Page 23 of And Everything In Between

He smiled; he could see straight through her. “I’m callin’ bullshit,” Giovanni said. “You came for somethin’. You gon’ leave with somethin’. If you want it.”

He didn’t let go. His grip tightened, grounding her in the kind of presence that left no room for doubt. No tremors, no nerves. Giovanni was clear on his mission.

“Is that what you want?”

Paige nodded, slow but sure. Her hands moved first, reaching for him before her pride could protest.

She wanted him. She wanted this. Whatever he wanted, she would give.

“Then let me take care of you tonight,” Giovanni said lips near her ear. It was his vow to her, she was in good hands.

Before she could second-guess herself, he lifted her gently by the hips and sat her down on the pool table like she was a feather.

Paige leaned back on her hands, body arching slightly as she watched him. Her chest was heaving, lips parted, mind racing with every breath she took. Every second she waited for what would happen next.

Giovanni grabbed the Hennessy bottle from the table beside her, tipping it slowly.

Paige tilted her head back, mouth open, laughing as he poured a slow stream of the dark liquor past her lips. Some of it spilled, trailing a thin line down her chin and throat to the valley between her breasts.

Before she could wipe it away, Giovanni was there.

“Nah, I got it,” he muttered, hand firm on her waist, guiding her in with slight pressure. His thick tongue chased the drops, hunger, and reverence all tangled together in one excruciating drag.

Paige gasped, her hips rocking helplessly against the pool table. Giovanni didn’t rush. He savored her, tasting, breathing her in slowly.

Paige’s eyes fluttered shut. Her legs opened wider, a silent invitation.

Giovanni stood back before pulling her roughly by the neck to kiss her lips. The taste of the alcohol, a hint of the weed, danced on her tongue. His massive hands fit around her neck, and she almost caught her first orgasm.

There was no learning curve between them, only chemistry, loud, full-bodied, and fluent. The deep kiss found a rhythm that matched the music flowing around them. His hands slid lower, unbuttoning her shorts, pulling her closer, creating anticipation that made thinking impossible.

Paige felt it building, that telltale tightening low in her belly, the trembling in her thighs. She wasn’t even naked. But the way Giovanni kissed her, watched her, told her that tonight she was the only thing that mattered in the world. It had her tipping dangerously toward the edge.

Paige had survived everything life threw at her, the mistakes, the highs, the crushing lows, even finding her way back to a father she barely remembered. But him looking at her, reminding her she was worth the effort, worth his time. His presence. His space would be the thing that ruined her.

When his mouth found hers again, the kiss was neither gentle nor rushed. It was consuming. He untied her halter top and allowed the fabric to drop, exposing her perfect breasts. No time was wasted when his tongue circled her hardened nipples, teasing until she arched toward him. Left, right, then both captured between his lips while he breathed her in like oxygen, branding her scent into his senses.

“Take em off.” The bass in his voice caused her pulse to kick up a notch.

She peeled off her top, but when she reached for her shorts, her hands stuttered, desire, nerves, and anticipation all hitting at once. “P, calm down, baby. We ain’t gotta rush.”

Giovanni slowed her hands with his own, he brought her knuckles to his lips. “Look at me,” he said, almost pleading.

Paige lifted her head, her eyes hazy, unfocused.

“We got time. I ain’t tryna rush somethin’ I might not get twice.”

She nodded, breath shallow, brain buzzing from more than the liquor.

Giovanni kissed her again, slower this time. Deep. Her thighs were trying to clench together. He lifted her by the waist while his other hand slid to the waistband of her shorts, peeling them down inch by inch, his knuckles grazing every curve and dip he uncovered.

He dropped the denim to the floor, leaving her in nothing but those glittering gold chains and her bare thighs parted across the pool table like a gift he couldn’t believe he’d been allowed to unwrap.

“Goddamn,” he muttered, his eyes heavy, roaming every inch of her.

Paige shifted, a low whimper escaping when the cool air caressed her now bare skin. Her hips lifted slightly, a silent plea she didn’t even realize she was making.

Giovanni knelt in front of her, dragging his rough palms up the backs of her thighs, savoring the way her muscles trembled under his touch.

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