Page 50 of And Everything In Between

“Shit, shit.” she screamed. Legs shaking, body locking up, eyes rolling as her orgasm crashed through her and ripped the air from her lungs.

Giovanni followed a second later, burying his face in her neck with a deep groan as he emptied inside her, hips still grinding slow like he couldn’t stand the thought of pulling away.

When they finally stilled, breathless and heavy-limbed, he asked, “You still want to talk?”

Paige chuckled, voice hoarse. “Give me five minutes and some water. Then we can figure out how we make this work.”

And she meant it. They would have to figure it out. She wanted more of Giovanni—and it wasn’t just the sex, though she had no problem becoming a lifetime member of his club. It was the way it allclicked. She couldn’t explain it, and she didn’t need to. Her soul had already chosen him. It was her heart and mind finally catching up that sealed the deal.

Chapter 13

Pedro was back on his usual bullshit, leaning against the porch post, broom in hand, pretending to sweep but not even trying. She’d told him she was going on a date, and he was making it his mission to confirm his favorite neighbor was making smart choices.His words.

Paige adjusted her earrings in the mirror by the door and glanced out the front window. Sure enough, there he was, clocking everything.

It had been almost a week since she spent the night with Giovanni. Since she slid into his lap, rode him into silence, and then curled up on his chest. They’d talked late into the night about what they wanted, what they needed, and how they’d navigate this thing between them. She’d been amazed at how easy it was to say what she meant and wanted with and to him. He’d built a safe space around them where her usual guardedness wasn’t necessary. He told her flat out he’d always be an ally.

They'd been stuck like glue since. Giovanni texted, called, sent her food like he'd promised. And he’d promised her one other thing,‘Next time I see you, it’s not just in my house. I’m taking you out, somewhere nice.’

And now here he was. Right on time. Ready to take her out on the town. She’d checked in on her dad, talked to her momma, cleaned her house, and had an overall dope day.She was doing her part in finding balance. Not overthinking. Handling what only she could and praying about the rest.

Paige stepped out onto her porch as Giovanni’s car slowed to a stop at the curb. She didn’t have to wonder if Pedro saw him; the man could clock the sound of the foreign car before it even turned the corner.

“Damn, girl,” Pedro called out, eyebrows raised, “this the leftovers from the other night?”

She smirked, not missing a beat. “Hell no. You lookin’ at a full course meal, fine, smart, and paid. And he’s good with his hands. We STAN!”

“That’s what I like to hear. We don’t let just anyone eat off the plate.”

She shook her head but smiled. “Trust me. He licked the plate clean.”

The car door opened, and Giovanni stepped out, in a fitted short-sleeve button-down, fresh beard, gold chain catching the light from the sun setting. Everything about him said grown and sexy.

He glanced over at Pedro, gave a slight nod. Pedro pretended to faint, and Paige looked at him sideways, he was so dramatic.

She met Giovanni halfway, the click of her heels soft and even against the pavement, dress hugging her perfectly.

“You look amazing,” he said, eyes dragging from her face to her hips and back. “These are for you.”

He’d grabbed her some flowers, red roses that looked good against the black dress she wore. She looked so sophisticated and sexy. The black strappy heel sandals completed her outfit and he couldn’t help but get excited about eventually removing all this shit later on.

“Thank you, bae. Where are we headed?”

Giovanni’s hand found her lower back, as he guided her to the passenger side. “You’ll see. We got reservations and privacy.”

The ride downtown took twenty minutes. Giovanni's hand rested on her thigh whenever he wasn't shifting gears, his cologne mixed with the night air that flowed through the cracked windows. Paige shifted closer, letting her hand cover his, savoring the warmth of his palm touching her skin. They talked about everything and nothing, his trip to Los Angeles, her promotion progress, a funny story about his sister, and how her dad had been asking about him.

By the time they pulled up to Vincetto’s Italian Bistro, she knew Blake must’ve had something to do with this. The restaurant was their favorite place when they wanted to get fancy and spend some money. And her cousin couldn’t mind her business if she tried. They loved the restaurant because it was low-key, upscale, but the food was to die for, and she loved pasta. Giovanni handed his keys to the valet with a generous tip and offered Paige his arm.

“You ready?” he asked, eyes only for her despite the crowd milling around the entrance.

Paige smiled, sliding her arm through his, the weight of the week’s stress melting away under his unchanging gaze.

“Been ready,” she replied, and meant it in more ways than one.

They were seated on the balcony of Vincetto’s dim lighting, white tablecloth, and candles flickering. It was the perfect night for dinner outside. Giovanni had requested the balcony, low traffic, high intimacy. He didn’t want any interruptions.

Paige sat back, chin up, legs crossed, and sipped slowly. She could feel him watching because he wasn’t trying to be subtle about it. He wasn’t saying much either, but he didn’t have to. Didn’t want too. He simply wanted to watch her, appreciatethe curve of her lips, stare into her brown eyes and get lost in them.

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