Picture of Alessandro on the side...You are welcome ;)
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Chapter 14
A few hours of visiting with his parents and the guys from the firehouse was wearing him out. They all decided to leave and one by one they hugged him and left.
“I’m sorry about earlier,” he told me. I looked at him curiously not sure what he was talking about. He looked at me for a moment and then sighed.
“Flirting with the nurse earlier, I’m sorry. I just like to tease you,” he told me with chagrin all over his face.
“Alessandro, I really think that joking and teasing is how we started so don’t worry about it. It’s kind of how we work, but so help me if you flirt with her again, I will rip her hair out and tell your momma on you,” I told him with a smile not really knowing if that was a joke or not. He laughed at me then yawned loudly.
“Get some rest. The next several days will probably be rough,” I told him as I leaned in and kissed his lips softly. The heat in his stare when I pulled away was enough to make me nearly fall to my knees.
“You could climb in here and rest with me,” He said mischievously. I shook my head smiling the whole time, reveling in the notion that he feels this insane attraction too.
“I don’t think so. We probably wouldn’t do much resting if I got into bed with you,” I said.
“I don’t see the problem,” He said waggling his eyebrows at me. I rolled my eyes.
“I love you,” I told him without getting any closer to him because I knew he would just pull me down into the bed and I would probably never leave his side.
“I know,” he said just before I heard his snores. Poor thing held on as long as he could. Things between the two of us have gotten serious quick. I’m not sure that moving this fast is going to be okay. What if he gets overwhelmed or what if Brian comes sniffing around again. Just because he is in trouble doesn’t mean he can’t get to me through his brother or friends or a hired hand, I mean I’m not stupid. He has ways of getting to me even if he, himself doesn’t do the deed. Looking down at Alessandro, I smile knowing he will be asleep for hours. While looking at him, I realize that I have to go grocery shopping for supplies for his house. He has been in the hospital for months; nothing in his refrigerator will be edible. While he is sleeping I will go stock up and then come back and clean his fridge out and replace it with the stuff I buy. Driving to the market, I started singing along to the radio at the top of my lungs. This caused me to laugh out loud at myself. Since Alessandro got shot I haven’t even been able to listen to music because it would only make me sad. After finally finding a parking spot at the market I start walking into the store with a little extra bounce in my step.
“Rhetta,” I heard someone call out from behind me as I entered the grocery market. Spinning around I come face to face with my nightmare in real life, James. Brian has sent his brother to probably kidnap me again and kill me this time. Panic started to kick in; my heart began racing and my palms were sweating. I just stood there staring at him with horror in my eyes.
“Rhetta, can we talk?” James asked.
“I am not going anywhere with you James!” I said with all the bravery I didn’t feel. He looked at me confused and then with understanding.
“No, I promise I am not going to do anything to you. I just want to talk for a minute. How about we set at that picnic table right here in the front of the store; that way you know I won’t pull anything funny,” he offered motioning to the large picnic table in the front of the store lobby. I nodded and followed him to the table, sitting opposite him. I wasn’t taking any chances.
He had his hands folded on the table in front of him and was looking down at them.
“Uh-I, hell I don’t even know what to say. Look, I’m real sorry about what Brian did. I promise that I didn’t know anything about his plans to kill you. The whole time you were together he told me that he was rough on you sometimes, because that’s what you needed from him. He said it worked for you guys. Now that I have had time to think about everything, I know I was wrong to sit aside and watch him hit you. At the time, I thought it was none of my business and that if you didn’t like it you would’ve left him a long time ago. For what it’s worth I’m real, real sorry,” He said looking me dead in the eye at the end of his speech. Floored, I was completely stunned by his confession. It was clear in his eyes that he was sincere in his apologies. Reaching over the table I laid my hand on his not looking away from his eyes.
“I can forgive you James, so long as you promise not to ever help him in any way ever get to me again,” I told him. I need to forgive him for me, not him. It makes my heart feel lighter to not hold the hatred inside me. As I started to pull my hand away from him I felt a drop of moisture hit my fingertips. Looking up into his face again, I was shocked to see that it was a tear from James. Only a few fell from his eyes but I saw them.
“Thank you,” he said as he wiped his hand across his face. He stood to leave.
“James?” I said questioningly.
“Jamie, call me Jamie,” he said with a half-smile.
“Jamie, would you like to come over for dinner Saturday?” I asked. I knew I had to do this to truly forgive him for everything.
“I’d really like that, if you are sure?” he asked looking at his feet. It was strange seeing James or Jamie, I guess, look so vulnerable.
“I’m sure so I will see you about seven Saturday?” I asked he nodded and walked away with a little wave my way. It’s not that I am not scared to have him over for dinner, but Alessandro will be there so that gives me some courage.
As I made it back to Alessandro’s house, I noted that the kitchen light was on; signaling that Alessandro must be awake. Unlocking the door I made my way to the kitchen to find him sitting in a kitchen chair.
“Where have you been?” he asked sounding and looking very angry.
“Getting some groceries for your house,” I replied confused by his anger. He jumped out of the chair rushing toward me he wrapped his arms around me, at first, I tensed because I am used to a different reaction from an angry man. Then, I relaxed and soaked in the comfort of his arms.
“After calling you several times I began to worry something had happened to you. Please don’t do that to me again,” he begged. Pulling my phone out of my pocket I saw that the battery had gone dead at some point.
“Oh, shit my battery went dead. I’m sorry,” I told him sincerely.
“Don’t be sorry. I was just scared is all,” he told me as he brushed his lips against mine. As he tried to deepen the kiss I pulled away smiling at him as he tried to pull me back into the kiss.
“Uh-uh mister, I have groceries to get in here before they ruin out in the car and you are going to sit on your behind and rest,” I told him. He huffed but conceded as he sat in the kitchen chair. As I was carrying in the groceries, anytime I walked past him he would smack my behind. At first it was cute then it just became annoying. Finally, the last time he did so I turned on him glaring, “You are asking for it mister,” I said as I pointed my finger in his face. He quickly raised both hands in surrender while raising his eyebrows in fake innocence. Turning back to put the groceries away I felt another smack to my behind but before I could turn to teach him a lesson I was pinned against the counter with his arms wrapped around me. His mouth was teasing my neck as he breathed there. His mouth was so close to touching my skin that I broke out in goose bumps from my head to my toes. Ending my torture or beginning it I’m not sure, he brought his mouth down to suck on the skin just above my collarbone.
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Oh I am so mean, right? LOL you may bash my meanness below in the comment box muwah :)
