Page 365 of Under Her Skin
Enda shrugged. “I don’t know her, Olly. I barely spoke to her. If you tell me she is a good person, I believeyou.”
Olivier speared some asparagus with his fork. “Enda …I’m worried. Lately, Jackson has been more …out of control than normal. This deal he made with Amalia’s father …you know he engineered it so that Ama was practically forced into thismarriage.”
“Ama, is it now?” Enda teased his older half-brother, but then his smile faded. “That sounds just like Jackson, though. He always got what he wanted. Didn’t matterhow.”
Olivier sighed. “I know, but this is a person we’re talking about. If and when she does something he doesn’t like …Enda, he has addictions. Cocaine, for one. And this thing with Ama …he’sobsessedwith her. I’mworried.”
Enda looked away from his brother’s gaze. “What can Ido?”
“Stick around ‘Frisco for a few months. Help me keep Jackson on a steady keel. See how the landlies.”
Enda closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. Olivier could see his internal struggle. Enda hated Jackson with the fury of a thousand suns, but he didn’t owe Amalia Rai anything. He didn’t even knowher.
“I’m thinking about dad in this too. If Jackson were to do something rash or worse, Dad wouldn’t survive it. I’m not saying you owe him anything either, but for me, maybe.” Olivier’s voice was low and Endanodded.
“I will stay. I can oversee the business from here. We have been thinking of opening an office here …maybe it’s time. I’ll talk to Raffaelo in themorning.”
Jackson Gallo was frustrated.It had been a month since the wedding and Ama had barely spoken to him, let alone touched him. She attended functions with him and behaved impeccably, but he couldn’t bust through those walls of hers. Her bedroom door remained locked and barred …if it wasn't for the fact that his father slept in the same house, and that their staff also were there at night, he would have busted down that door and takenher.
But he knew she would leave him if he forced himself on her. So, to satisfy his aching balls, he had started fucking other women almost immediately after the wedding. If Ama guessed, she didn’t seem to care, and it drove himmad.
It had been particularly galling that, since the wedding, Gajendra Rai’s business had flourished, being linked to the Gallo name. And Amalia’s sister, Selima, had settled into her new life as a student in Los Angeles. It seemed to Jackson that Amalia had reaped the rewards of their union, while he stillhadn’t.
He sat in his office now and decided to call her. She picked up the phone eventually, sounding harassed. “What do you want,Jackson?”
He rankled. “Well, for one, I’d like you to speak to me withrespect.”
Amalia sighed. “I’m busy, Jackson, What do you want?” There was no noticeable shift in hertone.
“I would like to take you out to dinnertonight.”
“Fine.”
“Be ready ateight.”
“Fine.” The phone clicked in his ear. So much for sweet nothings. Jackson put his phone down and smiled to himself. He’d actually arranged to have dinner with his brothers that night, but he couldn’t resist bringing Ama and showing her off to them.Look at my glorious wife. Look how beautiful sheis.
Suddenly an idea struck him and he laughed to himself. Flicking through his contacts on his phone, he made the call, smiling tohimself.
Ama sawEnda as soon as they entered the restaurant and knew Jackson had set this up on purpose. “I didn’t know we were having dinner with yourbrothers.”
Jackson smiled. “Familytime.”
Ugh. More like bragging time.She was being trotted out like a prize horse. But at the moment, she could think of nothing else, but Enda Gallo’s eyes on her. God, she’d forgotten just how gloriously good looking he was. Olivier stood and kissed her cheek, and then she was in front of Enda. He leaned in and kissed her cheek. “Bella.”
That voice—deep, mellifluous, accented—was dripping with sex. She wondered if he could see the blatant longing in hereyes.
She was mostly silent through dinner, ignoring Jackson as much as she could, to Enda and Olivier’s obvious amusement. Olivier distracted them all with jokes, and Enda, too, she found, was fun to be around. He and Olivier were obviously close, and both busted Jackson’s chops, which was fine by her. For once, she saw Jackson as he really was—the baby of the family. Despite his bragging, he was still just a little kid. Olivier and Enda were men. She couldn’t help, but compare them. Jackson, his dark blonde hair slicked back; Oliver, neatly trimmed beard and dark brown eyes, so beautifully dressed. Then there was Enda—his looks had a wildness to them, a devil-may-care look. He oozed easy sex appeal.God, I want you,Ama thought, then pushed the thought away. He was off-limits. At least,nowhewas.
“What are you smiling at?” Jackson demanded of her suddenly, and Ama jumped slightly. Jackson’s arm had been along the back of her chair, possessively, and her back ached from sitting forward to avoid him touchingher.
“Just marveling at how different you are from your brothers,” she said coolly.You don’t snap at me like that.Ever, her eyes said, and Jackson backed off. “If you’ll excuse me, I must go freshenup.”
In the bathroom, she splashed some water on her face and tried to stop thinking about Enda. When she finally got up her courage to go back to the table, she exited the bathroom. She gave a little cry of surprise as two hands gripped her waist from behind and pulled her back into the dark alcove. She turned and saw Enda smiling down at her. “Helloagain.”
His voice sent thrills through her body, and when he kissed her, she couldn’t help, but give a little moan of desire. They were hidden from sight, and when Enda slid his hands under her skirt, Amalia’s body reacted, curving into his. “I want you so badly,” she whispered, and Enda grinned, his lips rough againsthers.
“If it wouldn’t get us arrested,cara mia, I would fuck you right here. Sadly, I think my brother’s suspicions would bearoused.”
