He chuckles softly.
"And that kiss? In front of him?" He laughs again, a little breathless this time. "Top one sexiest fucking thing anyone's ever done for me. That took balls, baby." His arms lock tight around my stomach, fingers interlaced like a belt, making sure I wouldn't even think about leaving.
The water sloshes quietly around us, warm, but not half as warm as his skin behind me. His breath tickles the side of my neck every time he exhales.
I stare at the wall ahead of us, my fingers brushing lightly over his forearms. I can feel his lips occasionally grazing my shoulder.
I freaking love it. This doesn't feel real. Not after everything. Not after tonight. I swallow, my voice softer than I expect whenI finally speak. "Gio, can I ask you something?" He shifts a little behind me, tightening his grip, pulling me closer.
"Anything," he murmurs against my skin.
I hesitate, biting down gently on my lip before continuing. "When you saw me again…at that first meeting…did you really not recognize me right away?"
There is a pause. And then he chuckles.
"Of course I recognized you."
I blink, tilting my head just slightly toward him. "You did?" "Yeah." His voice is teasing. "I just panicked."
"Panicked?"
He laughs again, and I feel his lips press briefly against my neck. "Yeah. I was so fucking mad."
"Mad?" I frown. "At what?"
"At you, Ravioli."
"Me?" I twist a bit, trying to glance back at him.
"At how fucking hot you got," he says. Even though I can't fully see his face, I'm sure he's smiling. A smile pulls at my own lips despite myself. My cheeks burn. "You're insane."
"Insanely intoyou," he whispers right into my ear, making me shiver. God, he knows exactly what he's doing. I shift a little, turning fully toward him now, the water rippling around us. His arms immediately settle around my waist again.
My fingers find his jaw, gently steadying his face so I can look at him properly. God, he's beautiful up close. His lips, his perfect nose, the curve of his jaw, the softness in his eyes when he looks at me. "Tell me," I smile softly. "Were you jealous of Sophia too?"
His head falls back with a groan, rolling his eyes. "Fuck that bitch," he mumbles. "I wanted to strangle her every time she was near us."
I bite my lip to hide my grin. "And…what about," I start, lowering my voice, "when I told you about the fake kiss? You know, when we 'practiced'."
The minute the words leave my mouth, I see it in his face. That spark of frustration. "Was it fake for you?" I ask. He scoffs, almost laughing.
"That was the first real fucking kiss I've ever had in my life. Man, there wasnothingfake about it. Not even one percent." His voice drops again. "I couldn't sleep for three days. My head was a fucking mess."
The amount of happiness I feel right now is unreal. I smile and turn around again, tilting my head a little against his chest.
"Now can I ask you something kinda personal?"
He raises an eyebrow. "You're sitting naked between my legs in my bathtub, Rava. I think we passed personal a long time ago."
"Fair point." I laugh, while my fingers are playing with his on my stomach.
"Have you ever…you know. Bottomed before?"
His whole body freezes for a split second. "Wow." He leans back with dramatic flair. "First night sleeping over and you're already trying to bend me over, Ravioli?"
I laugh out loud, covering my face with one hand. "I knew you were gonna say something like that."
He grins, proud. "I mean, damn. At least let a guy take you to breakfast first."
