Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 94124 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 471(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94124 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 471(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
2
GIOVANNI
Halfway back to Carlisle’s town center, I murmur to myself, “What the fuck was that, Vanni?”
Carlisle is a small coastal community, though not so small that every face is familiar. Valentina should have been another shadowed figure in the morning rush. She wasn’t. One glance of her beautiful face and cock-thickening body warranted another, and another, and another, until she became the only thing I could see.
I left her only five minutes ago, and she’s occupied my thoughts every single second. It isn’t solely the way she looked at me that repeats in my head, or the way her sexy voice curled around my dick in silent promise of the best blow job of my life. It’s every pore, every seductive curve, and each fleck of honey in her light-brown eyes.
Her beauty isn’t in the way social media tries to portray as attractive. It’s unvarnished and real. She’s a recently mined diamond still waiting to be polished. Her hair is a wild dark mane, one I can tell resists any attempts at taming. When the first light of dawn caught it, I pictured how soft it would feel while running my fingers through it.
That isn’t me.
I don’t admire from afar, nor do I simp over women.
I’m a Caruso.
We fuck—hard. Then we leave.
That is the only way we operate.
So why can’t I stop mulling over the drastic shift in Valentina’s attitude when we arrived at her destination?
Something changed in her the instant she stepped out of my SUV. Although shaken, her confidence was bright enough to cut through the morning haze. But when her feet touched the pavement outside San Giorgio’s, her light faded, similar to a candle snuffed out by a sudden draft. It was as if San Giorgio’s had stolen her spark and left only a shadow of the woman who immediately captivated me.
If time were in my favor, I would have scrutinized her change in composure to the same extent my hands would have explored her sultry body and face. Alas, I didn’t even have the luxury of waiting for her to enter the hospital. The clock on the dashboard was screaming at me. Every second that ticked by underscored what was at stake. I told myself I had no choice, that the family’s business and Carlisle locals need to come first. But as I weave through the narrow streets I’m trying to save, I can’t shake the concern that I fucked up.
I’ll come back. I will find her again. That isn’t a question. It’s a promise. Our introduction is merely undertaking a brief intermission so I can keep a promise I made many years ago.
It won’t take much to find her once my meeting is over. I know her full name and last known location.
Valentina isn’t as fortunate.
I didn’t give her my name. I saw her curiosity when I accepted her greeting without an official introduction but acted ignorant. I’m not being arrogant when I say every resident of Carlisle recognizes my name. Although that makes me proud, I learned the hard way that being known carries as many burdens as it does comforts.
The Caruso name opens doors, but it can close them if you listen to the wrong tales. Since I didn’t want to risk anything scaring Valentina away before I’ve had the chance to offer a proper introduction, I withheld a minor detail of my life.
While recalling how Valentina offered me her hand to shake, as if she knew I was picturing ways for that exact body part to help settle the debt she now owes me, I roll her name over my tongue.
Valentina Raimondi.
Her name suits her. It’s unapologetically Sicilian, yet with a sexiness that conjures images of her fuckable curves and flawless face.
I’ve met plenty of beautiful women. I’ve dated models, actresses, and heiresses, but none of them has ever made me want to forget my responsibilities.
I don’t do this. I don’t get involved or let myself care. Loyalty, secrets, and the unspoken understanding that nothing lasts forever formed the foundation of the Caruso dynasty. Everything can vanish in an instant. I’ve spent thirty-four years learning that lesson, and during that time, I’ve carved out a place for myself in a world where trust is more valuable than gold.
Attachments are dangerous.
They make you hesitant.
They make you weak.
And yet, I acted today without considering how my gallantry would favor my family or myself.
That was unheard of only thirty minutes ago. For thirty-four years, I’ve looked out for no one but myself and my family. No one has ever had the privilege of slating their names next to my parents and brothers. Not even Dante’s baby mama, whom I’ve not spent a single second looking for, even though she’s been missing for six weeks.
If I hadn’t been there, watching Valentina from afar, she wouldn’t be here now. The thought adds to the anger still blackening my veins. As I roll up my sleeves, too hot under the collar not to react to my rising body temperature, the moment Valentina nearly stepped into the path of the truck plays through my head in crystal-clear detail.