Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 76782 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 384(@200wpm)___ 307(@250wpm)___ 256(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76782 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 384(@200wpm)___ 307(@250wpm)___ 256(@300wpm)
Her blue eyes meet mine. “Thank you, Daniel. Dominick is right. You are a good man.”
“That’s debatable,” Gina whispers.
I hold in a laugh as I take the seat next to her and buckle in. “It’s good to see you, too.”
She lowers her sunglasses far enough that her eyes lock with mine. “We need to talk about undoing what happened last night, but not here. I don’t want any of them to know.”
Since Bella and Barrett are seated in the row behind Dominick and Arietta, I get it.
“Understood, wife,” I whisper.
She shakes her head. “I can’t think about that right now.”
“Then don’t.” I smile at the flight attendant as she approaches with a glass of water in her hand.
I down the entire thing in one quick gulp before I hand it back to her.
“I wanted some,” Gina says in a low tone. “I’m so thirsty.”
“Can you bring some for my seatmate?” I ask the flight attendant. “A glass before take off, and then we’ll take as much as you’ve got.”
Her gaze jumps from my face to Gina. “It looks like Vegas got the better of you two. I hope it was a trip to remember.”
“It was,” we say in unison.
I glance at Gina. “I, for one, will never forget this trip.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Gina
“Daniel will stay with Gina,” Bella suggests.
Wait. What?
I look at her. “Isabella!”
“What?” She shrugs. “You have an empty extra bedroom. Daniel needs a place to crash for a few days. Calvettis don’t allow family to stay at hotels. At least not if we have room.”
I pinch myself to make sure I’m not still asleep.
It hurts so dammit, this is not an ongoing nightmare.
I had a bad one on the plane that continued when I woke up to find myself leaning against Daniel’s shoulder. He was quick to tell me that I spent the entire flight like that, nestled up close to him while I snored peacefully.
“I’d offer our extra bedroom, but Arietta wants Vernon to stay with us,” Dominick explains. “She’s on the phone with her mom now. It sounds like her grandfather will be discharged from the hospital tomorrow morning.”
“Not a problem.” Daniel glances at me.
I look away, focusing on where Arietta is standing with Barrett. They are near the luggage carousel, waiting for Bella’s bag. Realizing that I checked a bag, too, I start to head in that direction.
I don’t make it more than a foot before Dominick’s hand is wrapped around my forearm. “You’re fine with him staying with you, right?”
Daniel Lawton has an apartment in the city, so I remind my brother because it seems he forgot. “He has his own place. He can head straight there once we leave the airport.”
Dominick cracks a smile for the first time all day. “He sold his place in the city, Gina. You know that.”
I don’t know that. In fact, this is the first I’ve heard of it.
“So we’re good, right?” Dominick presses. “He’ll stay in your guestroom.”
I shrug my shoulders since I owe my brother at least a million favors in return for everything he’s ever done for me. “Sure. Why not?”
“Thanks, Gina,” Daniel says from next to me.
I acknowledge his gratitude with a weak smile even though I don’t look to where he is.
My gaze is locked on a woman heading straight for me. I’ve seen that look on people’s faces before. If I try and run, I’ll know she’ll catch me. I should have packed jeans and sneakers for this trip, but I didn’t.
That’s why I’m wearing a floral wrap dress and three inch nude heels.
“Gina Calvetti?” The woman’s voice rings through the airport terminal. “Are you Gina Calvetti?”
My self-imposed rules dictate that I need to be kind to people who recognize me. It comes with the job.
“I am,” I tell her as she nears me.
“I can’t believe it.” She laughs. “My daughter adores you. I wish she were here. She’s going to lose it when I tell her that I saw you at the airport.”
I step to the side to put distance between the woman and my family.
None of them signed up for this. My grandmother has had to endure countless people rushing into her restaurant in search of a glimpse of me.
Dominick has fielded dozens of phone calls at work from strangers asking if we’re related. Some of my cousins with the same surname as me have been subjected to that, too.
“Let’s take a picture for her,” I offer. “You can show her that.”
“Seriously?” The woman asks, sliding a palm over her dark-brown hair. “You don’t mind?”
“Not at all.” I manage a smile.
I wait for her to find an angle she’s pleased with before she snaps a few pictures with her phone.
She studies each of the images before showing me one. “You’re beautiful, Miss Calvetti.”
“Gina,” I gently correct her. “Thank you. You’re stunning, too.”
“Me?” She laughs off my compliment. “I look a mess. I had a last minute trip to take care of, so I haven’t taken a brush to my hair in over a day. I’m just about to jump in a cab and head home.”