Page 17 of Giovanni
“Your secret is safe with me,” I reassure her, resisting the urge to touch her. “We’ll start from scratch. I’ll make a list of everything you need. If you like, we’ll go shopping together—make an adventure out of it.”
She seems taken aback by the offer, but a twinkle in her eye wasn’t there before.
“You’d help me with that?”
“Of course. Eating right is just as important as the workout. And let’s be honest, navigating those grocery store aisles at this time of night is the real cardio.”
Her laughter rings out again, and I can’t help but feel a sense of accomplishment.
“I guess I’m in for a full fitness experience then.”
“Absolutely. Plus, it’ll be fun. I promise.”
“Wait, did you mean tonight?”
Her eyebrows draw together as if something else could be on her schedule.
“You’re my last client of the day.” I shrug, trying to appear casual and not overly excited about where this might lead. “We can work out, go shopping, and then meal prep. Or is that too presumptuous of me to do in one night?”
I flash her my best smile, hoping to convince her to agree. She laughs, the ice slipping from her ankle in the process with alight thud to the floor. I reach over to pick it up as she does too. The neckline of her oversized t-shirt falls forward, exposing a sea of flawless caramel skin with a lot of spillage from her sports bra.
My cock immediately stiffens at the sight, and thinking about burying my face in them has me flushing when she catches me. The surprising thing is she doesn’t rush to fix her shirt. Instead, she meets my gaze squarely, unembarrassed, with a trace of a smile still playing on her lips. Time freezes until I clear my throat and hand her the ice pack, our fingers brushing with electricity between them.
“So, what do you say?” I ask, once more striving for a casual tone.
She takes the ice pack back, holding my gaze for a moment longer than necessary, the air between us thick with the possibility of ‘what if.’ The corners of her mouth curving up in a decision that seems to be about more than just meal prep.
“Yes, Giovanni.” Her voice is soft as my name falls from her glossy lips. “Working out, shopping, andcooking sounds like a perfect plan.”
I shot my shot, and it worked. She’s giving me a chance. She didn’t falter or back away when I was ogling her, nor did she fix her shirt, which still shows more skin than usual. I wonder if that could have been intentional on her part. My mind races with possibilities.
“Perfect,” I reply, my knee bouncing with barely contained excitement. “I’ll make sure it’s worth your while.”
“I’m sure you will,” she says with a wink, sliding the ice pack back onto her ankle.
I adjust on the bench next to her, that surprisingly sassy remark making me even harder than seeing that silky skin awaiting my touch, lips, and tongue. I clear my throat again and look down at my hands while calming myself. It’s just meal prep, which could lead to other things but might not.
Besides, I might not like her, or she might not like me. Either way, I can’t have casual sex like Seb. I tried, and it’s literally the worst. No connection, no emotional intimacy, just physical bodies slapping together doesn’t do it for me. But getting to know her more might be on the table tonight, depending on how much she flirts back.
“I guess we should get started since we have a long night ahead.”
She removes the ice pack to rotate her still swollen ankle.
“Attagirl,” I murmur as I help her up, mindful of her injury.
“Did you just praise me for wanting to work out?” she questions with my arm still clutching her side to ensure she doesn’t hurt it worst and can’t go through with our night. I flush at my word choice, hoping she doesn’t think badly of me for saying it.
“It sort of just slipped out. If you don’t like it?—”
Her nails dig into my arm briefly, hinting at her strength or perhaps an inadvertent response.
“No, it’s fine. I don’t mind a bit of encouragement. It makes me feel like I’m doing something right.”
Her words lift the embarrassment from my face, and I can’t help the grin that forms in its place.
“Good, because you are.”
It’s not just about the workout. It’s about her willingness to step outside her comfort zone to trust me with more than just her fitness goals—her nutrition too.
