Page 27 of Maddest Temptation

Gianluca pulled out a Zippo, and lit up one cigarette, and put the rest of the pack inside his pocket. He took a deep drag and then offered it to me.

I inhaled deeply and let the smoke settle into my lungs. When I exhaled, I ended up coughing. “Shit,” I laughed. “It’s too strong.”

Gianluca smiled and took the cigarette from my hands. “That’s weird,” he nodded toward the living room. “Never thought Vitelli Moretti would get married.” So, small talk it is. Great.

I grinned broadly. “Marie is a good girl. I just can’t believe she fell for Vitelli of all people.”

“Who would have thought,” he mused. “Young love grows in the strangest of places.”

I reached for the cigarette, and he moved away, I tried again, but Gianluca sidestepped. He pulled it from his mouth and smiled. “If I’d known you would turn out this beautiful, I might have married you back then.”

My smile fell. “Who says I would have married you?”

He stepped closer to me and lifted my chin with his fingers, “You wouldn’t have had a choice.” I slapped his hand away and he laughed, I rolled my eyes. “But now you are no longer pure are you, you have lost your value.”

My jaw dropped. “Vaffanculo,” I snapped. This wasn’t fun anymore. I turned to leave, but he grabbed my hand and pulled me back to him. “Let me go, Gianluca,” I warned.

“What the fuck did you just say to me?”

I swallowed hard at the anger in his eyes. He gripped my wrists tighter, and I winced. Gianluca took a deep drag and then breathed the smoke out on my face.

I looked away and begged him. “Let go of me, Gianluca.”

“We are not done talking, Francesca,” he lifted his hand, and I flinched. Gianluca watched me and then laughed. “You know what they used to call him, Paolo ‘heavy hands’ Biancini.”

I had known that my husband did in fact have heavy hands and had experienced just how heavy they were whenever we fought.

“Let go of me, Gianluca,” I tried yet again, starting to lose my patience.

“Or what? There’s no one out here. The music is loud.”

I looked around and noticed we were indeed alone in a very private area. I’d come out here for that and now I realized my mistake. Panic flourished like flowers in spring.

“If I wanted, I could kiss you right here.”

I pulled back, but he brought me forward, wrapping his arm around me. I leaned back, trying my hardest to stay away.

“I always wanted to taste you; did you know that?”

I swallowed bile.

“To know if the girl next door tasted as sweet as she looked,” he laughed. “Well, not as sweet anymore, are you?” He pressed me tighter against him.

From behind Gianluca, I saw Cassio marching toward us in a madman’s haste. I could see a bright fire burning in his eyes. He was going to rip Gianluca’s head off.

“Cassio, don’t!” Someone shouted.

8

FRANCESCA

It was all I heard before Cassio and Gianluca collided. I was knocked back, stumbled, and almost fell. Gianluca was now on the floor, Cassio over him throwing punch after punch, hitting him wherever he could. Gianluca wasn’t putting up much of a fight, and even if he could, no one could beat Cassio. I stood there watching the scene before me, unable to move.

“You okay?” Vitelli stood before me, checking on me.

“Yeah,” I assured him and when he was sure I was indeed alright he left me standing there.

He reached the two men and pulled Cassio from Gianluca. In the process, Cassio ended up elbowing his brother in the face. His head snapped back, and his nose instantly began bleeding.

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