Read Online Italian Stallions by Karin Tabke, Jami Alden - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Karin Tabke, Jami Alden
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you.”
She raised a brow. “Really? Twice last night you couldn’t wait to get rid of me.”
Gabe reached out and touched her hand. Her skin warmed. “I’m here to beg your forgiveness.”
Gianna slapped his hand away. “Save your sweet talk for someone who’ll appreciate it.”
She turned and hurried away from him, nearly laying flat Treesie and the laden tray she held out. When she turned the CLOSED sign over for the evening and saw the last diner out from the restaurant, Gianna turned to the back of the dining room.
“Mr. LaMotta, it’s time for you to go.”
“Oh, no, Gia, his dinner is finally ready,” Tressie said as she sashayed past her with a tray containing enough to feed a dozen people. The fresh-cooked aromas of garlic and butter tempted her more than it should have. It occurred to Gianna she had not eaten. From the moment she had opened the box of cherries, to the arrival of the goombahs, and then Gabe’s arrival, she had not been able to contemplate food. Suddenly she was ravenous.
Gabe smiled at her and raised his glass. “Come have a glass of wine with me, Gianna, and some dinner. I don’t want to eat alone.”
She moved toward him. Her gaze did a quick scan of the plates. Shrimp scampi, veal piccata, and rosemary rack of lamb? “You ordered lamb?” It was one of her favorites and not on the menu.
“Tress told me how much you enjoyed it.”
“But it’s your dinner.”
“ Our dinner.” He scooted over and patted the burgundy leather seat. “C’mon. Sit down.”
“I have a restaurant to close.”
“I’m on it, Gianna,” Tressie said, her voice bubbly. Gianna wanted to shove a breadstick in her mouth.
Gianna turned to her cousin and narrowed her eyes. “Are you, now?”
Tressie nodded and put a large plate of spaghetti and meatballs on the table. Gianna gave her a look that said, “What the hell are you doing?”
Tress smiled, “Mange.”
Then she proceeded to stalk off to the kitchen. Gianna looked around the restaurant. The bussers had cleared and reset all of the tables, save Gabe’s. Jimmy came in with the vacuum cleaner and did a quick thorough job of vacuuming the tile and carpeted floor.
Gianna turned back to face Gabe. He watched her quietly. “I’ll leave, Gianna, if I make you uncomfortable.”
She collapsed next to him and pushed him over with her hip. “You don’t make me uncomfortable,” she lied.
“I’m glad to hear that.”
He poured her a glass of Chianti. She noted the vintage of the bottle and smiled. It was one of their best and most expensive. He raised his glass to hers and said, “To second chances.”
Gianna raised a dubious brow. “You had a second chance.”
He clinked his glass to hers. “Then to the third time being the charm.”
A wave of warmth rippled through Gianna’s body. Gabe’s dark eyes twinkled in the candlelight. His big fingers held the wineglass, almost covering it. He had big hands and big thick fingers, square fingernails with blunt fingertips. She looked up at him. “What exactly do you do for a living, Mr…. Gabe?”
“Real estate.”
“What kind of real estate?”
“Commercial, industrial. I specialize in cross acquisitions.”
She wrinkled her brow. “Cross acquisitions?”
He nodded and set his glass down and proceeded to place several fat juicy shrimp on her plate. “When someone needs money and has a piece of real estate they want to hang on to but don’t want to sell outright, I locate either a temporary buyer or a suitable partner to regenerate a cash-flow problem for the property owner. Or, sometimes for legal reasons, a person needs to look as if they don’t own property. I find a legitimate tenet to hold the property in trust, so to speak, until such time the owner requests full ownership and deed returned.”
“Isn’t that illegal?”
“Nope.”
Gabe smiled and plucked one of the shrimp from her plate. He held it out to her lips. “If this tastes half as good as it smells,
She raised a brow. “Really? Twice last night you couldn’t wait to get rid of me.”
Gabe reached out and touched her hand. Her skin warmed. “I’m here to beg your forgiveness.”
Gianna slapped his hand away. “Save your sweet talk for someone who’ll appreciate it.”
She turned and hurried away from him, nearly laying flat Treesie and the laden tray she held out. When she turned the CLOSED sign over for the evening and saw the last diner out from the restaurant, Gianna turned to the back of the dining room.
“Mr. LaMotta, it’s time for you to go.”
“Oh, no, Gia, his dinner is finally ready,” Tressie said as she sashayed past her with a tray containing enough to feed a dozen people. The fresh-cooked aromas of garlic and butter tempted her more than it should have. It occurred to Gianna she had not eaten. From the moment she had opened the box of cherries, to the arrival of the goombahs, and then Gabe’s arrival, she had not been able to contemplate food. Suddenly she was ravenous.
Gabe smiled at her and raised his glass. “Come have a glass of wine with me, Gianna, and some dinner. I don’t want to eat alone.”
She moved toward him. Her gaze did a quick scan of the plates. Shrimp scampi, veal piccata, and rosemary rack of lamb? “You ordered lamb?” It was one of her favorites and not on the menu.
“Tress told me how much you enjoyed it.”
“But it’s your dinner.”
“ Our dinner.” He scooted over and patted the burgundy leather seat. “C’mon. Sit down.”
“I have a restaurant to close.”
“I’m on it, Gianna,” Tressie said, her voice bubbly. Gianna wanted to shove a breadstick in her mouth.
Gianna turned to her cousin and narrowed her eyes. “Are you, now?”
Tressie nodded and put a large plate of spaghetti and meatballs on the table. Gianna gave her a look that said, “What the hell are you doing?”
Tress smiled, “Mange.”
Then she proceeded to stalk off to the kitchen. Gianna looked around the restaurant. The bussers had cleared and reset all of the tables, save Gabe’s. Jimmy came in with the vacuum cleaner and did a quick thorough job of vacuuming the tile and carpeted floor.
Gianna turned back to face Gabe. He watched her quietly. “I’ll leave, Gianna, if I make you uncomfortable.”
She collapsed next to him and pushed him over with her hip. “You don’t make me uncomfortable,” she lied.
“I’m glad to hear that.”
He poured her a glass of Chianti. She noted the vintage of the bottle and smiled. It was one of their best and most expensive. He raised his glass to hers and said, “To second chances.”
Gianna raised a dubious brow. “You had a second chance.”
He clinked his glass to hers. “Then to the third time being the charm.”
A wave of warmth rippled through Gianna’s body. Gabe’s dark eyes twinkled in the candlelight. His big fingers held the wineglass, almost covering it. He had big hands and big thick fingers, square fingernails with blunt fingertips. She looked up at him. “What exactly do you do for a living, Mr…. Gabe?”
“Real estate.”
“What kind of real estate?”
“Commercial, industrial. I specialize in cross acquisitions.”
She wrinkled her brow. “Cross acquisitions?”
He nodded and set his glass down and proceeded to place several fat juicy shrimp on her plate. “When someone needs money and has a piece of real estate they want to hang on to but don’t want to sell outright, I locate either a temporary buyer or a suitable partner to regenerate a cash-flow problem for the property owner. Or, sometimes for legal reasons, a person needs to look as if they don’t own property. I find a legitimate tenet to hold the property in trust, so to speak, until such time the owner requests full ownership and deed returned.”
“Isn’t that illegal?”
“Nope.”
Gabe smiled and plucked one of the shrimp from her plate. He held it out to her lips. “If this tastes half as good as it smells,
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