Twisted Hearts by Cora Reilly

Toni and Diego stepped out from behind a bush, looking ruffled. One of Toni’s spaghetti straps hung off her shoulder, her lipstick was gone, and her hairdo was ruined. Diego didn’t make a better sight with his wrongly buttoned shirt, open zipper and tousled hair.

I grimaced.

Savio didn’t share my embarrassment. “Sex with the ex?”

I stifled a laugh at my brother’s caught expression. Toni looked completely mortified, so I decided to save her before Savio said something that would make it worse. I went over to her and grabbed her hand, then led her away to another secluded spot of the ridiculously vast premises.

“Sorry,” she whispered. “I didn’t mean for you to see that.”

I gave her a look. “Toni, there are only two reasons why I don’t want to see it: I’d rather pretend my brother doesn’t have a sex life, and I don’t want you to get hurt. You know how it ends.”

She shrugged. “It’s just sex. I’m not holding my breath for a relationship with him.”

I gave her a doubtful look.

“It’s true,” she said. “But the sex is too good to say no.”

My nose scrunched up. “Toni, please.”

She laughed and touched my cheeks. “You’re turning red again. I wonder how long that’ll last now that you’re married to Savio.”

I glanced at my elegant gold watch, my seventeenth birthday gift from Savio. It was almost midnight, which was the designated time to retire for the groom and bride. A hint of nerves filled my belly thinking about spending the night with Savio. I’d been in his bed before, but I hadn’t been myself back then, so it seemed almost like a dream, not something that had really happened.

Toni linked our hands. “Are you nervous?”

“I’m not going to sleep with Savio tonight.”

Surprise flashed across Toni’s face. Wasn’t she the one who’d told me to make him work for it after how much of an asshole he had been? It seemed sex with my brother had shifted her priorities momentarily.

“Really? After years of pining for him, you won’t allow yourself a joyride on his bull?”

I rolled my eyes. “It’s more about not allowing him any joyrides before I’ve made him suffer.”

“You think he’ll accept that?”

“What can he do?”

Toni made a face and motioned around us. “He is a Falcone. He owns the West. He can do whatever he wants and get away with it.”

Toni sometimes had a tendency for dramatics. “Savio is not like that.”

“Oh, Gemma, even you can’t be this lovestruck. Did you hear what he and his brothers did to the Russian that attacked you? You know what kind of man he is. What kind of men he and his brothers are. Don’t tell me you think he’d have qualms about non-consensual rough play.”

“What’s gotten into you?” I asked. Toni usually wasn’t like this.

She flushed and looked away. “Nothing.”

“Toni,” I said firmly. “Tell me what the fudge is wrong with you.”

Not even that brought a smile to her lips.

“It’s about the Arena. Apparently, Dad’s been slacking with bookkeeping, so we didn’t send enough money to the Camorra. Fabiano had a talk with him about it yesterday.”

“Oh, no. I’m sorry. Is that why he’s not here?”

“It’s not that bad. But he got a black eye and a broken cheekbone, and is nursing his hurt pride at home. It was his fault. He knows you never mess with the Camorra’s money.”

“It’s difficult to think that both Savio and Diego do horrible things.”

“You’re part of the scariest family now, Gem. I can’t imagine living in a house with all of them.”

“I’ll be fine,” I said uncertainly.

Toni wrapped her arms around me. “So is Savio a good kisser? With all the practice he’s had, he should be amazing.”

I bit my lip. “He’s very good. I don’t know how he does it, but I can feel his kiss everywhere.” My cheeks heated.

Toni grinned. “That’s how it’s meant to be. Have you practiced like I advised you?”

I groaned. “No.” Toni had suggested I practice making a man happy on a banana, but that was too embarrassing to consider.

“Are you still on the ‘I’m never going to do it’ train?”

“Yes.”

“I doubt Savio will be happy about that.”

“Are you on my side or his?”

Toni rolled her eyes. “Yours, always yours, which is why I want you to have an amazing sex life.”

Diego tried to straighten his hair, which was futile. Toni must have tugged at it so hard it was forever frozen in its disarrayed state.

“Let’s take a walk,” Diego said.

“That’s the lamest pick up line you’ve ever used, and I’ve heard them all.”

Diego didn’t crack a smile.

So that was how it was going to be? I followed him, trying to stifle my amusement. Did he really think he could intimidate me? Because I had no doubt that that was his plan.

One look at Diego’s face and I knew he had prepared a speech. Maybe he’d forgotten that I had grown up with Nino and Remo. Scaring me wasn’t exactly easy, especially looking like he did. “Maybe you should pull up your zipper and button your shirt properly, so I can take you seriously.”

With a grimace, he tried to fix his clothes.

When he stopped our stroll, it was so far from the party that the sounds of celebration were only a distant echo and the spot lay in shadows.

Diego shoved his hands into his pockets. “You’re my best friend,” he began.

That wasn’t what I’d expected.

“I’ve always tried to protect Gemma.”

“You don’t need to protect her from me. I won’t hurt her. She’ll be safer than she’s ever been before. The name Falcone will protect her and so will I with every twisted Falcone cell in my fucking body.”

“I’m not worried about anyone else being a danger to her. What I’m worried about is how you treat her.”

“Fuck, I’ve turned into a monk these last two months. If that doesn’t show that I’m serious about Gemma, I don’t know what will.”

Diego huffed out a laugh. “I didn’t think you’d ever go without sex. And I really didn’t think you’d wait for her. I thought you’d find a way to talk her into sleeping with you before the wedding.”

“Thank fuck the wait will be over tonight.”

Diego’s lips curled. “Yeah… I’d rather not think about it.”

“Maybe you have some last-minute tips. Remo wasn’t very helpful.”

“I doubt you need any advice,” Diego muttered, looking increasingly uncomfortable which spurred me on.

“There’s one thing I’ve never done, but you have. If I remember correctly, you popped Toni’s cherry.”

“Shut up,” he said. “I’m not going to talk to you about that. And I don’t want to know a fucking thing about your night with my sister. Just keep it to yourself.” He began walking away, and I followed. I had absolutely no intention of sharing information about my sex life with Gemma with anyone.

When we returned to the party, it had just struck midnight.

“Bed her, bed her!” called the first member of Gemma’s family. Trust the Traditionalists to have a fixed time when to fuck your wife. For once, I was glad for their traditions. I didn’t even have to force my brothers to start the chorus.

I inclined my head toward the man, and soon more people shouted the words, including my brothers. Only Adamo stood with his arms crossed and rolled his eyes. I spotted Gemma next to Toni at our table. Her face was turning increasingly red.

I made my way over to her, trying not to look too eager. I was a grown-ass man and not a teenager before his very first fuck. When I passed Remo, he murmured, “I put a bottle of whiskey in your bedroom.”

I chuckled, especially seeing the frosty look Serafina sent her husband.

Then I reached Gemma. She looked like she was about to take flight. Her mom and Toni quickly hugged her as if she was about to endeavor on a dangerous adventure.

Maybe the rumors about me being an animal in bed had reached their ears. I stifled my amusement. I’d always known my bull tattoo would only add more fuel to the fire. But while I had every intention of pounding Gemma into the bed very soon, tonight wouldn’t be like that.

Every girl I’d been with had come with me, and if I had to eat out Gemma all night for that to happen, then I’d gladly do it.

I took her hand and started to lead her toward the house. A crowd followed us, shouting all kinds of suggestions. Gemma’s cheeks practically glowed red by the time we reached the French doors.

I turned to the crowd of drunk men. “This is as far as you’re allowed to come.”

“As long as you make your wife come tonight!” someone shouted in the back.

“Oh, I intend to!” I shot back.

Gemma made a small horrified sound, and I decided to spare her further mortification. I opened the doors for her and after she’d stepped in, I followed her and closed them again.

The shouts of the crowd were muffled now.

Gemma wrung her hands, looking around the room. This was the living area in my wing, but it wasn’t time for a tour of the house. I lifted her into my arms, earning a startled gasp. Her eyes flew up to meet mine.

Her dress was beautiful but made carrying Gemma a difficult task, especially up the stairs, but eventually we arrived at my, now our, bedroom. I could already feel blood shooting into my dick, just thinking about tonight.