Gio smiled at me, and I had to stop myself from staring at the gap between his two front teeth. Thank God for the braces I had three years ago, or there might have been a good chance my smile would have ended up looking like that. Creepy as shit.
“Oh, come on, Gio.” The driver slammed Gio’s front against the side of the Audi. “Don’t make me ask you again.” He glanced at me over his shoulder. “I’m Dante, by the way.”
I gave him a shy smile. “I’m Layla.”
“Nice to meet you, Layla.” Gio struggled against Dante’s hold. “Stop trying, Gio. I’ve kicked your ass too many times in the past for you to actually think you have the balls to take me on.” He twisted Gio’s arm behind his back, causing him to squirm. “So I suggest you give the pretty lady her phone back, or you’ll end up with your balls lodged in your throat.”
“Okay, fine,” Gio conceded. “It’s an old, fucked-up model, anyway. Take the fucking thing.”
Dante took the phone from him…then slammed his face against the car.
“Motherfucker!” Gio grabbed his bleeding nose, and Dante leaned closer.
“That’s for using filthy language in front of such a pretty girl.”
With a hard jerk, Dante shoved Gio down on the sidewalk, and we watched as he ran away like a dog with his tail between his legs.
“Asshole,” I muttered under my breath.
“Yeah. Gio is a regular troublemaker on these streets.” Dante handed me my phone, the tattoo on the top of his hand catching my attention. Black, intricate lines formed a tribal outline of a wolf’s face.
“Thank—” But my words caught in my throat the second I looked up and into those mesmerizing dark orbs of seduction. I caught my breath. There was something in his eyes—something that captivated me, making it impossible to look away. I had no idea what it was, but I felt something. Something so strong it had the power to turn everything inside me to ash. My stomach flipped, my heart racing and beating wildly inside my chest. And the second our fingers brushed against each other as I took the phone from him, I felt my cheeks burn. Dear God, I was blushing. I was blushing like a little hormonal girl.
I pulled back. “Thank you…you know, for what you did.”
“My pleasure. I’ve always wanted to help a damsel in distress.” The smile that tugged at the edges of his lips, a dimple appearing just above it, was sexy as sin—which was why I knew I had to leave. Men like him spelled nothing but trouble.
“Thanks again.” I brushed past him, hyperaware of his gaze following me.
“Can I give you a ride?”
I didn’t stop walking. “No, thanks. I’m good.”
“School is a few more blocks from here. I can give you a ride.”
Luckily, I wasn’t some naïve, small town girl. I came from New York, so I knew all about sinfully gorgeous guys and their smooth mouths with nothing but sordid intentions. Plus, Kate gave me the whole “don’t talk to strangers” talk just last night. So it was all nice and fresh in my head.
I glanced over my shoulder. “I’m fine. Really. But thanks.”
My feet couldn’t carry me fast enough as I speed-walked down the street. I heard the slam of a car door. For some weird reason, I felt disappointment when I heard the start of his engine behind me. Mentally, I cursed the fact I was such a goddamn responsible person.
From the corner of my eye, I noticed a black car slowly drive alongside me, and the window rolled down. “You sure you don’t want a ride?”
I smiled. He sure was persistent. “I’m fine.”
He narrowed his eyes at me, checking the road every few seconds. “Is it that whole ‘don’t trust strangers’ thing?”
“Yes.” I chuckled. “It’s the whole ‘don’t trust strangers’ thing,”
“Fine. Then ask me anything.”
Confused, I looked at him. “What?”
He looked out in front of him, then back at me, one hand leisurely on the steering wheel. “Ask me anything you want to know so I won’t be a stranger anymore.”
I cocked a brow. “A few questions won’t change anything within a few minutes. You’d still be a stranger.”
A smug grin spread across his face. “Tell me I’d at least be a cute stranger?”