“We’ll dowhat, exactly?” Her eyebrows almost reach her hairline, surprise written all over her face.
“What you said, but just the massage.”
She starts coughing, which is not ideal given the fact that she already drank all the water. “You’re going to give me amassage?”
I give a quick nod. “Yes. You’ll feel better.”
Tessa hasn’t taken her eyes off mine, the deep, rich brown of them glued to my light blue.
I pause, blinking a few times. And she stares back at me, unblinking.
After a few moments, I dare to inch closer. “Yeah?”
There’s responding fire in her eyes, a dark flash of lust. Since we arrived in Italy, I’ve realized that she isn’t immune to me. Her lingering glances, the way she reacts to my touch. The sleepy kiss we shared… Her desire from this morning still feels tangible to me, like I can hold it in my hands.
Slowly, we both lean forward, drawn to each other like magnets. Neither of us breaks eye contact.
She makes a noncommittal humming noise in response to my question. That won’t do.
“Words,” I demand.
“Yes, Gio,” she says immediately.
Gio.Not Giovanni.Gio.I imagine it escaping from her lips later as a moan.
Chapter 28
Tessa
After a moment of digesting my almost reflex response of “yes, Gio,” he moves with intention straight to my calves, rubbing them with pressure. His firm touch is perfect, coaxing the ache in my muscles from a roar to a dull groan. As his fingers press deeper, I’m not thinking about the pain in my calves anymore. In fact, all the blood in my body is rushing somewhereelse.
“I’m going to start low and give you the massage you need. Lean back,” he instructs, kneading the muscle behind my shin.
My body follows his command, and I do as he directed. I have no idea where this mutual burst of desire is coming from. Or do I? Maybe it’s been a slow burn from the day I pressed my fingers against his chest at his shop.
Sitting on the patch of grass with my legs extended and my arms behind me, I ask, “How are you so good at this?”
“Maybe because I know what you need, Tessa.”
My hips give a barely perceptible twitch as I fight the urge to lift them and encourage his hands to move higher.
Giovanni chuckles, his hands diligently massaging my lower leg, already lessening some of the ache. “The thought of you being in pain is…” He trails off, frowning, before looking directly into my eyes. “If you’re going to experience pain, Tessa, then it would have to be associated with pleasure.”
What the fuck is going on here in this Italian lust grotto?I’m sure I still have a reason to dislike him, but I can’t seem to remember it right now. I wonder how much higher his hands will go, focused entirely on the thought of him soothing a very specific ache of mine. As Gio’s hands move in that direction, massaging above my knee, a groan escapes my lips and I snap my mouth shut. Embarrassed, I turn my head to the side.
“You can make noise, Tessa. You don’t have to shrink yourself for me.” He moves his fingers an inch higher, sending sparks across my skin.
Any remaining inhibitions leave my body and become one with the countryside air as another moan escapes me.
“That’s it,” he whispers, moving his hand upwards, massaging closer to my thigh. “Yes or no?”
“Yes,” I manage, squeezing my legs together at his close proximity to where I want him the most.
“Bene.” His gaze moves from my thighs to my face. “You have some dirt on your face. Here.” He takes off his shirt, which seems slightly unnecessary for a little dirt, but—holy shit, he’s so sexy. Strong arms, broad chest, and so much softness around the middle I could dig my hands into. He’s just sosubstantial. He tosses his shirt my way, and I wipe my cheek with it.
“On your elbows for me.”
It takes me a minute to absorb the direction. He peels up the bottom of my leggings, and removes my socks and shoes one by one. For a moment, he stares at me. His gaze starts at my feet and moves slowly up my legs in admiration until he reaches myinner thighs, where his eyes linger. A bead of sweat falls from his brow as he mutters something in Italian.
