Chapter 36
THIRTY-SIX
GINO
LATE APRIL
Juliet’s idea of looking at Anna Russo is paying off. We’ve spent the last few weeks reviewing everything in her name. We haven’t searched any, but we are going to need to send in a team soon. But I need to be right. If we go in too early, it’ll foil our plan.
I lean back in my chair.
Juliet and I finished dinner a few hours ago. Since my sister had the twins, we’ve only spent our evenings together outside of the few times we’ve been at Vanessa’s together. We are so close we can both taste it. Looking at the clock, I notice it’s after eleven, and I need to get to bed soon.
Getting up from the desk, I walk downstairs.
Since Juliet has moved into my room, she’s helped me realize I’ve been too intense all the time.
She said, “Wearing suits all the time makes you look menacing.” Unless I’m leaving the house, I’ve changed my wardrobe to be more T-shirts than button-downs, but I still wear slacks most of the time.
She can’t completely get rid of the professional attire I own.
Before, I would only wear sweats in my room, but now I wear them around the house at night and in the early morning.
I quickly shower and change into a navy t-shirt and sweats.
Walking downstairs, I see Juliet sitting in the library. She has a glass of wine in her hands, staring at the computer in front of her. She has pop music playing softly through the speakers.
Leaning down, I kiss the side of her head.
“Whatcha doing in here?” I ask with a smile.
She has a black tank top and blue cotton pajama shorts on.
“Looking at these properties more. There’s something there; I know it,” she says.
“Okay, walk me through what you’re thinking,” I reply.
“Most of these properties are in the city. Except for two: one is a villa and the second is a small warehouse outside of Rome.”
She grabs her dark hair and twirls it into a bun on her head.
“The warehouse is an option, but it might be too perfect of an option,” she says. “The villa could work, but they would have had to redesign it to hold someone for this long.”
“Warehouse seems logical. I’m not going to ask Anthony for approval to go into his territory and raid a place. I trust you; if you think this is the spot, then this is the spot.”
“I don’t want to be wrong,” she whispers.
“I know, bella.”
She doesn’t want to make a wrong decision, and I don’t think she is. It’s a risk to do this, and we both know that.
She puts the file down and looks over to me.
“If we do this, who would you send?”
“I can’t send Gabe and Jake; Francesca would probably kill me if I did. I’ll send one of them and someone else,” I say.
“Sending Alonso would make the most sense. He has the skill to get someone out,” she replies.
“Does it make sense to send him there, considering everything he’s doing for Vanessa?”
“Yes. You can’t send Ryan even though he’s capable; he's terrified of flying.”
She’s right; we both know it.
“Let’s take the night to think about it, and then we’ll make the call in the morning,” I say.
We both need to think this over. We haven’t made any rushed decisions, and we’re not starting now.
She puts everything away, and we walk upstairs.
I take off my shirt and sweats and throw them onto the chair next to my bed.
Juliet gets into bed and sits up against the headboard, and I feel the tension rolling through her. She sighs as I get into bed with her.
“We’re so close, I know we are. I’m just scared something is going to go wrong,” she says.
I can see the fear and trepidation on her face and hear it in her voice.
“We’re close; trust yourself. I trust you to make this call,” I say.
A soft smile creeps up on her face. She bites her lip.
“Gino?”
She turns to face me.
“Yeah,” I reply.
“Make me forget all of this is happening,” she says.
I know exactly what to do to make her forget.
I grab her and slide her beneath me. Her brown eyes look up at me.
Leaning down, I whisper in her ear. “Bella, you decide how far we go with this. I know what I can do to make you forget, but what do you want to do?” I ask.
“I want you to do what you want.”
JULIET
I’m eagerly waiting, and Gino stares at me. He brushes his fingers through my hair.
He leans down to whisper in my ear.
“I want you to know how much I care about you, because it might not feel that way after I’m done with you.”
I bite my lip, and I nod my head, giving him a silent reply. Because I want him to ravish me right now.
His hand moves down and squeezes my hip. He yanks at my tank top, pulling it up. In less than a second, he pulls my tank top off.
He moans.
“God, bella— you make me so hard.”
I smile at that.
“We’re going to do something I read in one of your books that I know you want to try,” I say.
I stare at him with wide eyes.
He leans over and opens the drawer to his nightstand and grabs something.
He shifts himself back to cradle my hips. It’s a silk tie.
“Now, if you don’t want to do this, we won’t, but I think some form of sensory deprivation. Either I tie your wrists to the headboard, or I cover your eyes. Your choice,” he says.
I swallow. I ponder his question for a minute.
“Tie my wrists,” I whisper.
I can go without touching him because his hands will be all over me. But I want, no, need to see him.
He grabs my wrists and lifts my arms above my head, and loosely ties them to the headboard.
“I’ve told you this before: when I hold or put something on your wrists, this is loose enough for you to get out of if you really need to. Understand?”
I nod.
“Juliet,” he gives me a look. “You need to say it; I'm not going to continue unless you tell me you want this,” he tells me.
“Yes, I understand.”
“Good girl,” he growls.
He hooks his fingers into my sleeping shorts and pulls them down my legs.
“God, how is it that every time I see you naked you’re even more beautiful,” he grits out.
I blush.
“Oh, don’t be so shy now,” he says.
I watch him as he removes his shirt and then his sweats. His cock is hard, and I can see the precum leaking.
I lick my lips in anticipation.
He comes back over to me and starts to kiss down my throat, rubbing my breast at the same time.
He gives a light slap to my left breast, which makes me yelp.
He continues to kiss down my body. I rub my thighs in anticipation. His slow, deliberate kisses might take me over the edge right now.
Once he gets to my core, he taps my thigh, and I open my legs.
He places his hands under my thighs and lifts them.
Then he dives in, devouring me like it’s his last meal.
He doesn’t come up for air, and I’m a moaning mess. I can't control it anymore.
I’m about to come when he pulls back. I give him a pouting look.
“Nuh huh, I want you to come on my cock,” he says as he gets up.
He goes back to the nightstand and grabs a condom.
I watch as he rolls the condom on and then he strokes his cock.
He comes back to me; we’re both damp with sweat, and he moves the strands of my hair that are covering my face. I moan at the touch.
“Look at you, you can’t help but moan for my cock.”
“Gino, please,” I rasp.
“Aww, bella, are you begging?”
I arch my back, needing him to let me come.
“Please,” I whimper.
“Hmm, I might make you wait,” he says, smirking. We both know he won’t make me wait.
“Gino, please, I need to come.” I play into his desire for me to beg.
“Oh, so you are going to beg,” he smirks.
He waits what feels like minutes; it’s probably seconds before he drives into me.
“Fuck, Jules,” he groans as he thrusts.
“Don’t stop,” I call out.
He smirks and kisses me fiercely.
We’re both moaning into each other.
“Please, Gino,” I whisper.
“Please what?”
“Don’t stop,” I’m begging now, and I don’t regret it.
I can barely keep my eyes open from the pleasure. I want to touch him. I want to feel him.
“Tell me you’re close; I can’t hold on much longer,” he grits out.
“I’m close,” I breathe out. “Don’t stop.”
And after a few more thrusts, we’re both unravelling.
He falls onto me, and we’re both breathing heavily and sweatier than we were before.
He moves his hands and unties the silk tie over my wrists. I let my hands fall onto his back.
“I need to take the condom off,” he whispers.
He gets up and walks into the bathroom, and I have the perfect view of his toned ass. I bite my lip as I watch him. He walks out of the bathroom and smirks at me.
He takes a damp washcloth and cleans me off. Then he wraps me in his arms.