Chapter Thirteen –
Justin – Friday
This time, the three-hour drive down to Florence was filled with very positive thoughts about my brother. Garrett had really been proving to me that he wanted to change, and I was slowly becoming convinced. Just like he promised, he came into work with me the very next day after his little speech, and I’d managed to find a suitable place for him.
Admittedly, there were a few teething issues in the beginning; for example, he didn’t like being on the research team, but to his credit, he was flying away in the marketing department. The creativity of the job suited him well, and he was doing even better than expected. Now that he was doing well, as far as I could tell, he’d stopped the drinking and acting like a twat. He was finally growing up.
I wasn’t sure that I’d be able to follow through with this trip, which was why I hadn't booked the hotel room until the very last minute, but now I was confident that I could trust him. I really felt like he could hold his shit together for a few days, and he would be just as good in the company next week.
Maybe I’d finally managed to get through to him; maybe he was finally ready to grow the hell up. If that was the case, then I would be incredibly proud of him. Maybe then one day I could hand the managerial reins over to him, giving me the freedom to do what I wanted with my life…not that I was sure what that was yet.
As I arrived, I checked into the hotel quickly, pleased that I was given the same room with that amazing view all over again…not that I had much time to enjoy it, as I was already running a little late. Because I was rushing, I didn’t bother to go full tuxedo for this dinner, instead wearing a shirt and trousers. I looked professional enough, with an element of casual there, too.
I couldn’t wait to see Annie again, and not just because she’d been in the back of my mind the entire time we were apart. I was excited to tell her how far I’d managed to get with Harry, too. He wasn’t convinced, even now; in fact, he told me that investing in Boffees would be like throwing my money down the drain. But with Garrett curbing his spending and showing some real signs of change, I finally managed to bring Harry round, just a little bit.
I thanked my lucky stars for Garrett’s awesome timing – he had literally given me more time to spend with the woman I liked a little too much for my own good. Of course, if I went into business with her, we would never be able to hook up, but that wasn’t my top concern, not this time. I wanted Annie to be happy.
“Hi there,” I smiled, my heart leaping with joy as I saw her sitting there at the restaurant table already. “I’m so sorry that I’m late; the traffic was bad.” That wasn’t strictly true, but I didn’t want to get into the long and involved story about Garrett and my mild distrust of him right now. “You look gorgeous.”
As I kissed both of her cheeks, her floral scent filled my nostrils and I felt that now familiar warmth in my chest that she gave me. I knew that I’d missed her the entire time, but it hit me hard as I felt her near me again.
“Oh, thank you.” As a blush filled her cheeks, I couldn’t help but smile to myself. Her rejection of me might have been cold before, but it was so obvious that there was something there for me, even if she wasn’t ready to admit it to herself yet.
No, stop it, I scolded myself. Don’t think like that.
“So, how have you been?” I asked her as I took my seat. “Business been good this week?”
“Yes, it’s been great, actually,” she grinned brightly. “Busy as always. How about you?”
“Crazy as always,” I replied evasively, glazing over the part where it had been one of the most life-changing weeks of my life…as long as it stuck with Garrett. “Glad to have a break.”
“Oh, well, we better get a drink then,” she joked, handing me the wine list. As my eyes scanned over the page, I debated whether or not I should tell her that I’d finished her book before deciding against it. I had so many theories on why her characters acted the way that they did, and I felt like it was all related very closely to her life, and I wasn’t sure if that was casual, over dinner conversation.
No, I would wait for the perfect moment to bring that subject up.
Once we’d placed our orders, I looked at her with real emotion in my eyes. I couldn’t keep how I was feeling inside, even if I really wanted to. “It’s good to see you again,” I admitted to her, not even caring if I was overstepping a line.
“Yeah,” she nodded, with a peaceful smile playing on her lips. “It’s good to see you again, too.”
“How’s Rae? She was great on the phone the other day!” I couldn’t believe how well she could conduct herself on the phone. If she was a little bit older, I might have considered hiring her myself.
“She’s great. Nancy has her tonight, so she’s over the moon.”
“Nancy is the babysitter, right?” I could vaguely remember that much. “Is she a friend of yours, too?”
“She is, actually,” Annie answered, taking a sip of her drink after the waiter poured it out. “She’s one of the first people that I met when I moved to Florence, and I don’t know what I’d do without her now.”
“Why did you move?” I couldn’t stop myself from asking, despite the fact I knew that it was probably inappropriate, especially if she’d had a difficult past.
“I just…I wanted a change.” Her eyes were shifting everywhere; she was fiddling with her fingers, moving uncomfortably in her seat. There was something behind her moving, something important, and I wanted to know more – but of course, I couldn’t. She had to want to tell me. “I like it here, anyway.”
“It is beautiful. Anyway, cheers to possibly being business partners.”
Our glasses clinked together, but that was all we managed to discuss when it came to business. I had all sorts that I wanted to tell her, a lot to talk about, but we kept getting distracted by other things. The more the wine flowed, the more comfortable around her I became, the more open I felt. Then I asked the one question that I’d vowed I wouldn’t: I touched on the subject I had told myself I would wait before discussing.
“Your book, is it based on anyone?”
Shit, why the hell did I ask that? From the way that Annie’s expression turned serious and her face went a little pale, I could tell that I’d done the wrong thing.
“Have you finished it?” she gasped, holding onto her chest as if her heart might burst out at any moment.
“I absolutely loved it,” I told her, wanting desperately to reassure her. “The writing is incredible. Your characters are so believable, which is why I thought that they might be based on…someone.” You, I thought in my head, but I didn’t say that aloud.
“N…no,” she stammered. “I don’t know anyone accused of murder.” She was trying to make a joke out of it, but she knew exactly what I was getting at. “I didn’t realize that you had a brother.”
I was absolutely stunned by her words. I hadn't mentioned Garrett at all, but then again, she could have always found out from Roy. It was obvious that she just wanted a distraction from the very difficult question that I’d just asked her, so I let her have her way.
“Garrett has always been a bit of a nightmare,” I replied tactfully. “But he’s doing better these days. He just needs some guidance, that’s all.”
She didn’t answer me, clearly a little embarrassed by her over-the-top reaction, so I took a massive glug of wine, which she copied.
“Do you think you might want dessert today?” I asked, half referring to our last meal, half just not wanting to leave.
“Yeah, I could use some chocolate right about now.”
Okay, that was good; at least she wasn’t running out of here screaming. We would eat our chocolaty treats, then discuss business…
***
The only problem was during dessert, we both drank a little too much, which left us laughing over silly stuff rather than talking about business, at all. I kept thinking about it in the back of my mind, but somehow, it never made it past my lips.
“Ooh, I think we better leave,” I finally giggled to Annie. “They’re putting the chairs up on the table. That’s a clear sign that we’ve outstayed our welcome.”
“Oops,” she laughed alongside me. “I didn’t realize. Come on.”
I felt sad that we were going our separate ways, but glad that we’d had such a fun night. It might not have been very productive, but it had been a lot of laughs. As I walked her outside, I felt the almost overwhelming urge to grab hold of her, to kiss her, but I forced my hands into my pockets. I had to resist, however hard it was, because it freaked her out last time.
“Are you getting a cab?” I asked her, feeling hollow inside. “Or do you want me to walk you back?”
She paused for so long that I actually felt the need to turn around and stare at her. Once I gazed into her eyes, I could see something new there, something I hadn't ever seen before, and it sparked something deep inside of me.
“Aren’t you going to invite me back to your hotel room again?” she asked me huskily.
Was that…desire? Is that what that fire was being her eyes? Oh my God. I didn’t know what the hell to do. Much as I wanted to take her up on the offer, it didn’t feel wise. Then again, I was only human, and I liked her a lot.
“Are you serious?” I practically growled back, as my heart thumped wildly in my chest. My cock was starting to react, desperately standing to attention, needing this to happen.
She didn’t answer me; she just moved closer and pressed her body up against mine. I could feel her heart racing, her ragged breaths panting – she was serious all right! She might have been aware, just as I was, that it wasn’t the smartest thing in the world, but she wanted it anyway.
Then her lips crashed against mine, and I realized just how much. Her kiss shared my passion, my neediness, my desire. Everything about the moment felt crazy, but perfect, too. As my arms wrapped around her and I held her close, I never wanted to let her go.
“I’m sure,” she eventually gasped as we fell apart from one another. “I’ve never been surer of anything in my life.”
I didn’t need to be told twice.
If Annie wanted me and I wanted her, then maybe we needed to give into this temptation. There would be consequences, but we could deal with them in the morning. Right now, I needed to give my body exactly what it had been wanting ever since I first laid eyes on this incredible woman.
I liked her, I needed her, and now I could see that she felt the same way, too. What would be the point of turning her down, just because it was the sensible thing to do?
“Let’s go,” I replied quietly, holding her as close to my body as humanly possible. “The hotel is just around the corner.”