Unraveled (Guzzi Duet Book 1)(32)

“Gian.”

“But this one matches those stockings you’re wearing, anyway,” he said, never missing a beat.

Cara rolled her eyes. “So, hey, if you’re good here with … your friends, then I’ll head out. I don’t need to be here, and you’ve got my number.”

“I am good,” he said, “and so are they, so how about—”

“Lea?”

Cara froze in Gian’s warm hands like ice water had been poured down her spine. Gian, too, stiffened, his hands tightening to her neck at the quiet call of a name Cara rarely heard spoken anymore. She didn’t think it was random, not with the way the man posed the question over Gian’s shoulder, or the way Gian’s gaze turned cold and hard in an instant.

A beat of time passed, and then another.

Cara’s breath felt painful in those moments.

Gian moved to her side, his arm snaking around her waist. Cara faced the well-dressed man, who looked to be around the same age as Gian. Clean-cut, fresh-faced, and good-looking. He certainly wasn’t anything to scoff at, and whoever he was, he looked like he recognized her.

“Frankie,” Gian said, his smile belying the coolness in his voice. “I don’t think you’ve met Cara Rossi, have you?”

The man—Frankie—suddenly appeared as though he had taken a punch to the gut.

“My bad,” Frankie said, offering Cara a fleeting smile. “Constantino wanted to know if you were going to head out, Gian.”

“Sì, I think I am.”

Frankie nodded. “All right, have a good—”

“Why did you call me Lea?” Cara asked.

“You’re mistaken,” Frankie murmured. Then, he gave another nod to Gian. “Later, boss.”

He was gone before Cara could question him again, but Gian wasn’t.

“Come on, let’s go,” Gian said, turning them both and directing them toward the front of the club. “My place is closer, if that’s okay.”

“Whatever,” Cara replied. “Why did he call me Lea?”

“I don’t know.”

Gian was lying.

Cara could hear it in his voice.

“Gian.”

“Some people in my circles knew Lea from being around, so maybe—”

“No, he sounded like he was in pain when he said it,” Cara argued. “That’s not a passing friend, Gian.”

“Just drop it, bella. It’s not important.”

She didn’t think so.

“Why are you lying?”

“I’m not,” Gian said.

“I think you—”

Cara suddenly found herself yanked down a hallway behind Gian, and pulled into what looked to be a storage room of some sort. She didn’t even have time to ask him what in the hell he was doing, before his lips were on hers again, taking away her words, thoughts, and breath.

“I didn’t tell you how much I liked this dress, did I?” Gian asked.

Cara’s head fell back against the closed door. “No.”

“I do, I like it a lot.”

“Who was that guy, Gian?”

“Nobody important.”

“Gian.”

He either wasn’t listening, or he wasn’t hearing Cara. As his hands slid up under the short skirt of her dress, and he lowered to his knees, Cara couldn’t decide if she really gave a shit in that moment.

“Yes, I really like it. And the length is perfect, because it takes nothing to get it up,” Gian muttered.

Hot.

Sinful.

Teasing.

That damn mouth of his was all of those things. And it was the only thing Cara focused on, as Gian dragged her panties down her thighs and his mouth was on her pussy. He had a wicked tongue with more talent than most men had in their entire bodies. He sucked on her clit, his tongue drove fast into the little nub right after, and she couldn’t see straight.

“Holy shit,” Cara gasped.

Distractions, she thought.

That’s what he was doing.

Distracting her.

Fuck.

It was a good distraction.





Sleepy-eyed, Cara leaned in the doorway of the small gym, and tried to get some of the sleep out of her head. Gian didn’t seem to notice her presence as his speed on the treadmill picked up from a jog to a thirty-second sprint before it shut off. He didn’t even give himself time to breathe before he moved off the machine, and headed to the bar for a set of a dozen chin-ups.

Cara had no idea where this man got his energy.

But shit, it was a beautiful thing to watch.

The power, his body’s lines, and the way he focused in on his task … it was all rather beautiful.

Gian dropped to the floor once his chin-ups were finished, and reached for a waiting water bottle and hand towel. Cara let him relax before she cleared her throat to make her presence known to him.

He flashed her one of his signature grins as he came close enough to press a kiss to the top of her head. “Morning.”

“How long have you been awake?”

“Most of the night,” he answered.

“The concussion, I forgot.”

“You didn’t need to be staying up with me, anyway. Beauty sleep.”