Page 35 of Family Secrets

“I have one condition if you’re serious about having a relationship with me.”

“I assumed as much.”

“We take this at my pace. I’m not like Felicia or the other girls in the office.”

Gino tossed his head back in laughter, “Thank fuck for that.”

“I’m serious…Giovanni.” Elizabeth pushed against his chest, testing out the name he’d asked her to call him.

“So am I,” kissing her square on the lips. “Come, a moment like this deserves to be celebrated.”

* * *

“This is a first I must say,”Elizabeth laughed as she looked around the room. “Never in all my life have I ever celebrated anything inside a closet.”

Glancing over his shoulder, Gino took in the smile he’d become addicted to as he pressed his thumb over the scanner to unlock his safe.

“Few things in my world have real value to me,” tugging on the handle of the safe. “Every single one of them is inside this room.”

Elizabeth refused to read anything into what he said, instead turning to the rows of suit jackets hanging beside her. Running her fingers along the sleeves, her eyes landed on the tag with a familiar name. Scanning the line of jackets, she noticed each of them still had their tag.

“Should I hold off on sending the check to your personal shopper?” Elizabeth questioned, raising her voice loud enough for Gino to hear from inside the small room he’d stepped into. Her eyes drifted to the other side of the closet where she found more articles of clothing, the tags dangling from each one.

“Why, was the bill wrong?” Gino stepping from the room, a bottle of alcohol gripped in his hand.

“No, it’s just you’ve left the tags on them. That usually means you’re not keeping them.”

Securing the door, Gino turned and grabbed Elizabeth’s hand. “Wow, the rumor mill missed a bit of information about me I see.” Placing a kiss to her cheek, “I never wear the same suit twice. The one I have on will be on the rack of some second-hand store this time next week.”

“Wait, you never…that’s crazy.” Elizabeth yelped in surprise, realizing a second too late of her mistake. “I’m sorry, what you do with your money is none of my business.”

“It’s something my mother taught me. It keeps money flowing into the economy and helps out some guy who can’t afford to buy a new suit.” Gino shrugged, leading Elizabeth out of the closet and into his bedroom. He’d need a new bed; one he could assure Elizabeth she was the first female to ever share with him. While he was confident Lisa knew her place in his world, he wasn’t naïve enough to know the girl harbored strong feelings for him and would more than likely share their history with Elizabeth.

“You’re a good man, Giovanni Vitale. And before I forget, thank you for a wonderful evening. So far, I’ve had a great time, excluding Felicia.”

Raising her hand to his lips, “No need to thank me, babe. It’s what boyfriends do.”

Several hours and more than a few bottles of champagne later, Elizabeth sat on the center of Gino’s couch, her feet propped in his lap and happily drunk.

“Oh my God, it’s after one in the morning, I should let you get some sleep.”

Gino rubbed Elizabeth’s sock-clad toes, the moans she’d shared with him making his cock rock hard.

“We’ve both had too much to drink,” Gino reasoned, dropping her foot and reaching for Elizabeth’s empty glass. “Stay here with me tonight? No expectations, just your boyfriend taking care of you.”

It was the second time he’d referred to himself as her boyfriend Elizabeth thought as her eyes grew heavy, her drunken brain telling her a quick nap was all she needed before heading down to her new apartment.

Gino waited for Elizabeth’s breathing to even out before carefully lifting her feet from his lap and placing them on the couch. He stared at her beautiful face as he retrieved his phone, sending a text to a number he knew by heart.

He’d barely placed the glasses in the dishwasher when the front door of his penthouse opened, and Niko and a second man walked in.

Gino shot the pair a look, quietly shutting the dishwasher before making his way back to the couch and Elizabeth’s side.

The man took a look at the sleeping woman before reaching into his pocket and retrieving a kit. Kneeling, he opened the kit and donned a pair of gloves before reaching over and tugging on Elizabeth’s chin, her mouth falling open. Carefully the man inserted a stick into her mouth, running the tip up and down inside her cheek before shoving it into a plastic container. Repeating the process four times, he rose to his feet. “I can have the results to you in a few hours.”

Reaching into his pocket, Gino retrieved a wad of cash, sliding off several bills and handing them to the man. “Make it one and I’ll double your fee.”

Nodding, the man silently agreed, as Niko motioned for the door. Gino waited until the door closed behind him before bending down and picking Elizabeth up off the couch. He couldn't bear the thought of her sleeping out here when he had a comfortable guest room his sister enjoyed on the rare occasion she came to visit. Laying her gently on the bed, Gino pulled the covers over her, placing a kiss to her lips and forehead before returning to the living room.

Niko stood beside the sink, a cup of coffee to his lips. The pair remained silent, the implications of what they were doing heavy in the air. Nearly an hour later, Gino’s phone vibrated on the counter, the words appearing on the screen making his breath hitch and Niko to crack a smile.

With a heavy sigh, Gino took his phone in hand, scrolling through his contacts, pressing the one he needed. Holding his head in one hand and his phone to his ear with the other, Gino focused on the grains of the countertop, the line ringing twice before a male voice spoke his name.

“Hey, brother, I need to meet with you. No, in person. Meet me in an hour at my gym.”

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