“You going to give me everything like that, baby? Whenever I ask? Whatever I ask for? Is that the kind of relationship you want?”
His voice was low. Forceful, even though so quiet. Totally compelling, just like the man. If she could have walked, she would have flung herself into his arms. She detested not being able to go to him.
“Yes.” She made the commitment because that was who she was. She would give everything to him because she wanted that for him—and for herself. There was something in her that drove her to please Gino, to make his life as wonderful as she could. It didn’t matter that she’d get that same thing back, and she knew she would, it was just that she needed to be needed.
She’d never considered her need to please was the underlying reason she’d misled her sisters. She believed they needed to hear the stories of the outside world in order to have optimism that one day they’d get there. She felt it was her greatest contribution to the other women, bringing them hope each time she got back from her travels. Their smiles were always radiant, and instantly, no matter how she’d felt while she was gone, she would light up inside. Glow. Because they needed something she could give. Gino really needed someone to care for him. He needed a home and family of his own. She could give him the best one possible, the kind of home he needed, because she was that one woman for him.
“Gino, I’m giving you anything and everything you could possibly want. If I don’t know how to do it, just teach me.” She couldn’t keep the shyness from her voice, but it didn’t matter. He accepted her just the way she was and she loved that. He’d already taught her so many things in the bedroom. She’d enjoyed doing every single one and wanted more. The promise in his dark eyes excited her.
“Nonny tells me you like cooking.”
She nodded. “That’s part of why it’s so frustrating sitting all the time. You’ve taken me into the kitchen when Nonny’s giving a cooking class to the others, but I can’t really participate like they do. I swear, sometimes my feet itch to jump up.” At his look, she hastily held up her hand and laughed. “I didn’t. And I won’t. Nonny would smack me with her wooden spoon if I did that and you wouldn’t be happy with me, so no jumping up, even though I can’t always see how she’s judging the exact amount of the spices to put in.”
“You’ll be able to stand soon enough, and I suspect at some point you’re going to get tired of making all the dinners for us because I’m a lousy cook. When that happens, you tell me. Anytime, Zara, no matter how tired you think I am. I don’t want you to suck it up.”
She couldn’t imagine ever getting tired of cooking for him and her family, but she supposed, day in and day out, it might happen. “Okay.” She bit her lip, wanting to make her confession in a little rush, but not quite able to get it out. It was one thing for him to say to tell him everything she liked or didn’t like, but another to do it. She wasn’t used to it, as in, she’d never done it.
“Spit it out, princess.”
“Do you like art? As in going to museums? Paintings? Sculptures?”
There was a small silence. He regarded her for so long she was afraid he wouldn’t answer. He’d gone very still, as if holding himself frozen in case he might shatter. His features were expressionless, but something moved behind those black, black eyes.
“My mother loved art,” he said eventually. “I can remember her dragging me to every fuckin’ art museum in the country and abroad. She would look at paintings for hours. I wasn’t always the best, although secretly I didn’t mind as much as I made out. Now …” He shook his head and looked out over the river. “I wish I had those times back so I could be different.”
Gino circled the porch column and kept his eyes on the moving water. She wanted to put her arms around him and hold him. “You were a boy, and she understood.”
He looked back at her, that something in his eyes tearing at her. “She was gentle, like you, Zara. She would have loved you. My entire family would have. I didn’t realize it until just this minute, but you’re a lot like she was. Not in looks, but your nature. The way you care about me. The things you’re willing to do for me. She was like that. She did them for my father. For me. We were the center of her universe.”
“I hate not being able to hold you right now,” she admitted.
He turned back to her, stalked the short distance between them and bent down to take her mouth. She expected gentle, but he was rough, his kiss a pure flame pouring down her throat. It was a claiming, and as inexperienced as she was, she still couldn’t fail to understand. She took advantage, wrapping her arms around his neck, fingers finding his hair to tunnel in. She gave herself up to him, sensing he needed her surrender.
Gino lifted his head slowly. “We own a hell of a lot of art, Zara. You want it, I’ll build us a room for it. She collected some beautiful and rare paintings. They need to be in a controlled environment. We can try to see how many art museums we can visit before we’re so old we can’t walk anymore, if that’s what you want. I promise, I’ll enjoy them all with you.”
“I’d like that,” she admitted.
He straightened and went back to the railing, leaning against it, regarding her with that serious expression he wore most of the time. “You like shopping?”
“I don’t know.” She flashed him a grin. “I’ve only ever really shopped in adult toy stores.”
He burst out laughing. She loved what that did to his eyes. They crinkled at the corners and his dimple appeared, softening the hard angles and plains. “Yeah, you can forget going there without me. I’ll take you myself.”
A little shiver crept down her spine. “I’d like to try clothes shopping, although it probably would be intimidating the first time, but I’d get the hang of it. Bellisia might want to go with me into town sometimes.” She liked talking about their future because it meant Whitney wasn’t going to get her and neither was Zhu. Intellectually, she knew she was running out of time, but she needed this fantasy, this world Gino could give her if she survived.
He nodded. “Of course. She may want a girls’ night out too. I want those things for you. Any of them ask and you want to go, say yes and let me know. I’ll make sure you’re safe. I imagine, depending on who goes, the others will make certain as well.”
“I can’t imagine Bellisia or Cayenne wanting anyone guarding them on a girls’ night out.”
“Doesn’t matter, Zara. So, if you’re talking about yourself, that’s too bad. I can tell you straight up, Trap would never leave Cayenne hanging out there, and Zeke wouldn’t leave Bellisia either. We have enemies and we’re always going to have them. When you go out, you’re going with guards. We can be invisible, but we’ll make sure you all get home safely if you want to drink. No one’s going to cut into your fun, baby, we want our women happy, and in particular, how you feel is important to me.”
She thought it was a dumb thing to argue about because she really didn’t mind if he watched over her when she was out with the girls having fun. She would definitely feel safer. “I get it. Everyone’s lived here a lot longer than I have and I’m just trying to understand the rules, Gino, not really arguing against them.”
“Tell me the things you dreamt of when you were going to the university. You had to have seen there was life outside Whitney’s compound.”
She nodded. “It was wonderful and terrifying at the same time. I was so young in comparison to the other students.” She didn’t always remember those days fondly.
“What was wonderful?”