Page 32 of The Sexy Billionaire

Giorgio: And I get it.

I notice myself staring down at the phone and smiling. Does he really mean it, or is he being polite?Or like you, he has no one else to talk to except a virtual stranger.Guess we really are strangers; it’s been so long since we’ve seen each other. Yet if you had asked me fifteen years ago who knew me the best, I would have said him. There was no one in my life, besides maybe Callie and Smith, that knew me better. Then he messed it up.

I’ve flown in tonight to Florence, and the first person I want to see is Giorgio. A year between seeing each other is too much.Yes, we talk all the time online, but I miss being in his arms, I miss his kisses. I miss his … you know. Not like I haven’t dated anyone since the last time I saw him, because I have, but none of the boys back home can compare to Gio. I was so excited that my parents let me travel by myself to Italy for the first time. My brother just graduated high school and he wanted to hang out with his friends instead of spending the entire summer in Italy, so he’s coming later in the holidays. After eating dinner with Lucia, I head on down to the vineyard to say hi to Giorgio and Luca, who should have arrived by now. I knock on the door and eagerly wait to see him. I can barely contain my excitement.

“Paige, what a surprise. Welcome home,” Mario, the winemaker, greets me happily, kissing my cheeks.

“It’s good to be back in Italy,” I tell him.

He nods and gives me a wide smile, then movement behind him catches my attention.

“Paige,” Luca says, greeting me warmly. “When did you get here?”

“I’ve just arrived and thought I’d come say hi,” I tell him as I nervously look around for Gio.

“I’ll leave you kids to catch up,” Mario says, disappearing from the room.

“Is your brother here?” Luca asks.

I shake my head. “He’s coming later.”

He nods in understanding.

“Where’s Gio?”

Luca’s face falls at the mention of his brother, which has my stomach doing the same. “He’s in his room.”

“Oh great, I’ll go say hi,” I tell him.

Luca’s arm reaches out. “Don’t, he’s sleeping,” he states, but I notice his cheeks have gone bright red. Pulling my arm from him, I storm off through the house toward Gio’s room. What is he hiding from me? “Paige, please.”

I ignore him and continue to storm through the house until I reach Gio’s door. I don’t even bother knocking before storming in.

“Noooo,” Luca calls out behind me, but it’s in slow motion as the full impact of what he was stopping me from hits me. I see Gio in bed with Bella Gallo, one of the local girls who is always a bitch to me. I know she’s slept with my brother and has made out with Luca. She always had her sights on Gio, but he never gave in … until now.

“What the fuck?” Gio curses as he tries to scramble off Bella, who squeals and pulls the blankets up over her naked body.

“Surprise, I’m back,” I say, then hear Gio let out a hundred curses.

Think I’ve seen enough. I turn and exit his room and head back out of the house. We were never exclusive, so I can’t be mad at him, but her? He promised me he would never go near Bella because of the way she treated me.

“Paige, wait, please, let me explain,” Gio calls out after me.

I’ve made it to the path that winds its way through the vineyard back to my place.

“Why her?” I turn around and yell at him. “You could have had anyone, and I wouldn’t have cared, but her,” I say as tears stream down my cheeks.

“I’m sorry, okay?”

“You’re sorry I caught you.”

He rakes his hand through his hair, causing his biceps to flex. Shit, I hate that I checked him out. I hate that even when I’m so mad at him, I notice him standing in the darkness in his low-slung shorts that show off the deep V of his hips, and the impressive six pack, the one that I used to run my hand over every summer.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t tell you.”

“That you’re messing around with Bella Gallo.” Ew, saying her name makes me want to gag.

Gio’s face falls. “No, sorry that I didn’t tell you she’s my girlfriend.”

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