Page 45 of This Thing of Ours

Jeez, were all men so thick? Did she really need to spell it out? “Because I’ve never been underwear shopping with a man before.”

His frown vanished as understanding lit his eyes, and the corners of his lips tipped up. “Good to know.”

Gah! Really, that was his answer? Not,Oh, let me make you more comfortable by sitting on the bench so you can go into the store alone. No, instead, his strides lengthened, and they were in the store before she could worry or protest further.

They were besieged instantly by a tall blonde in a skintight dress so short it showed almost every inch of her fabulous legs.

“Can I help you?” Her question and smile were directed at Marco along with her hands that she couldn’t seem to keep to herself.

When Gabby looked over at him, Marco’s eyes weren’t trained on the blonde, they were on her. His eyes twinkled as he, not so subtly, removed his arm from the woman’s grasp.

Gabby smiled, and without taking her eyes from Marco, she told the blonde, “We’re good. But if I need help, I’ll let you know.”

Marco’s lips tipped up on one side, and he gave her a wink.

“I’ll be back.” She gave his hand a squeeze, and he let hers go, so she could freely roam the store.

It didn’t take long to find what she was looking for and make her way to the cash register. Marco was at her side by the time she reached it, credit card out. This time, Gabby didn’t argue and even managed a cheery smile and wave for the blonde on her way out.

In conclusion, if getting a wink from Marco was her reward, she’d suffer through shopping with him any day.

Chapter Seventeen

Marco skirted thecoffee table and took a seat on the sofa. Not even a minute later, he stood back up, adjusted the cuffs of his shirt, and tugged at the hem of his jacket before walking over to the sliding door to stare aimlessly out at the patio.

He didn’t know why he was so nervous. Scratch that, yes, he did. And the reason was upstairs getting ready in his bathroom. He was going on a date with the most beautiful woman in the world. On a ranking of his fear meter, having a gun held to his head had nothing on that.

He heard the click of the bathroom door and like a magnet, his eyes flew to the top of the stairs. A minute later, there she stood. And she literally took his breath away, the air leaving his lungs with a harsh sigh.

He slowly sucked in a breath as he devoured Gabriella with his eyes. Her hair was back to its natural black, and though he did miss the long fall of it, he had to admit, he loved the way the ends teased her bare shoulders. Shoulders his fingers itched to caress to see whether the skin could possibly be as soft and smooth as it looked.

From a distance, her eyes matched her hair—dark and shiny—but he knew, up close, they were a deep, rich, chocolate brown. Sinfully sweet with a slight aftertaste of bitter, warning a person she may be delicious, but if you got greedy and took too big a bite, she wouldn’t have a problem biting back.

Her lush, red lips parted as her chest rose and fell, and he liked to think she had his same breathing difficulties while taking him in. Did she feel as he felt? Was her heart beating faster? Did she crave to come closer? Was just the thought of touching him enough to send her to her knees?

Because he felt all that and more.

Her legs were bare, with no adornments but the spiky, black heels on her feet. And as she took a few steps down, the red silk of her dress hiked up to flash glimpses of her thighs, hypnotizing him as she made her descent.

He met her by the time she reached the bottom, taking her hand and bringing it to his lips. Hers quirked and he knew he was about to get some sass. His dick hardened at the thought. She didn’t disappoint him.

“So gallant.”

Gallant? No, he wasn’t that. Just a man with a strong desire to have his lips on any part of her body and thinking her hand was his safest bet if he wanted them to actually leave the house. He didn’t share that thought, instead saying, “You look too beautiful to mess up.”

Standing two steps above him, their faces level, it would be so easy to take her mouth, smear her lipstick, and have her walk out of there looking freshly fucked so all would know who she belonged to with his lips carrying her same shade.

“You ready?”

Then she said something that pierced his heart and sealed her fate. “For you, I’ve always been ready.”

Even with nothingto compare it to, Marco thought their first date was going pretty damn good.

Though cliché, he’d taken Gabriella for Italian, knowing it was her favorite. He’d picked the best and most expensive joint in Vegas that didn’t belong to The Family to ensure she’d never been before, and it’d paid off. Entering the restaurant, the scent of garlic, tomatoes, and yeasty bread hitting his nose, Gabriella had grabbed hold of his arm, gushing how she’d heard such good things and had always wanted to dine there. He’d escorted her to their table with a hand at the small of her back, feeling ten-feet tall from a job well done.

And it hadn’t ended there. The food had been fucking fantastic. His veal so tender, he could cut it with a fork, and the pasta—though he hated to admit it—had been better than his nonna’s.

They’d made small talk over dinner—the conversation flowing easily and naturally—but had been silent throughout dessert—her because she’d been busy eating it, him because he’d been busy watching her do so.

---