He has several tattoos, including a full sleeve that runs from the knuckles of his left hand and all the way up his arm before bleeding onto his chest in a collage of beautiful death and destruction.
And standing out from it all are those two beautiful cursive words that needle at the back of my mind and make my stomach quiver.
Snapping the elastic of his boxer briefs in place, Gio pauses his attempt to get dressed, and my eyes jerk up to his face.
From the way he’s smirking, I know I got caught staring, and warmth blossoms in my cheeks.
“Sorry, I…” I bite my lip, my insides squirming, and Gio crosses the space between us in three long strides, his fingers firm but gentle as they cup my jaw and lift my face so I have to meet his eyes.
“Never apologize to me.”
His voice is so intense, it makes my heart skip a beat, and my tongue darts out to wet my suddenly dry lips.
His burning gaze drops to catch the motion, and I can see the desire that ignites inside him.
Closing his eyes, he inhales deeply and releases it slowly—as if fighting for self-control—but he never relinquishes his hold on my jaw, and when his eyes find mine once more, I can see the barely contained fire inside them.
“Maybe you should get dressed,” he says. “If you want me to get out of here before someone wakes up.”
Heart pounding, I nod against his palm, and he releases me, turning back to his clothes and dressing quickly.
I do the same, stooping to scoop up my discarded dress from yesterday and not bothering to put on panties or a bra as I pull it over my head and zip it closed.
I’ll shower and change after Gio’s gone.
Together, we pad quietly back down the hall, sneaking past Jackson’s room like two teenagers trying to hide a sleepover from their parents.
We make it to the front door without incident, and I turn the deadbolt, opening it to let Gio slip through.
He does, turning back to me as soon as his feet find the front porch. “When can I see you again?” he asks, resting his forearm against the door jamb as he leans in.
“Well, I’m sure Jackson would love to have you over again for dinner tonight…” I suggest. “But I really should talk to him before you start… you know,intendingto spend the night.”
“Just dinner, then,” he says with a knowing grin, and he leans in to steal a kiss. “I’ll pick something up.”
My pulse flutters, and a sense of giddy happiness sweeps over me at how effortlessly Gio seems to understand what I need. “Thank you. I’ll see you tonight.”
With a heart-stopping wink, Gio turns and walks down the steps, leaving me to watch him go.
And I know that I’m in trouble, because if this doesn’t work out between us, I’m already too far gone tonotget hurt.
19
GIO
Miko’s Volvo is still parked where I left it last night, and I glance at the house for sale as I wonder just how far I’m going to take this ruse to make it convincing.
I have the cash to buy the house outright, but pulling the trigger on a commitment that size when it would only be digging my hole further about the lie feels wrong.
I should tell Stephanie the truth. I should tell her everything I know. She deserves to hear it.
But I’m too much of a coward to do the right thing.
Because if I tell her the truth and she wants nothing more to do with me, I’m not sure I could live with that.
I ache to be with her every waking moment. And now that I know she’s alive—and she’s letting me back into her heart—nothing else matters.
The drive back to the Novikov estate goes by in the blink of an eye, and I’m mildly surprised when I arrive at the automatic gates and stop to wait for Miko’s guard to grant me entrance.
