Forever Wicked

And his mother was missing the point of the question completely, probably on purpose.



“Would you do anything to comfort him if he lost something priceless?” He couldn’t compare Gia’s unflagging support of her family after Tony’s death against his mother helping her next fiancé through a missing cuff link or whatever. The questions were soaring right over his mother’s head because she valued things far more than people.



She laughed off his questions. “I’m sure I’d find the appropriate words for such a moment and hand him a double Scotch. Where are you going with this?”



Jason winced and gave up explaining it to her. She had limitations, and he wouldn’t change her. But one thought resonated in his head over and over: If he let Gia slip through his fingers, he’d probably wind up with a new wife every five or ten years, each one much like Samantha.



The thought sickened him.



But he couldn’t control everything between them. He certainly couldn’t make her love him.



Fuck.



“When is the party?”



“Tonight at eight o’clock.” She rattled off an address, somewhere off of Mockingbird in Highland Park.



Old money. Naturally.



“I have a meeting at four thirty. If it wraps before then, I’ll be there.”



“Lovely. Don’t disappoint me.” Samantha hung up.



Jason ended the call and shook his head.



He felt sorry for his mother because she would never know anything deeper than the joy of pretty, shiny things for sale. She’d never really feel her heart. Moreover, he didn’t want to be like her. He wanted what Gia’s parents had.



He wanted Gia.



How could he impress that upon her when he saw her this afternoon? All his usual ideas—jewelry, handbags, shoes—took him in the wrong direction. She wouldn’t care about any of that. She wouldn’t take a trip to an alley with him, much less anywhere tropical and fabulous so that he could romance her unless she wanted to be with him.



Other than her divorce settlement, she didn’t seem to care about money. In fact, now that he thought about it, her agreeing to spend eighteen days with him for the cash seemed out of character.



Unless the money wasn’t for her at all.



He pounded on the steering wheel with a sigh. Oh, hell. He’d been so stupid.



But at least he knew what to do now.



A few errands and a lot of anxious waiting later, Jason pulled up at the park, locked his car, and headed toward their meeting point. The sun shined brightly, the thermometer edging toward the seventy degree mark as the last of autumn fought against a winter that would soon encroach. A few leaves still clung to the trees. Ducks swam in the nearby pond. Kids ran and laughed across the little stone bridge near the granite bears that served as monuments in the park. He’d grown up here and always thought of this place as a little slice of heaven, a refuge in the city.



Now being here just ate at his guts.



Jason glanced at his watch. Right on time. He looked around for Gia, leaning against a little railing, hoping like hell he’d made the right decision.



As he second-guessed himself, Gia approached in a pair of faded jeans, a simple coral-hued T-shirt paired with a beige sweater, and flip-flops. What she didn’t wear was her wedding ring or a smile. Jason couldn’t stop the anxious slide of his stomach to his toes.



He didn’t want a goddamn divorce.



“Hi,” she greeted. “Thanks for meeting me here.”



He wanted to hold her. Fuck, he wanted to take her, possess her, convince her that she was his and always would be. But she put off a vibe that gave him pause. Not a fuck-off sort…but not precisely welcoming, either.



“Of course. What’s on your mind?”



She drew in a not-quite-steady breath—a hint that she was nervous, too. “I’ve given everything that happened recently a lot of thought. I’ve made some decisions and taken some action.”



Here it came, Gia telling him that she’d filed. He clenched his jaw, braced for the worst, and resolved to at least listen before he spoke. Then he intended to fight like hell. She might not see it yet, but they were right for one another.



“We made an agreement before I came back to you. I am determined to keep up my end of things, so I’ll return for the next eight days if you want.”



“Because you want the money from the divorce settlement?”



“Yes.”



“So…you haven’t filed yet?”



“No.”



Thank God for that. “Then what? You plan to hire an attorney and just…go on with your life as if this never happened?”



“No,” she said softly. Her expression broke, and he watched her fight tears.



It took everything inside Jason not to intervene and comfort her, to reach out and try to make everything okay.



“Then what?” He frowned at her, not understanding. “Explain.”



“I won’t be the one to file. I can’t stop you if that’s what you want, but…” She shook her head, tears gathering. “I’ll never make the first move to end our marriage. I tried for a year to go on as if we never happened. I already know it’s not possible.”



His chest seized up. Breathing stopped. His heart thundered furiously. “Are you saying you don’t want a divorce?”



“No.” She emphasized her answer with a shake of her head. “I’ve given this a lot of thought. You’ve been trying to show me affection in the way you know how, with gifts. It’s not an insult, and I have to stop being too proud to see that.”



Gia had been thinking.



Relief poured through him. “I never once tried to hurt or offend you.”



“And you’ve gone out of your way to help me. Trying to have Wayman arrested is a good example. I might not like your methods, but you meant to keep me safe and eradicate him from my life all at once.”



“Two birds, one stone. I’ve been telling you my motives for a while.”



“You have, and I…” She shook her head and curled her fingers together nervously. “I can’t hate you for that.”



“Protecting what’s mine is in my nature. I know you don’t like my methods—”



“But your intentions are in the right place, I know. Sometimes, I lose my temper and I get emotional. When I look back later, I see clearly that I overreacted. I’ve gotten pretty good at eating crow over the years. I wish you had told me that you intended to deal with Wayman, but I know you didn’t mean to take away my opportunity for justice.”



“I didn’t.”



“After I calmed down, I realized that I took my frustration out on you. I’m sorry.”



“You always want to right the wrongs. I respect that about you. I’m sorry if I stepped on your toes. I might be a bit too accustomed to calling shots and making decisions.”



“I’ve heard enough of your business conversations to figure that out. I just had to calm down enough to realize you didn’t do this to hurt me.”



“Never.”



“And I wanted to be really mad at you for forcing me to introduce you to my parents.” She gave him a wry, if reluctant smile. “As hard as it is to admit it, you were right. They really love you.”



A bright spot in this mess. “I’m pretty fond of them, too. Your niece and nephew are adorable and clearly idolize you.”



“They are a handful. I’ve loved every minute I’ve been with them.” She sighed. “But we’re not here to talk about the kids.”



“No,” he agreed. “You don’t want a divorce. What do you want?”



“What do you want? When you left last night—”



“I was mad, too.” A tight grin tugged at his lips. “I don’t often lose control of my temper.”



“Do you want these last eight days with me?” Gia looked like she held her breath. “You don’t have to coerce me. I’m more than willing to give them to you.”



Jason couldn’t find her words anything other than endearing. “Why do you ask? Because you want to spend those days with me or because you need money?”



“Both,” she admitted quietly.



He watched her closely, trying to puzzle her out, but her normally expressive face didn’t give a lot away. “We can negotiate the time together. The money…” He reached into his pocket and pulled free a piece of paper he’d folded and placed there earlier after picking it up off the fax machine at his office, then he handed it to Gia.



She scanned it. “What’s this?”



“Read it,” he encouraged with a bob of his head.



With a frown, she did. Her expression changed from impatience to confusion. Finally surprise overtook her face, complete with a gasp. “You didn’t!”



“What?” he asked innocently.



“You paid off my sister-in-law’s house?”



She screeched the question, and he took a step back. “You’re mad? I’m not trying to buy you, if that’s what you think. I just thought that since you always worry about Mila and the kids—”



“Thank you!” Gia threw herself at him, arms encircling his neck, legs around his waist, squeezing tight.



Damn, the minute she touched him, he wanted to tear her clothes off, restrain her, and get as deep inside her as possible.



Not far away, he saw a few moms watching over their kids stop and stare at them. Public scenes were nothing new to him…but definitely not with kids nearby.



Jason cleared his throat and gently eased Gia to her feet. “Baby, as much as I’d love to do every fabulously dirty thing to you I can think of, now isn’t the time.”



She sent him a little scolding glance with a laugh, but she still blushed. “I know. I just… Wow, I know you paid off Mila’s mortgage for me, and I can’t think of anything that makes me happier.”



Relief wended its way through his bloodstream. “Thank God. I finally figured out this morning that you wanted the divorce settlement to help your family, so I just took care of it. I know I didn’t consult you first.”



“It’s the most thoughtful thing you’ve ever done for me.” She grinned from ear to ear. “Mila is happiest being a stay-at-home mom, and even with my salary and the proceeds from the sale of my house, I could barely keep up financially. I didn’t want her worrying about affording the house or wondering how they’d find the money to eat. Now, without a mortgage, she’ll have enough left after Tony’s death benefits to take care of their necessities and save a little for the future. She’s going to be so incredibly happy.”



“If you’re happy, that’s what matters to me.”



“I’m thrilled. But…” She winced. “I still want the money from the settlement.”



“On top of paying Mila’s mortgage? All two hundred fifty thousand?”



“Yes. Today, if you can get it to me.”



Jason’s first reaction came from the cynic in him. She wanted money and she still intended to let the divorce happen? Why? Had she decided that she couldn’t live without the swanky shopping? He stared down into those deep dark eyes of hers, the lush rosy lips and paused. Did her reasons really matter? If all he had to do in order to keep Gia was take her to the mall and buy her a few things to line her closet…



He frowned and put the brakes on that thought altogether. Gia wasn’t Samantha. She’d been thrilled that he’d spent his money paying off a family member’s house, rather than try to bribe her with baubles.



“Who needs the money?”



She bit her lip. “It’s complicated. If you’ll at least consider it, take me to your bank, and I’ll show you what I’m thinking. Then…you can decide what you want to do about the money and about us.”



Knowing his wife, the money would benefit someone else far more than her, at least directly. She would probably derive her satisfaction from knowing someone she loved no longer had to worry, but who? Her parents?



“Separate cars? You lead. I’ll follow.” They headed toward the lot.



Gia gave him a sheepish grin. She looked like such a sensual woman most of the time. Her beautiful femininity had caught his eye first. She was all curves and angles, graceful. At the moment, however, she looked a bit like a child with that smile.



“Can I ride with you?”



Jason palmed his keys. “You like the car.”



She shook her head. “No, I’m fascinated by the way you drive. It’s aggressive. And…sexy.”



Jason laughed. “Hop in.”



As he pressed the button on the fob, the car beeped and unlocked. He opened her door and helped her in, then shut her inside. Bracing against the car, he closed his eyes for a second, allowing himself a moment of triumph. She didn’t want a divorce.



So what happened with them after this jaunt to the bank? Gia wouldn’t tell him what she had in mind until she was good and ready. But any time he spent with her was a pleasure, so he played along.