Chapter 6
BYRON
Giana popsthe last shrimp in her mouth and groans. Damn, I love watching her eat. She forks at the salad. “What’s in the dressing?”
“Fresh herbs.”
“You’re in the wrong business.”
I raise a brow at her. “Watch me play and then compare my cooking to my ball skills.”
“I’m sure they’re equally impressive.” She eyes me over the rim of her glass before taking a sip of wine and staring at my untouched glass. “You don’t agree with my choice of wine?”
“It’s one of my favorites. The window where I allow myself to indulge has almost closed.”
“Because of training?”
I take her dish and place it in the dishwasher. “Yes.”
“The season doesn’t start until October. You have two months.”
“I do, but tonight, I’m choosing not to drink for other reasons.”
Her glass is almost to her lips when she freezes. “Byron,” she whispers.
I round the island and take her hand. “Come sit with me. Outside.” The glass doors to the outside pool have been open all night. The lights of LA twinkle below us, and Giana has turned her head throughout the meal to sneak glances at the impressive view. It’s one of the reasons I bought this house. The sun has almost set, and the sky is a burnt orange over the ocean with the entire city below us.
“It’s stunning,” she whispers.
“It’s my favorite time of night. Nothing better than sitting out here with a wine at dusk.”
“I can’t look away.”
Normally, I would agree, except tonight, I’m struggling to take my eyes off her. While her cover-ups conceal her beautiful body, the image of her on the beach is unforgettable. Giana is the most beautiful woman on the planet. While my attraction to her at school was undeniable, I’m now fighting it at another level.
It’s considerably hotter outside, even with the breeze of day changing to night.
Giana stares at the infinity pool.
“Jump in. It will help you cool off. I’ll pass your wine over, and we can watch the last of the sunset on the edge.”
“I don’t know…” Her gaze flicks between me and the pool, then she shrugs. “Why not? We only live once.”
She slides her shirt over her arms, and it falls to the pool lounge. She unties her sarong. “Are you coming in?”
She catches my admiring gaze. “I can if it’s what you want.”
“I’m not swimming alone. I did enough of that in the last four years.”
It’s like a knife to my gut. Why the hell didn’t I call her? The fact she cut me off is a fact I don’t miss, and we still need to have a conversation at some stage. But not tonight. It could ruin what we’re building.
Giana slides into the pool, and I’m doing all I can to tame my raging thoughts. I hand her the glass of wine, slip off my shirt, and follow her in. We push through the water to the other side of the pool, and Giana rests her wine glass carefully on the ledge.
She pushes up to look over the edge. “Woah. That is a drop.”
“Fifteen feet.” I place a hand on her back as she stares down to the pool water catchment.
“Has anyone walked along this ledge?” She gapes down the rugged mountain edge to the properties below.
“No, and neither will you.”
She giggles at me. “I’m not that brave.”
“Brave? I’m not about to let anyone risk their safety by being a daredevil.”
“I like this side of you.” She turns, and her gaze fixes on mine. My hand is still on her back as she slides into the water. “You were always focused, but something is different.”
“Focused? As in not risking everything I’ve worked so hard to achieve?”
She turns to the house, taking her arms wide. “What you have achieved here is remarkable.”
“Glad you approve.”
“I’m sure many do.”
The way she says it isn’t a compliment. “It’s not a party house.”
“No girls?” She pulls a face as though she doesn’t believe me.
“I never said I was a priest.”
“I bet they prayed to you.”
This isn’t the conversation I’d hoped for. I move directly into her line of vision. “There was only one girl I wanted to want me in that way, but she cut me off like I was nothing. A man does things to forget.”
“You didn’t want me,” she whispers. “You were high the last time we were together. I was nobody, just a warm body to you.” She shoves her wine glass toward me in emphasis, one finger pointed my way. “You came for one thing. Fucked me in my studio like I was nothing, then got up and left when I called you out on it.”
Jesus. I was a mess, I admit, and I didn’t expect to have this conversation now.
“I waited for a week,” she continues. “But I never heard from you. Lesson learned. I don’t want to feel like that again.” She looks at her wine glass and takes a sip. “It was a douchebag move, and it meant nothing to someone I deeply cared for.”
My chest is so tight I’m struggling for air. “Gigi, I’m sorry. While I can’t fix my past, I can promise you I’m no longer that guy. It was a shitty six months of my life, and I’m sorry you had to see me like that.”
She stares into my eyes as though she is looking for who I am and if it’s the truth. I place my hands on her hips. “I’ll never hurt you again.”
She shakes her head. “Another promise you can’t keep. Or maybe it’s me that won’t make any promises.”
“I don’t follow.”
With her free hand, Giana cups my face. “We have tonight. That’s all for now.”
While I’m not happy about being with Giana for one night, I’ll take what she offers. I lean in and kiss her mouth, tasting the red wine, tasting her. Our tongues clash, and the heat between us escalates. I pull back, and she pants, her chest rising and falling. I take one of her straps and slide it over her shoulder, kissing her shoulder and neck, then the other. Her eyes lock with mine as we watch each other’s expressions. I tug her bathing suit over her curves, and those full breasts bounce free. The water hides most of her body. “Fuck, I need to see you.” I go underwater and suck each nipple until I need more air.
“Get this off,” she demands.
Happily.
Dropping below the surface, I tug the material over her hips, and she lifts each leg to accommodate me. Turning back to Giana, I rub my hands up and down her arms. “Are you sure this is what you want?”
Her lashes flutter. “I want you to touch me.”
She doesn’t need to ask again. Tonight, Giana has my entire focus.