Giovanni sighs, but doesn’t move a muscle, standing directly next to us.
A pinch of confusion forms between Cameron’s brows. “Can I…dosomething for you?”
“Not really.” Giovanni’s tone comes out unbothered.
The bartender slides Cameron’s drink across the counter, and I watch him take a sip.
Giovanni nods at the bartender. “Do you have the time?”
The bartender glances at his watch. “It’s midni?—”
“Great.” Giovanni leaves double the amount of money my drink costs on the counter and gently places a hand on my lower arm before turning toward Cameron. “Nice to meet you. We have to get going.”
“I’m so sorry about him,” I say apologetically to Cameron. My intention is to stay, but when Giovanni starts walking toward the exit, I find myself following him.
Much to my chagrin, Iwasbored. There are only so many times one can hear the words “operational efficiency” in an Italian nightclub before one wishes one was anywhere else.
Giovanni beams with satisfaction when he catches me trailing him. “It’s not nice dancing with other men when you’re taken, Tessa.”
“I’m nottaken?—”
“You are. Back to the hotel with you.” Giovanni’s eyes are alight with amusement. His warm hand softly presses against my back as he expertly guides me toward the door. A slow heat radiates up my skin at his touch.
I send small SOS signals with my eyes to Esme as we leave the club, but all she does is throw me a sly grin and a little wave, mouthing “Good luck.”
Chapter 15
Giovanni
Tessa’s been muttering grumpily ever since we left the club, everything from “this feels dangerously close to kidnapping” to “unhand me, you overgrown Dobermann.”
It’s taking everything in me not to give her the satisfaction of a laugh, consideringshe’sthe one who followedmeout of the club.
“You’re lucky I’m not screaming ‘stranger danger’ right now. I could have you arrested.”
“By whom?” I scan the empty area outside the hotel’s doors, pausing when I find a near-ancient gentleman smoking a cigarette. “That man?” I shrug. “I’m not sorry for leading you out of the club. You weren’t having fun.”
“Wrong, Giovanni. Iwashaving fun. Or I was going to, eventually. Maybe.”
I shake my head and open the door for her. “You weren’t.”
“And how wouldyouknow?” She pauses in the doorway.
“I’ve seen you have fun before.”
“When have you seen me having fun?”
When you’re arguing with me.“Around Peyton and Esme.”
Tessa raises an eyebrow. “You think you have me all figured out then, huh?”
Not yet, but I’d like to.“It’d be impossible for anyone to figure you outentirely, Tessa.”
I wait for the next barb, but as soon as we walk into the lobby, her eyes flicker to the elevator, and her movements halt.
“What, um, floor are you on?”
I hear the hesitation in her voice. We can’t take the elevator, and we’ll need privacy to discuss the plan for tomorrow—the last thing Tessa would want is for Lamont to think we’retogether. Unfortunately, my room isn’t on the first floor. Since she doesn’t readily offer her room as an option, I propose an alternative. “There’s an enclosed patio space outside of the hotel restaurant off the lobby. Let’s talk there.”
