Read Online Italian Stallions by Karin Tabke, Jami Alden - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Karin Tabke, Jami Alden
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hand.
Her brown eyes scoped out Gabe before they landed on Gianna. They quickly morphed from teasing to concern. She set the baskets down on a nearby table. “Gia, stai bene ?”
“ Si, Zia, I’m okay. Just felt a little light-headed for a moment.”
Cece clucked several times like a hen. “I told you it was too early for you to come back to work.” She raised her hands to Gabe. “Does she listen to me? She is like a daughter to me, but she is as stubborn as a goat.”
Gabe smiled. “I agree on the stubborn part.”
Cece narrowed her eyes and took a closer look at Gabe. “Calabrasi?”
“Siciliano.”
“Ah!” Cece cried, crossing herself. “No more Sicilians. Tina was Sicilian. She left a daughter and a husband. Shoo. Go away.”
“Hey,” Tressie said from the kitchen as she wrapped an apron around her tiny waist. “I’m Sicilian, too, don’t forget. I’m not going anywhere.”
Cece threw her hands up in the air, grabbed the baskets, and hurried out to the waiting diners.
An awkward silence fell between the three. Tressie stuck her hand out to Gabe. “My country cousin forgets that in the big city, it’s customary to introduce strangers. I’m Theresa Bellesi, fellow Sicilian, and damn proud of it.”
Gabe smiled and shook her hand. “Gabe LaMotta.” Then he handed her his card and grinned at Gianna when he said to Theresa, “Hold on to this for Gianna, she might need it.”
Gianna felt the heat rise in her cheeks again. “I’m sorry, I just—forgive my bad manners. Tress, Gabe, Gabe, Tress. Now, Gabe?” She turned a smile to him. “Did you come to eat dinner or annoy me?”
Gabe’s eyes twinkled, and Tressie crossed her arms over her ample breasts, not taking a step away. Gianna gave her cousin a look that said, Scram. Tressie smiled and slowly shook her head no. “Fine, you two can stand here and play games. I have a restaurant to run.”
The next hour went by in an uncomfortable blur. Gianna was extremely aware of Gabe sitting in the back circular booth. Tressie informed Gianna he had insisted on sitting there. Of course, he could watch Gianna run around like the proverbial chicken with her head cut off, and Tressie informed Gianna, Gabe insisted on waiting for Gianna to eat dinner.
Gianna strode up to his table after an hour. “Mr. LaMotta?”
Gabe held up a hand. Warmth spread across her skin as she looked at the big thick fingers and neatly manicured nails. Just one touch of those big hands made her feel things she’d never felt. Gianna licked her lips and looked at him. He grinned wide, his white teeth shining in the low candlelight of the table. “I think, Gianna, we have gone past the formalities of mister and miss.”
Heat scorched her cheeks and zipped southward to her thighs. Her nipples tingled. Gianna shifted her feet. “Gabe, I have a long night ahead of me. Please, go ahead and eat.”
He sipped his wine and shook his head. “I had a late lunch. I’ll wait.”
Gianna spun around on her heels and was glad to see Tucci’s men gone. But she knew they were now aware of Gabe. He’d made no effort to hide his disdain from them. Several times she found the three of them doing the old stare-down.
7
G ianna steered clear of Gabe for the better part of the evening. Tressie however, had a sparkle in her eye that made Gianna very nervous. Several times her cousin walked past her with a shit-eating grin plastered across her face and acted like she had a big secret. Try as she may, Gianna could not extract information from her.
Finally feeling as if the joke was on her, Gianna marched up to Gabe’s table. “Mr. LaMotta, we’re going to be closing in thirty minutes. I’d like to close out your tab now.”
Gabe poured another glass of wine from the half-empty bottle. His dark eyes glowed seductively in the candlelight of the table. Gianna groaned. Her skin flushed, and she wanted to slide in next to him in the spacey booth.
“I’ve been waiting for
Her brown eyes scoped out Gabe before they landed on Gianna. They quickly morphed from teasing to concern. She set the baskets down on a nearby table. “Gia, stai bene ?”
“ Si, Zia, I’m okay. Just felt a little light-headed for a moment.”
Cece clucked several times like a hen. “I told you it was too early for you to come back to work.” She raised her hands to Gabe. “Does she listen to me? She is like a daughter to me, but she is as stubborn as a goat.”
Gabe smiled. “I agree on the stubborn part.”
Cece narrowed her eyes and took a closer look at Gabe. “Calabrasi?”
“Siciliano.”
“Ah!” Cece cried, crossing herself. “No more Sicilians. Tina was Sicilian. She left a daughter and a husband. Shoo. Go away.”
“Hey,” Tressie said from the kitchen as she wrapped an apron around her tiny waist. “I’m Sicilian, too, don’t forget. I’m not going anywhere.”
Cece threw her hands up in the air, grabbed the baskets, and hurried out to the waiting diners.
An awkward silence fell between the three. Tressie stuck her hand out to Gabe. “My country cousin forgets that in the big city, it’s customary to introduce strangers. I’m Theresa Bellesi, fellow Sicilian, and damn proud of it.”
Gabe smiled and shook her hand. “Gabe LaMotta.” Then he handed her his card and grinned at Gianna when he said to Theresa, “Hold on to this for Gianna, she might need it.”
Gianna felt the heat rise in her cheeks again. “I’m sorry, I just—forgive my bad manners. Tress, Gabe, Gabe, Tress. Now, Gabe?” She turned a smile to him. “Did you come to eat dinner or annoy me?”
Gabe’s eyes twinkled, and Tressie crossed her arms over her ample breasts, not taking a step away. Gianna gave her cousin a look that said, Scram. Tressie smiled and slowly shook her head no. “Fine, you two can stand here and play games. I have a restaurant to run.”
The next hour went by in an uncomfortable blur. Gianna was extremely aware of Gabe sitting in the back circular booth. Tressie informed Gianna he had insisted on sitting there. Of course, he could watch Gianna run around like the proverbial chicken with her head cut off, and Tressie informed Gianna, Gabe insisted on waiting for Gianna to eat dinner.
Gianna strode up to his table after an hour. “Mr. LaMotta?”
Gabe held up a hand. Warmth spread across her skin as she looked at the big thick fingers and neatly manicured nails. Just one touch of those big hands made her feel things she’d never felt. Gianna licked her lips and looked at him. He grinned wide, his white teeth shining in the low candlelight of the table. “I think, Gianna, we have gone past the formalities of mister and miss.”
Heat scorched her cheeks and zipped southward to her thighs. Her nipples tingled. Gianna shifted her feet. “Gabe, I have a long night ahead of me. Please, go ahead and eat.”
He sipped his wine and shook his head. “I had a late lunch. I’ll wait.”
Gianna spun around on her heels and was glad to see Tucci’s men gone. But she knew they were now aware of Gabe. He’d made no effort to hide his disdain from them. Several times she found the three of them doing the old stare-down.
7
G ianna steered clear of Gabe for the better part of the evening. Tressie however, had a sparkle in her eye that made Gianna very nervous. Several times her cousin walked past her with a shit-eating grin plastered across her face and acted like she had a big secret. Try as she may, Gianna could not extract information from her.
Finally feeling as if the joke was on her, Gianna marched up to Gabe’s table. “Mr. LaMotta, we’re going to be closing in thirty minutes. I’d like to close out your tab now.”
Gabe poured another glass of wine from the half-empty bottle. His dark eyes glowed seductively in the candlelight of the table. Gianna groaned. Her skin flushed, and she wanted to slide in next to him in the spacey booth.
“I’ve been waiting for
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