Gio (5th Street) (20 page)

Their hands caressed as they reached the door and instinctively he took her hand instantly, feeling the fire scorch through him from just her touch. He dropped her hand remembering the cameras and their eyes met again.

Gio had wondered about something for days. There was something he saw in those eyes during moments like these when Bianca seemed caught in his and he’d finally figured it out. It was as if he was seeing himself in her eyes. Because she was feeling that same unexplainable fixation that he was feeling. It was plain as day now.

The wait to get her somewhere where he could hold her was going to be excruciating and just like that, he had his answer. Maybe if it was anyone else. Someone he didn’t have this strange yet fascinating connection with it wouldn’t be worth taking such a risk.

He smiled as he observed the very moment she was finally able to pull away from his gaze. Yep, the answer was as palpable as the blood thrumming in his ears now in anticipation to the rest of this day. Bianca was hands down abso-fucking-lutely worth the risk. 

The angora scarf Bianca wrapped around her neck should have brought on a little guilt. She’d purchased it just a few weeks ago with thoughts of Felix caressing the soft fabric. Now all she could think of was that she’d soon be snuggling up next to Gio in it.

She’d been tempted to call Toni while she was in the bedroom changing. A very small voice in her head wanted Toni to talk her out of this. Tell her she was making a huge mistake. But the much louder, more compelling voice all but snuffed out the little one. It screamed what she really wanted to do and that was to be with Gio all day. Have him hold her and kiss her like he had on the lift when she’d nearly melted into one huge puddle. As dangerous as she knew this could be, Bianca could hardly wait for it to happen again.

On the ride to the movies, Bianca struggled to concentrate on what she was saying as she looked into Gio’s eyes. “There’s this really nice hiking trail we can check out after the movies. It’s well kept for wintertime hikers and on the easy side.” She lifted her fingers to air quote. “Kid friendly,” she smiled, feeling her insides warm as Gio’s eyes traveled down to her lips again. “It um…,” she licked her lips noticing his eyes widen and hoped he didn’t think she’d done that on purpose, “leads into a meadow where families with young kids can take them for snowball fights and build snowmen.”

Bianca paused to inhale deeply. She had to. The way he was looking at her did something to her that left her in need of catching her breath. “It’s really beautiful but the best thing is it’s kind of a local secret. So it’s never crowded and the times I’ve gone out there during the week I usually have the whole place to myself.”

“Why do you go by yourself?”

Her eyes were immediately on his lips at the sight of them moving. “I um… just love the trail. You’ll have to see it to understand. Even when it’s not wintertime. I went up there a lot when I was deciding whether I was going to stay up here or move back down to Los Angeles. It’s a great place to think.”

She licked her lips again. “Stop doing that,” he whispered, closing his eyes.

They reached the theater and the driver got out. Just like all the other times Gio’s lips were instantly on hers. She loved the way he kissed her with such need. A need she could barely fathom. This guy could have any girl he wanted. Evelyn had obviously been ready and willing to do it in the men’s bathroom with him after knowing him for only an hour and he’d passed it up—passed
her
up. He’d never even called her. If all he needed was one thing, Evelyn was a phone call away. Yet here he was
needing
Bianca as if she were his last fighting breath. She’d never felt anything like it but it completely captivated her.

The door opened and Bianca could feel the enormous effort it took Gio to pull himself away from her. Getting it together or at least trying to after every limb in her body had gone flaccid, she struggled to compose herself as she climbed out of the car. The driver had to use a little extra strength as she held his hand to get out.

They bought popcorn and soda though Bianca got the distinct feeling they weren’t going to be doing much eating or even watching of the movie. The theater was as empty as she expected it to be. It was the first showing of the day on a weekday. They were literally the only ones in the theater. No sooner had they sat than Gio’s big arm was around her and she let her head fall back onto it as he dove in. She was rewarded with one of the longest, deepest kisses he’d given her yet.

It wasn’t until many minutes later when they came up for air that she noticed there were now a handful of other people in the theater. Since they were in the very back row, and she could only assume Gio had led them there purposely, she didn’t have to wonder if anyone sat behind them.

They spent the rest of the two hours doing much of the same, stopping only briefly a few times to take sips of their soda or when they had to shush each other because their moans would escape them a bit too loudly. Mostly Bianca, but at times even Gio got carried away. That usually led her into a giggling fit where she’d have to bury her face in his chest to muffle the sound. She was grateful that the theater was so empty, although she was certain they’d annoyed a few people. Not that Gio seemed to care or even notice.

After the movies, they walked across the street and grabbed a couple of slices of pizza. “This is probably the best pizza up here,” Bianca said, biting into her slice.

Gio once again attempted to make an unpleasant expression and as usual failed miserably. He still looked every bit the amazingly hot guy that he was. Bianca laughed.

She finished chewing as he stared at her, wiped her mouth and then, without even realizing it, licked her lips. Before she could respond any further, his hand reached out and squeezed her arm. “You’re gonna have to stop doing that. Don’t you realize I can’t keep my eyes off you and each time you do that…” He scooted his chair closer to her side of the table, leaned in and pecked her a couple of times before really going in for it with a long ravenous kiss as if they hadn’t just made out for over two hours straight and ended it with a groan.

With her legs gone to mush again, she blinked as he pulled away slowly but stayed close enough to look profoundly in her eyes. “Every time,” he said, then glanced down as if to make sure she wasn’t doing it again. “Every time you do that, that’s what’s gonna happen.”

Bianca gulped, knowing he couldn’t possibly mean when Felix was around, too. She wouldn’t ask because she wasn’t ready to discuss that subject yet but she did wonder exactly what would be discussed when the time came. When this flirtation started, she thought that’s all it would be. Even when she’d allowed herself to fantasize about the possibility of something like this happening—maybe just one kiss—nothing more. She never imagined feeling this kind of intensity from him or herself. The very thought of being in the same room with him and Felix now made her cringe and she should’ve been mindful of Gio’s words when he’d said he couldn’t take his eyes off her because he’d been watching so closely he noticed.

His eyes were immediately troubled. “What’s wrong?” She shook her head and attempted to look away but he watched her so closely it was impossible to hide any emotion from him. “What is it?”

“I just thought of Felix for a moment… of being in the same room with the both of you after today.”

Gio’s features went instantly hard. “Let’s not worry about that now.”

Bianca nodded, agreeing quickly. She too didn’t want to ruin the rest of the day. There was still so much time left and then they had tomorrow morning. Her heart began to race but for a different reason now. It suddenly hit her that once Felix was back this would be over and the thought nearly made her gasp but she held it in knowing how closely Gio still watched her.

Gio cleared his voice. “I was gonna say before you interrupted me by laughing at my expression.” The hardened countenance he wore just a moment ago was now replaced with a sexy smirk. “It’s just that once you’ve had my mom’s pizza you’ll know why nothing else even compares. There’s nothing like real Italian homemade pizza.”

“Hmm,” Bianca smiled hoping her comment would not sound cynical. “Maybe someday I’ll get to try it.”

His smirk went flat as their eyes met and he did that thing that rendered her virtually helpless to so much as glance away from his beautiful green eyes. Then he smiled again. “Yeah, maybe you will.”

They finished eating and Bianca gave the driver instructions on how to get to that special meadow she’d told Gio about. She’d taken Felix out there once and even though they’d had a nice little walk he hadn’t seemed too excited about it. This was one of those things that either you loved as much as Bianca did or she wasn’t sharing it with you. So they hadn’t gone back since.

Toni was the one that turned her on to it and she’d loved it from the moment she took her first hike there. Of course, that was late last summer when the leaves were just starting to turn colors so the spectacular views were breathtaking. But she’d been going back at least once every two weeks. So far it had been just as amazing no matter what the season.

They reached the beginning of the trail and Bianca told the driver where it would be best to park. Like the theater, there were very few people there. A few couples and a man walking his dog. The sun shone so brightly against the white snow for a moment as the clouds opened up they actually had to squint.

“Wow.” Gio was looking at the area with that same admiration she remembered feeling when she first saw it.

“And this is nothing.” Bianca smiled, relieved that she hadn’t talked up the place too much and he actually seemed genuinely impressed. “Just wait until you see the meadow.”

Bianca would never tire of the way he gazed at her. “Then lead the way, beautiful.”

Such a simple compliment and Bianca felt her face flush. She’d just sucked face with the guy, heard his moans, felt his hunger for her and
this
made her blush? It was so silly she had to look away and he laughed. “Wow. Really?”

She covered her face with her gloved hands trying to keep from going into a laughing fit because she felt so stupid and the worst thing that could happen did—the squeak. It was loud and one look at Gio’s laughing face and she was in near tears laughing.

He pulled her to him laughing and moved her hands away from her face. “Don’t cover your face. I love seeing you laugh.”

Bianca buried her face in his warm jacket as he brought his arms around her waist holding her tighter. The enthralling smell of him, his aftershave, his skin as she lifted her face to his. It was enough to calm her laughter, get her heart pounding again for a different reason now.

She glanced back at the car glad the driver was back in it and the car was facing the opposite direction but one look back and he’d see them because they were in plain view. When she glanced back at Gio his lips were on hers again. One soft kiss was all he gave her and she sighed. “Don’t tell me no one’s ever called you beautiful before.”

It was hard to keep a straight face but staring in his eyes made it easier. It practically immobilized her. This was getting embarrassing. No person should have this much power over another. But she couldn’t hold it against him. There was no way he was doing this on purpose. Was there? “Yes, I’ve been called beautiful once or twice in my life,” she said down playing the amount of times Felix alone had called her that among all the others who’d used that word to describe her over time.

“Once or twice? Get out of here.” Another couple came around the corner of the trail making Gio and Bianca move out of the way.

Gio took her hand and they began to walk down the trail. The one thing she hadn’t mentioned to him were the caves along the trail to the meadow. She’d been afraid he might construe her suggesting they come here as something more mischievous. The thought of being alone in one of the caves with him had crossed her mind and just thinking about it now warmed her insides. What they were doing was already bad enough. Taking things even slightly further was going past her one time indulgence to do what her heart wanted instead of what her head told her. Which is what she was calling this—a one time indulgence.

Even in her thoughts, it sounded like what she knew it really was, pure bullshit. This was wrong no matter how you looked at it. Yet, not once, other than the little voice that had barely made a peep when she went back to the cabin, had she considered fighting it. And now that it was happening she couldn’t even begin to imagine how she’d ever go back to the way things were before today.

“What’s that?” Gio pointed with a smirk.

“A cave,” she said, trying to sound as casual as possible. “There are a lot of them around the trails.”
The trails.
In other words not just this one. The one she’d brought him to on a day when she’d known they’d have the entire trail mostly to themselves.

He gave her a knowing look. Damn it. She knew it. But the truth was she was beginning to wonder now if subconsciously she
had
been thinking that way. “Can we go in them?” He looked up on the mountain above the cave. “Or are there bears and mountain lions around here?”

“There’s all kinds of wildlife out here but didn’t you ever watch cartoons growing up?” She giggled, willing herself not to get into any more of her stupid laughing fits that would have her squeaking like a mouse on crack. “Bears hibernate in the winter; so it’s rare to see one out here in the snow.”

“Where do you think they hibernate, Bianca?”

That wiped the smile off her face and she stared at him as his words sunk in. The thought of a bear being in one of those caves hadn’t even crossed her mind. This time he laughed taking her face in his hands, kissing her lips and cheeks and finally her forehead. “God, Bianca.” was all he said before hugging her close to him with a grunt.