Giorgio (Members From Money Season 2, #136)

Chapter 15

He wanted to know everything. They were stripped to their skin, and he was peppering her with questions. His hand was splayed over the bump, his expression one of awe each time he felt movement, indicating his baby was alive and kicking – literally.

“What about morning sickness?” He asked anxiously. “I read that the first trimester is the most difficult. Was it for you?” He was still upset that she had kept the pregnancy from him, and he had missed out so much. But then again, he could not entirely blame her.

She gave him an arched look. “How would you know that? Have you ever had this experience before?”

He shot her a retired look. “No, but I have been around women quite a lot.”

“About that…?”

“No.” he shook his head. “That’s not important, this is, and you have not answered my question.”

“Is this what I am going to have to look forward to?”

“Which is?”

“Your arrogance and highhanded behavior.”

His lips curved slightly. “Think you can live with that?”

“I am willing to live with anything as long as you are next to me.”

His dark eyes smoldered, but he was determined to get answers.

“Juliana.”

Sighing, she rolled her eyes and looked so adorable, he had to kiss her.

“The first three months, I was mostly dizzy. And I could not stand the smell of coffee or Julian’s cologne.” She smiled in remembrance. “He had to stop wearing cologne for that entire time.”

“And he did not mind?”

She shook her head. “He was there for me in every way.”

“I suppose I should thank him.”

She eyed him for a second.

“What is it?”

“You are going to have to try and get along with him.”

“He dislikes me,” Giorgio grumbled. “Not that I care one bit about that, I only care that I am in your good grace.”

“Put yourself in his shoes.” She prodded gently. “Your sister went to a foreign country on his advice and some guy hit her with his vehicle and she lost her memory, the same guy seemingly took advantage of her and mark you, this is no ordinary ‘Joe’ now, this guy is a super-rich playboy with a reputation.

And after taking advantage of your sister, he sends her away. How would you feel?” Her eyes twinkled as she watched him struggling with his expression.

“Did I take advantage of you Amore Mio?” He asked quietly.

The endearment sent shivers coursing through her body and for a second, she completely forgot what she was saying.

Lifting her hand, she cupped his bearded face, her expression making him feel as if he was the king of the world.

“I would have it no other way.” She told him huskily. “Now answer the question.”

“I suppose I would have the Bastardo drawn and quartered.” He admitted wryly.

“There you go.”

“Is he going to object to the marriage?”

“No. He will probably give you a hard time considering that your reputation is not so stellar, but he wants what’s best for me and that thing happens to be you.”

“You keep talking about my reputation.” He looked deeply into her eyes. “Does it bother you? I am not going to lie to you Tesoro,” His expression was sober. “I have been – how do you say it?” He frowned as he tried to come up with the appropriate term.

“I have been around. I am Italian and sex to us is as natural as breathing. I love women and have been fascinated with the difference between the sexes since I was a boy.”

“Will your past collide with your future?”

“If by that you mean, will I continue my philandering ways, then the answer is no.”

“Then we will not have a problem.”

“Do you believe me?” He asked anxiously.

“Of course I do.” She still had a problem with knowing the stark differences between them. He was incredibly wealthy and surely with all that wealth comes a lot of entitlement.

She would never hold his past against him, his past was where it belonged, and she was never going to hound him about it. If she allowed herself time to think, she was going to quake with trepidation.

She was not drop dead gorgeous and came from a very simple family. But here she was pregnant and about to marry a man whose face had been plastered on billboards around the world. People are going to stare at them and notice the vast difference.

She told herself that as long as he loved her, then none of that mattered, but she wouldn’t be human if she didn’t have doubts and fears.

“Juliana?”

He sensed her uncertainty and was staring at her with a frown. “Is something the matter?”

“We barely know each other,” she pointed out inanely.

“We know each other in the most intimate manner.” He nudged at her abdomen to prove his point.

“But what about elementary?”

“What would you like to know?” He asked her quietly. He had also sensed that she was afraid of the future. He lived a very glamorous lifestyle and, in the past, before he met her, partying had been something that comes naturally to him, but that was no longer the case.

“If it eases your mind, I have cut down on the entertainment.” A smile ghosted his lips. “A certain woman I ran into with my vehicle turned my life around and made me realized that I wasn’t as happy as I thought I was.” His expression turned sober.

“After you left and the reality hit me that you were gone, I tried to resume my original lifestyle to prove to myself and others that I was still the same person.” He shook his head. “Instead, I turned out to be a killjoy. I would arrive at a function and be nursing one drink.

The music was too loud, and the raucous laughter hurt my ears. Conversations that I once found stimulating had become banal and inconsequential.” He bent to brush his lips against hers. “You are instrumental in changing my entire perspective.”

Her eyes glowed. “Should I apologize?”

He shot her a wry look. “Not if you don’t mean it.”

“I wouldn’t.” Her expression was quizzical. “Do you miss it?”

He did not have to think about it. “No. I was wasting my life. I am heir to a fortune and haven’t worked a day in my life to be entitled to it. Now I want to be actively involved.” Lifting a hand, he absently caressed her cheek.

“I am the face of the company; I suppose it’s because of the way I look and certainly has nothing to do with what I contributed. That boils down to next to nothing.”

His hand moved over her stomach, and he felt the usual constriction in his chest at the idea of his son nestled comfortably in her uterus. He was going to do his best to stand by her and his child. He wanted his son to be proud of him and never have to wonder what his papa did for a living. He was going to set an example.

He already has a mother who deserves a medal for being who she is, and he wanted to make up for his lack.

“Tell me the rest.” He said suddenly.

“The rest?”

“I want to know everything. You said the first trimester was a walk in the park- “He grinned at her fulminating expression and realized not for the first time, how comfortable he felt with her.

“The second trimester, which I am still in, was decidedly more difficult.”

His expression became anxious. “What happened?”

“I have these weird cravings.” She laughed at the wry look he gave her. “One night I couldn’t sleep because I had to have toast with ketchup.”

He wrinkled his nose and had her laughing even more. “That was no joke. Then there was the time when it was toast with mayo and cream cheese.” She buried her face in his chest at his horrified expression, her giggles tickling his chest.

“Madonna!” He exclaimed. “Is that past or am I going to have to run out and get you something that’s going to turn my stomach?”

“It comes with the territory.” She lifted her head to look at him. “I am a very happy pregnant woman Giorgio and even while I was waiting for you to come for me, I loved feeling your baby growing inside me.”

He went still, the expression on his handsome face turning intense. Dark eyes that had the power to send her into a dizzy spin, wandered over her face and settled on her parted lips for a pulsing second. He had yet to really kiss her.

He was lying next to her after six long months of complete abstinence. The time had come, and he could not wait. He wanted her now. He would not be satisfied with nothing less than complete and utter possession.

His yearning was transmitted to her. The atmosphere in the room had become charged. They had not been with each other since that fateful morning when he made love to her before she left.

The need to make up for last moments was thrumming through their bodies like a spark that was being fanned into flames.

He made the first move, one hand reaching up to cup her breast. She had told him how sensitive the nipples had become since the pregnancy. He was going to deal with that first and foremost.

A sigh escaped her as he bent his head to the task. Instead of tugging the nipple into his mouth as he wanted to do, he took his time. Using the tip of his tongue, he soothed the rigid flesh as if priming it for his more ardent invasion.

She stirred restlessly, her body turning towards his, fingers gliding over the rippling muscles of his shoulders and back. Heat gathered at the core of her, and she felt as if she was standing too close to the flames.

He fanned it even more by slipping a hand between her thighs, nudging them apart so that he could touch the softness there. Her body arched, fingers digging into his back as he unerringly parted the folds of her sex.

By this time, his mouth had fully engulfed her nipple, his teeth grazing the sensitive flesh and driving her insane with need.

His fingers found the creamy moisture, thumb moving slowly over the sensitive mound. Her body stiffened as sensations washed over her with an intensity that left her blind and dazed.

The climax came hard and fast, coursing through her body until she felt as if she was poised on waves that would soon send her crashing headlong into other waves.

Lifting his head, he stared at the parted lips, the glitter of tears in the beautiful dark brown eyes. She brought out something so terrifyingly vulnerable inside him that he could not find the words to describe what it was.

She watched, her body still trembling when he lifted his hand and sucked on the fingers that had been inside her. His eyes held hers as he savored the taste of her in his mouth.

Turning her onto her side, he guided himself into her soaking warmth and had to stay still for a moment or two. He had imagined being with her like this, his penis sinking deep inside her, but not even his vivid imagination could compare to the reality.

Muttering deities in Italian and English, he bent his head and nibbled at her flesh. His hand wrapped around her swollen abdomen, possessively as he started to move, slowly at first, his penis lengthening as her tightness gloved him.

Twisting her head around, she sought his lips. His tongue delved into her mouth, exploring the sweetness that had haunted him both day and night.

His hand drifted from her abdomen to the cleft between her thighs, cupping her sex, he stroked the sensitive flesh and in no time, she went spinning again, her cries swallowed deep inside her throat.

He climaxed then, his long, lean body jerking as spasms after spasms hit him with an intensity that had him spinning out of control.

Ending the kiss, he buried his face in the side of her neck, the Italian words pouring from his mouth. Nothing had ever felt this good, and it left him shaken, to the point where he could barely manage to regain control of his sanity.

They stayed that way for a long time. He was still buried deep inside her, his arms wrapped around her body as they spooned. Placing her hand over his, she interlaced their fingers and closed her eyes, a smile wreathing her lips.

This was exactly where she wanted to be. This – being with him, this close, was home to her. The future might be frightening, but it did not matter as long as he was with her. She was willing to fight anything, go through any obstacles if he was by her side.

“Tired?” His deep voice stirred the flesh of her ear.

“No!”

“Sure?”

“Hmm.” She turned her head to look at him. “I could stay like this all night.” “Are you prepared to suffer the consequences?” He teased.

“Absolutely.”

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” He murmured as he seized her lips in a kiss that seared her very soul.

*****

Juliana stared at the two men staring at each other and decided they looked like opponents facing each other in the boxing ring. She had called her brother to let him know they would be coming over first thing in the morning. She had also made arrangements for the senior member of her staff to carry on today.

“I am not certain what time I will get there Marjorie, so please take charge.”

There was no hesitation of course. The biggest worry was the two men in her life getting along. Her brother already made his mind up about Giorgio and Giorgio sensing the hostility was being defensive. He was also being proprietary, his hand nestling the small of her back as he kept her close to him.

“If you think you are going to fly here in your damn private jet and whisk my sister off, think again.” He was already dressed for work, his three-piece suit tailored to perfection.

“Julian…”

“In case it has escaped your attention, she is carrying my child, and I intend to marry her before my son is delivered.”

“How noble of you.” Julian sneered. “If only you weren’t six months late.”

“If I had known…”

“Let me guess, you would have taken time off from your whoring and partying to pop over and be there for my sister. Accompany her to doctor’s appointment and make certain she has healthy food stocked in the house. You would have been here to rub her back when it stiffened up as her pregnancy advanced”

Standing close to him, Juliana felt his body tense and tried to head off the argument.

“Julian, please!”

Seeing the look on her face, he backed down immediately and offered up a terse apology.

“Look, for my sister’s sake, I am going to keep the peace.” He spread a hand. “You are free to stay here for – how long are you planning on being here?”

“As soon as I can get your sister to come back home with me.” Giorgio looked at her, a question in his eyes. “I would like us to get married in Italy.”

“You arrogant entitled bastard! Have you even asked her? You are taking her away from everything she knows, everything she is familiar with…”

“Julian!”

“I love her.” Giorgio turned to face her. “I will love her for the rest of my life and if she is not happy in Italy, if she wants to spend half the time here in her country, then that’s what we’ll do. I know her parents are buried here and…,” he turned only his head to look at the man who was determined to oppose him.

“You are here, and she loves you. The only thing I ask, is that our son be born in Italy, but any time you feel homesick, or if you want to continue running your business, the jet is available for you.

Anything you want.” His hands gripped hers. “You gave me a life.” He smiled gently. “I have never been this fulfilled before, never been this happy before and I owe everything to you, so yes, I am prepared to do whatever it takes to make you happy.”

He lifted his head again to look at Julian. “And whenever you feel the urge to come and visit, just say the word. Please know that I love your sister, with my heart, body and soul and I will always love her.”

Julian stared at the man and knew without a doubt that he was sincere. The devotion and adoration were naked on his handsome face. There was nothing else he could say, no other objections, he could voice. His gaze shifted to his sister’s face, and he felt his heart contracting.

“Welcome to the family.” He said gruffly. “You have my complete blessing.”

*****

He was true to his word. He made a call to his father who was so happy with the wonderful news of the upcoming nuptials and the fact that very soon he was going to be a grandfather, he wanted to fly over immediately. But Giorgio finally persuaded him that he should stay.

“You are going to have to start making the arrangements for the wedding. I am staying put for a while until we sort out some details.”

He went with her to the next doctor’s appointment and, to her delight, stayed at her brother’s place.

“It does not make any sense paying for a suite and I have a feeling you would want to spend all the time you can with your brother.”

His intuitiveness and sensitivity to her situation made her love him even more if that was at all possible. He also went with her to put flowers on her parents’ grave and for the first time since losing them, especially her dad, she had closure. He held her hand, ignoring the intrusion of the press who had somehow gotten word of his stay in America.

And he stayed right in her brother’s study and made arrangements for their wedding, which was going to be in the spring.

She would continue to run her business for now but was going to put Marjorie in charge.

“How do you feel about opening a second store in our building?” He asked her after spending an entire day at the store with her. Every female who came inside the store that day was so flustered, it took them some time to get over him being there.

And he charmed every one of them, but it was clear that he was completely devoted to his fiancée. He had a ring flown over from one of their stores, a stunning square cut diamond that he placed on her finger one night they were having dinner, with her brother in his dining room.

“It’s now official.” He told her emotionally.

“Don’t they have tons of bookstores in Rome?”

“Not like yours.” They were both naked and flushed from an hour of lovemaking. He was insatiable where she was concerned and kept asking her if it was too much for her.

“Don’t stop.”

“Not like yours.” He had spent days watching her operate her business and his admiration for her had increased to enormous proportions. She had made a name for herself, and her approach was unique and amazing. Her ideas did not merely bridge the generational gap, it gave the women a sense of belonging.

“It would make a wonderful difference.”

“I will think about it.” She touched his face. Every night she would wake up wondering if she was dreaming and if he was really here with her. “I saw Sandy flirting with you.”

“I have to tell you that I am completely enamored with her.” He grinned at her, his hand on her abdomen as usual. He wasn’t ashamed or self-conscious about touching her.

In the store, he would come to her aid, if she wanted anything lifted and would kiss her in front of everyone. He made no secret of his commitment and people were buzzing about their love affair.

“She might be eighty years old, but I am prepared to fight for my man,” she warned.

“I think she is aware of that. That foolish ex of yours- “

Jeremy had stopped by the store and apologized to her, scurrying out at the fierce look he received from Giorgio.

“What about him?” She asked laughingly.

“I owe him a debt of gratitude,” he whispered against her mouth. “For failing to see what a treasure you are.”