Page 66 of Immoral

We aren't perfect yet, but I'll take it.

16

Cara

Gianni stretcheshis arms and yawns then opens his eyes. A large grin forms as he slides closer to me.

I blurt out, "I need to return to work today."

His lips twitch. He drags his finger down my cheek. In a teasing tone, he replies, "Well, good morning to you, too, tesoro."

I sit up and crisscross my legs. I've been up for hours, thinking about my promise to Gianni, how I need to work harder to get over our past, and pushing down the fear that he'll hurt me again. One thing I believe in is keeping my word. Plus, I don't want to carry these ill feelings toward him. The reality is that we're now married, so it has to be best to try and move forward.

Not that it's easy to forget.

But I would give anything to return to Gianni being my everything and him making good on his word not to hurt me again. So I'm committed to doing whatever it takes to hold up my end of our agreement.

He better not make me regret this,I think, then reprimand myself while pushing the thought out of my head. Those notions aren't going to help us get back to where we need to be in order to make this marriage work.

I state, "Morning. I'm serious though. I've been gone too long. With Fashion Week right around the corner, I can't afford to waste any more time."

Gianni leans against the headboard and runs his hand through his hair. "Can you work from home today?"

My stomach tightens. "Why? What's wrong with my office?"

He holds his hands in the air. "Nothing is wrong, but I have to sort out your security."

A claw scrapes at my gut. Goose bumps break out on my arms, and the cold, damp feeling I had when I woke up in the cellar rushes through my body. For a brief moment, I forgot about the Abruzzos. Now, it all comes rushing back so fast, it makes me dizzy. I put my hand on my stomach and breathe through it.

"What's wrong, tesoro?" he frets.

I've never had security before. I'm unsure how I feel about it, yet I also realize it's necessary. I quickly assess the tasks I need to do. I work through the nausea, shake my head, and then force a smile. "Can I go to the office and get my laptop and some other items?"

His face relaxes. "Sure. I'll take you after breakfast." He jumps up and holds his hand out toward me. "Come on, tesoro. Let's go face the music."

"Face the music?"

He nods. "Yep. All the questions we're going to get from my family."

I wrinkle my nose. "Can't we skip that part?"

He grunts. "Unfortunately not. Let's get it over with and move on with our lives." He reaches for me, lacing his fingers between mine, then tugs me off the bed.

We go into the bathroom, brush our teeth, and I twist my hair before securing it with a claw clip. We step into the shower, and Gianni presses his lips to mine. Within seconds, he has me sandwiched between his warm body and the cold tile, as if we didn't spend hours wrapped around each other before falling asleep only a few hours ago.

When we finish devouring each other, we dry off, get dressed, and I add a thin layer of makeup on my face. Gianni leads me through the Marino mansion while the butterflies in my stomach wake up.

Since high school, I've been in this house too many times to count. Gianni and I have fucked in almost every room. Seeing the rich wood, bright colors, and ornate decor in the morning light sends a wave of déjà vu rippling through me.

"Are you hungry?" he asks as we approach the dining room.

I nod. "Yeah. You?"

He palms my ass and leans into my ear. "I can eat, but I'd rather have you sit on the table and—"

"Cara!" Bridget's voice hits my ears.

My gut drops. I feel horrible I missed her and Dante's engagement party. A small amount of embarrassment also weaves through those emotions. She tried warning me about Uberto just as much as Dante did. But I was so angry with Gianni, I wouldn't believe anyone. I take a deep breath, smile, and spin. "Hey, Bridget."

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