GianMarco (6 page)

She walked over to the bureau beside her bed and pulled open the top drawer. She
took out the divorce papers she had been holding onto for the past three months, then
picked up a pen and signed them.

Chapter Five

Maggie waited for Darren at a booth in a pizzeria only three blocks from where she
worked. She hummed to herself as she scanned through the menu, thinking that she should
probably order a salad, but the smell of marinara sauce and mozzarella teased her
nostrils until she couldn’t take the torture any longer. She could have a salad anytime.
She wanted a pizza!

Between Darren’s school schedule, his part-time job, and the recent upheaval in her
own life, Maggie didn’t see her son as often as she used to. She dearly loved both
of her children, but Darren would always hold a special place in her heart as her
firstborn.

She felt empowered today. This morning on the way to work, she had mailed the signed
divorce papers back to Eugene. Now that she had done it, she couldn’t imagine why
she had been holding off for so long. Everyone was right: Eugene was no good and Shelly
was welcome to him. It still hurt like hell at times to think of the callous way he
had ended their twenty-three year marriage, but that was now a closed chapter in her
life. Though Montana would probably call her a fool, Maggie didn’t want one red cent
from him. She needed to prove to herself that she could make it on her own without
anyone’s support, and to send a message that Maggie Williams was a survivor. Operation
Forget-About-That-Jerk was now in progress.

The only cloud in her sky was GianMarco Grimaldi. He was an enigma she couldn’t quite
figure out. After careful consideration, she had decided she would stay on at G and
T Associates. There was no point in cutting her nose off to spite her face, and besides,
the incident in her apartment seemed so surreal that it felt like she had imagined
the whole thing. She couldn’t help but wonder what he could possibly want with a forty-year-old
mother of two adult children when he was young and could probably have any woman he
wanted. It wasn’t that she thought she was bad-looking, but she couldn’t help but
be a little self-conscious about her weight at times because she knew that some men
found it a turn-off. Eugene had certainly made no qualms about expressing his distaste
in her figure. Maybe GianMarco was the type to chase anything in a skirt, even if
she imagined there was some intangible connection between them.

When she reported to work the day after the incident, he had seemed surprised to see
her, but didn’t comment on her return beyond a ‘welcomed back’. He had been cool and
professional to her ever since. GianMarco did nothing to indicate that anything had
ever happened between them, so she followed suit. Things were less complicated that
way.

There were times, however, when he would walk by her desk and she would remember the
way his hot mouth had felt against her aching breasts, or the way he’d stared at her
with his amber gaze as if she were precious treasure. As soon as those images popped
in her head, she would quickly push them away. To entertain such dangerous thoughts
would be an exercise in futility. He had obviously been experimenting to see what
it was like to be with a big woman or he was amusing himself. Whatever his reasons,
they were beyond her. She just had to write it off as a fleeting fancy. She had enough
to deal with in her life already without her adding to it by acting on her lustful
thoughts toward her boss ... her fine-as-hell boss.

“Hi, Mom.”

Maggie looked up at the tall, lanky, dusky-skinned young man. His huge bright smile
lit up his already handsome face. She smiled back at him. “Hey, baby, you’re looking
a little on the thin side. Are you eating properly? Should I come over to your apartment
and make you a proper meal?” She surveyed him with “Mom” eyes.

“You always say that, and I’m eating just fine. The last time you came over and cooked
for me, the guys ate your peach cobbler before I could get any.”

“Hmm, I think your roommates could probably use a little fattening up as well. I’ll
just have to make two cobblers the next time I come over.”

Darren rolled his eyes as he took the seat across from her. “Believe me, those guys
eat more than most human beings. You could bring five cobblers and it wouldn’t be
enough.”

“If you say so. Should we order first, or do you want to tell me what it is that you
couldn’t tell me over the phone?”

He shifted in his chair and stared down at his menu. “Uh, let’s wait until we have
something to eat. Did I mention that you look nice? I like your hair like that.”

She grinned, shaking out her wild mane. “Thanks. I like it, too. Montana convinced
me to go natural. It’s low maintenance, just how I like it.”

“And it suits you. So, is this the new, improved you?”

“It’s a beginning. I went by town hall to get the paperwork to go back to my maiden
name. It won’t change until the divorce is final though.”

“That’s great. When will that be?”

“I’m not sure how it all works. I mailed the papers back to your father this morning.
He’ll file the papers once he receives them, so I imagine it won’t be long since he
wants to remarry. I’m sure your father will notify me when things are final, and he’s
more than likely to gloat, but who cares?”

Darren raised his brows. “You actually sound okay with it.”

Maggie shrugged. “I am okay with it. There’s nothing I can do to change the situation
and after a lot of thinking and soul searching, I don’t
want
to do anything about it.”

“That’s the spirit, Mom. I’m so proud of you.” Darren gave her a wink.

“I don’t know about you but I’m starving. Let’s order. I tried to be healthy with
just a banana for breakfast, but I’m about ready to gnaw my arm off, I’m so hungry.
I was thinking of getting a medium pizza we can split, with everything on it and extra
cheese, of course.”

“Sounds good to me.”

Around the second slice of pizza, Maggie would not be held off any longer. “Now that
you have some food in your belly, do you want to tell me what’s on your mind?” She
smiled in encouragement.

Darren put his slice of pizza down and took a sip of his soft drink before he spoke.
“Mom, I’ve met someone. I think it’s the real thing.”

Maggie frowned. This was what he had wanted to tell her? It wasn’t the big deal she
thought it would be. “Well, that’s great, honey. You’re still young, though, so I
think you should probably take things slow for now. I’d love to meet her.”

Darren prevaricated. “Well, that’s just it. This person is different.”

“What’s so different about her? Does she have a third nipple?”

“Mom!”

“What?”

“That’s pretty out there. Even if she did, do you think I’d have that conversation
with my mom? You have a twisted scene of humor.” Darren shook his head.

“Oh, come on, D. You’re twenty-three years old. I’d be extremely surprised if you
weren’t sexually active. So you would know if you partner had that kind of thing or
not.”

He gave her a stern look. “Mom, please be serious.”

“Okay, I’m sorry. I was just having a little fun. So, tell me, what’s so different
about this girl other than her third nipple?” Maggie batted her eyelashes innocently.

Darren’s eyes narrowed slightly before he spoke again. “This person is a little older
than me.”

“How much older?”

“Twelve years.”

Maggie frowned, but remained silent because she sensed more was to come.

He picked at the cheese on his pizza. “This person is white.”

“Your friend being white doesn’t bother me, but I won’t lie and say that I’m not a
little concerned about the age difference thing. I can’t help but wonder if this friend
is using you.”

“Using me for what, Mom? I don’t make a lot of money.”

Maggie rolled her eyes. “Don’t be dense. I’m talking about sex. I don’t like the idea
of someone using you as a boy toy. Where did you meet this person?”

“At the company I interned for last year.”

“Has it been going on that long?”

“We started out as friends but it progressed to more than that. We want to get a place
together when I finish school. I know I’m young, as you’ve already pointed out, but
I’m old enough to know my own heart, and this person is not using me for sex. We didn’t
even have sex until very recently.”

Maggie looked at the fierce gleam in his large brown eyes ... so much like hers. She
was certainly the last person to give relationship advice. Did she ever feel this
way about Eugene in the beginning? It was funny, but she couldn’t remember.

“You’re a grown man and you know yourself better than anyone else. I just hope he
makes you happy, or he’ll have me to deal with.” She reached over to squeeze his hand
in reassurance.

Darren looked at her sharply. “How did you know?”

“I may have been a fool about many things in my life, but I’m not stupid.”

“You never said anything.”

“I figured you’d tell me when you were ready.”

“But how did you guess?” he asked in wonder.

“Baby, a mother knows these things, and besides, I remember you used to watch the
neighbor’s son mowing their lawn. I guess I started to suspect then.”

“It showed? Oh, God!” He covered his face with his hands.

Maggie reached over to pull his hands from his face. She got up to sit next to him,
resting her head against his shoulder. “You have nothing to be ashamed of. This doesn’t
change my love for you one bit.”

His eyes shined with unshed tears. “Thank you so much, Mom. I love you so much.”

“I love you too. Now, tell me all about Mr. Wonderful.”

Darren’s face lit up. “Well, his name is Brian. He’s the CFO of the software company
I interned for. He’s so nice, Mom. You’ll love him.”

“If you love him, then I already do.”

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Just as he suspected she would, Maggie Williams had turned GianMarco’s world upside
down. He couldn’t get anything done without the memory of her warm, luscious body
pressed against his. He was constantly bombarded by thoughts of how good her pussy
would taste and how silky her skin had felt. He obsessed over wanting to sink his
teeth into her plump inner thigh and sample the sticky sweetness of her blood.

What he needed was some pussy to take his mind off his sexy employee. After this stakeout
was over he planned on getting exactly that. He couldn’t put his finger on why her
out of the number of women he’d encountered in his life, but she’d become a fire in
his blood he couldn’t extinguish. Every time he walked into the office she would greet
him with that a professional but distance smile, and go about her tasks as if he weren’t
there.

It was almost as if he’d imagined the entire incident in her apartment. She didn’t
seem at all as affected by him as he was by her, and that bothered the hell out of
him. He would be damned if he lowered himself by reading her mind. If he did, he would
be admitting to himself that he actually cared about her beyond a quick fuck.

This morning he had walked into the office to find her behind her desk as usual but
eating a banana. He had watched silently as she slid the long fruit between her glossy
lips; his cock had sprung to attention. He had been so fucking horny at the sight
of her eating that goddamn banana that he’d rushed into his office and closed the
door behind him.

He had eased his cock out of his slacks and began to pump it roughly in his fist to
alleviate the ache she had caused. Damn her and her stupid banana. Remaining distant
from her was not working.

Because of her, GianMarco had just lost track of someone he’d been trailing for a
client. He prided himself on what he did. He and Oliver ran the best detective agency
in the city because of Oliver’s meticulous attention to detail and GianMarco’s uncanny
ability to get into places most people wouldn’t be able to due to his supernatural
abilities. He grumbled, frustrated with himself for allowing a piece of ass distract
him.

In his self-deprecating state, he nearly missed the flurry of motion he caught from
the corner of his eye from across the street. He locked his gaze on Mrs. Ewing, his
client’s cheating wife who had just come out of the hotel room with Mr. Ewing’s brother.
Because GianMarco had been so deep in thought, he had missed her going into the hotel,
but from her pattern he had guessed correctly that she would end up here. GianMarco
pulled out his camera and snapped pictures. Mrs. Ewing and her brother-in-law embraced
each other passionately, kissing as if they were stars of a live action porn film.

Mrs. Ewing laughed as her brother-in-law groped her ass. GianMarco figured she was
probably a wildcat in the sack since bored housewives usually were. At least his client
would now know the truth. Humans were a funny lot with their hypocritical, self-righteous
ways. His client was a powerful lobbyist on Capitol Hill who, GianMarco knew, was
screwing his eighteen-year-old babysitter. Despite the client’s own indiscretions,
Mrs. Ewing would probably be served with divorce papers and a petition for a huge
alimony sum since the money was hers.

He couldn’t imagine why people would bother to marry if they had no intention of remaining
faithful. Vows of love and devotion were meaningless if they could be so easily broken.
Vampires were polyamorous by nature, but when they found their one perfect mate, it
was forever. They never strayed, excluding the occasional times when it was necessary
for a mate to be with different partners, like feedings, but it was done with the
knowledge and permission of one’s mate.

GianMarco planned on telling Oliver that he refused to do any more adultery cases.
They were tedious and grating to his nerves. Besides, they presented no challenge.
He was about to pull out of the parking lot when his business cell phone rang. He
didn’t recognize the number on the display but he received a lot of calls on this
phone through referral. “GianMarco Grimaldi speaking.”

"The only response was the sound of breathing. This was definitely no potential client.
His sixth sense went berserk. He could feel it in his bones something definitely was
off. “Hello?” He practically shouted into the phone unable to shake the feeling something
wasn’t right.

Fuck it. He didn’t have time to play phone games; it was time to locate a partner
for a little afternoon delight. He found himself driving downtown where he spotted
a petite brunette. She was a little on the thin side, but she had a large, round ass—perfect
for riding. A grin tilted his lips. Mission accomplished.