Page 39 of Forgotten Comeback (Parisi Family #5)
Chapter
Thirty-Eight
Gavin
My teeth are on edge, my palms sweaty as we pull up to the building. I’m second-guessing myself, and I never second-guess myself.
Taylor McKenna continues to do dumb shit to my head.
“You alright?” Taylor eyes me.
“Yeah.” I park and hop out, sliding around the front of the car and opening her door. She accepts my hand this time, which does more of that dumb shit to my head.
“This street has a nice vibe,” Taylor comments as I usher her through the door. “Oooh, I love the old building.”
“Glad to hear it.” I fumble with the key, finally getting the door unlocked. Ushering her inside, I flip on the light and hold my breath.
Taylor silently walks around the studio space, taking in the empty frames where her artwork will go.
“Front part’s your gallery. The back part’s your studio.” I cross the room, sliding open the industrial doors. Having scoped out her art supplies at the condo, I tried to get her everything she’ll need. “These close if you want to keep the space separate…” I trail off because she’s silent.
“There’s no way I can afford the rent starting,” she says quietly.
Taylor’s not getting it.
Taking her hand, I lead her through the back and to the private stairs. She silently follows me as we reach the landing, and now, I’m breaking out in a cold sweat as I unlock the door.
Allowing her to enter first, I watch her guarded reaction. “This is your new place. No rent,” I explain.
Her mouth silently opens and then closes.
A first for this woman.
“As you pointed out, I blew up your house,” I continue. “So I figure you take this place, and we’re even.”
Taylor silently explores the living room. The framed photo of her and her grandma snags her attention, and she grabs it. The pic I snapped from my stalking came in handy, as I was able to print it.
Placing the frame back down, she examines the rest of the apartment without a word, and I trail behind her like a little puppy. The silence becomes unbearable, and my hands fall to the top of my head. “If you hate it, say so. But dammit, say something!”
She surprises me by crossing the room and wrapping her arms around my neck. “I love it.” Standing on her tiptoes, she peppers my lips with kisses.
“Yeah?” I say against her lips.
“Yeah.” Taylor breathes.
“Why don’t you get on your knees and show me how much you love it?” I suggest.
“And then you have to go ruining the moment.” Taylor smacks my chest.
I chuckle. “If you don’t like the furniture, tell me, and we can go shopping and get whatever.”
“You’d take me furniture shopping?” she asks dubiously.
“Why wouldn’t I?” Zero experience, but I figure that’s a boyfriend thing to do.
Her eyes narrow. “I swear to God, if you ghost me tomorrow, I’m going to be pissed.”
“Actions, not words. Let me prove myself,” I argue.
She’s silent for a beat. “I can’t tomorrow. I’ve got an appointment, and then I’m going to Kat’s wedding reception.”
“Oh?” I say, unease sliding down my spine.
“Um, yeah. It’s at Kat’s and Fabio’s house down the shore.” She eyes me cautiously.
“Taylor, you can’t say anything to your friend about me and you,” I warn her. “Or anyone connected to the Parisis.”
“Don’t worry.” She snorts. “I’m not sure how I would even begin to describe this situation…”
“We’re not a situation,” I correct her, my voice clipped.
“Tell me why you and Inferno wanted Kat,” she presses.
“Tell me that you’re my girl.” I’m not going to serve up my Achilles until I know she’s as crazy about me as I am about her.
“Gavin, why can’t you tell me?” She squeals as I charge forward and throw her over my shoulder.
Carrying her to the bedroom, I smack her ass before dumping her onto the bed and crawling over her luscious body. “Are we fighting, or are we fucking?”
She fists my shirt, pulling me down for a kiss as her legs wrap around my waist.
Fucking it is.
Taylor
My eyes flutter open, and it takes me a second to orient myself. Gavin’s heavy arm is banded around me, his chest rising and falling. The man’s hot, and I don’t just mean his obvious good looks. He’s at least three degrees warmer than I am; like sleeping beside a furnace.
A part of me wants to snuggle closer, but the more rational part of me says that’s a bad fucking idea. Cuddling and catching feelings.
Holding my breath, I lift his arm and place it by his side before crawling out of bed. His T-shirt is crumpled on the floor, and I scoop it up and tug it over my head. Ignoring the delicious masculine smell that fills my senses, I tiptoe out of the room and downstairs, flipping on the studio light.
Eek, my very own studio!
I do an inventory check, ecstatic that I have a collection of pre-prepped canvases; oooh, and they’re the most expensive brand on the market. Opening a box of graphite pencils, I tap one excitedly on the new sketch pad.
It’s a dream come true, except I get the feeling there’s a slew of hidden strings. Or webs, since I’m dealing with the Spider.
The Parisi family paid me off, and now Gavin has too.
And the damn thing is, I still don’t know why I’m supposed to choose sides.
Maybe their beef is about money: Gavin and Inferno’s club and fight action was cutting into the Parisi family’s action.
Everybody knows the Parisis run the streets of AC, except Gavin and Inferno didn’t, and now they’re learning that lesson the hard way.
But why would they need Kat? Unless they already knew she was Fabio’s wife, and they planned on using her as leverage.
If that theory is true, then I’m the only one who didn’t know my bestie got married. It was always a given we’d be each other’s maid of honor…until it wasn’t.
Kat’s extending an olive branch by inviting me to her reception, but am I really supposed to pretend her husband didn’t drug me and threaten me?
Pot, meet kettle.
Because there’s a man naked in my bed who had no problem threatening Kat.
With my mind reeling, I channel the chaos into the sketch for my next painting.