Page 36 of His Beautiful Revenge
“Yes.”
He leaned his forehead against hers. “Don’t do that again.Whydidn’t you tell me?”
“I didn’t want you going off at him and getting into trouble. I’m not losing you because of him. Because ofanything. I imagined you ending up in San Quentin for the rest of your life.” She kissed him. “Anyway, I had better things to do than worry about that skid-mark.”
Giacomo half-smiled at that. “Still, it was really stupid of you not to tell me.”
“I know. It was dumb.”
“Reallydumb.” He sighed and sat on the bed studying her. She stroked his hair near his temple, feeling his body relaxing as she caressed him. His green eyes were still troubled as he gazed at her.
“How did you get rid of him?
Norah grinned at him. “I smashed my knee into his junk.”
Giacomo started to laugh. “You did?”
“Hard, too. He folded like a wet watermelon. Really fucking satisfying it was, too.”
Giacomo, still chuckling, kissed her. “Bad-ass mother.”
“Yes, I am.” She wrapped her arms around his neck. “Do you know what I felt that day?”
“Tell me.”
“I wasn’t scared anymore. Not of him, nor of anything. I felt free. Because you love me. Because I knew you had my back.”
He smiled and sat on the floor, pulling her down on top of him. “Always.” He grinned. “And now I have your back, your front, and your sides.”
“Funny boy.” She kissed him, sliding her hand down to cup his thickening cock. She grinned wickedly. “Now, be a good boy and put that inside me.”
Giacomo laughed and pushed her onto her back, hitching her legs around his hips. “You’re getting very bossy, Ms. Reddy …maybe we should invest in some fun equipment to play with.”
“Ooo, I like that idea,” she said, arching her back as he kissed her belly, rimming her navel with his tongue. “Then I couldreallybe your boss in the bedroom.”
“Imaypermit it,” he said and laughed at her mock-outrage, “Oh, you want to argue with that,mio caro? Then you’d better take this …” He thrust his cock deep into her, and she gasped and laughed as he proceeded to fuck her hard, grinning the whole time.
Zulika felt the nausea come again and headed to the bathroom to throw up for the third time that morning. Orlando was waiting outside the door with some water and a cold press for her head.
He had offered her the spare room in his house while she was going through chemo, and although she had resisted at first, when the side effects had kicked in properly, she was glad of the support. Often she had thought how strange it was that the three of them existed in this weird life together, but more and more, it seemed natural. She and Ferma got along so well that she knew Ferma thought of her as a big sister, and Zulika had enjoyed caring for the girl when Orlando couldn’t get home in time for her. Ferma’s school was only two blocks from the bookstore, so Zulika would go and fetch her and bring her back to sit with Ziggy, a glass of cold milk, cookies, and any book Ferma wanted to read. Thanks to Ferma, they had increased their children’s section and now more kids would come in to read after school. Zulika loved being around them all; they gave her hope.
Because the cancer was worse than they had thought. It had progressed to Stage IIIb, which meant more surgery,and more chemo. Zulika couldn’t quite believe that she was sick—most days she felt fine, which is how she managed to keep it from Norah. Thankfully, in Zulika’s mind, Norah was so happy and so caught up with Giacomo that Zulika only had to hide it from her when they were together, which was getting rarer and rarer with the amount of work they both had. Orlando had tried to persuade her to tell Norah, citing the evenings they spent with their friends where Lando and Zulika had to maintain the secret. Ferma, who adored both Giacomo and Norah, was also ignorant of the cancer. Orlando had to field some inquiries from curious relatives about why he had moved another woman into his home. They had settled on telling them that Zulika was both a tutor and caregiver for Ferma. But everything seemed like an enormous obstacle to be overcome and Zulika felt worn down by it all.
The one bright spot was Orlando. He’d distracted her by asking her to tell him stories about herself, Norah, and their happy times together. He hung out at the bookstore with her and Ferma, making them laugh and charming the customers. He didn’t mention Lucian once or what had happened, never once looked at her with anything other than friendship. She was glad. Both of them were still so damaged—Orlando still so lost in grief for his dead wife—that anything else would have been both wildly inappropriate and awkward. He was, however, quickly becoming her confidante. They would talk about everything, however painful, for hours in the evenings after Ferma was in bed. He had even cried in front of her, something he told her he never did in front of other people, not even Giacomo.
Today Orlando would accompany her to the oncologist’s office for the results of the latest tests. After the scans, the x-rays, and the chemo, she desperately needed to hear good news and, not only that, it was a big day. If the news was good, she was going to tell Norah tonight at dinner. If not, normal service would resume.
Orlando looked over at her as he drove them to the appointment. He smiled. “I just have a feeling we’re going to hear good news.”
She squeezed his hand gratefully. “I hope so.”
Norah looked up as the door to the shop opened. Giacomo came in, grinning, and she laughed. “Dude, seriously, your business is going to go kaput unless you spend more time there.”
Giacomo smiled, shrugging good-naturedly. “This time I have an excuse. We have been summoned. I am to drive us both to Orlando’s house for supper. Queen Ferma requests our presence.”
Norah’s eyes bugged out of her head when she saw Zulika emerging from Orlando’s house to greet them, Orlando at her side, looking for all the world like a happy couple.
“Holy moly.” Norah grinned and Giacomo rolled his eyes.
