Not to mention that Diego, unlike Savio wasn’t chasing after every skirt.
“What are you thinking?” Toni asked gently.
“Savio. He’s driving me crazy.”
“Do you want to sleep with him?”
“I do,” I admitted. “But not like this. I just can’t allow closeness outside of a committed relationship.”
Toni smiled. “Then don’t. If he wants you, he needs to work for it. He knew what he signed up for when he agreed to marry you.”
Sometimes I wasn’t sure if he really knew.
I was on my way to my car to search for Gemma. She’d overreacted, but my worry forced me to look for her anyway.
Diego shot into the parking lot and came to a stop with squealing tires. The pissed-as-fuck look on his face could only mean he’d found her first.
He jumped out of the car, not even bothering to close the door before he stormed toward me. I braced myself. I wasn’t in the mood for a split lip again.
Diego shoved me hard, causing me to stumble a step back. “What the fuck did you do to my sister?”
“I didn’t do anything.” I frowned. “What the fuck do you think I did?”
“What do I know? You can never keep your hands to yourself. Gemma looked a mess. Maybe you thought you could steal a taste before the wedding. We both know how bad at patience you are.”
I locked gazes with him. “I really hope you’re not suggesting that I forced myself on Gemma.”
He scoffed. “If that were the case, you’d be dead.” He shook his head, taking a deep breath. “What happened, Savio?”
I shrugged. “She kept checking me out, so I showed her my bull tattoo. You should have seen her face.” I laughed, couldn’t help it.
Fury contorted Diego’s expression. “You can’t fucking do this! Do you get it?” Diego snarled into my face. “My sister’s never seen a naked man and she wasn’t supposed to until her fucking wedding night. You had no fucking right to show her your dick.”
I had to resist the urge to beat the shit out of him. His tone really pissed me off. Instead, I smirked. “I showed her my tattoo. Besides, I already own your sister, Diego. The ring says it and everyone knows it. She’ll see me naked for the rest of her life. So what does it matter?”
He shook with rage. “It matters. She’s honorable, and you should treat her with respect. I’ll say this again, don’t you dare try to touch her before she’s officially yours.”
“Or what?” I challenged.
“I’ll kill you.”
I gave him a dark smile. “You won’t succeed, Diego. You know I’m the better fighter. I’ve killed and tortured so many more than you.”
“Then I’ll die trying. I don’t care,” he said fiercely, and I could tell he meant it. Diego was my friend, and while I didn’t trust him like I did my brothers, I did trust him to some degree.
“Calm the fuck down, all right? Why don’t you allow Gemma to decide what she wants to do before our wedding?”
“She wants to wait until her wedding. It’s what we believe in!”
“Oh, is that so? Are you magically going to re-virginize yourself before your wedding night?”
As usual, Diego avoided my eyes when I mentioned his goddamn hypocrisy. “That’s not even a word.”
“Nice comeback,” I deadpanned.
He glared. “You’re pretty good at hypocrisy yourself.”
I raised my eyebrows.
“Come on, you keep sleeping around as if there’s no tomorrow but mark my sister as yours so nobody as much as looks at her.”
“It’s your tradition that forces me to wait for her. If it was up to me, I’d have fucked her already. Maybe you don’t want to see it, but she wants it too.”
Diego returned to his car and drove off without another word.
I went into the gym at four the next day. Gemma’s usual workout time.
Gemma was pummeling the boxing bag when I entered. She was alone, but Diego couldn’t be far. Her eyes darted to me then she quickly looked away. She was flushed, and I wondered if it was still because she’d seen my dick or from exertion. She ignored me as I approached her. Eventually, she gripped the sides of the bag, breathing harshly.
“Your brother wants to kill me.”
She didn’t say anything, only glared ahead. I moved closer and finally, her eyes met mine.
“He thinks he can tell me what to do.” I took another step toward her so we were almost touching. She raised her head to meet my gaze.
“I think it’s between us what we do before and after our wedding.”
Gemma laughed bitterly. “You don’t get it.”
“Oh, I get that you’ve been hot for me for years and I don’t see why we can’t have fun before we’re married.”
Gemma shoved the bag away, turned on her heel and stormed off. I jogged after her and finally caught up with her in the next room. I backed her into the wall, peering down at her cleavage in the sports bra. She looked up at me. “I’m not one of your other girls, Savio. I’ve been brought up traditionally by my family. My mother raised me with strict values. I believe in the sacred bond of marriage. I believe in giving myself to my husband, and no one else. Nothing will change that. And even a Falcone can’t.”