Total pages in book: 62
Estimated words: 59004 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 295(@200wpm)___ 236(@250wpm)___ 197(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 59004 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 295(@200wpm)___ 236(@250wpm)___ 197(@300wpm)
The comment doesn’t land with any humor for me. It only increases the worry I’ve been feeling since I woke up this morning. I don’t want my dad to do anything stupid, and I don’t want to be the reason that their friendship or business ends. I have a pretty good feeling that is precisely what would happen if he found out.
“They’ve been friends since they were kids,” Gerard says when I stay silent. “I think they could probably work through it if they didn’t fly off the handle and murder each other first.”
“That’s not making me feel any better,” I say over my shoulder to him. “Let’s just not talk about it.”
“I think we should talk about it,” he shoots back at me, his voice dead serious. “You need to know who you just got into bed with. You might only see him as your daddy’s best friend, but he’s a hell of a lot more than that.”
I stop beneath a tall pine tree, turning to face him. “What are you trying to say?”
“I’m saying that you just slept with the boss of the Rossi family, and that’s not something to be taken lightly. He doesn’t…” Gerard’s voice trails off as he takes a deep breath and runs his fingers over his face. “He doesn’t sleep around, Liz. I don’t even know the last time he was with a woman. He fucked you, and now you’re his.”
My mouth falls open. “That is not how it works.”
He chuckles darkly. “Oh, yes. Yes, it is.”
“If I tell him I don’t want to be with him, I think he’ll understand,” I argue, narrowing my eyes. “He won’t do anything if I tell him no.”
“Well, yeah, he’s not a sadist, but that won’t stop him from treating you differently. That might trigger your father to know something is up.”
I shake my head. “I told him it’s over. I don’t want to be treated differently.” Though, I must admit that part of me wants to know what it entails to be Troy’s woman. If it’s anything close to how he made me feel last night…
“No offense, but it’s pretty clear that you’re just as hooked on him as he is on you,” Gerard says, cutting into my thoughts. “There’s no point in being all mad and shit about it.”
“My dad will kill us both.”
“Yeah, all three of us,” Gerard snaps at me, rolling his eyes. “That’s the problem with this entire situation. Now I’m involved but by proxy only. I don’t want any part of that lovemaking fest the two of you had.” He shudders. “No thanks.”
“Don’t be weird,” I reply. I crinkle my nose at him and spin around, heading back down the trail. I have to admit, though, that talking with him has made me feel a little better about Troy. Maybe I overreacted when I found out, and perhaps seeing where things go with Troy wouldn’t be that crazy. After all, seventeen-year-old me would think it was a dream come true, and so would twenty-five-year-old me.
“So, how long has Troy had this house?” I ask, stepping over a fallen tree.
“Uh, I don’t know. It’s been in the Rossi family as long as I’ve been here. I guess it’s been in the family longer than Troy’s been the boss.”
“Have you been working for them that long? Before Troy was the boss?”
“Nah,” he answers me as he lights his cigarette that went out. “He hired me once he became the boss. I was just some punk-ass kid before. I’m only twenty-six.”
“Oh,” I say, surprised. “I guess I thought you were older than that.”
“Yeah, well, I guess I’ve seen enough shit for someone ten years older than me.”
“I get that,” I mutter, though in reality, I don’t. It’s become more than apparent that my dad sheltered me for most of my life.
We continue to walk along the trail, falling into silence. However, the birds chirp around us, and the breeze occasionally blows through the trees, rustling the leaves. It’s surprisingly therapeutic, and I make a mental note to myself to go for walks more often. The tension seems to dissipate from my body, though honestly, I’m still a little sore from last night—my constant reminder that I’m no longer a virgin… finally.
I nearly laugh to myself at the thought. I’m only five years from being thirty, and I just now had sex for the first time. Most women my age are way more experienced. That’s a big reason why, as I got older, I became more timid at the idea of sleeping with someone, but Troy made it easy. I’ll forever be grateful for it.
Now, if only he could teach me more.
My body tingles at the idea of his hands on my body again, and I take a deep breath, trying to keep it under control. It feels awkward to be turned on in front of Gerard, even if he has no idea.