Page 87 of The Sexy Billionaire

Eventually, we land and two sets of cars are waiting for us on the tarmac. Gio storms off the plane and toward his car.

“What’s with him?” Savannah asks.

I shrug and pretend it doesn’t have anything to do with me.

“Ignore him, he’s in a mood, probably hating the fact he is back to reality,” Natalia states.

I frown, but it quickly vanishes when Natalia hugs me tightly.

“I’m so happy to have met you both. Let’s catch up tomorrow for drinks and shopping,” she suggests.

“Sounds great,” Savannah answers for me as we wave her goodbye. The staff have loaded our bags into the back of the car, and we jump in.

“I’m nervous,” I tell Sav.

“Why?”

“I’m about to visit the home that I own in fricken Rome.” I chuckle at the absurdity of it all.

It takes us about an hour to get from the airport to my new home, but we make it. The bellman sees us pull up and greets us warmly. I explain who I am, and he quickly gets to helping our driver get our luggage out of the car.

“You’re VIP now,” Savannah says, elbowing me in the ribs as we are escorted inside. The bellman—or concierge, as I’ve been advised—hands over an envelope with the apartment’s keys. He explains that someone is here twenty-four-seven and will look after all deliveries for me. He also adds how sorry he is for my loss and that Lucia was a wonderful lady and would always take the time to chat with him. That was nice to hear, but it still feels like a gut punch knowing she’s not here and I am.

“We’re not getting in that are we?” Savannah asks, spying the old lift waiting for us.

“You’ll be fine, everywhere has lifts like this,” I reassure her as we enter the death trap. Its cogs squeak and creak as we ascend to the top level.

“I’ll take the stairs next time. I’ll have the tightest ass by the time I leave.” Sav shivers as we get out of the lift. Grabbing the keys out of the envelope, I open the door and step inside my great-aunt’s apartment, one I haven’t been to in years. We enter through the grand foyer, with its Italian marble floor, and into the living room. Lucia’s antiques fill the spaces as sunlight beams in from the large windows that lead out to a terrace.

“Are you fricking kidding? Paige, look at the view,” Savannah says excitedly as she opens the glass doors and steps out onto the terrace. “Nothing but miles of Roman rooftops and ancient ruins, this is spectacular. I’m never leaving. I’ve already fallen in love with Italy,” she declares, shouting from the terrace and making me laugh. “I can see now why you come here.”

“There’s something magical about Italy,” I agree.

“Nat needs to find me a hot Italian stallion and then I can live happily ever after with you here.”

“Sounds like a solid plan,” I tease.

I show Sav her room and the concierge helps her with her bags while I head toward the main bedroom, Lucia’s, and step across the threshold, waiting to hear her laugh and smell a cloud of Chanel No. 5 in the air, but there’s nothing as I look around the empty room.

I miss you,I think, trying to contain my tears as I take a seat on the bed.I need you. I don’t know what to do anymore. You always knew what to do. I can’t do this alone. Why did you have to leave me? I wasn’t ready.

24

GIORGIO

Iwill not check social media again!

But I click on Paige’s profile to see what she is doing for the hundred and sixth time. Photos of her and her friend doing all the touristy things: Colosseum, Sistine Chapel, throwing a coin into the Trevi Fountain, so many photos of food, and of her enjoying said food. I overstepped the line on the plane, especially after everything that had happened the day before. Could I be any more self-absorbed? What kind of man tries to flirt with their ex after her ex-husband assaults her?Me.This dickhead. And then to be completely shut down and told that you’re just friends, well, I’m not going to lie, that hurt my ego. I thought things were happening. Like we had slowly slipped back into how we used to be.

“Gio, you’re back,” Lilly says, walking through the door of my parents’ home for Sunday lunch, and I greet her with a hug.

“Hey, man, how was New York?” Luca asks, walking in after her.

“New York was good.”

My brother’s eyes narrow on me. “What kind of business were you doing there?”

“Was to do with the wine, finding new distributors and stuff,” I lie.

---