He blinks at me once, twice. “While that sounds…exciting, I think you’ll much prefer my shower.”
“Oh? And why’s that?”
Mischief flickers in his eyes. “It can fit both of us.”
I nearly melt at the thought, composing myself just enough to say, “Do you think we should stop at the church in town on our way out of here?”
Gio snorts. “For what, exactly?”
“Not sure. Holy Water? Do they sell that there? Maybe we could add it to the shower. Just in case. I’m not trying to offend your ancestors.”
He kisses my cheek, laughing against me. I soak in the contact, trying to memorize the way his lips move against my skin as he smiles.
When I sit in the car and buckle my seatbelt, I can’t help but add, “For the record, I would’ve gone back with you regardless of the video call with your parents.”
Gio beams.
I quirk an eyebrow. “But now that you mentioned it, I’m holding you to it.”
PART FOUR
NEW YORK
Chapter 34
Giovanni
“Ican’t believe you wore your crocs—with socks—on a plane. Withpeopleon it. What happened to the girl in stilettos?”
“That girl died after the bike ride through hell.”
I snort. “It was ahill, Tessa. Not hell.”
She tries to pull her own bag up the steps, so I jog back down and pick up her suitcase, bringing it through the main door to my building. “I’ve got it.”
Thankfully, my apartment is an older, remodeled house, so there’s no elevator.
I fumble for my keys when we reach my door. Once it’s unlocked, Tessa walks in first. I stand just inside the door and try to see the apartment through her eyes: A large (especially for New York) space. An open concept kitchen with hardwood floors. My ivory couch opposite two chocolate leather recliners. No television, although knowing Tessa’s preference for Orange County teen dramas, I might have to buy one. I should write that down so I don’t forget.
Now that we’re here, I can’t help but wonder what it would be like to make thisourhome. I want Tessa to feel comfortable here.
She runs her hand against a plush, forest green throw blanket on a decorative ladder near the door and admires the painting of Brescia that hangs above it.
“It’s all so… clean.”
I grin. “I like everything to have a place. But you can mess it up to your heart’s content. In fact, paint it purple.”
Tessa hums. “But it’s, like,reallyclean.”
“Let’s make it dirty.” I cock an eyebrow suggestively, turning toward her.
She puts a hand on my chest to stop me and sniffs the air. “Did youbleachyour apartment?”
“Ah.” I scratch the back of my neck. “I’ve never been careful about nuts here. I eat a yogurt bowl with almonds for breakfast nearly every day. So, after your reaction in Brescia, I hired a cleaning company to decontaminate. Lu let them in.”
Her jaw drops. “You bleached your entire apartment on the off chance I might come here after our trip?”
I shift on my feet. “You act like it’s a big deal or something. I needed the apartment cleaned anyway.”
