GianMarco (18 page)

Chapter Sixteen

Maggie wasn’t in the best of health. For the past couple of days, she felt weak and
disoriented. She didn’t know whether it was the flu or some other illness. Maybe she
was just pining for GianMarco. After she had left him, she had gone to her apartment
to sort through her bills and pack. Early in the morning she had taken a cab to a
local car rental place. Maggie had found herself driving until she ended up outside
of the North Carolina border, where she found cheap accommodations. From the moment
she stepped into her hotel room, she spent the remainder of the day getting sick in
the toilet.

As promised, she had called GianMarco to let him know that she was fine. Surprisingly
he didn’t ask where she was, which made her suspect he already knew. So far he’d honored
his vow to stay away. After some cajoling and begging Maggie to come home soon, she
was finally able to get him off the phone. She spent the next couple of days thinking
about where their relationship was headed.

She shoved the plate of roast beef and mashed potatoes away from her, eyeing the food
dispassionately. She’d been hungry when she ordered but her stomach turned when the
food was placed in front of her, not because it didn’t look appetizing but because
the scent made her nauseous. Maggie had chosen this diner off the beaten path on the
recommendation of the locals who sang its praises.

Even the smell of her coffee was made her want to throw up. She’d attempted to eat
one of the buttery rolls, but gagged the second it touched her lips. She rested her
elbows on the table and placed her face in her palms. There were so many questions
plaguing her mind. How Camryn and Darren would feel if she was a vampire? How much
longer would it be before her divorce went through, and what game exactly was Eugene
playing? These were the issues that kept her awake at night, but her mind always returned
to GianMarco. All that she’d accomplished with this trip was realizing how much she
missed him.

She loved him so much she could barely breathe when she thought of him. Her only concern
was his irrational jealousy. If they were going to be together, ground rules would
need to be set. She couldn’t live the rest of her life in fear. If the past twenty-three
years of her life had taught her anything, it was that she wasn’t going to put up
with another man’s shit, not even if she was wildly in love with him.

“It’s good to know you love my brother as much as he loved you. I had wondered about
this trip of yours when he told me about it.”

Maggie raised her head to see Dante across from her at her booth. She gasped in surprised.
“Dante, what are you doing here? Did GianMarco send you?”

He shook his head. “My brother doesn’t know I’m here.”

“Then how did you find me? I find it difficult to believe you’d show up in some random
Podunk town simply because you were passing through.”

A grin titled his lips. “I’m here because you are. Marco told me you’d be away for
a few days so he wanted someone to check on you to make sure everything is okay.”

Maggie wasn’t sure if she should be pissed that he was spying on her. Didn’t he trust
her? “So you volunteered?”

“No. I only arrived in town a couple hours ago. Someone else has been keeping tabs
on you.”

She threw her hands up in frustration. “This is just great. And he wonders why I needed
space.”

“It’s not because he doesn’t trust you, Maggie. He’s concerned for your safety. I
don’t know how much he’s told you about the organization I head but we deal with some
very dangerous characters, some of whom are not above harming loved ones. GianMarco
lost his mate and child once already, so you may have to forgive him for wanting to
keep you safe.”

The momentary anger she’d felt quickly dissipated. When put like that she understood
GianMarco’s position. “I guess you’re right. But why are you here? You said someone
else was keeping track of me.”

“I needed to assure myself that you do feel the same passion for my brother that he
does for you. I was pretty convinced you did on the night we met but when he’d called
me asking to send someone to watch out for you, I could hear the pain in his voice.
I had to wonder why you haven’t allowed him to bring you over yet, and why you’d leave
him in such agony even if it is only for a brief respite. I mean no offense, of course,
but my brothers mean the world to me and I need to look out for them.”

“No offense taken. I suppose I’d do the same thing in your position. I do love GianMarco
very much. It wasn’t an easy decision for me to get away like I did, but I needed
some space to think. GianMarco is the best thing that’s ever happened to me, but his
jealousy is out of control. I’m almost worried you showed up because it would give
him a reason to go off again.”

Dante raised a dark brow. “You think he’s jealous of me?”

“Yes. I think it stems from that night. GianMarco told me you and him have shared
women before. I’m confused why this time would be any different. He seems to think
I may harbor some romantic feelings towards you. I don’t understand why he doesn’t
realize I could never see you as anything other than a friend, or any man for that
matter. I’ve been cheated on before so I know what it feels like. I’d never do that
to him.”

Maggie couldn’t figure out why exactly, but judging from Dante’s intense stare, he
didn’t seem pleased by her statement, which made no sense. He spoke after a pregnant
pause. “I’m glad to hear that, Maggie, but don’t stay away too much longer. Marco
is hurting. Maybe he hasn’t explained it to you properly, but when a vampire finds
his bloodmate, sex is only a temporary relief for the illness. It can come back stronger
than ever if the mates aren’t properly bonded, and that can only be done when he brings
you over. That could be the reason for his irrational behavior, plus, he’s never shared
so strong a bond with anyone before you came along.”

“He’s never mentioned the possibility of going into
la morte dolci
if he didn’t bring me over. I assumed he was trying to rush things because he wanted
to control me. I feel so guilty now.”

Dante reached across the booth and placed his hand on top of hers. “I suspect he didn’t
tell you because he didn’t want to frighten you.”

She sighed. “There’s still so much I have to learn about all this.”

“In time you will, with Marco’s help. And if you ever need me, I’ll be there for you
as well.”

Maggie smiled for the first time since his arrival. “Thank you, Dante, that really
means a lot to me. GianMarco is lucky to have a brother like you.”

Dante returned her smile, his cobalt eyes twinkling. “That’s funny, because I was
going to say the same thing about you. Like I said, I just wanted to check in to see
how your sabbatical was going. I need to take off.”

“But you just arrived.”

“I have business to attend. This was just a quick detour for me. By the way, if GianMarco
asks, you can tell him I was here. It’s best to not keep secrets from him.”

“I won’t. Thank you for coming by. You’ve put things into perspective.”

He nodded. “Glad I could be of some assistance. You take care of yourself Maggie,
and try to eat something. You’re going to need more energy to sustain yourself for
what’s ahead.”

Maggie remained at the booth, trying to decipher Dante’s cryptic message long after
he’d left. Her thoughts drifted back to GianMarco. She now understood why he was so
possessive toward her but it didn’t change that fact if he couldn’t learn to trust
her, then there would be no future.

GianMarco had no need to worry about her falling for his brother. Although she did
find Dante attractive, and she had loved it when they both taken her, Maggie’s heart
belonged exclusively to GianMarco. She supposed that she would always feel some affection
for Dante, but it certainly wasn’t love. If she never had another threesome for the
rest of her life, that would be fine with her. GianMarco kept her way too satisfied
to pine for anyone else. She made her decision: she needed to head home and be with
the man she loved.

Dante watched from far off as she left the diner. While he did have business he needed
to handle not far from here, he could have sat with her longer. But he couldn’t sit
across from her, drinking in her beauty, and knowing she would never be his. He’d
only been practically truthful about his reason for showing up out of the blue. Part
of it was to find out the depths of her feelings for Marco, but the other reason was
because he had to see her in order to convince himself he hadn’t fallen for his brother’s
woman. While he was happy for Marco that he’d found a worthy mate in Maggie, hearing
her declaration had been a dagger to the heart.

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Maggie arrived at GianMarco’s house to find it empty. He was probably still at work
since it was just before five. As she walked through the living room, she paused as
she saw a large canvas sitting on an easel. She gasped as she saw the subject of the
freshly painted picture. It was her, as naked as the day she was born, sprawled across
the white satin sheets of GianMarco’s bed creating a startling contrast with her
dark skin.

The painted eyes seemed to be looking at the artist, with a seductive gleam shining
in their depths. Her lips were slightly parted with just the hint of a pink tongue
sticking out. Her hair flared out in a mass of curls and crinkles around her shoulders.
A breast jutted out proudly, and one hand rested just above the patch of hair between
her thighs. Her other hand was positioned on the side of one lush breast. It was very
sexy but not obscene.

He’d painted it with the tastefulness of a very skilled artist. Maggie knew GianMarco
was artistically gifted but this was beyond a talent beyond anything she’d ever seen.
He made her look beautiful. In GianMarco’s eyes, she looked as good as, if not better
than, the models in high fashion magazines. Tears filled her eyes. Only a man in love
could have created this painting.

“Do you like it,
ciccina mia
?”

Maggie nearly jumped out of her skin. She didn’t know if she would ever get used to
how silently he moved. She turned, throwing her arms around him. “I thought you’d
still be at work.”

“I was, but I decided to come home a little early. I’m glad I did,” he murmured, lowering
his head. They kissed passionately, releasing their pent-up frustrations from being
apart.

Maggie was the first to break the kiss. “This picture is breathtaking.”

“You’re breathtaking. This is how I see you,
ciccina mia
. By the way,
ciccina
is an endearment for a voluptuous woman. It doesn’t really translate to English properly.”

Maggie threw her head back and laughed. “It’s good to finally know what the heck that
means. You’ll have to teach me Italian.”

“Of course, my love. I can teach you any language you want to know. I speak about
twenty.”

“Umm, I think Italian will be just fine for now.”

He looked at her anxiously. “I take that to mean that you have come to a decision?”

Maggie wiggled her brows. “What do you think? Of course, I want to be with you, silly!
I’m crazy about you, you big, blond jerk, but let’s get one thing straight. If you
ever treat me the way you did the other night, I’m walking away, no questions asked.
And another thing, no more reading my mind. There are some things that a woman needs
to keep to herself.” She poked his chest with her index finger.

“Of course, my love. Forgive me.” He cupped her face to kiss her lightly on the nose.
He pulled away, with a frown “What’s wrong, Maggie? You look like something else is
on your mind.”

“I’m still a little concerned about my kids. There’s no telling how they’ll react.”

“Umm ...”

“What?”

“Your kids know.” He explained what he had been up to while she was gone. She just
stared at him in stunned silence. “Are you mad at me for interfering?”

She was stunned in to silence.

“Maggie?”

It took her a moment to process what he’d told her before she was able to speak again.
“Under normal circumstances, I would be a little annoyed that you interfered after
I told you I would handle things, but I did a lot of thinking while you were away
and I want to spend the rest of my life with you, and ...” A sudden wave of dizziness
hit her. Her vision blurred and dots danced before her eyes.

“And what?”

“And I think I’m going to pass out.”

Which was exactly what she did.

With quick reflexes, he caught her before she hit the ground. In a panic, he rushed
her to the couch and began to fan her with frantic motions. She had broken out into
a cold sweat, and her skin had taken on a grayish tint. He unbuttoned her blouse to
get her circulation flowing a little better. He rested his ear against her heart.
It seemed to be fine, but then he heard another very faint sound. He moved his head
a little further down her body and the sound was a bit clearer. His eyes filled with
tears and he pulled her into his arms just as she was coming to. He touched her cheek
gently.

Maggie’s head felt fuzzy as her eyes slowly fluttered open. “What happened?”

“How long have you been feeling this way, Maggie?”

“I don’t know. A couple of weeks, maybe.”

“When was your last monthly flow?”

Maggie froze. “You don’t think ...” She slapped her forehead. She had never experienced
morning sickness with Darren or Camryn, so it was no wonder she hadn’t read the signs.
“How did you know?”

“I can hear his heartbeat. Does it displease you to carry my child?”

“I ... no. I don’t know how to feel. It’s a lot to take in. I mean, I’m nearly forty-one.
I thought I was well past my childbearing years. We never used protection because
you told me vampires don’t carry disease, but I never thought ... I never thought
you could get me pregnant.”

“It’s very rare for a vampire to impregnate a human woman because of our different
physiology, but this just proves that you are my perfect match.”

“How do you feel about the baby?”

“I’m very pleased. After I lost my little Gio, I doubted that I would ever be a papa
again. I would like this baby very much. He’ll be a part of us.”

“Why do you keep saying he? It could be a girl, you know.”

“Well, my love, that’s another one of those vampire quirks, as you like to call them.
It’s not likely for us to produce female children. It has happened, but it’s an extremely
rare occurrence. I guess that’s the universe way of keeping our population under control.”

“But it is possible?”

“Yes.”

“Would you like a girl?”

“Only if she looks like you, my muse.” He gave her a gentle kiss on the forehead.
“Come on. I’ll draw you a bath and tonight will be the night I bring you over. You
carry a vampire child, which is why you feel weak, as well as sick. They not only
feed off of your food supply, but they feed from your blood as well.”

“What?” She touched her stomach.

“It doesn’t matter. Once I make you a vampire, your body will be able to sustain the
life within you.” He led her to the bathroom.

As he ran a tub of water with bubbles, he sat Maggie down on its edge and removed
her clothing, one article at a time.

As he discarded each piece, he kissed the flesh he exposed. His lips made sure to
leave no inch of skin untouched. Maggie sighed with pleasure. When she sat completely
nude in front of him, he cupped her full breasts in his hands. “These will feed my
child shortly, but for now, they are mine,” he whispered possessively, eyes glowing.
GianMarco leaned forward to suck a rigid, dark nipple into his mouth. Maggie groaned
as the pressure of his mouth increased. She locked her fingers through his hair, holding
his head tightly against her chest.

Her pussy throbbed and she desperately needed to be filled by him. He took his time
kissing and sucking her supple skin. Pushing her legs apart, he lowered himself until
his tongue touched the puffy outer lips of her cunt. He separated the slick folds
to reveal the tiny, pink jewel inside. His lips grazed her clit, drawing a moan of
delight from Maggie’s lips.

“Oh, GianMarco, I love you so much.” Her body shivered from the nerve-jolting sensation
of his tongue.

“I love you, too,
bellisima
.” He nuzzled her pussy with his face before lapping the sensitive bud with long,
broad strokes. GianMarco slid a finger into Maggie’s damp heat. He ate and fingered
her until she screamed out his name over and over again.

A sudden flow of her juices dripped from her as GianMarco continued to lick her until
she felt she couldn’t take any more. “You are going to kill me. A woman can only take
so much, you know.” She laughed when he finally lifted his head.

“I love eating your pussy, Maggie. All that yummy goodness is too much of a temptation
to ignore. If I had my way, baby, I would lay you on the bed and stay between your
sweet thighs for days.”

Maggie shivered at the thought. Somehow, she believed he was capable of doing just
that if she let him. “You’re so nasty.”

“And you’re so tasty. Now, get into the tub before I fuck you bow-legged.”

“That’s not much of a threat since I haven’t been walking straight since the first
time you stuck that donkey dong inside of me.”

GianMarco smirked. “But you like this donkey dong of mine, don’t you, baby?”

She licked her lips suggestively. “What do you think?”

“I think if you don’t stop teasing me, woman, you’re going to get the fucking of your
life.”

Maggie grinned with a mischievous glint in her eyes. “Is that a promise?”

GianMarco chuckled, pulling her into his arms to rest his forehead against hers. “What
am I going to do with you,
ciccina mia
?”

“Love me.”

“I already do. More than you know,” he said before lowering his head to capture her
mouth again.