Page 79 of Driftwood Daffodil 2

Guess where Gio went?

My stomach churned as Gio’s foot came down on the first step to the right. He took two more before he noticed that I wasn’t behind him.

“Are you waiting for a fucking invitation?”

If I said yes, would he let me go home?

“Get your ass up here!”

Something inside my head told me not test my luck and do what I was told, but I didn’t listen to other people so why would I listen to myself.

“Just my ass, because that might be hard to do?”

Gio let out an unimpressed tsk while I continued.

“First off, I don’t have a knife. If I did, I’d have to somehow stay conscious while I was cutting it off, and if by some miracle that happened, I’d still have to throw my ass all the way up there.” I tipped my chin at the balcony overlooking the entryway and added. “I may not act like a girl, but I definitely throw like one.”

And that was how a true pain in the ass did it.

Judging by the look I was getting in response, I’d say I had successfully pissed him off. Did I think that would prevent me from having to go up the stairs of doom? No – honestly I think I’d be more scared if Gio said fuck it and told me to go home – but it did buy me time.

What did it buy me time for? I had no idea. I needed time to figure that out. But I did know that as long as I was over here, he couldn’t touch me again.

“How about this?” Gio turned around to face me. “If you, don’t get your still intact ass up these stairs in the next thirty seconds, then you’ll wish you could cut it off.”

That was a weird threat.

“I don’t think anybody–”

“GET UP THE FUCKING STAIRS.”

“Okay, geez.” Someone was in a mood.

I rolled my eyes and slowly shuffled my feet forward. The closer I got the heavier my legs felt, but I continued to move until the toes of my shoes were touching the bottom step and Gio was leering down at me.

When I looked up at him I couldn’t help gulp down a swallow. Gio looked different in a way that I couldn’t explain. Nothing had changed. He was still wearing the same jeans and deep red shirt he was when I arrived. Yet, Gio seemed bigger somehow and more masculine.

I was suddenly very aware of the power held in those muscles. It scared me at first, but that tremble quickly morphed into a strange tingle that pooled low in my belly.

“Ten seconds.”

Crap. I forgot about the countdown.

Leaning over, I peeked around Gio to the top of the stairs. What was going to happen to me up there? Going into this thing I had a clear view of the outcome. I knew what my fate entailed, and what I would have to do.

In a matter of minutes all that changed. I didn’t know anything anymore. Not about this situation, or him… or me.

I should’ve been repulsed. Instead I enjoyed it. I liked the way Gio’s hands felt and the dirty things he was saying. It brought out something I didn’t know I had. Even with all that confusion, there was only one question burning in the back of my mind.

“Why did you touch me?”

Gio stopped his countdown and cocked a brow my way. “Why did I make you come?”

“Yes.” And did he have to be so graphic?

“I told you I’d fuck you.”

That he did, and so did Atlee. There was a conversation I’d never forget.

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