She wasn’t sure what to make of him.
What to think ...
Alessio hadn’t touched her since the day in the library. He hadn’t even tried, really, but he observed her all the time. Similar to the way Corrado did, too. Like he both enjoyed what he was seeing, and, there was something about her that he couldn’t quite figure out.
It put her on edge.
And she liked it.
Which only confused Ginevra more.
Like she needed this problem.
Wasn’t being entangled with one of these men bad enough? For her, yes. She had enough shit to consider about Corrado without adding Alessio on top of the mix, too, but that’s what a single kiss had done.
A kiss.
A few words.
Poetry.
Sharing the same space.
All of this made her consider Alessio.
Refusing to go down the damn rabbit hole again, Ginevra stood from the chair, gathering the blanket into her arms. Corrado hadn’t come back after he left the living room, and she wasn’t sure how to turn off the movie using the game system remote, so she let the credits play as she headed out of the space.
Not that she needed more shit to wonder about before bed, Ginevra still lingered in the doorway of Corrado’s bedroom. He milled about the room, shedding his clothes, undoing his wristwatch, and leaving the bathroom like he wasn’t at all bothered about her staring.
Finally, he turned to give her a look as, in nothing but boxer-briefs, he came up to the side of the bed, ready to get in. “Are you sleeping in the room across the hall again, then?”
Ginevra blinked.
His frankness never failed to surprise her.
“I shouldn’t be in here,” she said truthfully.
Corrado raised a brow. “I would prefer you in my bed.”
Wow.
And he didn’t pull punches, either.
“And if you think,” he continued, not giving her the chance to speak, “you sleeping in my bed is a problem for Alessio, you’re wrong ... you’re not giving this enough consideration, Ginevra. He doesn’t care if you’re in my bed, or if I’m fucking you in the shower first thing in the morning. It’s not about sex for him—oh, he fucking loves that, yeah—but it’s something more for him about this.
“The physical side of a relationship is probably the easiest thing for him to deal with, if I’m being honest. He can compartmentalize and comprehend all the whys I want to fuck you, doesn’t see a problem, and because of that, doesn’t care. It’s not the real issue.”
“Seems strange. I would imagine that part of this would be the hardest to deal with.”
“Not for him, or me.” Corrado shrugged one shoulder, pulled the blankets back, and slipped into the bed as he said, “It’s not about the sex, and it doesn’t matter how much you think it is, it won’t change that he doesn’t give a shit.”
“He told me about where he came from, his mom, and stuff. After you left earlier, I mean.”
Corrado made a noise under his breath, dark and irritated. Over what, though, she didn’t have a clue. It could have been something hurt Alessio, or that they had a conversation. Because frankly, Alessio was right.
This man was shit at communication.
He needed to work on it.
“Stem it back to that,” Corrado said, gesturing between them, “for this, huh? You want to understand what his problem is here—it’s that. It’s about being vulnerable to someone else for Alessio, him giving something willingly when he doesn’t give it to fucking anybody.”
“Loyalty. Trust.”
“That, yeah. And I abused it, in a way.” Corrado leaned back against the headboard, using his arms crossed behind his head as a pillow while he watched her with that stare of his, so penetrating and vast. All it took was a look, too. “So, again, if you believe this is about sex, or the fact you’re in my bed might piss him off, you’re wrong. It’s not even a fraction of the problem.”
“It’s good to know, but it’s not why I came in here to talk, either.”
Corrado nodded at her. “What do you want, then?”
“I want to ask some things.”
“About?”
She shifted on her feet, tightening her hold on the blanket like it might make it easier to say the words drifting through her thoughts. Because, if she wanted to think about two men, their relationship, and her interest in both, then shouldn’t she voice those same feelings, too?
What was it her mama told her years ago?
If you suppose you’re mature enough to have sex with a man, Ginevra, then you best be ready to talk about it, too.
Right.
“How long have you been together?”
Corrado smiled a little. “Five years, or so. Almost from the day we met, but it was a shaky thing for a while.”
Huh.
“And you ... love him?”
“Even if he doesn’t want me to say it, yes.”
“Is what he told me true?”
Corrado gave her a look, murmuring, “I have no idea what he told you, Ginny.”
“That you ... share women and—”
“Yes.”
“Often?”
Corrado laughed. “I mean, not as often as you might assume. We didn’t prowl the streets every night looking for someone to take home to fuck, kitten. If it came up, then it did. We did our thing together, too, and we slept with different women alone without the other involved.”
“Sounds ... messy.”
And intriguing.
She had so many more questions about that part of Alessio and Corrado’s relationship, especially where other women came into play. But she didn’t want to mull it over right then, not that her body was giving her much of a choice. She was glad she had the blanket hanging from her arms, so Corrado wasn’t capable of seeing the way she shifted on her feet because the spot between her thighs was hot and aching for reasons she didn’t care to admit.
“And that’s what you want to keep doing with him?” she asked.
Corrado stilled on the bed, his gaze drifting from the black and gold trimmed comforter to where she still stood in the doorway. “No, not at all.”
“I don’t understand.”
“I found what I want, even if I didn’t realize I was looking for it. I don’t need to look elsewhere when it’s all right here, I need everybody else to figure it out now.”
Well ...
That only made her more confused.
“He kissed me,” she blurted. “The day he came back, I was in the library, and he kissed me.”
Corrado nodded like he already was aware. “And did you like it?”
What?
She stayed quiet.
Corrado gave her another pointed stare. “Well, did you?”
“I did.”
“Good, think about that, and what it means,” Corrado said, gesturing at her doorway to add, “And if you’re not sleeping in here tonight, then leave the door open when you leave. Good night, Ginny.”
That was it—done.
Not that it left her with any more answers.
And she still didn’t know what to do.
6.
Alessio
Are you sure you want to do this, Les?
Dare’s words from their earlier phone call drifted through Alessio’s mind as he flipped over another sheet on the contract spread out across Corrado’s desk. Placing his hands to the edge of the curved, smooth wood, he took in the words in black ink, their ramifications not lost on him should he put his name on the dotted line.