Torn

Chapter Eight

Marina

“HOPE YOUR BOY Toy shows up soon. I’m about ready to take off,” Gina mutters as she wipes her hands on a rag at the sink. She’s just finished making a new creation, and I told her I’d wanted her to stick around for Gage’s arrival so I could use her for protection.

She’d been surprised but hadn’t made me explain myself too much, thank God. Just nodded, told me she was in the mood to experiment and since it was my Uncle Joe’s poker night, she would stay after work and hang out with me.

So I watched her make a chocolate raspberry cake that smelled divine and had the best frosting I’ve ever tasted. All the while, we talked. About the bakery, what our individual plans were for the next year, what we thought we could to do take the bakery to a higher level.

It was fun. My aunt is savvy about business, creative, with an endless list of ideas. I briefly explained how I was going to meet Archer. She thought it was a fabulous idea, which pleased me. I wanted her on board. I consider Gina my business partner, and I hope she feels the same way.

Plus, she helped ease my nerves about Gage coming to pick me up and take me to dinner. As the time draws closer to Gage showing up, I’m worrying about potentially bad situations. Like the two of us alone in his car on the way to the restaurant. Yeah, that could be scary.

Scary and exciting, if the two emotions can coexist.

I believe when it comes to Gage and me, they definitely can.

“Where’s he at?” Gina asks, interrupting my thoughts. “It’s almost quarter after seven.”

I push down the threatening irritation, glancing down at my black sparkly top and picking off a piece of lint. I finally decided on a top that shows off a lot of skin without looking sluttish. Because I don’t want to tempt Gage or give him the wrong message. I refuse to have sex with him again tonight.

And if he keeps me waiting much longer, we will most definitely not be having sex tonight. Or any other night.

“So he goes from Rat Boy to Boy Toy?” I ask her, wanting to change the focus of our conversation. If we keep going on about how late he is, I’m just going to get madder.

“Oh, yes.” She smiles. “Rat Boy is quite handsome, so that’s a bit of a stretch for a nickname, you know? He’s got that pretty face I’m sure you enjoy staring at.”

I feel my cheeks heat but don’t say anything. I do enjoy looking at that pretty face. She knows me too well.

“And who wouldn’t? I don’t mind looking at it either.” Her smile blossoms into a full-blown grin. “Has your mama met him yet?”

“God, no,” I mutter. “She’d flip out and have us engaged within minutes.”

Gina laughs. She knows it’s true. “She’d probably be picking out your wedding china patterns and prepping the baby announcements.”

I laugh with her. “She knows I’m going out to dinner with him, but I told her it was nothing serious. That it’s just business.”

“Business, huh?” You know, the more I think about it, I find it hard to believe. He’s a charmer, that man. I think you might’ve fallen under his spell.” Gina raises a skeptical eyebrow, but I ignore it.

“Really, Gina. This has nothing to do with his charm and everything to do with talking to Archer Bancroft about your desserts in his hotels. Remember?” When she nods reluctantly, I continue. “He’s good friends with Archer. We’re going out to dinner with him and his fiancé. I hope to present my idea in the next week or two, but tonight will help break the ice.”

“Ah, such a wonderful idea. Truly.” Gina takes off her dirty apron and tosses it into the laundry hamper, then comes toward me and wraps me into a big hug. “Such a smart girl you are, Marina. I wish your parents could see how much you love the bakery. I’m afraid they’re going to sell it.”

My heart sinks into my toes, reminding me of the other reason Gage is in my life. He plans on taking everything away from me anyway.

Makes me wonder why I’m trying to get in with Archer’s hotels when the bakery might eventually disappear. “I wish they could see how much the bakery means to you, too.”

Gina shrugs as she withdraws from my embrace. “Perhaps we should make a presentation to the family as well. Convince everyone that we need to keep the bakery for the both of us.”

That sounds like an impossible feat. The bakery is right smack in the middle of the block of buildings that my family owns. I really doubt they’d sell all around it and let us have this space. “We can try, right?” I ask weakly.

She cups my cheek, giving my face a little shake. “Don’t sound so defeated, girly. We could turn this around. Don’t think we’re already beat.”

Hard to do, considering I feel like the both of us are working toward an impossible goal. “Yeah, I know.” The bell above the front door jingles, indicating someone’s entered the café. “I should go check who’s here.” It’s probably Gage, and my heart starts racing just thinking about seeing him.

I have got it so bad. And it is so wrong to feel this way.

“Don’t keep your new man waiting,” Gina teases and I stick my tongue out at her.

Someone clears their throat, drawing mine and Gina’s attention. We both turn toward the front of the kitchen to find Gage standing in the doorway, looking downright sinful clad in jeans and a charcoal-gray sweater. He smiles at us, but I see the apprehension in his eyes.

He looks nervous. I think it’s cute. Plus, his discomfort eases mine.

“Well, look who finally decided to show up,” Gina declares in her booming voice as she moves away from me. She strides toward Gage, grabs him by his broad shoulders, and pulls him into an easy hug.

He looks startled, patting her back awkwardly. “Nice to see you again, Aunt Gina.”

“Great to see you, too. You do casual very well.” She pats his chest, her fingers lingering.

Oh, good lord. Talk about embarrassing. And are his cheeks turning pink?

“Look at him, Marina. Your Boy Toy is extra pretty tonight.” Gina takes Gage by the hand and leads him to me.

“Boy Toy?” He raises a brow, stopping just in front of me. His full lips are curved into a secretive smile and a rush of memories floods me. How those lips feel on mine. How excellent he is with his hands. The smell of his skin, the way his soft hair curls around my fingers . . .

“I’ve upgraded your nickname. Thought Rat Boy was a little rude,” Gina explains.

His expression goes solemn, though his lips twitch. “I appreciate that.”

“Well, you two best be moving along. You’ve kept Marina here waiting long enough.” She pushes the both of us, hurrying us out of the kitchen. I grab my purse from where I left it beneath the front counter, slinging it over my shoulder as I watch Gina bustle around the café, checking everything before locking up. “You two have fun tonight, all right?”

“Need any help?” I ask, keeping my voice low when I grab hold of her elbow before she can escape me again.

She flashes me a smile. “I’ve got this, sweetheart. You go have fun.”

I release my hold on her, rolling my eyes as I turn to Gage. He’s watching me; his gaze sweeps over me, slow and easy, and just like that arousal trickles through my blood, heating my skin. My aunt is forgotten, the bakery, everything else, and it’s just me and him, standing in front of the door, the spot where just last night he had me pressed against the cold glass while he kissed me senseless.

“So I’m your Boy Toy?” he asks, his voice a husky murmur that sends chills down my spine.

“If the shoe fits,” I tease, pleased when he opens the door for me like a gentleman should. He has manners. This is a plus.

“I have no problem with it,” he teases back, his eyes twinkling. “I know you weren’t complaining last night.”

Glaring at him, I tilt my head to my thankfully still oblivious aunt. “Keep your voice down.”

His expression switches to serious. “Sorry. Forgot myself.”

I understand. I think we both forget ourselves when we’re in each other’s presence. Easy to do, considering the obvious chemistry sparkling between us.

This is going to be a long night.

Gage

SHE’S SO FUCKING gorgeous I can’t get over it. All that long, tumbling blonde hair caught up in a high ponytail, showing off the pretty, irresistible curve of her neck. The neck I licked and nibbled last night, making her groan with pleasure, her hands clutching me tight . . .

Blowing out a harsh breath, I lead her outside toward where my car is parked at the curb. She stops short when she sees it, her wide-eyed gaze meeting mine. “That’s your car?”

I nod, hitting the keyless remote in my hand so the doors unlock. “Yeah, that’s my baby.” I open the door to my newest purchase—a sleek, pearl-white Maserati Ghibli—and as I guide her into her seat, I can’t help but like the way she looks settled inside my car.

I like the way she looks everywhere, as long as she’s with me, if I’m being truthful.

What the ever-loving fuck?

Yeah. I’ve lost my mind. One night with a woman and I’m addicted. I think I want her even more because she’s so damn indifferent.

“Your baby?” she asks me pointedly when I slide into the driver’s seat, gripping the steering wheel. “This is a Ghibli.”

Okay. I’m fucking impressed. Most women don’t give a shit about cars. Or they’ll be able to recognize a brand but not the model. “You’re right. I have a thing for cars. I like to collect them,” I admit, starting the vehicle. It roars to life, the engine purring a low, sexy rumble that seems to vibrate throughout the entire interior.

I wonder if Marina would let me bang her in the back seat. That would make this a more than memorable date.

“I love Maserati. My dad has owned a few himself. He used to collect cars,” she admits, her voice wistful. “Not so much the last few years since he really doesn’t have the time. Or the money.”

Guilt assuages me at the money reference. But I can’t help but be excited by the discovery that I have something in common with Scott Knight. “How many cars does he have?”

“Too many for me to count.” She laughs and shakes her head, her hair rubbing against the soft Italian cream-colored leather. “He had an entire shop built to store them all. Most of them are vintage American classics mixed with a few Italian vehicles—homage to my mother’s family.”

“Nice.” I pull out into traffic, shifting the car into gear as I slow down, and turn right. “I have a garage filled with the cars I’ve collected over the years. I started collecting when I was twenty-one.”

“Really? How many do you have?”

I’m sort of blown away that we’re having a normal conversation like normal people. No snarky remarks or rude comments. And that we actually have something in common—it’s one of my favorite things to talk about, fast and expensive cars. “I have some in storage too. I think—yeah, I have close to one hundred cars in my collection so far.”

“Wow. I know my dad had more than one hundred at one point, but I’m afraid he’s sold quite a few of them.” She nibbles on her lower lip, looking worried. “It makes him sad to lose them, but it needed to be done.”

I can’t imagine having to sell even one of my cars because times were tough. I’d do it if I had to but . . . I wouldn’t want to. I feel for her father.

I also feel like an asshole. I want to buy property from her father for a steal, so I can turn it around and make a profit. Plus, I’m dating his daughter in the hopes I can get closer to him.

Though, really I like her. A lot. I’m not with her just so I can have an in with Scott Knight. I’m with Marina because I want to be.

“I’d love to see what remains of his collection some time.” I would. Not just because I could get an in with him, but I’m genuinely interested. What if he has my dream car in his shop? Not that I have a particular car I’m yearning for, but hey, it could happen.

“Um, yeah.” She fidgets in her seat, looking decidedly uncomfortable. “You know I still live at home, right?”

I’m shocked. I hadn’t a clue. “You do? How old are you?”

She glares at me. Uh oh. Here we go, right into “let’s-see-how-out-of-hand-we-can-get-before-we-start-calling-each-other-names.” “I’m twenty-three,” she sniffs, all haughty Italian princess-like. “How old are you?”

“Twenty-eight.”

“Really?” She sounds surprised. I glance at her to find she looks surprised too. “I thought you were older.”

“How much older?” Shit, do I look old? I’m tempted to check myself out in the rearview mirror, but I resist the urge.

“I don’t know.” She shrugs, glances out the window. “Early thirties?”

“You like older men?” I tease.

She turns to glare at me again. “Not at all. I usually date men more my age.” Her comment is pointed. Now she’s really making me feel like a dirty, lecherous old man.

“I’m not even thirty,” I mutter, shaking my head. Maybe we should quit talking. I never know what’s going on in Marina’s head. Our banter feels pretty comfortable at the moment, but we could slip into argument mode in a hot second. And I don’t want us fighting before we get to the restaurant. Ivy will pick up on the tension rumbling between us and want to know what’s going on. So would Archer probably, though he’s pretty damn oblivious when it comes to that stuff.

Marina remains quiet, too; her hands curled in her lap, her head turned away, so she can stare out the window and watch the passing scenery. So I remain silent, sneaking the occasional glance at her hair, loving the multiple shades of blonde and brown mixed, knowing without a doubt that she’s a natural blonde, now that I’ve seen her naked.

Thinking of her naked sends my thoughts into other directions. Dangerous, dirty, and unnecessary directions that I shouldn’t be focusing on at the moment. Thinking of the two of us together leaves me feeling needy. Vulnerable.

Hungry. Starving, more like it. All for her.

Fuck.

“Can I ask you a question?” I gotta break the tension and talk about something else before I lose it and attack her.

She turns to look at me. “Go for it,” she says warily.

“You’re a blonde.”

A smile teases the corner of her lips. “That’s not a question.”

“I thought Italians weren’t normally blonde,” I say lamely, feeling like a jackass. I’m trying to make conversation, and I feel like an idiot. This woman just makes me so damn . . . nervous. I can’t explain it.

“I’m not one hundred percent Italian, you know. My dad is what he calls a mutt,” she says, her voice light. She seems to like talking about her family, and I like it too. Any tidbit I can get on Scott Knight, I can turn around and use later.

But I also like learning more about her. I’m curious. I want to know. Usually I run the other direction when a woman wants to tell me her life story. So many of them do, going on and on about their past, their family, their friends. It all starts to sound like monotonous noise after a while.

Not with this woman. She offers these glimpses of her personal life so rarely, I cherish every tidbit I learn. Which is fucking crazy, truly. I shouldn’t be that wrapped up in her, wanting to learn more, everything about her, wanting to kiss her . . .

“A mutt, huh?” I don’t even know what to say to that for fear I’ll mistakenly insult her father and piss her off.

She offers me a secretive smile, the sight of it sending a zing straight to my heart—and my cock. This woman twists me up into such complete knots, I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to unwind myself from them—or her. “My mother is Sicilian. There are a lot of blonde, blue- and green-eyed Sicilians out there. I happen to be one of them.”

A beautiful one, too. She’s so beautiful just looking at her hurts.

Not having her in front of me to look at hurts too.

Which means at the mere age of twenty-eight, I am completely ruined for any other woman. And I don’t even care. I want to revel in the ruin.

My brain on overload, I drive the rest of the way to the restaurant in silence, taking the curves at high speed, enjoying the way the tires stick to the road, the squeal of rubber on asphalt making me smile. I downshift, the whine of the engine like music to my ears, and the faster I drive, the more I get into it.

“You’re crazy,” she whispers as I gain speed, going close to one hundred on a straightaway a few miles from the restaurant.

I roll down the windows, let the cool night air wash over my heated skin. Her hair blows everywhere, even restrained by the ponytail, and a long blonde strand hits me in the face, causing me to push it away. I chance a look at her, see that she’s gripping the edge of her seat, her body on edge, her expression full of . . . excitement?

Really?

“You like it,” I say, my tone practically a dare. “You’re literally sitting on the edge of your seat.”

“I do like it,” she quietly admits, her wild eyes meeting mine. A shaky exhalation leaves her, and she nods toward me. “Go faster.”

My foot presses on the gas pedal, picking up speed. She’s watching me; I can feel her gaze on me, and I reach toward her, pushing all that sexy, wind-blown hair away from her face. Before I can drop my hand, she leans her cheek into my palm, then turns and presses a hot, wet kiss to my flesh, her tongue darting out for a quick lick.

I swear.

Ah, hell. I grow instantly hard, letting my hand fall from her cheek, but she wraps her fingers around my wrist, bringing my hand to her mouth and drawing my index finger deep inside her mouth, dragging her wet, lush lips along the length before she releases it, her eyes never leaving mine.

Easing my foot off the gas, I swallow hard. She’s going to kill me. I tear my gaze from hers, keeping my attention on the road. It’s dark, it feels like we’re virtually alone, and I’m tempted. So tempted to pull over, kiss her until she’s gasping my name, and then fuck her in the back seat just like I first envisioned.

I chance a glance at her, see the flushed cheeks, the parted lips. I recognize that look from last night. She’s aroused.

Hell, yeah. So am I.

Downshifting, I pull over. I throw the car into park and lean over the center console at the exact time she moves toward me. We attack each other, lips searching, hands wandering, clinging, fighting to draw our bodies closer, but the awkward space makes it difficult.

“I want you,” she whispers against my mouth before she sucks my lower lip between hers. “Please.”

“Seriously?” I’m in absolute shock. She acted like having sex with me was the biggest mistake of her life. But here she is leaning into my hands as I curve them around her breasts, her breaths coming out in sharp pants as she rests her hands over mine, making me squeeze her breasts together.

Damn, she’s hot.

“Seriously.” Her voice tinged with amusement, she withdraws from my touch, moving closer to the passenger side door. Slowly she reaches for the hem of her shirt and tugs it up, then off, tossing it onto the back seat. Her bra is black, smooth satin and my mouth waters as she reaches behind her, unclasping it and tearing it off so it falls from her fingertips onto the floorboard.

I can’t form words. She strips off each article of clothing until she’s completely naked, coming at me like a woman possessed. I feel like a man possessed, obsessed with the feel of her soft skin beneath my palms, the taste of her. She climbs on top of me, pressing all that hot, wet deliciousness against my denim-covered cock, grinding against me like she’s trying to get off.

Shit. Maybe she is trying to get off.

But no. She wants to involve me in the action too. Her nimble fingers undo my button fly and she’s reaching inside my boxer briefs, sure fingers curling around the length of my cock. Knowing I’m about to blow, I lightly slap her hand away, reaching behind me to pull out my wallet and the condom nestled within.

I packed extra in the glove compartment earlier. I’m not an idiot.

“You make me crazy,” she whispers, snatching it out of my fingers. She tears into it, rolling the condom onto my cock and then she’s on top of me, slowly sinking until I’m completely imbedded inside her.

A car drives by, the bright white lights flashing across her, offering me a glimpse of her swaying breasts, her hips as they slowly move up and down. I grasp her there, steadying her, keeping her slow, afraid I’ll ruin it by coming too fast.

Because holy shit, I’m ready to explode. I’m still fully clothed save for my open jeans and she’s deliciously naked. All that fragrant, soft skin is wrapped around me, her breasts in my face, nipples teasing my lips. I draw one in deep, sucking, tonguing, teasing her until she’s tossing her head back, riding me relentlessly. I shift away from her, wanting to watch. She’s beautiful in her abandon, so lost as she races toward that delicious moment, and I want to mark this moment permanently in my brain.

“So good,” she breathes, tipping her head back down so she can press her forehead to mine. I tip my chin up, brush her mouth with mine and she devours me. The kiss hot, wet. Deep. I grip the end of her ponytail, tugging hard and she gasps.

Damn. She likes that too. If we didn’t hate each other so much, I’d believe she was made just for me.

“Harder, Gage,” she encourages, her hands gripping my shoulders. “Make me come.”

Ah, fuck. I can’t resist that. I increase my pace, thrusting hard, filling her again and again until she’s crying out my name, her body quivering, sobs falling from her lips as she collapses against me.

I hold her close, tracing circles on her back with my fingertips, making her shiver. Her grip around my neck is like a vice, her face buried into my neck. I feel her warm lips press sweet kisses to my flesh, and I squeeze her closer, our racing hearts in complete and total sync.

“You haven’t come yet,” she whispers against my throat, her tongue licking.

My cock twitches. It’s more than aware of that. “I know.”

She lifts her head up, her arms loosely resting around my neck, her expression slumberous and full of satisfaction. “Let me make that up to you,” she murmurs as she slowly starts to grind against me.

I wrap my hands around her waist, guiding her, my gaze locked where our bodies meet. She’s moving on me slow and sure, little murmurs of pleasure escaping her, and I can’t look away. I’m entranced by the way she moves, the words she says, the way she looks at me.

What am I doing? What is she doing to me? I feel lost . . . gloriously, deliciously lost in my need to have her.

Only her.

I’m closer to the edge, unable to hold back, when she reaches between us and touches my cock, then her clit. The sight of her slender fingers playing down there sends me right over the edge, making me gasp as my hips buck against her. She smiles her encouragement, murmuring my name, and I grab hold of her ponytail pulling her face to mine so I can drown in her kiss.

Fuck. I’m wrecked. All because of this woman.