Giovanni looks down at me and his jaw clenches, one of his hands venturing to the small of my back while the other holds me steady.
I look him up and down. He’s still wearing his suit as usual. I have never seen him in anything other than a business suit. Except this time, he’s wearing a black button-up shirt. His sleeves are rolled up, creasing the fabric his tailor probably spent hours on end trying to get perfect for him.
It’s got to be hard to measure him—his arms are quite large.
I shake my head and widen my eyes.
What thefuck?
My own thoughts send trembles up and down my neck. I am not going to fall into my old habits. Especially not when I’m this drunk.
He walks so effortlessly, holding majority of my weight.
He doesn’t try to say a single word to me on the walk to the exit. I don’t know whether it’s because the music is too loud or he’s pissed at me.
He wouldn’t have a reason to be pissed at me though.
I pull my arm away from Giovanni’s grasp as his hand around my waist tightens. I choke on the air I breathe. His fingers dig into my hips slightly, threatening to sober me up.
Tonight was supposed to be fun; I am not going to let him ruin it for me. I try to push his arm off me, but he doesn’t budge.
Anger gets the better of me as I try to punch him, but he grabs my fist and shoves me against the wall.
He stares down at me, his hands holding my arms above my head. “Don’t,” he says with a firm and assertive voice.
His body presses into me, his face inches from mine. “Get your ass in the fucking car, Nina.” The smell of rum comes from his breath.
A thousand thoughts are running through my mind, but the only thing I can focus on is the bulge beneath his pants.
“You’re happy to see me.” I immediately regret the words that fly from my lips so fast and easily. I slam my eyes shut, hoping I can travel back in time and take my words back. It’s the alcohol. I won’t remember any of this in the morning.
“That’s my gun, Nina.”
I open my eyes and wince at his words. His dominant dark brown eyes stare into my soul. I let my eyes travel down.
A small smile forms in the corner of my mouth, encouraging me to fight back whether he was telling the truth or not.
“Oh, I’msureit is, Gio. You think I don’t know how you feel about me?”
In truth, I have no clue how he feels about me. I know it’s attraction, but does that go deeper than the physical aspects?
“Watch. It.Donnina.” He finally lets go of my hands. I tilt my head at his reply.
I tug on his tie as we walk down the red hallway. I don’t know what has gotten into me, but I need to lose the confidence I have, or it will only piss him off more. I don’t think he has ever shown this much irritation toward me before. It’s the tone of his voice—there isn’t a hint of emotion in it.
The exit sign is busted, blinking rapidly, making me feel nauseous. “I don’t think I want to go just yet.” I try to swing around him. Somehow, I manage to duck under his arm and run back to the dance floor.
I close my eyes and feel every beat of the music through my body one last time. God knows I won’t be able to do this in a while, or ever again.
His body is pressed to mine, my ass moving against him. I feel his large hands move from my stomach to the lower part of my hips. His head dips down to my ear. His smell is intoxicating; I can’t get enough.
“I said get in the car, Romano.”
“Say please?”
His thumbs dig into the sides of my stomach, venturing closer to my breasts. His head tilts down on my right, inching closer to my ear. “Please,” he says hesitantly.
I turn around so that my body is facing his. I have a strong feeling he has never said “please” to anyone before.