Tangled In Strings

Chapter Twenty-Six

I nearly laugh. He sputters, and his eyes flicker to mine in disbelief. And within seconds, I can tell he knows who I am as well. He chuckles, and asks the question again.

"Same as her," Giovanni mutters.

"Long Island Iced Tea?"

Giovanni eyes widen and the guy begins to laugh, with me. "Kidding. Sweet tea coming up."

Giovanni looks at me, scowling.

"He knows quite a bit about our fight."

"Ah, indulging the bartender were you?"

"Sure."

"At least he knows you're taken."

"Had to fight off his advances somehow," I reply, smirking wider when his features harden, his teeth gritting together. The smile he answers me with is full of annoyance, and frustration—and adoration.

"You probably just made it known I'm pregnant though with that look."

He shakes his head, sighing. "Our lives are public knowledge anyway. That might as well happen too."

The bartender shows up, and deposits his drink, but Giovanni doesn't reach for it.

"I bet this isn't what you were expecting when you got here today," I say to him, to get rid of the silence.

"This is exactly what I expected. I knew you'd be pissed." He scoffs, rolling his eyes. "You'd rather be abused by a fucking lunatic than ask for help from me. There's truly something wrong with you."

"Yes, there is."

He looks at me, as if he were hoping for me to get upset by that and snap back at him, and that I've failed him with my answer to make him look bad.

"Put yourself in my shoes, Giovanni. If the roles were reversed, would you let me give up everything for you? I know for a fact you wouldn't because you were prepared to leave me once before for that exact reason. You'd force me to take your money. You'd force me to let you fix it."

"Scarlett."

"Why is it different now? You made the decision. You did the hard work. Now, let me fix it. Is it because I'm a woman and you're a man that you have trouble accepting it?"

"I could say no, but that would be a lie. I've been raised a certain way, Scarlett."

"I'm going to be your wife. I'm going to be the mother of your child." His eyes widen at the heaviness that accompanies those words, and I take his hand on his lap, squeezing. "In my eyes, that means that everything I have will be ours, not just mine. I didn't even want the inheritance. I told Norman I didn't want it and he insisted. Just take it."

"No."

"Goddammit, Giovanni!" I growl, trying to turn toward the bar, but his legs are strong enough to pull my knees back toward him. "You're being ridiculous—"

His hand grips my chin with strong fingers, and his lips cut off my words, landing on my mouth with hard determination. When he feels my mouth give way to his probing tongue, slackening with not an ounce of resistance, he releases his grip on my chin and his hand curls around my face, and around the nape of my neck, having succeeded in his statement of power. It's a sore area, but I'm too worked up to stop. My hands work their way up from his smooth shirt, and up into his hair, clutching the ends of the curls tightly.

"I'm so mad at you," I whisper against his lips. He nods, gasping against my skin.

"I know."

The bar is staring at us. Bartender guy has realized there's no way in hell he's got any chance. I feel the eyes; catch the cell phones pointed our way out of the corner of my eye.

I'm not surprised. Giovanni reconnecting and tonguing his girlfriend in a bar is news. Considering that he's already made news, this is just more gossip to run. Maybe it will lessen the rest of it.

I should pull back, but I don't. I clasp my hands behind his neck, holding them there. He nuzzles his nose against mine, wrapping his arm around my back.

"You know why I had to do it," he admits, low enough only I can hear it.

I nod, my forehead pressed to his and he leans in, kissing my cheek with a sweet gentleness.

"You know why I had to hate it," I whisper back, and he nods too, holding me tighter.

My chair begins to buzz, and I sigh against him, closing my eyes. We detangle enough for me to reach onto the corner of the chair, where my purse rests. I answer Norman's call.

"We're on our way. Don't worry."

My smile fades when the voice that answers me is his nurse.

"Scarlett...it's Deborah..."