Page 24 of Amadeo
She turned and grabbed the door handle again. “I’m here for a patient, not to date someone.”
“Do you realize how rare it is to have this kind of attraction?”
Shaking her head at me, Gia didn’t answer.
“Well, I do,” I went on. “It’s why I don’t really date anymore. If I cannot have what my parents had or what my lucky-ass brothers found, then I don’t want it.”
“It isn’t something I can talk about,” she said without turning to look at me.
“I suppose I will just get Tito to look into your past then,” I surmised. “So maybe I can find this reason and then I can deal with it.”
She froze then flipped back around as her face had gone pale. “You would poke into my life?”
I shrugged. “I don’t think of it as that. I think of it as fair. You act like I’m some kind of bad guy here. But even bad guys have a right to defend themselves. So if you won’t tell me what it is that I did to you or your family to make me unworthy of your time, then what choice does that leave me?”
“What kind of person looks into someone’s past like that?” She looked disgusted.
The answer to her question dawned on me and I froze now as I stared at her. “My brother Luca, that’s who. He said something to me earlier about you. He said I shouldn't pursue you. That I would get no happy ever after with you.”
Her mouth dropped open in shock. “He actually said that?”
Nodding, I remembered what else he said. That her family was messed up. “He mentioned that your family had some problems.”
She pressed her lips into a thin line as anger flashed in her eyes. The same rage that had been there the day we met. “Oh? And he did tell you what caused those problems?”
I shrugged. “It was at dinner. You showed up and that ended the conversation.”
She reached out and poked me in the chest. “You should listen to him.”
I scoffed. “No way. I’d be a stiff in a suit, making deals with shady people. Hell, I’d be a Good Fella by now if I listened to him.” Then I trapped her hand in mine and held it. “I listen to myself and there’s lots of good things my inner voice suggests at just the right time. Likeyes, that cloud looks otherworldly, so let’s fly through it more than once.Or like right now,those lips of yours look luscious and irresistible,so let’s taste them and see…” I tugged her close and lowered my head to smother her mouth with mine.
To say I have kissed a few women would be putting it mildly, but none of them ever made my heart kick up its beat so suddenly. Wrapping my arms around her, I deepened the breathless kiss that went from hot toup in fucking flamesin sixty damn seconds. The both of us seemed lost to it as if it had a power of its own. When she wrapped her arms around my neck, I then truly did believe the kiss itself was in charge.
The fiery meshing of our mouths and dancing of our tongues went on and on. Finally, we broke apart as we both gasped for air.
Slowly raising her hand, Gia swiped at her mouth, her eyes locked onto mine. Her dark gold flecked orbs held a raw hunger and an intense fire then she looked away.
I felt those same things…Hunger, heat…Damn, I could do that more than once for sure. So I reached for her.
Stepping back, she shook her head and whispered, “You shouldn’t have done that.”
Feeling truly stunned, I raised my fingers to my lips. My body had gone rock hard all over. My hands itched again to touch her and now that we had kissed, I knew I wanted anotherround of that ambrosia. “Hell, I want to do that all over again. Once would never be enough.”
“I-I can’t. Not with you.” Tears filled her eyes. “I cannot be doing this! Oh, my God!” She finally grabbed the door handle and opened it, ducking inside.
I stood there and watched as she rushed through the music room then into the hall. No, I wouldn’t follow her. Something was really wrong here. With her or me, I didn’t know. I hesitated before I went in. Realizing that time had held no meaning while I was in her company, I’d lost myself there for a bit. That kiss for instance. Unreal. I glanced down at my watch to see I only had a few minutes until my shift to guard Deacon started. Tito would be waiting.
With reality kicking in, I hurried now as I went through the door. I still had a job to do.
Heading through the hall, I turned and went down the next hall. I paused before I opened the door to the large room where Deacon was infirmed. I would be seeing the good doctor in about a half hour, if she kept to that rigid schedule she had. I knew she would keep it, no matter what though. Hardcore professionalism was a mantra with her. Did her rejection of me have anything to do with that? Not according to what little she had said. The problem wasn’t my job or even hers. The problem apparently, wasME.
I shook the whole subject away as I turned the handle and went in. I had to try to distract myself. Hell, that was all I ever did while on duty, so this shouldn’t be any different. But… it was different. I wantedthegood doctor intheworst way. However, she wanted me to dry up and blow away. This was the situation and man, was it sad for me.
“Deo!”
At the yell, my head shot up.
Tito stood in front of me while shaking his head. “Man, did you even hear me?”
