Gian (Trassato Crime Family #1)(36)

Jenna’s fingers rapped over the keyboard. “Nine. Eight. Eight. Three.”

Evie unzipped her wallet and pulled out a silver credit card. “Huh.” She tipped her head to the ceiling, and then her eyes flared. “Shit. I forgot to pay the bill,” she mumbled under her breath.

I pulled out my wallet and tossed a credit card on the counter. “Put it on here.”

“No.” Evie slapped her hand on top of mine, waving her head. “You can’t pay for my stuff. I won’t let you.”

Grinning at Jenna, I dislodged Evie’s hand from mine. “Isn’t my fiancée cute? She hates it when I pay for things; however, I insist. By the way, you can keep my card on file and charge me weekly for all her studio time.”

“Perfect.” Jenna snatched the credit card from my hand. “Thank you,” she held up the card and squinted at the name, “Mr. Trassato.” Her voice hitched, and her hand trembled like she recognized the name.

“Why are you doing this?” Evie hissed.

“Don’t make it into a big deal.”

She planted her hands on her hips. “It’s fifty dollars an hour.”

“So?” I raised my brows. “What’s your point?”

“That’s two hundred and fifty dollars for last week and another hundred for today.”

“I’m not worried. I can afford it.”

Her gaze flitted to the side, and her teeth grazed her plump lower lip. My breath stuttered inside my chest…just a little. If I didn’t think she’d slap me across the face, I wouldn’t hesitate to steal another kiss right now. She looked so damn sexy, and I hadn’t gotten nearly enough of her last night. There were so many things I’d been dreaming about doing to her, and now that I’d crossed the line, I didn’t give a f*ck about the consequences. Provided that we both understood that it wouldn’t become permanent, no one would get hurt.

“I’ll pay you back as soon as I get back on my feet. I swear.”

I tucked a wayward strand of her fiery hair behind her ear and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “That’s not happening, sweetheart. I take care of what’s mine. Get used to it.”

“I can’t accept this. I’m paying you back as soon as I have the money, with interest.”

Jenna slid the credit card across the shiny black counter, and I stuffed it back into my wallet.

“Someone booked your usual time for tomorrow, but this time is open the following day.”

“What?” Evie said. “I reserved that time for the entire month.”

“I let them have the time because your credit card didn’t go through—”

“Unbook it,” I barked.

“I can give her an hour later in the evening after the last dance class. Maybe 9 to 10. That’s the best I can do. How does that sound?”

“No. That won’t work.”

Evie tugged on my sleeve. “It’s not a big deal, Gian. I’ll take the later time. If you can’t take me, I’m sure Tony will or I can take a cab.”

“No, Evie, it is a big deal.” I pulled a couple of hundreds out of my wallet and slapped them on the counter. “My fiancée booked that hour, and you’re going to honor her appointment. I’d hate for this to negatively impact your business. Do you understand what I’m saying, or do I need to spell it out for you?”

Jenna eyed the money for a few seconds, and her shoulders drooped. “I assume you’ll be here at the same time tomorrow, Miss Jeffers?”

“Yes.”

I hooked my arm around Evie’s waist and ushered her out of the studio and into my car. Thank God, I had more than one, or I’d have had to get a rental.

“By the way,” I said, pulling away from the curb and merging into steady stream of yellow cabs. “I won’t accept your money.” I cranked up the volume on the radio, signaling the end of the conversation.

“You don’t have a choice.” Lowering the volume, she giggled with such an enchanting combination of sassiness and vulnerability I was relatively certain something inside of me had splintered wide open.

“No, Evangeline,” I growled. I unclipped my sunglasses from my shirt and slid them on my face. “You’re not.”

“We’ll see.” She tugged on her ponytail on top of her head, and her long flame-colored hair spilled over her shoulders. Rays of sunlight danced across her face and around her head, accentuating the golden highlights in her messy locks and the ivory perfection of her skin. I had to forcibly train my gaze back on the road. Shit. This woman tugged on all of my heartstrings without trying.

“Are you hungry?” I asked, purposely changing the subject.

“A little. Although, it has to be something low-calorie and carb-free. Your mom’s meal killed my diet last night.” She waved her hand in a tight circle. “Don’t get me wrong. I loved every bite, but I can’t eat like that every day. Not if I want to get back in shape and get a real shot in another musical.”

“You sing?”

She chuckled. “I sing. I dance. I can even act. I wouldn’t think about auditioning for a Broadway musical if I didn’t.”

“Huh?” I tilted my head to the side. “I thought you danced and recited a couple of lines here and there.”