Gio (5th Street)

  The startled expression softened into one of her sweet smiles. “Back to the cabin. I’m tired.”

  “Alone? Where’s Felix?”

  “He was kidnapped,” she said with a sideways smile.

  “Kidnapped?” As much as Gio was trying to stay open minded about this it already sounded like bullshit.

  “The Mayor wanted to have a cigar with him so they stepped outside and I guess after bragging about his boat so much the Mayor, who Felix said has probably had too much to drink tonight, insisted they drive out and see it.”

  Bianca must’ve seen the disgusted censure in Gio’s eyes because she promptly added. “He asked if I wanted to come. He actually really wanted me to. It’s just that being around him and a bunch of guys smoking cigars didn’t sound too appealing.” She gave him a hearty smile but Gio wasn’t buying it. “He just texted me a few minutes ago to say he was doing everything he could to shut the Mayor up already and get back but he said the guy was a talker. So I just told him I’d meet him back at the cabin. He said he’d text you.”

  Gio frowned pulling out his phone out from his pocket. He’d turned off the sound before they got there. Bianca started making her way to the car now that the driver had opened the door for her. Gio followed her.

  “You don’t have to leave because of me.” Bianca’s eyes did the doe-eyed thing that now drove Gio crazy making him that much more irritated with Felix. How could he do this to her? First, he shows up a day late for reasons still a bit questionable then the first night he gets a chance to spend time with her he ditches her to schmooze with the Mayor?

  “I’m done here, too.”

  He motioned for her to get in the car and she did. He followed behind her flipping through his phone. There were three texts he hadn’t read. All from Felix.

  The first one was sent over an hour ago:

  Do me a favor and check on Bianca for me please. I’m stuck with this drunk windpipe. Let me know if she’s pissed.

  The second fifteen minutes later:

  Dude! Did you check on her?

  The third just minutes earlier:

  Never mind I just texted her. She’s gonna be leaving and I’m meeting her back at the cabin. Stay as long as you want. I’ll send a car back for you. Or let me know if you need me to send a car out to pick you up at her room tomorrow. Whatever you decide. Enjoy. =)

  As irritated as Gio was feeling, he couldn’t smile at that like he normally would’ve. If it hadn’t been for him wanting to get to Bianca he just might’ve ended up in Evelyn’s room but that’s not what he was mad about.

  Gio wanted to believe in his heart of hearts that Felix had good intentions when it came to Bianca. But more than anything he wanted to believe if Felix didn’t, Bianca would see through him. He didn’t think her stupid or even naïve enough to fall for his shit. Something told him she had it in her to confront Felix if she ever suspected anything or he upset her in any way. But he’d just left her at a bar by herself. She’d been completely ignored the whole time and here she was headed back to the guy’s cabin seemingly okay with the way things went down tonight.

  “Are you sure you wanna leave? You looked like you were enjoying yourself in there.”

  Gio glanced up at her from his phone. “I’m sure,” was all he’d give her but she surprised him yet again with her upfront comments.

  “Evelyn is very pretty. It looked like she was enjoying your company.”

  Gio stared at those big eyes for a moment before chuckling. “Yeah, I guess you could say that.”

  Her lips pressed together. “So go back.”

  With the adrenaline rush gone now, his body was aching again. He sat back trying to relax his tense muscles and closed his eyes. “I’m still sore.”

  “You were dancing pretty well out there,” she countered rather quickly.

  He opened one eye, peeking out at her. She was staring at him so curiously he had to smile but he closed his eye again. “You were watching?”

  “What else was I supposed to do? I was bored.”

  That wiped the smile right off his face. God damn Felix.

  “Can I ask you something?” The curiosity in her voice made it impossible for him not to peek again at those animated eyes. He knew they had to be all doe-eyed again and he wouldn’t miss that for the world. He opened an eye and she didn’t disappoint. He almost laughed at the way she stared at him.

  “Go ahead,” he said, stifling his laughter.

  “Were you going to… you know, with her tonight?”

  Gio smirked, wondering if he’d ever get over her sudden out of the blue comments and questions. But he liked them. So much so he wasn’t about to let her off the hook. Surely she wasn’t a virgin. She was Felix’s girlfriend for crying out loud. She could at least say the words. “Going to what, Bianca?” he challenged.

  She straightened up fidgeting with her fingers. “You know. Make love.”

  Now Gio laughed. “I just met her. You don’t make love to a girl you just met.” Her confused expression made him laugh even more. Then that something that made him say things to her that he normally wouldn’t say to sweet girls came over him again and he stopped laughing and looked deep into her big eyes. “Oh, she would’ve got some tonight. She wanted it—told me so.” Bianca’s eyes got a little bigger. He’d pay hard cash now for Bianca’s reaction to his shocking declarations. It did something to him and he couldn’t help himself. “I just wouldn’t have called it making love.”

  “She told you she wanted it?”

  She was caught in his eyes now. Gio had seen this happen before with Bianca and it excited him but he was cautious because she never ceased to surprise him. He didn’t know what to expect from her anymore. “Not only that she wanted it, but where and how.”

  Her eyes alternated from his lips to his eyes instantly heating up his insides. They were very close to the cabin where she’d be safe from what he was so tempted to do now. What he was feeling was off the charts wrong but he didn’t think he had it in him to hold off if he really thought she’d let him.

  “What did she say?” Bianca’s question was genuinely curious. Obviously, she’d never asked for what she wanted. That didn’t surprise Gio. She didn’t seem the type but this had her complete and utter attention; she was practically sitting at the edge of her seat waiting for an answer.

  “That she liked being dangerous.”

  Bianca’s mouth opened distracting Gio completely. “Dangerous?”

  The driver pulled into the long driveway to Felix’s cabin and Gio couldn’t be more grateful. If they were any further away he might give in to the temptation and lean in for a taste of that mouth. He swallowed hard. “She wanted to go into the men’s restroom and have me take her on the sink.”

  Her impossibly big eyes grew even wider. “In public?”

  “Seems that would be the case.”

  “And you were going to?”

  The car stopped in front of the cabin and the driver got out. Gio waited too long to answer and the door opened, the driver waited to help Bianca out but she turned back to Gio surprising him yet again. Her expression seemed absolutely… fascinated? “Were you?”

  “I was considering it.”

  She still didn’t budge. “But what if someone walked in?” she whispered.

  Suddenly being this close to her felt electrifying. “That’s the exciting part,” he whispered back licking his lips. “The risk.”

  Her eyes finally looked away from his and they focused on nothing in particular but she seemed to be contemplating on what he’d just said. Finally, she made her way out of the car. Gio took a giant deep breath, exhaling just as big before following her out. It was only then that he realized how fast his heart pounded in his chest and he was rock hard.

  This was crazy. It was just a conversation for Christ’s sake! He had to get a hold of himself or she’d be the end of him.

  ~*~

  Days later Bianca was over the disappointing night out, which Felix h
ad completely made up for by taking her out the following night to a romantic dinner, just the two of them. He followed up the dinner with a very romantic carriage ride where they cuddled up under some warm blankets as they rode around the picturesque little town drinking hot cocoa spiked with Kahlua. They ended the night going back to the cabin where they made love and not once had she thought of Gio.

  Then early this morning Bianca awoke to another intense orgasm again only this time Felix was sound asleep. She’d laid there catching her breath trying to remember all the details of her dream as her heart hammered away.

  With the visual Gio had placed in her mind about doing it in the men’s restroom continually assaulting her thought processes these last few days it was no surprise she’d dream about doing it. Only thing was that it wasn’t Felix in her dream. Gio had been the one that lifted her onto the sink, ripped her panties off and then plowed into her like a man with only one mission—to fuck her brains out—and she’d loved it. Just thinking about it now made her warm in unspeakable places.

  “You ready?” Bianca flinched at Felix’s voice. He smiled coming up from behind her and looking at her in the mirror. “I’m sorry, babe. I didn’t mean to startle you.” He lifted her hair and sprinkled tiny kisses over her nape. “You look beautiful… as usual.”

  “Thank you.” She turned to face him and kissed him softly on the lips. Desperately needing to chase away the thoughts she’d been having just before he walked in, she changed the subject. “Are you sure about this? I still think this sounds really personal. I hardly know your friend.”

  Felix and Gio’s friend, Noah, from the gym had invited them to dinner tonight at Noah and his girlfriend’s place. Noah had been vague but Felix was pretty sure they’d be making some kind of announcement. If that was the case then Bianca thought maybe they’d prefer just their close friends and family members not Felix’s new girlfriend who she was certain Noah didn’t even remember.

  “Yes, I’m sure and don’t worry. Noah told me to bring you.”

  “He did?” That surprised her. From her experience, guys weren’t like girls. They didn’t go around talking about their relationships. “You told him about us?”

  Felix moved over and fixed his hair with his fingers looking in the mirror. “I was going to but he already knew. Gio told him.”

  That came as an even bigger surprise but she tried not to sound too interested. “Really? What did he tell him?”

  Felix glanced at her then back in the mirror and smiled. “Nothing bad I’m sure. But they both remember you from high school so Gio told him about you being up here, too.”

  They both remembered her? Bianca could see how Gio would, she at least had him for a few classes but she’d never had Noah in any classes and from what she remembered he’d pretty much disappeared senior year. She couldn’t think of any other way to continue to pry for more information on what exactly Gio had said to Noah without sounding suspiciously curious so she let it go. She wasn’t even sure why it mattered.

  The whole ride down to Noah’s, Gio and Felix talked about the renovations they’d be making to the gym. Felix was donating some major loot for it. It warmed her how generous he was and how genuinely excited he seemed about giving back to his community.

  They arrived at Noah’s house in a neighborhood Bianca remembered so fondly. The houses seemed smaller now somehow and the streets narrower but the area still had the same feel. Kids played in the streets. People sat out in their front yards even in the chilly late afternoon.

  Noah and the guys were on the porch drinking beer when they pulled up into his driveway. Noah met them at the bottom of the stairs with a big smile. After the hugs, hellos and introductions, Noah offered them all beer from an ice chest he had out on the porch.

  They were all just like Bianca remembered them in high school only bigger, especially Abel who had always been the biggest and was now really big. Hector, Abel’s younger brother, who had always been so much smaller than all of them since he was the youngest was now just as tall as all of them and his teenage frame was like she remembered they all were in high school—bigger than most teens.

  Gio immediately jumped up onto the railing of the porch and made himself comfortable. Noah offered Bianca and Felix a seat on the porch bench no one was utilizing. Noah had been leaning against the railing when they arrived and Abel sat on the other side of the porch’s railing while Hector sat comfortably on the porch stairs. Bianca sat and took the beer Noah offered, feeling a little awkward as she sipped it. Obviously, they were all going to have a few pre-dinner drinks right there on the porch.

  “So what’s the big announcement?” Felix asked.

  Noah gave him a knowing look. Even Bianca who didn’t know them could guess this one. A couple only ever announced one of two things, a pregnancy or an engagement but she kept her thoughts to herself.

  “Roni wanted to do this so I can’t say anything yet but…” he sort of rolled his eyes then chuckled.

  A phone rang in the distance and Noah patted his pants, coming up with nothing. He paused to listen as it rang again. It was coming from inside. “That’s me.” He pushed himself away from the railing. “I’ll be back,” he said rushing into the house.

  As soon as he was out of sight, Felix scooted up to the edge of the bench they were sitting on and asked Abel. “So what do you think? She’s pregnant or they’re getting married?”

  “If she’s pregnant, knowing Noah it’s both.” Abel frowned turning to Gio. “You should talk to him, dude. They don’t have to get married just ‘cause she’s pregnant.”

  Gio’s reaction to that was defensive. “What difference would it make? They’re already living together.”

  Abel leaned over looking into the front door cautiously then lowered his voice. “Nothing against Roni. You know I love her. But this shit went down real fast, him moving in with her and all. That age difference thing may not be a big deal now but when they get older and it gets more noticeable things could go sour fast.”

  “That’s mom talking,” Hector said laughing.

  Abel turned to him with a scowl. “But it’s true.”

  “Your mom doesn’t like Roni?” Gio asked sounding very disgusted.

  Abel brought his finger to his lips in exasperation then peered into the front door again. Bianca watched and listened to all of this fascinated.

  “She likes her just fine but eight years is eight fucking big ones,” Abel said keeping a watchful eye on the door. “Marriage is huge. Even if she is pregnant maybe they should just live together a few more years. You never know what could happen. He might realize maybe he did jump into this too quick. Maybe the age difference will be too much the older she gets.”

  Gio shook his head taking a drink of his beer. “Man, he better never hear you say that.”

  “Why? I’m just looking out for him.”

  Gio continued to shake his head adamantly. “Dude, I don’t care how big you are. He ever hears you say something like that he’ll rip your fucking head off.”

  Bianca felt like she had front row tickets to something girls were rarely given access too. Real live, uncensored guy talk. She was enjoying it just as much as the next nosy person until Felix put in his two cents. “I’m gonna have to agree with Abel on this.”

  “Thank you!” Abel said, lifting his beer at Felix and turning back to Gio.

  “Whoa.” Felix lifted his hand then turned to the door lowering his voice. “Not about the age thing. Noah scored with Roni. She’s a hot little thing. I don’t think she looks older than him now and I don’t think she ever will. But the committing for life thing at his age?” This is what had Felix shaking his head now and it made Bianca’s insides twist. “That’s crazy.”

  Gio’s face soured. “He’s twenty-one and we all know Noah’s always been way older on the inside than any of us. That’s why Roni is so perfect for him.”

  “Why is Roni so perfect for me?” Noah said stepping out the door.

  Bianca nea
rly spit out her beer. She managed to avoid making a total ass of herself swallowing down hard what was in her mouth. Her eyes watered as the gas came back up her nose.

  All eyes were on Gio, who now had the burden of explaining what they’d all been talking about and why.

  CHAPTER 12

  Gio took a slow swig of his beer before smiling at Noah. “Because she keeps your ass in check.”

  Noah laughed. “Whatever. She’s never even had to try.” He turned to Bianca. “Speaking of, dinner is gonna be few more minutes but Roni asked me to send you in, Bianca. She’s in there finishing up and she wanted to meet you.”

  Bianca stood up smiling. Felix stood with her. “I wanna say hi to Roni, too.” They both followed Noah back in the house. Gio barely waited for them to be out of earshot before looking back at Abel. “Look, I hear where you’re coming from but don’t even go there with him. It will not go over well. I’m telling you” Abel frowned, making Gio shake his head again. “All right, just don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

  Gio always knew Abel had his reservations about Noah dating someone so much older than him but he’d kept it to himself for the most part. This is why it surprised him that Abel was being such a hard ass about it now. Gio knew Abel just had Noah’s best interest at heart, but Abel couldn’t be that blind. Noah wasn’t changing his mind about Roni—not now, not ever.

  A top-of-the-line SUV pulled up in front of Noah’s house, distracting them all momentarily. Gio continued to take sips of his beer as the girl in the SUV stepped out and walked around to the passenger side of the truck. She wore all black—a black sweater dress, black tights and black heels. Even her hair that she wore in a sophisticated sleek bob looked black in the evening light. She leaned into the passenger side door to get something giving them all a clear view of a very nice ass.