Page 86 of Driftwood Daffodil

“Yes you do. You want to know how much blood I have on my hands.”

It was hard not to notice how he phrased that. How much blood, meant there was some.

Despite the shiver trickling across my skin, I snorted and rolled my eyes. “Why would I care about that?”

“Because you want to know if I could kill you.”

One step shattered the small gap of breathing room I did have. And when Gio bent down to bring his lips to my ear, I couldn’t breathe at all.

“I could,” he whispered. “and what’s more, I want to.”

He was too close. I didn’t like it. I didn’t like the heat coming off his body or how I could smell a hint of mint on his breath.And I especially didn’t like the intensity of his piercing jade stare when he lifted his head. It felt like he was penetrating my thoughts.

“It wouldn’t even be that hard.”

When Gio’s fingers grazed over my collarbone, I couldn’t stop my body from twitching. All I wanted to do was get away.

He raised his hand to my neck. “Just wrap my hand around your throat, and…” Gio twitched his wrist while hissing out a snapping sound. “Lights out.”

That alone was enough to cause a lump of dread to form in my throat, but the shadow that moved across his face made me seriously concerned for my safety. It wasn’t a game anymore. This was a viable threat to my safety.

I opened my mouth to do the only thing I could think of and scream.

Gio slammed his lips down on mine, sucking up any sound I managed to make before shock set in. I couldn’t move. It was as if my limbs weren’t there. For a second the only part of my body that did exist was the patch of skin on my chin that his stubble was abrading.

Gio Mancini was kissing me! He was actually kissing me.

The worst part… he was good at it. I’d been kissed before, but not like this. Not in a way where I could feel him everywhere. From the tips of my toes to the tingling in my scalp, Gio was there. His scent, his hands, and the heat of his breath was all consuming.

And he didn’t stop once I’d shut up. Gio growled and pressed in on me while moving his mouth in a way that I couldn’t help but give into. My lips parted, his tongue grazed mine and I panicked.

I bit down, catching his bottom lip between my teeth.

“Fuck,” Gio pulled back and grumbled down at me. “You bit me.”

“You kissed me.” I snarled.

“You were about to scream.” He took a step back while swiping his thumb over his lip.

I inwardly smiled at the small spot of blood dotting his thumb. “You didn’t have to kiss me.”

There were plenty of other ways to shut people up. Clamp a hand over my mouth, smack me around a bit. Either of those would’ve been fine.

Silence washed over us as I waited for him to come back at me. But he didn’t. He just stood there and stared. I fought to keep eye contact and not look at his lips, but the longer we stood there, the more I could taste the sweet tea on his tongue.

“Why are you still here!” He needed to go, now.

“Why are you?”

That was a good question. Why was I still here? I could leave. There was a crowd of other people around the corner.

Gio’s foot lifted with a single step that caused me to flatten back against the wall. There was something different about the way he was watching me. Something that made the pit in my stomach swirl. I didn’t know if he was going to kill me, eat me, or both.

“You should go.” I repeated.

He tipped his head and rolled gaze down my body. “You’re scared.”

“No I’m not.” I was totally terrified. Gio needed to go away. A kiss shouldn’t feel like that. They should be sloppy and emotionless. A simple gesture that led to other things and then was forgotten.

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