Chapter Thirteen
A few days later, Gio was at his desk reading over proposals on a possible new shale find in South America. The local governments were still discussing the feasibility of reaching it. The time was right to pick a horse in that race and invest. He would have preferred to finish one project before investing in another, but opportunities didn’t wait until the timing was convenient. They arrived like a flash of lightning and left just as quickly.
He’d grown his family’s company by knowing where these strikes would happen and being ready to harness their power when they did. Often, he was in and out of an area before his competition knew a door had opened.
He was decisive because hesitations cost money.
A knock on the door was instantly followed by its swinging open without waiting for his response. This ends now. Gio stood and roared his displeasure. “I said I was not to be disturbed.”
“No wonder Rena called me. You look like shit.” Rena’s older brother, Kane, one of Gio’s closest friends, walked in, completely unfettered by the greeting he’d received.
“Thanks. Don’t you have a job for her at your company yet?” Still not smiling, he crossed the room to shake his friend’s hand.
Although Kane now wore expensive suits and styled his hair conservatively, Gio would forever see his friend as he’d looked in college: unruly hair, defiantly spiked in front long before that was the fashion. Kane came from first-generation money, which brought its own challenges. Such children often struggled with addictions and excess. Luckily Kane and Rena’s parents had instilled a good work ethic in both of them. “She’s happy here,” Kane said after shaking his hand. He gave his friend a long once-over. “When you’re not yelling at her. She says you’re having a rough week.”
“She needs to learn to mind her own business.”
“Yeah, good luck with that.” Kane walked in and sat in Gio’s chair, leaning back far enough that Gio was convinced the former quarterback would break it.
“Make yourself comfortable,” Gio said in a harsh tone. Kane smiled. They were close like brothers, and apparently that relationship had given Kane immunity to a tone that would have intimidated other men.
“I also spoke to Luke. He said he’s worried about you. Rena is worried about you. After the article I read in the paper the other day, I’ll admit I’m a little concerned myself. The photo of you at Le Loire with that woman in a black dress preparing to give you the Heimlich maneuver was classic, but I think I preferred the one with you chasing her out the door with her purse.”
Rubbing his tired eyes with both hands, Gio groaned. “I completely forgot to call anyone about those. Shit.”
Sounding much too amused, Kane said, “The Internet is on fire with an article about it. ‘Billionaire Bachelor With a Sensitive Side.’ Rena said they have photos of you outside the restaurant caressing her face and looking longingly into her eyes. You’ve got it pretty bad for this one. Who is she?”
Gio turned away from his friend and looked out the window in frustration. “No one important.”
Kane left the chair, and his tone turned serious. “I get it. You haven’t been yourself since you came back from that engagement party with your uncles. If you’re using this woman to cheer yourself up, fine. I just want to make sure she’s not a symptom of something else going on that you’re not sharing with anyone.”
“If I had anything I wanted to talk to you about, I have your number.”
“You say that, but looking at you, I don’t believe it.”
“Kane, I’ll say this as kindly as I can. Go get a testosterone shot. You spend way too much time with your sister. You’re beginning to sound like her.”
“Sometimes she’s right. Rena says this mystery woman works here. That’s not your style.”
If the conversation had been with anyone but Kane, it would have ended right now. Kane had been a good friend to him for too many years to take out his frustration on him. He closed his eyes for a moment, finding the calm he sought by shutting down inside. He opened his eyes, once again in control, and forced a smile. “I’m fine.”
The joke removed the tension between them, but Kane still looked concerned. “I don’t believe you. Are you going to tell me, or do I have to come back later and get you drunk? Midday tequila shots are no longer my style, but you look like you could use a few.”
There wasn’t a doubt in Gio’s mind that Kane would return if he wasn’t satisfied with how the conversation went, so Gio ground out, “What do you know, Kane?”
“Are you okay?”
Running his hand through his hair, Gio admitted the truth. “No.”
“What’s wrong?”
“I’m not sleeping. I’m not eating. I can’t concentrate. There’s something wrong with me.”
“Maybe you’re in love.”
“Don’t be a fucking idiot. I’m serious. I could have a brain tumor.”
“I’ll have to ask Luke, but I’ve never heard of a tumor causing a man to chase after a woman while clutching her purse. It is an illness, though. And, I hear, a degenerative one. Next you’ll be buying her tampons.”
Gio pinched the bridge of his nose in irritation. “I’m trying remember why we’re friends, but right now it’s difficult.”
“Are you even dating this woman?”
“No.”
“Screwing her?”
“No. I told you. She’s nothing to me.”
Shaking his head with humor, Kane said, “I wish I could help you, Gio, but you’re already too far gone. What are you going to do?”
“Nothing. I considered her an option for something more, but it wasn’t worth the trouble. You know how I feel about anything serious.”
“You’re such a pussy,” Kane said.
“Excuse me?” Gio roared.
“You heard me. Rena says this is the type of woman a man marries. She said you’re shaking in your shoes at the idea, and I think she’s right. If you like this woman, date her. Don’t hide in your office pretending that facial hair looks good on you.”
“It’s not that easy,” Gio growled. Even the thought of Julia brought a swell of emotion to the surface—one that he fought to control. “I don’t like who I am around her. I’m jealous. I’m impulsive. I say stupid shit.”
Kane smiled sympathetically. “It eventually happens to all of us. That’s nature’s way of ensuring we perpetuate our species—by making some of them so fucking irresistible that we lose our minds.” He looked down at his watch. “I have a meeting across town in a few minutes. I should head out.” He gave Gio a pat on the back. “You’ll survive this, Gio. Hang in there. At least it’s not a brain tumor.”
After Kane left, Gio sat at his desk and thought about what he’d said. Although he disagreed with the diagnosis his friend had given him, some of his advice had merit. If this were a business deal, nothing would stop him from closing on it.
It was only in his personal life that he held himself back. Deny. Control. Remember your duty. Keep emotions in check. Do nothing that risks the stability of the family or the company.
Julia endangered all that.
Around her, he didn’t care about anything else.
And Rena was right: That had him shaking in his black Bruno Magli shoes.
“Rena, is Julia on tonight?”
“No, she called in sick.”
His stomach flipped painfully. “Clear my schedule for today.”
“Of course.”
He didn’t give himself time to second-guess his decision. He removed his tie and jacket and threw them on the chair before heading out of his office. As he walked by Rena’s desk, he growled, “I’m not happy with you.”
She smiled back at him. “I can live with that. Now go see what’s wrong with Julia. I have a feeling it’s the same thing that ails you.”
* * *
Still in her nightgown, with her hair sticking up wildly in all directions, Julia sat in the middle of her bed, hugging her knees. I should throw the roses away. Keeping them is a constant reminder of the fool I made of myself.
Gio hadn’t called.
Not that I expected him to after how our date ended.
What did I think would happen? That we’d discover we had more in common than bits and pieces that are hot for each other? Was I expecting to wow him with witty dialogue? Floor him with my sophisticated banter?
That a bad decision could lead to something wonderful?
I’m such an idiot.
He has been honest about what he wants. I’m the one who keeps wavering and driving us both crazy. What did Mom used to say? “If you plant a potato, you get a potato.” Julia used to roll her eyes at her mother whenever she’d say it. It was another way of saying, “If you go looking for trouble, you’ll find it.”
Or, if you date a man who says he’s willing to pay you for sex—you end up feeling like a woman who was offered money for sex. Even if he wrapped the offer in a cushion of a thousand roses.
Or worse, you regret not saying yes, even though you hate yourself for wanting him enough to consider shelving your self-respect and giving in.
I can’t keep calling in sick to Cogent.
But I can’t watch him walk by me like I don’t matter.
I’ll quit tomorrow. Then I’ll pick myself up, write a new résumé, find another night job, and get back out there. It’ll be okay. This doesn’t change anything.
She flipped on the television and searched until she found a sappy movie she knew would have her in tears. I’ll be strong again tomorrow. Right now, I’m going to let myself wallow.
She reached for a box of tissues and lost herself in a story she’d watched a hundred times before, sobbing through scenes she knew well enough to mouth the words to, and hugged her pillow to her stomach as the heroine came to the same conclusion she had: Men suck.
A knock on her apartment door echoed through the room. She didn’t have many friends in the city and most of them worked during the day. She knelt on her bed and looked at herself in the mirror. Yesterday’s mascara was smudged beneath two bloodshot eyes. Her nose was red and puffy from crying. She scrambled to pick up the tissues that were scattered across her bed. “Who is it?” she called out.
The answer was concealed by the noise of the television. She turned it off and mentally smacked herself for saying anything. I should have pretended I wasn’t here. My television was on, though. So what? People leave them on all the time.
Hastily wiping off any makeup she could, she put a bathrobe on over her nightgown and went onto her tiptoes to peer out the peephole.
Paul.
She turned and slumped against the door in relief, even as she tried to deny a wave of disappointment that it wasn’t Gio. He’s not coming. Accept it.
Julia unlocked the door and opened it, smiling when Paul held up a bag from the neighborhood deli. He was dressed in jeans a tight T-shirt that accentuated his enormous muscles. The sight should have been pleasurable, but seeing Paul only reminded Julia of how Gio had looked the first time she’d seen him. Stop it. She chastised herself for torturing herself with an image of someone she had no intention of ever seeing again.
Paul whistled appreciatively at the number of flowers that still filled every corner of the floor. Then he handed Julia the paper bag. “When you called in again, Tom and I started to worry. He asked me to come check on you. You look awful. Are you fighting what we had? Do you want me to run to the pharmacy?”
A quick peek into the bag revealed soup. “No, I’m fine,” she said and burst into tears. Soup reminded her of how her mother had always taken care of her. Thinking of her mother made her feel even worse about moping over problems that were trivial by comparison. She wanted to call her mother to talk about Gio but knew she couldn’t. She wanted to call Gio to talk about her mother, but that door was also closed. She suddenly felt very alone.
“Hey, hey, hey. Don’t cry. I handle throwup much better than tears.”
His comment made Julia laugh, even as tears continued running down her cheeks. “I’m not sick.”
He reached out and drew her into his arms. His embrace nearly cut off her oxygen. “Come here.” He hugged her tighter. “Is this about You Know Who?”
Julia sniffed and nodded, finding comfort in the warmth of her hulking friend’s arms. “I know he is wrong for me, but I can’t seem to control myself when I’m around him. It’s like my brain shuts off. I’m quitting Cogent tomorrow, Paul. I hope it doesn’t leave you guys short staffed. I can’t go back there.”
Paul set her back from him. “Hang on. I care, but I have to stop hugging you before I get a stiffie.”
Julia’s eyes widened and she burst out laughing, imagining what Tom would say if he were there. “Paul . . .”
He smiled unabashedly. “Hey, I’m human. Would you rather I tell you or let you feel it?”
A wave of laughter erupted from her, then quelled as a thought came to her. “I’m going to miss you.”
“Are you sure you need to quit?”
“Yes.”
“Did he hurt you?” Paul puffed up like a rooster preparing to defend one of his hens.
From behind Paul, through the still-open door, Gio’s voice carried a deadly cold tone. “Well, this is an unexpected turn of events.”
Initial embarrassment was replaced with anger. I have nothing to feel embarrassed about. “What are you doing here?”
Gio stepped into the small apartment, which suddenly felt claustrophobically small with the two large men circling each other. “The better question is, what is he doing here?”
Raising her chin defiantly, Julia said, “You don’t have the right to ask.”
Gio’s eyes narrowed and his attention focused on Paul. “Don’t you work for me?”
“Not until five o’clock,” Paul answered in a tone that goaded Gio.
As the two of them squared off, Julia snapped, “He came by to make sure I was okay. Not that I owe you an explanation. You and I said everything we needed to say the other night.”
Looking away from Julia to Paul, Gio said, “I refuse to discuss this in front of him.”
Paul planted his feet. “I’m not leaving unless she tells me to go.”
Although Julia appreciated the sentiment, she didn’t want them both to lose their jobs because she’d sent Gio mixed messages. “I’m fine, Paul. Go. We’ll talk later.”
Reluctantly, Paul nodded. As he passed Gio, he knocked shoulder to shoulder with him aggressively. “Keep your hands to yourself. If I hear that you—”
Gio punched him square in the face and sent the man falling back against the wall, sinking down to the floor from the perfect hit and sending several vases spilling onto the carpet. Julia rushed to Paul’s side. “Oh, my God. You broke his nose. It’s bleeding.”
Then she spun on Gio. “How could you? How could you hit him? He was only trying to protect me.”
Gio was momentarily at a loss for words.
Paul pulled himself back up from the floor and wiped the blood on the sleeve of his T-shirt. “You want to try that again?”
Leaning in with a threat, Gio said, “If you touch me, I’ll gladly send you to the floor a second time.”
Julia wedged herself between the two of them. “Stop it. Stop it right now.” She looked over her shoulder at her hulking friend and said, “Paul, I’ll handle this. Don’t get fired because of me.”
“I’m not afraid of Mr. Fancy Pants.”
“I know you’re not, Paul, but Mr. Andrade’s right. We do have to talk. And we can’t do that with you here.”
“If you’re sure.”
She looked at Gio’s still-angry expression and nodded. Mr. Fancy Pants doesn’t scare me, either. “I’m sure.”
With one final glare at Gio, Paul walked out of the apartment.
Gio closed the door firmly, then turned to Julia. “I don’t like the idea of you with another man.”
Julia stood her ground. “Paul is not another man. Well, he is a man, but he’s harmless. He brought soup.”
Advancing on Julia, Gio said, “He wasn’t here just because he thought you were sick.” The desire in Gio’s eyes sent a shiver of anticipation through Julia.
She took a step back and knocked over a vase. The water spilled onto her bare foot, reminding her she was still in her nightgown. “You didn’t have to punch him.”
“Yes, I did.”
When her next step brought the back of her legs against the edge of her bed, she wrapped her bathrobe tighter around herself. “Why are you here, Gio?”
He didn’t stop until only an inch separated them. A mere inch. Easily crossed and dangerously tempting. “You know why.”
Squaring her shoulders, Julia met his eyes boldly. “You told me the other day that this wasn’t a good idea.”
He untied the belt of her bathrobe with one hand, whipped it free of its loops, and threw it behind him. “I changed my mind.”
“And what if I haven’t?” she whispered.
He eased the robe off her shoulders, dropping it to the floor and bending down to kiss her newly exposed collarbone. “Then tell me to leave.”
She closed her eyes as every fiber of her body began to burn for him. “I can’t,” she admitted hoarsely. “I want you to stay.”
He reached forward, grabbed the front of her thin nightgown, and tore it straight down the middle. Those rough hands turned gentle when they reached for her. He ran one hand reverently down her neck, across the swell of her breast, and down to possessively cup her sex. “I’ve never wanted a woman the way I want you, Julia.” He slid a finger between her folds and captured her excited gasp with his mouth.
Julia opened herself to him. She clutched his chest as his hands explored her body. Their tongues danced and teased while his stroking became more intimate. His finger delved into her wet center while his mouth conquered hers. Stroke by stroke, he claimed her, enflamed her, brought her to a place where she was shaking with need.
Urgently, Julia fumbled to pull his shirt free of his trousers. She tore it open with the same enthusiasm he’d used to rip hers.
His free hand sought and worshipped her left nipple, twisting it lightly, then teasing the tip of it with his thumb. He was playing her body expertly, and she was helpless to resist the desire that whipped through her. She undid his belt and trousers, and sighed into his mouth with pleasure when her hands finally freed his rock-hard dick.
He was taking his time, even though he was clearly as excited by her as she was by him. His heart was beating wildly in his chest.
There was heady power in knowing he was as close to losing control as she was. Julia broke free from their kiss and nipped his muscular neck playfully. He groaned with pleasure, and Julia began to kiss her way down his chest. His hands came up to grip her head, but he didn’t stop her.
She kissed her way down his flat stomach, dropped to her knees before him, and took him deeply into her mouth. His hands fisted in her hair. And still she took him deeper. His firm ass flexed beneath one of her hands while her other hand guided him in and out of her mouth.
She thought he would come in her mouth and she welcomed the idea, but he pulled out, stepped out of his pants, and threw her on her bed. The nightgown, still hanging from her shoulders like a cape, tangled beneath her. He reached into the pocket of his pants and, without taking his eyes off her, sheathed himself in a condom. He was beside her a moment later, rolling her on top of him and lowering her down onto him. He powerfully thrust upward, holding her by her hips as he did.
She sat up and threw her head back with a cry of pleasure. Although she was above him, he was in command now, driving into her, deeper and deeper with each thrust. She balanced on her knees and arched backward.
He sat up, pulled her forward and took one of her breasts into his hungry mouth while he raised and lowered her onto him. His teeth nipped her, then his hot tongue lapped each breast, a mix of pleasure and pain that sent Julia into writhing moans.
Rolling them both over, he took her hands and pinned them above her head, poising himself above her. He teased her by rubbing his tip over her clit while he watched her expression. “You’re mine, Julia. Say it.”
Even though she was practically sobbing for release, she couldn’t say what he wanted to hear. Not without knowing what being his meant. She shook her head and closed her eyes.
He groaned in her ear and drove his shaft deeply into her with one powerful thrust. Julia welcomed him deeper and gave herself to the orgasm that swept through her as he continued to pound down into her. A moment later, he shuddered and came inside her.
He rolled onto his side and disposed of the condom, then pulled her back into his arms. They were both breathing hard. He buried his face in her hair and whispered, “You drive me crazy, Julia.”
Naked and pressed up against the man she’d pined for all day, Julia chided him gently. “You think you’re any better? I can’t believe you hit Paul.”
He took her chin in his hand and met her eyes seriously. “I don’t want to talk about other men in your life.”
Julia said, “It’s not like that. I told you—”
Gio claimed her mouth with his and kissed her until she was squirming against him with need once again.
When the kiss ended, Julia slumped against Gio and laid her head on his chest. Could he really be jealous of Paul?
That would mean he cares about me, wouldn’t it?
Or is this still about the crazy attraction between us?
What are we doing?
Oh, my God, why did I sleep with him? I should have told them both to leave.
“You’re coming home with me,” Gio said while he absently traced a hand down her bare back.
Raising herself up on one elbow, Julia said, “Didn’t we already discuss this?”
He smiled devilishly and rolled her back so he was above her as he accepted her challenge. He claimed her mouth with his and held himself just above her, his hard dick nudging against her wet sex. His eyes burned with desire for her as he asked, “Do you have a condom in that drawer beside your bed?”
She’d never wanted to say yes so badly, but she didn’t. “No.”
Instead of being irritated by her answer, he arched himself off her and repositioned himself lower on the bed. He kissed the small swell of her stomach, then spread her legs wide and blew lightly on her exposed clit. “The only word I want you to say is ‘yes.’”
Even though her body was humming with need for him, she shook her head. “No.”
Holding her eyes with his, he spread her lower lips and licked her from back to front, lingering on her growing nub. His other hand slid beneath her to squeeze her ass possessively. “I’m going to enjoy changing your mind.”
Julia clenched the comforter on either side of her as he plunged his tongue inside her, withdrew, then plunged in again. He rubbed her clit firmly with a rhythm that sent fire shooting through her. He blew lightly on her nub again. His tongue was everywhere while his fingers continued their war on her senses. He replaced his tongue with two fingers and found a spot that sent Julia out of her mind.
She cried out and thrashed against his hand. He held her easily and continued to pump his fingers in and out of her. When she was nearing climax, he stopped and looked up at her. “You know you want to say yes to me. Don’t fight it. Give yourself to it.”
He moved his fingers within her again, pausing to tug on her clit gently with his teeth, while never taking his eyes off her. “Say yes, Julia.”
A wave of heat rose within Julia that consumed her. She came with her eyes open, staring into his dark ones while crying out, “Yes. Oh, yes. God, yes.”
As she came back to earth, she thought, “What did I just agree to?” She realized she’d asked the question aloud as he rolled onto his back and lifted her so she was once again above him.
“Everything,” he said with a lusty smile.
His answer sent a nervous thrill through her. What is everything?
He took one of her hands and wrapped it around his still throbbing erection. She didn’t need more prompting than that.
I may not be up for everything.
But I’m down for this.
She eagerly took him in her mouth and took him to heaven.
* * *
In the dark of her heavily flower-scented apartment, Gio held a naked, sleeping Julia in his arms and stared up at the ceiling. He couldn’t remember a time in his adult life when he’d hit anyone. He didn’t do that. He stayed in control.
Until Julia.
From the moment he’d decided to bring her to the wedding with him—an act that had been uncharacteristically impulsive—he’d become someone he didn’t recognize. Emotion was best left out of most decisions. A cool head and determination equaled profit.
His philosophy hadn’t made him a lonely man, as some might expect. He knew he wasn’t a bad-looking man, but he was also jaded enough to realize that he could have been much less attractive and still gotten laid on a regular basis. Wealth did that. It was the ultimate aphrodisiac for enough women that he hadn’t realized until he met Julia how bored he’d become with the predictability of it.
Julia was like a day of sunshine after years of rain. Everything about her felt good—too good.
Fucking her should have made me want her less.
I should be gathering my clothes and calling for my car. Instead, he pulled Julia closer against him. He looked around. The light in the miniscule bathroom illuminated the room enough for him to see the entire place from where he lay. One wall had a small cupboard, a portable stove top, and a microwave. A wooden chair and table were covered with small boxes.
A police car went by outside, the siren blaring loudly through the thin walls. He ran a hand absently down the back of her head and buried it in her long hair. I don’t even let women sleep over at my place—why do I think moving her in would work out?
He looked down at her peaceful profile. Because the alternative is leaving her here again, and that is not going to happen.
She stirred against him. “Are you awake?” she whispered.
He ran his hand through her hair again. “Yes, and enjoying watching you sleep.”
She stiffened. “I hope I wasn’t drooling or anything.”
He felt uncharacteristically lighthearted and joked gently, “Gentlemen don’t wipe and tell.”
She slapped his chest playfully. “That’s awful. Funny, but awful.”
He took her hand in his and brought it to his lips. “I don’t have a reputation for being the nicest man. You’ll have to get used to it.”
She raised herself up on one elbow and looked down at him, gloriously unselfconscious about her nudity. “You say that like we . . . like we . . .”
He tucked a loose tendril behind her ear. “We?”
She looked down at him and chewed her bottom lip. “Tonight was wonderful, but it didn’t change anything between us.”
He pulled her back down against him. “I’d say it changed everything.”
“What happened to us wanting completely different things?” she asked.
He leaned down and kissed her shoulder. “I’d say we’ve proven that theory wrong.”
“I’m being serious.”
“If you’re hoping for a declaration of love, Julia, you’re not going to get one. That’s not who I am. But I want you beside me in my bed each night. I want to wake up to you. I can’t stay away from you no matter how many times I tell myself I should. For now, let that be enough.”
She closed her eyes and laid her head down on his chest. “I don’t want you to buy me anything.”
“I won’t give you a goddamned thing. I promise.”
She pinched his side lightly. “You’re such an ass.”
“But you’re coming home with me.”
“Yes,” she said softly.
It was the sweetest word he’d ever heard.