Tommy Gabrini 3: Grace Under Fire (The Gabrini Men Series) Read Free

a lowered tone, as she twisted her
hands around in her lap.   “She just met
you a year ago or not even that long.   How could she win?   How could she
go to the front of the line?   It’s not
fair!”
    Alex
was an emotional wreck, Tommy could see it clearly now.   Between her breakup with Beau Brantley, and
Tommy’s marriage to Grace, she probably felt abandoned and alone.   But he was not going to be the shoulder she
cried on.   He had a wife now, the best
thing that ever happened to him.   He
wasn’t about to mess that up.   He removed
his handkerchief from his suit coat pocket and took her hand and squeezed it,
giving her the handkerchief as he did so.   Then he released her hand and stood up.   He cared about her, she would always be dear to him, but enough was
enough.   “Are you here in town on
business, or have you moved back?”   He
placed his hands in his pants pockets as he spoke to her.  
    Alex
looked at his mid-section and nodded as she dabbed her eyes with the
handkerchief.   “Both.”
    She
was still staring at his mid-section.   She was still remembering what a bundle of joy he held between his
legs.   Her ex-fiancé was good in bed, but
Tommy was better.   She used to believe
that once she was married to Beau, and was well established as his wife, that
she’d return to Tommy’s bed.   But in a
matter of weeks everything had changed.   Beau had dumped her and now she would never have Tommy again?   It felt like salt in her wound.   It was, for her, unbearable.  
    But
Tommy was determined to get her to focus, not on what she’d lost, but on what
she still had.   It was a tough sell, and
he knew it was, but he had nothing else to offer her.   “Is it a modeling job?”
    She
sniffled.   “Yes.   A photo shoot.”
    “The
cover?”
    She
nodded again.   “Yes.”
    “Good,”
he said.   “There’s plenty more covers in
your future, young lady.   Plenty men who
would give their right arm to be a part of that future.   Including the right man for you.   Because I’m not him.   The fact that I’m married has got to confirm
that for you.”
    Alex
looked up into his face.   His
greenish-blue eyes looked completely blue against the lobby lights.   She wasn’t going to be able to give him up
completely.   First Beau, now him?   There was no way.   So she decided to do what she did best.   She had to position herself.   “When you get ready to cheat on her,” she
said as if his cheating was a foregone conclusion, “will you let me be the
first one you call?”
    Tommy’s
heart sank.   She had everything going for
her.   Could be with most any man she
wanted.   Could win most of their hearts,
and their bank accounts while she was at it.   But she was willing to give it to him for free.   That wasn’t love.   He discovered long ago that a woman like Alex
didn’t love him.   She wanted bragging
rights.   He had a line of us, but I was first in line .   That was her rallying cry.   It wasn’t about love.   It wasn’t even about him.
    “Goodbye,
Alex,” he said to her, and left her in her defeat.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
    TWO

 
    As
soon as Grace stepped out of the shower, she heard voices downstairs.   Odd because she wasn’t expecting any
visitors, and Tommy was still out of town.   She dried off quickly, put on her bathrobe and slippers, and walked out
of the bedroom’s double doors and down the hall to the second floor
landing.   When she looked over the
railing and saw Tommy standing in the foyer, removing his gloves and talking
heartily with his Estate Manager/Butler Henry, her heart leaped with joy.   “Tommy!” she screamed.
    Tommy
looked up and saw her.   He smiled that
rakish smile she loved so well and broke away from Henry.   “Grace,” he said as if her name itself was a
relief, and he ran up those stairs, taking them two at a time, as she was
running down.   They met in the