Sal Gabrini: Just The Way You Are Read online

“He’ll recover,” Sal said. “I ordered my men to drop him off at an out-of-town hospital. He’ll pull through. But maybe he won’t be the same man he used to be. Maybe his mouth will be wired shut for a few months so he’ll be reminded what happens when suckers like him talk to cops. But he’ll pull through. And in his pulling, he’ll also know not to fuck with you. That I guarantee.”

  Gemma smiled again and Sal, warmed that he could get another smile out of her on a day like this, pulled her into his arms. They were mouth to mouth. Sal looked down at her mouth, and saw her gorgeous lips, and began kissing her. Gemma closed her eyes and basked in the warmth of his mouth on hers, and wrapped her arms around him, returning his kiss.

  Sal could feel his sensuality rising as he kissed her, and he began unbuttoning her blouse. The doctor said he could continue to fuck her up until delivery time, provided she was in good health. And Gemma, above anybody he knew, was in perfect health. He was going to enjoy every second of her.

  And he did. As soon as the last button was undone, Sal moved his mouth from Gemma’s lips to Gemma’s breasts. Gemma laid on her back and enjoyed his attention. She ran her fingers through his hair as he fondled one breast as he sucked the other one. And then he took his other hand and placed it between her legs. But unlike every other man Gemma had ever been with, Sal didn’t ram his fingers into her or rub her so hard that it hurt. He rubbed her very gently, almost to the point that it felt as if he was rubbing her with a soft object rather than his fingers. But it was all Sal. He knew how to do her. And when her vaginal juices began to flow, he knew how to take his finger and ease it inside of her. He was preparing her, and he was masterful at preparation.

  Gemma laid there and enjoyed his prep work. And as wonderful as he was making her feel, all she could think about was how much more wonderful she was going to feel when he capped it all off with his penis. That was his crown jewel, and she couldn’t wait to experience it.

  She didn’t have to wait long. Because her pussy was the crown jewel to Sal and he couldn’t wait to get inside of it. They were both still reeling from that scene at her office earlier in the day, and Sal was very unsatisfied with after his encounter with Crowler, but that was all the more reason he wanted to relax her. He wanted her to feel that she could always count on his love, and he wanted to demonstrate that feeling.

  He moved between her legs. He wanted to smell her fresh scent again, something he craved, so he was unable to resist. He ate her pussy too. But not nearly as long as he normally did because he knew he wasn’t going to be able to hold out much longer.

  By the time he was ready to enter Gemma, Sal’s dick was so stiff and hard that he didn’t even have to hold it to guide it in. It went to her beautiful vagina on its own accord and entered her slowly. Sal’s eyes rolled back as he felt her warm, wet pussy envelope his rod as if it was a blanket.

  Gemma’s eyes didn’t roll back like Sal’s, but they fluttered when she felt the fullness of his penis. It was a sensation that overcame her whenever he entered her, as if she was on the verge of being electrified with something big and something pleasurable, and all the anticipation of that excitement caused her to tremble.

  And when his cock began to stroke her, she knew it was going to be good. Because it was good already. Because Sal was teasing her. He was pushing into her, going deeper and deeper with each push, and then easing out just when she was moaning from the feeling. And then he’d go right back in again. She loved the tease.

  But when he laid down, and held her in his arms, and began to fuck her full throttle, the tease was over. They were going all-out now. And Gemma was holding onto him, crying in joy as he did her. Loving the fact that he was enjoying it even more just by his moans and groans and grunts.

  “Love you,” was one of the phrases he kept saying as he fucked her. “Oh, Gemma,” was the other one.

  And he fucked her long and hard. He fucked her so long and so hard, and she felt his every stroke so deeply, that Gemma lost control. She squirted out her vaginal juices and saturated him as he fucked her.

  “Sal!” she cried when it happened. She’d never lost control like that.

  And Sal ate it up. His dick felt charged from her saturation and his strokes intensified. By the time they came, and they came together, he was pounding her. He couldn’t help it. He had never felt such a heightened sensuality in his life.

  “Oh, Gemma,” he said again. “Oh, Gemma!”

  And then he pushed in that one last time and stayed in. His ejaculation was so thick and heavy it spilled out and down Gemma’s thighs. Sal was shaking from the hard release. Nearly every vein in his arms and neck were visible as he strained out his release. He felt it. He felt it to the roots of his hair.

  He looked at Gemma, to see if she felt it too. When she opened her eyes, and he saw that one of her eyes were so hooded it could barely open, he smiled. Her look alone told him that she felt it just as intensely. The fact that her pussy was still pulsating, and clamping down tighter and tighter around his rod, told him too.

  The next morning, after their first full day off work in a long time, Gemma woke up to find Sal had already gone. That wasn’t surprising to her at all. He had a serious problem at the Vegas headquarters of the Gabrini Corporation that he had to handle. He should have been handling it yesterday, she knew, but he insisted on staying home with her. And she loved it. They ate lunch and dinner together, something, given both their busy schedules, they rarely did. And last night, Sal made love to her again. And it was just as incredible as it had been earlier that day. Pregnant sex seemed like an odd thing to Gemma when the doctor first told them it could be done. Now she was beginning to love it. She knew Sal did.

  She got up, brushed her teeth and showered, and dressed in what Reno once called her effortless elegance. She was about to make her way downstairs.

  But her home phone began ringing. She doubled back to the bed, looked at the Caller ID, and then grabbed it off of the nightstand. “Hey, girl.”

  “Hey yourself.” It was Trina Gabrini, Sal’s cousin’s wife and Gemma’s business partner.

  “What’s up?” Gemma sat on the edge of the bed.

  “I’m glad I caught you before you left. How did it go yesterday?”

  Gemma was puzzled. “How did what go yesterday?”

  “Didn’t you say you had a big day in court yesterday? Closing arguments or something?”

  “Oh. That. Yeah, well, it was canceled. The judge had an emergency hearing he had to preside over.”

  “Oh, snap. I know you hate delays.”

  “Normally, I do. But not after what happened yesterday.”

  She could feel Trina’s frown. “What happened yesterday?”

  “One of my former clients decides to trash my office.”

  “Really? Why?”

  “Somebody paid him to do it. He claims he doesn’t know who, but Sal will find out.”

  “You know it, girl. He must be hot.”

  “He is. Especially when he saw the writing on the wall.”

  “What did it say?”

  “Referred to me as a bitch. Bitch Jones-Gabrini. Nonsense like that.”

  “And Sal saw it?”

  Gemma nodded. “He saw it.”

  “Is the perp still alive?”

  Gemma laughed. “Yeah. Barely. But yeah.”

  “So who would hire him to do something that dumb?” Trina asked.

  “He either doesn’t know or won’t say. But we have no clue at this point. Sal, of course, has his suspicions about Mark.”

  “Mark Price? Your law partner?” Trina asked.

  “Yeah, believe it or not.”

  “I believe it.”

  Gemma was surprised. “You believe it?”

  “Yeah, I believe it,” Trina said. “Sal can have fifty good looking women working for him, but you have one good looking man and he’s jealous. Reno’s the same way, so I know what I’m talking about. They need to quit.”

  “They sure do,” Gemma said wi
th a smile. “But anyway, dear, I’ve got to run.”

  “That’s right. I did call you for a reason, didn’t I?”

  “Did you?”

  “Yes. Reno wants us, that is, he and I, to have lunch with you and Sal.”

  “When? Today?”

  “If you can manage it.”

  “I should be able to. Closing arguments in a case like this usually last only a few hours. And then we’ll go on Verdict Watch. I should be free for lunch.”

  “Great! We can meet at Barney’s. I’ll let Reno know.”

  “I can’t promise you that Sal will show up,” Gemma said. “He’s got his own issues at work. But I’ll certainly ask him.”

  “Tell him to please show up for a change. Reno wants to give him a few pointers on fatherhood.”

  Gemma smiled. “Oh, he’ll love that.”

  “I know, right? But please try to get him to come.”

  “I’ll try,” Gemma said. “But like I said, he has some issues at work. He’ll come if he can.”

  “Good enough.”

  And then they said their goodbyes, and Gemma hung up the phone.

  She hurried downstairs and made her way outside. But when she looked up and saw Sal standing beside her car with Big Joe by his side, she couldn’t believe it. “I thought you had already gone,” she said.

  “That’s what you get for thinking,” Sal said with a smile.

  “Watch it, buddy,” Gemma responded with her own smile. “Don’t get all cocky around Big Joe. You still aren’t too big for me to put over my knee.”

  Sal and Big Joe laughed.

  Gemma was dressed more conservatively than she usually dressed, Sal thought, as she headed his way in her black skirt suit and white silk blouse, with her black and white heels. But it was court day for her today. Closing arguments. She knew what she was doing.

  He remained leaned against her car when she arrived, and he kissed her on the lips. Just the feeling of her lips on his, and his lips on hers, reminded them both of their sexual encounters the day before. It was such a powerful reminder to Sal that his penis throbbed when he kissed her.

  Gemma was feeling the burn too until Big Joe opened her back passenger side door as if he was opening it for her. And she quickly realized that he was. “Oh, Sal,” she said, “I don’t need this! I can drive myself.”

  “Not right now,” Sal insisted. “Big Joe will do the driving. He’ll take you to your office, to court, to Champagne’s. To anywhere you need to go.”

  She looked at Sal. “You think it’s that serious?”

  “Promising to pay somebody fifty grand to trash your office?” Sal nodded. “Yeah, it’s serious. And until I find out who’s responsible, I’m taking no chances. And neither are you. Where you go, Big Joe goes with you. And my baby is going to accept his assistance like the smart, savvy, sensible woman I know her to be. Understand?”

  Gemma trusted Sal’s judgement above any human being’s. That wasn’t always the case, but it was now. “I understand,” she said.

  He kissed her. She got into the car. “Oh, and Sal,” she said.

  He leaned into the still open door. “Yeah?”

  “Tree called. She and Reno wants us to meet them at Barney’s for lunch today. Think you can make it?”

  Sal knew he was putting himself in a bind agreeing to anything other than working overtime at the office, but he knew Gemma would like it. “I’ll make it,” he said.

  Gemma smiled. “That’s great, Sal. I’ll call Trina and get a time.”

  “Let it be a late lunch. One or two this afternoon.”

  “That’ll work for me too. And is the weekend still on?”

  Sal ran his hand over his face.

  “I know it’s a lot to ask,” Gemma said.

  “No, but we’ve got to do it. You’re be showing soon. Your parents need to know that they’ll be grandparents soon.”

  “I don’t know how they’re going to react,” Gemma said. They had the unenviable task of going to Indiana this weekend and telling her parents that she was with child. Sal’s child. “But I agree. We’ve got to do it.”

  Sal nodded, closed the door, and Big Joe got behind the wheel of the beautiful Aston-Martin Sal had purchased for her, and drove her away. Sal waved as she left, feeling foolish given the yardmen and security detail around his home looking at him. But he did it anyway.

  When Gemma’s car drove out of their security gate and out of his sight, he headed for his own car, pulling out his cell phone as he did. He pressed a number. Spoke to one of his men. “Any news?” he asked.

  “Nothing yet,” was the response. “We retraced Crowler’s tracks, but that didn’t turn up a person.”

  “Trace his bank account too. See if you can find who deposited that fifteen hundred. If my hunch is correct, he’ll never see the fifty grand.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “And give me more. This is my wife they’re fucking with. I need more!”

  “You’ll get more, boss. Don’t worry. We’re find out who’s pulling the strings.”

  “You’d better,” Sal said. “Or I’ll be pulling yours.”

  Sal ended the call, got into his Porsche, and sped off too.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  After court, after all closing arguments were completed and jury instructions were given, Gemma had nearly three hours to spare before the two o’clock lunch date with Reno and Trina. Big Joe drove her to her office and she stepped out. She knew the place had been spic and span cleaned, and therefore was back in good working order, but she also knew she had work to do. Her goal was to go into her office, close her door, and work until time for lunch. But she also knew, given her busybody staff, such a goal was easier said than done.

  And true to form, her paralegal, Barbara Jiles, and her secretary, Curtis Kane, were waiting for her as soon as she dawned the door of her office suite. Barbara, older, sharper, and really the office manager, was standing behind her desk. Curtis, younger, slimmer, and quick-witted, was sitting on the edge of Barbara’s desk. They’d been with Gemma almost from the beginning. They were her rock.

  “How did it go?” Curtis asked as soon as she dawned the door.

  “I left it all on the field,” Gemma said as she headed toward her office. They followed her.

  “Good,” Curtis said. “But not good about Talbut.” Talbut was another one of their cases.

  Gemma glanced back at Curtis. “What about Talbut?”

  “The DA’s office called,” Barbara said. “They’re going for another continuance.”

  Gemma frowned. “Another one?”

  “Another one,” Barbara said. “After all of those pre-trial motions they forced us to suffer through, they still asked for a continuance.”

  “How can they have the nerve to ask for another one when it’s our client that’s rotting in jail?” Curtis wanted to know.

  “I’m going to object vigorously,” Gemma said, “for that very reason. But the judge is going to grant it anyway.” She walked behind her desk. Barbara and Curtis stood in front of the desk.

  “The prosecution is just playing games with our criminal justice system,” Barbara said. “Can’t he see that?”

  “He sees what he wants to see,” Gemma said as they entered her office. “He’s a prosecution’s dream judge. I knew that going in.” She let out an exhausted exhale. “I just never expected him to be so obvious with his bias.”

  Both of her assistants could see the strain in her big, pretty eyes. It had been a rough couple days. “Look on the bright side, boss,” Barbara said. “He’s giving you plenty of ammunition for a successful appeal.”

  “You’re right about that,” Gemma agreed, “but you have to lose in order to appeal. My client does not want to lose. And why should he? The state has no evidence. Just a lot of supposition and conjecture. Any other judge would have given us a summary judgement long before now.”

  “Miss G?”

  It was a sudden voice behind them, and all three quic
kly turned to the sound. After their vandalism episode, all of them were hypersensitive. When Gemma saw that it was Shaun Merriment, a young African-American male and one of her former clients, she relaxed. Barbara and Curtis, however, didn’t.

  “May I help you?” Curtis asked with serious attitude in his voice. “You can’t just barge in here like this. Wait in the waiting room. That’s what it’s there for. For you to wait. Somebody will be with you shortly.”

  “I didn’t mean to barge in,” Shaun said. “I just need to talk to you, Miss G.”

  “What did I just say?” Curtis asked.

  “It’s alright,” Gemma said. She knew, for Shaun to come all the way to her office, meant he was in trouble. Again. “Come on in, Shaun.”

  Shaun glanced at Curtis first, as if he needed his permission, and then walked on in.

  “Give us a minute,” Gemma said to her staff.

  “Are you sure, boss?” Curtis asked. “Because he knows better than this.”

  “I’m sure,” Gemma said. “Give us a minute.”

  “Okay,” Barbara said and had to elbow Curtis to follow her. But when Curtis moved to close the office door behind them, Barbara stopped him. The door remained open.

  “I’m beyond busy, Shaun,” Gemma said, “so you’ll have to make it quick. What’s wrong?”

  Shaun moved from side to side. Like Gemma herself, he was a tall, darker-skinned African-American. But unlike Gemma, he had been in so much trouble that he’d spent more of his life in prison than he’d spent on the outside. But the last time, when they tried to pin a rape charge on him, Gemma believed in his innocence, and fought for his innocence. No DNA. No hair, fiber, or any other impartial evidence to link him to the crime scene. It was a winnable case. But the victim claimed he looked like her assailant, and that was enough for the jurors. They convicted him anyway. Now tears were appearing in his eyes, and that look of here we go again fright was all over his face. “They’re trying to pin a murder rap on me this time, Miss G,” he said.

  Gemma’s heart dropped. “Murder?”

  “I didn’t kill nobody. I don’t go down like that. I ain’t never killed nobody in my life before, Miss G. But they trying to claim I killed some girl, and it’s not true!”