Page 18 of And Everything In Between

The directness of his words made her dizzy. She loved a direct man because she was a direct woman. She didn’t need lines, thrills, or frills. She took a sip of her drink, considering him. This man who’d stopped traffic for her, who’d somehow seen past her carefully constructed walls.

“What made you say yes?” he asked, trying to get into her head some more.

Paige twisted the ring on her thumb and turned her head, meeting his gaze head-on. “I don’t remember it being a question, Giovanni. Or did I misread the vibe?”

He laughed at that from the chest. It rolled out of him slowly, like it had been marinating.

“I ain’t never heard nothin’ truer.” He nodded once, gaze fixed on her. “Been clockin’ you, Paige. Just waited for the lane to clear.”

His voice didn’t rise, but the intentions she was so unsure about earlier were becoming clear.

“I hear you.”

“Listen, you were either gon’ be with me, or I was gon’ be with you. And don’t let go over your head.”

Paige smirked, the old version of her, the cocky, outside, fine-ass Paige, sliding back into her bones like she’d never left.

“And let’s be real,” she added, tapping her nails against the table. “You don’t stop traffic for just anybody. Made a bitch feel special.”

“I wouldn’t,” he said simply. “Only for the baddest.”

Giovanni stood and extended his hand to help her up, “You tryna get out of here or you want more stories from Ms. Leah?”

“And then what?”

“You want to see my spot?” Giovanni asked, keys already in hand. “Got some people hanging out tonight. Good music. Good vibes. A little after party.”

Paige hesitated for a moment, but the night felt too full of possibility to end now.

“Lead the way.”

He paid the bill despite her protest, and they stepped outside into the evening heat. Neither of them wanted the night to end. Paige was all of a sudden feeling shy standing in front of him while he examined her all over again. Giovanni opened the door for her and walked around to the driver's side. Before he could reach for the handle, he saw her lean across the seat to unlock his door.

“Nah, no way,” he muttered under his breath, grinning.

Within thirty minutes, Giovanni pulled into the parking lot of his pride and joy, Customs by Giovanni. Paige studied the place through the windshield, three buildings spread across what used to be an old warehouse complex, now transformed into something that screamed success. The main building had the shop logo lit up against the brick, custom paint jobs gleaming under string lights that crisscrossed the yard.

But it wasn’t the cars catching her attention. The place was alive, bodies moving between buildings, music spilling out onto the lot, laughter punctuating the night air. This was more than a shop, it was a whole damn community.

“You built all this?” Her eyes grew wide as she was unable to keep the admiration from her voice.

Giovanni watched her reaction, enjoying the surprise in her eyes. He’d imagined this moment before, showing someone special what he'd built. But he'd never actually brought anyone here who mattered. Seeing that look of admiration on Paige meant everything. His daddy had always told him to build something that would make a good woman look at him twice. This place had finally made one look at him three times.

“Renovated every inch,” he confirmed, resting one arm over the steering wheel. "Took these old warehouses and made them mine."

Paige felt a dangerously warm feeling that had nothing to do with attraction and everything to do with respect. She’d always been drawn to builders, people who created something from nothing, who saw possibility where others saw empty lots and pipe dreams. It was why she’d stuck with the bank, why she was climbing that ladder to be the loan manager. She wasn’t pushing paper; she was helping people build their own dreams, brick by brick, dollar by dollar.

But there was a difference between helping others build and building your own empire.

Giovanni had done both.

“Impressive.” That was the understatement of the year. Her eyes traveled from the custom cars to the crowd. It felt like she had walked on the set of Fast & Furious. “So, this is what Saturday nights look like for you?”

Giovanni shrugged, a small smile playing at his lips. “Sometimes it’s work. Sometimes it’s play. Tonight?” His eyes locked on hers. “Tonight, it’s whatever you want it to be.”

His words slipped past every guard she’d put up. When was the last time somebody asked her what she wanted? Not what she could do, not what she could hold up or hold down. That kind of invitation didn’t scare her. It turned her on.

“Let’s go meet your people,” she said finally, reaching for the door handle.

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