.”
“Then who was it? And why is she still here?” My anger has lost its momentum and my voice is weak. I don’t believe he’s lying.
He tips my chin up with the warm press of his finger. We lock eyes and his thumb brushes my lips, sending a hot pulse straight between my legs.
“I don’t know, but I’ll find out. And I’ll take care of it. Francesca, I promise you, I—”
Someone knocks on the door and then it bursts open. Marco saunters in, clueless as always, then spots us embracing and has the grace to look embarrassed. For a second.
“Welcome back, Frankie,” he says.
I pull back from my husband, who is shooting a death glare at his brother.
“Thank you.”
He winks at Dante and runs a hand over the back of the leather chair near the desk. “Do you have anything going on this afternoon?” he asks me.
“Um, not really—”
“Good, good. See, I was wondering if you’d want to lead the afternoon tour for me, because I have this…thing that I need to do, and maybe you can cover for me, pretty please?”
I can’t help but laugh at the way Marco’s batting his lashes at me, his hands clasped to his chest in supplication. Even though I’m more than sure that this urgent “thing” that he has to do probably involves women, fast cars, or both.
“Seriously, Marco?” Dante exhales loudly, annoyed. “She’s not back a full day yet and you’re already having her do your job?”
“Wow, Dante, you almost made a joke,” Marco says with a grin. “Damn, Frankie, you are good for him. Way to lighten his ass up. And thanks for covering me. I owe you one. And, ah, don’t wait dinner on me.”
Marco shoots us finger guns and then spins out the door, kicking it closed behind him.
“You are good for me,” Dante says.
“Did he just air gun me?” I say.
Dante pulls me against him. “I’m going to do more than air gun you. That’s a promise.”
He kisses me. And then again, longer this time.
Long enough that I’m out of breath when he’s done, my knees weak.
The third kiss is even deeper, even more mind-bending as his lips take mine, little moans escaping my throat.
Pushing me gently backwards, he walks us over to the door, where he reaches around me to flip the lock.
The sound goes straight to my core, filling me instantly with a hot rush.
Wrapping my arms around his neck, I kiss him back, hard and aggressive, with all the passion his lips are giving me.
My hands slide down to tug at his belt, but I’m so needy and impatient that I can’t get the buckle to loosen.
When I let out a groan of frustration, Dante chuckles against my mouth and moves us to the couch.
He sits down first, working off his belt and then sliding his pants down for me.
His cock is ready, hard and thick, throbbing as I grip it with one hand.
I let him pull me down onto his lap, ruck up my skirt, and push my underwear to the side.
His fingers skim the wetness between my legs, tracing my lips before he gives my clit the softest pinch.
“Mmm,” I moan, squeezing his dick in response.
A bead of precum slicks the tip, and I use my thumb to swirl it around the sensitive head and down the shaft, the moisture just enough to provide the lubrication I need to lightly pump my fist around him.
His head falls against the back of the couch. “Fuck, Frankie.”
Still stroking him, I lean forward, balancing myself on the couch on one knee so I can straddle him properly. His hands grip my hips and move me into position over him, his erection pulsing hot at my entrance.
Our eyes lock, and we watch each other as I slide down onto his cock, both of us groaning softly as I sink deep.
My hands move to clasp his tightly, and we kiss softly as we work each other, finding a steady rhythm.
Soon we’re moving faster, Dante ramming up into me with his pelvis at just the right angle.
Sliding a hand between us, he circles my clit with his thumb, igniting the sensitive nerves there, and the dual touch sends me straight over the edge.
Burying my face in his neck, I muffle the groans of my release.
Dante lets out a gasp, panting my name, his hands suddenly grabbing my ass tight as he thrusts up once, twice, and explodes inside me.
Our tandem breathing is so loud in my ears, I’m sure the whole office can hear. But I can’t bring myself to care. I just want to stay curled against him here forever.
He finally shifts me gently beside him and pulls a clean handkerchief from his pocket.
“See, you really are good for me,” he says, handing it over. “You got me to take a break in the middle of a workday.”
Shaking my head playfully, I clean myself up and straighten my clothes. He’s just finished getting himself back together as another knock sounds on the door, followed by the rattle of the doorknob. Obviously, whoever is out in the hall doesn’t know what just happened.
He glances at me to make sure I’m all prim and proper again and then waits for me to make myself busy behind his desk before he opens the door.
“Oh—Frankie. Didn’t know you were back.”
Jessica’s disdainful voice coming from the doorway snaps me to attention. Her smile instantly goes from feral and possessive to brittle and forced as I make eye contact with her.
I lean back in Dante’s chair, trying to play it cool, but I can’t keep a little smirk off my lips. “I could say the same for you,” I say.
Her eyes narrow. “There’s a wine tasting starting now. Shouldn’t you be going?”
“It’s not for another four minutes,” I reply breezily. “And Greg’s got it. I’m just here signing my VP paperwork.”
Her jaw drops, and Dante shoots me an exasperated look.
“V…P?” Jessica sputters.
“That’s right,” Dante says. “So, if you’ll excuse us.”
He’s backing my story. I can feel a broad smile straining my cheeks.
Jessica’s eyes dart between us, and she starts to say something, but then thinks better of it and leaves with a huff, pulling the door shut behind her.
I rise from the desk chair and head for the door myself, stopping to give Dante a well-earned smooch on my way out.
“You’re lovely,” I tell him. “But you better not make a liar out of me. Go get that paperwork drawn up. VP of Operations has a nice ring to it, don’t you think?”
Strutting down the hall, I throw a look over my shoulder to find him leaning out the door, watching me go.
“Francesca Bellanti, you’re gonna be the best damn VP of Operations we’ve ever had!” he calls out, loud enough for the whole office to hear. “Bellanti Vineyards is in good hands!”
“Damn right I will be!” I holler back before rounding the corner with a huge smile on my face.