“I think it’s… um, helping.” My body is still trembling, but I feel my heart rate begin to slow. If I’m being honest with myself, it feelspleasantto be firmly held, protected like this. I almost feel dainty in his lap.
“You’re safe. With me.”
I’ll regret this later, but I lean back into his broad chest, resting my head on his shoulder, my chin brushing his neck. His breath skates along my exposed collarbone, causing me to shiver.
“Sorry about this, I just?—”
“Don’t apologize,” he murmurs.
“Okay.”
Five minutes later, it’s still dark, he’s still holding me, and we’re still silent.
My breaths even out, and I clear my throat. “I haven’t always been this way, you know. Scared of elevators. I was always fine throughout childhood. But my ex-boyfriend…”
Giovanni’s body tenses and…Is he tightening his grip on me?
Deciding to ignore his reaction, I continue. “My boyfriend at the time lived on the twenty-second floor of a high rise. Halfway to his apartment, the elevator stopped. I tried to press the help button, but it was broken. After ten minutes of frantically maneuvering myself all around the elevator, I eventually got one bar of service. When the call finally went through, he said he waswrapping up a meeting, but promised he would contact building security.”
I take a deep breath through my nose, warmed by the bergamot notes in Giovanni’s cologne. My body feels safe, but my heart still feels vulnerable.
“And, um, he never did call them. He was fucking his coworker at the time and completely forgot about me. So, I was trapped in the elevator by myself in the dark for two more hours. It was the middle of summer, and it was so hot. I couldn’t stop sweating, and it was hard to breathe.” Sighing quietly, I whisper, “I guess people thought it was under maintenance, so it took a while for anyone to notice anything.”
I’ve never shared this story with anyone before, not even with Daniel. And I can’t believe I’m sharing it withhim.
Giovanni doesn’t say anything at first, instead tightening his other arm around my waist. Engulfed by his strong arms, he matches the pace of my breath for a few moments. We breathe in and out at the same time. I wonder if he’s timing his to sync up with mine on purpose.
When he does speak, it’s only three words.
“You deserved better.”
Tightening my grip on his arm, I say four back.
“I’ll be your girlfriend.”
Chapter 8
Giovanni
Even though Tessa is the one having a panic attack, I’m struggling to stay calm, too. Anger has been bubbling up inside of me since the moment I picked her up by her waist and sat her on my lap.
Anger that we’re trapped in an elevator where she feels unsafe.
Anger at her asshole ex-boyfriend.
Anger that I want to burn down the world for a woman who wants to throttle me on a daily basis.
Above all else, I’m disappointed in myself. The fact that she didn’t feel comfortable enough with me to just take the stairs is unforgivable.
I knew it was coming, her agreement to my deal. It would be irresponsible to decline it, given the lack of resources for budding designers. With her level of talent, she’s well on her way to launching her own line with or without my help. At the same time, I’m also shocked, and I find myself squeezing her tighter, subtly praising her with my body for saying yes.
Showing vulnerability is much easier in the dark.
She lifts her head from my shoulder. “Giovanni? Did you hear what I said?”
“Sir? Ma’am? This is the fire department. We’re going to open the doors for you. Everything is fine.” A voice cuts through a megaphone on the outside of the elevator, and I all but throw Tessa off my lap.
“Oof. Hey!”
