Chapter 7 Giovanna
Giovanna
Tommy texts back immediately.
OTW
Relief hits so hard I’m almost dizzy.
Whatever happened with him and Lexi, he’s right there when I need him, no questions asked, like always.
And because I didn’t get a simultaneous text from Lexi, I know they aren’t together.
At least not right now.
By the time I get to the coffee shop, he’s already there.
Of course he is. From the line of cups in front of him, he’s been here a while, waiting.
My chest tightens.
He sees me coming through the window and gets up immediately, signaling to the barista behind the counter as he opens the door for me.
“Hi,” he says, almost shyly, and my heart fucking melts along with my panties as he guides me to the table with his hand on the small of my back.
Jesus Christ, he literally fucked my best friend, and all it takes is that look and that buttery voice to make me forget everything.
Pathetic.
The barista sets a drink in front of me and smiles at Tommy, who ignores her, watching me.
It’s my favorite drink, down to the sprinkle of fresh ground nutmeg on the whipped cream.
Tommy must have ordered it for me. That’s new.
Shit. He fucked her.
My ass isn’t even in my seat before I open my big mouth.
“So I hear you fucked my best friend on New Year’s Eve.
”
His eyes widen for a second before he sits back in his chair, drumming his fingers on the table, jaw tight.
He doesn’t say anything, just studies me until I squirm under his gaze.
Finally, his mouth softens, and he leans forward.
“That is incorrect.”
The relief is so strong it’s embarrassing.
Tommy is a lot of things, but a liar is not one of them.
“That’s not what I heard.”
He steeples his fingers, his eyes darkening, boring into me.
“I heard some things, too. But I don’t assume they’re true.
”
I shift in my seat, rattled. I don’t know how to play the Antonio rumor yet, so I deflect.
“Don’t change the subject. I’m not finished with you.
”
He gives me a half-smirk and sits back, ducking his head, that stupid single lock of hair falling over his eye.
“Okay, Ms. Marino. Interrogate your witness.”
I roll my eyes as a barrel of butterflies explodes in my stomach.
“Stop smiling like that and answer the question. Tommy, are you dating my ridiculous whore of a best friend or not?”
He drops the smile from everything but his eyes.
“I am not dating anyone.”
“Interesting, because she’s telling everyone she fucked you.
”
“She is?”
I hesitate. Did she actually say those words?
Or did I just assume? I flush, embarrassed, and scowl at him.
“So you just fuck women I know without dating them.”
“I don’t do either one, Gi.
”
“Are you telling me you didn’t fuck Lexi Barrow on New Year’s Eve?
”
That annoying, gorgeous, panty-melting grin is back.
“Yes, counselor, that is what I’m telling you.
”
I narrow my eyes at him. I know this man too well.
There’s something he’s not saying. “Did you hook up with her?”
The grin fades, and a shadow crosses his face.
“Are you asking what I was doing while you were fucking Tony the Hack?”
Fuck, something did happen with Lexi.
My stomach twists. I wasn’t sure at first how I was going to handle the Antonio rumor, but I am now.
“Why does who I fuck have any impact on who you fuck?”
Tommy looks wrecked.
“I didn’t fuck Lexi. But you’re confirming that you—”
“I’m confirming nothing.
” That look on his face crushes me, but there’s no way I’m admitting I was a drunk mess trolling the halls of Dragovari Tower looking for him while he was getting off with my best friend.
“What do you care? You had your chance, and Antonio is—” I stop myself because there’s no strong way to end that statement.
He raises an eyebrow. “He’s what?”
Think fast. “He gives me what I want.” Good, not great.
Judging from the sick look on Tommy’s face, it was strong enough to hit.
Tommy clears his throat. “Which is?”
“His time. His attention. He doesn’t fuck my friends.
He doesn’t boss me around in public.”
A lot of that is bullshit.
Antonio fucked a lot of my friends, including Lexi.
At best, he’s a placeholder, there only to distract my father and help me get Tommy’s attention.
But Tommy doesn’t know that, and the sick look on his face is somehow both a victory and devastating.
“You know he’s a Demonio family associate,” Tommy says finally.
What does that have to do with anything?
“I do.”
“I thought you wanted a guy who wasn’t a fucking criminal.
”
I scoff. “All men are criminals.”
Tommy closes his eyes for an extra long minute, the way he does when he’s fighting for control.
When he opens them, his gaze is gentle. “I can’t believe that Lorenzo wants you with him,” he says softly.
“He doesn’t want you with a thug.”
I bristle.
“It’s none of his business who I fuck. Just like it’s none of your business, Tommy.
”
He narrows his eyes, assessing me. It’s the same way he watched me on New Year’s Eve.
“So you summoned me here to interrogate me about Lexi, but it’s none of my business what’s going on with you and Tony?
”
I pinch my lips between my teeth, mentally scrambling for an acceptable lie, because he’s exactly right: I’m a hypocrite.
“I asked you here because I don’t like what you did on New Year’s Eve and to ask you not to do it again.
”
“Don’t do what again?” His tone sharpens.
“Lexi? Or look out for you when you’ve had too much to drink?
”
“I could give a fuck about Lexi,” I snap.
Another lie. “You can’t treat me like a child.
Do you know how degrading that is?”
“It’s not degrading to take care of someone.
You were drunk, and Tony was taking advantage—”
“Just don’t do it again, Tommy.
”
“I can’t promise that.”
“Why not? I’m not your responsibility.
Why do you think that you have the right—”
“The right? I have an obligation to help you out when you’re drinking and making bad decisions.
I do the same for Matti or Vin, and they do the same for me.
It’s what you do when you care about someone.
”
His charming grin is gone, replaced with an intensity so earnest that everything inside me stutters.
The butterflies crash into my ribs so hard I can’t breathe.
This is the closest that Tommy Demonio has ever come to saying that he sees me as anything but an annoying little sister.
“You…care about me, Tommy?”
He doesn’t blink.
Doesn’t look away. Then, his gaze drops to my mouth.
My heartbeat is skittering out of control, and I can’t stop myself from licking my lips.
His eyes snap back to mine, and it feels like the ground drops out from under me.
The barista interrupts, oblivious, fluttering her lashes at Tommy.
“Can I get you guys anything else?”
Tommy’s phone rings, and he rises to answer it, pointing at me.
“Give my girl whatever she wants.”
My mouth drops open as the waitress turns her gaze to me, disappointed.
I shake my head, completely shook. His girl?
When he sits back down, he looks miserable.
I wait for him to tell me what’s going on, and when he doesn’t, I softly tap his hand.
“Hey. Everything okay?”
He stares at my fingertips on the back of his hand and I start to withdraw them, embarrassed, but he stops me, capturing one fingertip between his finger and thumb and rubbing softly.
Holy. Shit. A wet heat washes over me, and it feels like all the blood in my body rushes to where he’s touching me.
What the actual fuck is happening right now?
“I’ve got a meeting with Columbia’s dean of admissions tonight.
” He traps another of my fingertips with his other hand, his brows drawn.
“I know interviews are part of the process, but one-on-one shit with men like that—it’s not my strength.
And I have a feeling the meeting is going to be more focused on my last name than my accomplishments.
”
Though I’m having a hard time concentrating on anything but where he’s touching me, something wakes up when my brain finally processes his words.
I frown. “You’re meeting at night?”
“At 7 pm. His secretary said he was working late so he could ‘accommodate me.’” His lip curls.
“She said it like that?” I ask. He nods.
I’ve never seen him like this. Bummed. A little anxious.
Usually he’s so in control.
Finally, something I can help him with instead of him rescuing me all the time.
I slide my palm under his and squeeze his hand.
“You came to the right person, Tommy. This is where I thrive.”