The door opened and Bianca could feel the enormous effort it took Gio to pull himself away from her. Getting it together or at least trying to after every limb in her body had gone flaccid, she struggled to compose herself as she climbed out of the car. The driver had to use a little extra strength as she held his hand to get out.
They bought popcorn and soda though Bianca got the distinct feeling they weren’t going to be doing much eating or even watching of the movie. The theater was as empty as she expected it to be. It was the first showing of the day on a weekday. They were literally the only ones in the theater. No sooner had they sat than Gio’s big arm was around her and she let her head fall back onto it as he dove in. She was rewarded with one of the longest, deepest kisses he’d given her yet.
It wasn’t until many minutes later when they came up for air that she noticed there were now a handful of other people in the theater. Since they were in the very back row, and she could only assume Gio had led them there purposely, she didn’t have to wonder if anyone sat behind them.
They spent the rest of the two hours doing much of the same, stopping only briefly a few times to take sips of their soda or when they had to shush each other because their moans would escape them a bit too loudly. Mostly Bianca, but at times even Gio got carried away. That usually led her into a giggling fit where she’d have to bury her face in his chest to muffle the sound. She was grateful that the theater was so empty, although she was certain they’d annoyed a few people. Not that Gio seemed to care or even notice.
After the movies, they walked across the street and grabbed a couple of slices of pizza. “This is probably the best pizza up here,” Bianca said, biting into her slice.
Gio once again attempted to make an unpleasant expression and as usual failed miserably. He still looked every bit the amazingly hot guy that he was. Bianca laughed.
“What?” he asked raising his brows.
“You may as well give up trying to look anything but delectable.”
He smiled the smile that now made her insides flutter. “Delectable, huh?”
“Yeah,” she said, biting into her slice of pizza.
She finished chewing as he stared at her, wiped her mouth and then, without even realizing it, licked her lips. Before she could respond any further, his hand reached out and squeezed her arm. “You’re gonna have to stop doing that. Don’t you realize I can’t keep my eyes off you and each time you do that…” He scooted his chair closer to her side of the table, leaned in and pecked her a couple of times before really going in for it with a long ravenous kiss as if they hadn’t just made out for over two hours straight and ended it with a groan.
With her legs gone to mush again, she blinked as he pulled away slowly but stayed close enough to look profoundly in her eyes. “Every time,” he said, then glanced down as if to make sure she wasn’t doing it again. “Every time you do that, that’s what’s gonna happen.”
Bianca gulped, knowing he couldn’t possibly mean when Felix was around, too. She wouldn’t ask because she wasn’t ready to discuss that subject yet but she did wonder exactly what would be discussed when the time came. When this flirtation started, she thought that’s all it would be. Even when she’d allowed herself to fantasize about the possibility of something like this happening—maybe just one kiss—nothing more. She never imagined feeling this kind of intensity from him or herself. The very thought of being in the same room with him and Felix now made her cringe and she should’ve been mindful of Gio’s words when he’d said he couldn’t take his eyes off her because he’d been watching so closely he noticed.
His eyes were immediately troubled. “What’s wrong?” She shook her head and attempted to look away but he watched her so closely it was impossible to hide any emotion from him. “What is it?”
“I just thought of Felix for a moment… of being in the same room with the both of you after today.”
Gio’s features went instantly hard. “Let’s not worry about that now.”
Bianca nodded, agreeing quickly. She too didn’t want to ruin the rest of the day. There was still so much time left and then they had tomorrow morning. Her heart began to race but for a different reason now. It suddenly hit her that once Felix was back this would be over and the thought nearly made her gasp but she held it in knowing how closely Gio still watched her.
Gio cleared his voice. “I was gonna say before you interrupted me by laughing at my expression.” The hardened countenance he wore just a moment ago was now replaced with a sexy smirk. “It’s just that once you’ve had my mom’s pizza you’ll know why nothing else even compares. There’s nothing like real Italian homemade pizza.”
“Hmm,” Bianca smiled hoping her comment would not sound cynical. “Maybe someday I’ll get to try it.”
His smirk went flat as their eyes met and he did that thing that rendered her virtually helpless to so much as glance away from his beautiful green eyes. Then he smiled again. “Yeah, maybe you will.”
They finished eating and Bianca gave the driver instructions on how to get to that special meadow she’d told Gio about. She’d taken Felix out there once and even though they’d had a nice little walk he hadn’t seemed too excited about it. This was one of those things that either you loved as much as Bianca did or she wasn’t sharing it with you. So they hadn’t gone back since.
Toni was the one that turned her on to it and she’d loved it from the moment she took her first hike there. Of course, that was late last summer when the leaves were just starting to turn colors so the spectacular views were breathtaking. But she’d been going back at least once every two weeks. So far it had been just as amazing no matter what the season.
They reached the beginning of the trail and Bianca told the driver where it would be best to park. Like the theater, there were very few people there. A few couples and a man walking his dog. The sun shone so brightly against the white snow for a moment as the clouds opened up they actually had to squint.
“Wow.” Gio was looking at the area with that same admiration she remembered feeling when she first saw it.
“And this is nothing.” Bianca smiled, relieved that she hadn’t talked up the place too much and he actually seemed genuinely impressed. “Just wait until you see the meadow.”
Bianca would never tire of the way he gazed at her. “Then lead the way, beautiful.”
Such a simple compliment and Bianca felt her face flush. She’d just sucked face with the guy, heard his moans, felt his hunger for her and this made her blush? It was so silly she had to look away and he laughed. “Wow. Really?”
She covered her face with her gloved hands trying to keep from going into a laughing fit because she felt so stupid and the worst thing that could happen did—the squeak. It was loud and one look at Gio’s laughing face and she was in near tears laughing.
He pulled her to him laughing and moved her hands away from her face. “Don’t cover your face. I love seeing you laugh.”
Bianca buried her face in his warm jacket as he brought his arms around her waist holding her tighter. The enthralling smell of him, his aftershave, his skin as she lifted her face to his. It was enough to calm her laughter, get her heart pounding again for a different reason now.
She glanced back at the car glad the driver was back in it and the car was facing the opposite direction but one look back and he’d see them because they were in plain view. When she glanced back at Gio his lips were on hers again. One soft kiss was all he gave her and she sighed. “Don’t tell me no one’s ever called you beautiful before.”
It was hard to keep a straight face but staring in his eyes made it easier. It practically immobilized her. This was getting embarrassing. No person should have this much power over another. But she couldn’t hold it against him. There was no way he was doing this on purpose. Was there? “Yes, I’ve been called beautiful once or twice in my life,” she said down playing the amount of times Felix alone had called her that among all the others who’d used that word to desc
ribe her over time.
“Once or twice? Get out of here.” Another couple came around the corner of the trail making Gio and Bianca move out of the way.
Gio took her hand and they began to walk down the trail. The one thing she hadn’t mentioned to him were the caves along the trail to the meadow. She’d been afraid he might construe her suggesting they come here as something more mischievous. The thought of being alone in one of the caves with him had crossed her mind and just thinking about it now warmed her insides. What they were doing was already bad enough. Taking things even slightly further was going past her one time indulgence to do what her heart wanted instead of what her head told her. Which is what she was calling this—a one time indulgence.
Even in her thoughts, it sounded like what she knew it really was, pure bullshit. This was wrong no matter how you looked at it. Yet, not once, other than the little voice that had barely made a peep when she went back to the cabin, had she considered fighting it. And now that it was happening she couldn’t even begin to imagine how she’d ever go back to the way things were before today.
“What’s that?” Gio pointed with a smirk.
“A cave,” she said, trying to sound as casual as possible. “There are a lot of them around the trails.” The trails. In other words not just this one. The one she’d brought him to on a day when she’d known they’d have the entire trail mostly to themselves.
He gave her a knowing look. Damn it. She knew it. But the truth was she was beginning to wonder now if subconsciously she had been thinking that way. “Can we go in them?” He looked up on the mountain above the cave. “Or are there bears and mountain lions around here?”
“There’s all kinds of wildlife out here but didn’t you ever watch cartoons growing up?” She giggled, willing herself not to get into any more of her stupid laughing fits that would have her squeaking like a mouse on crack. “Bears hibernate in the winter; so it’s rare to see one out here in the snow.”
“Where do you think they hibernate, Bianca?”
That wiped the smile off her face and she stared at him as his words sunk in. The thought of a bear being in one of those caves hadn’t even crossed her mind. This time he laughed taking her face in his hands, kissing her lips and cheeks and finally her forehead. “God, Bianca.” was all he said before hugging her close to him with a grunt.
She hugged him back taking in the smell of him again. He smelled so good and it felt so perfect being in his big arms she could barely stand it.
Finally loosening his hold on her, he kissed her, a little longer this time, then took her hand in his again. “Let’s go check it out.”
Bianca had been in them before, mostly nervous about any possible snakes, but now she wondered why a bear being in one of these caves had not crossed her mind. The whole damn town was called Big Bear for Pete’s sake!
She followed him cautiously as he made his way down the trail toward the cave. It was big enough for them to walk in without having to duck their heads. “This trail is probably too busy for any bear to want to make it their place.” There was a lot of writing on the inside walls and names etched into the rocks. “Oh, yeah. Way too many people visiting this place for any bear to feel comfortable here.”
He turned to her with that sexy little smirk of his that made her insides liquid. “A lot of young couples probably turn this place into their own little love cove.” He pulled her to him and in the next second had her pinned against the cave wall. “Is that why you brought me here?”
Before she could respond, he kissed her roughly pressing his body against her. Bianca wasn’t sure if she should panic or go with it. He pulled his lips off her and moved her already loosened scarf out of the way. “Take this off.” Staring into his eyes, she did so methodically. Completely aroused and caught in his eyes again, she let the scarf drop but he caught it and stepped away from her stuffing it in his jacket pocket. “Is this why we’re here, Bianca?”
She shook her head but no sound came out. He took a step closer to her again, bringing his face next to her ear, causing her body to tremble in response. “What do you want?” he whispered. Again, her head began to shake but she froze when she felt his tongue on her neck.
“I’m not usually like this. I want you to know that.”
“I do.” He continued to kiss and lick her neck making her legs weaken with every stroke of his tongue.
“I don’t condone cheating. That’s not the type of person I am.”
He stopped his kissing and pulled back to look at her. “Yet, here you are with me. Why is that?”
“I don’t know,” she whispered.
“Would you feel better if we stopped?”
“No!” She felt her face heat with her abrupt answer.
Staring at her very seriously and thankfully not smirking at her rejecting the idea of them stopping so vehemently, his eyes came down to her lips. “Why’d you bring me here? Tell me what you want, Bianca.”
With her body still trembling, she shook her head, for once her mouth holding hostage the words that she really wanted to say for fear he’d think her absurd. “I don’t know,” she whispered, staring now at his lips. “I don’t know anymore. I don’t understand what I’m feeling—or know what I want.”
“I know what I want.” He leaned in whispering the words against her neck making the trembling more pronounced. And she felt him chuckle. “Is that your body telling what you want?”
She tried pushing him away, suddenly feeling angry—or hurt. It made no sense, she did want him—this. And doing what he was suggesting was probably the most she could ever expect from him but she didn’t like that he was okay with just that. “No, Gio. That’s not why I brought you here.”
He pulled away to look at her and damn it if she wasn’t caught in those eyes of his in an instant. “I know that, sweetheart.” He hugged her hard. “But Jesus. What I want… I could only dream of…”
He didn’t finish his sentence burying his face into her neck, then lifted his head and took her mouth in his again kissing her so hard it was alarming but at the same time so thrilling she moaned. He bit her lip the arousal she felt by the slight pain was surprising, leaving her to only imagine would he could only dream of—what other parts of her body he wanted to bite. Then like they usually did in reaction to him the words now flew out. “I’ve been dreaming of you.” His head lifted immediately—his near frantic eyes eagerly searching hers for more and suddenly for the first time in all the times she’d spoken so freely with him, Bianca was speechless.
CHAPTER 16
Gio waited but Bianca said nothing more. She just stared at him in that same way she’d been doing since they left the cabin that morning. Those eyes owned him now—completely. It was almost painful to look into them now and know she belonged to someone else. That she was his for just a few stolen moments and tomorrow she’d be back in Felix’s arms… his bed.
He hugged her, squeezing his eyes shut, not wanting to be looking into those eyes when he asked her, “What’ve you been dreaming, Bianca?”
Did he really want to know? He realized only moments ago when he found himself getting carried away that as much as he wanted to take her and do all the things he’d been fantasizing about on a daily basis now he couldn’t—shouldn’t. Not just because she was Felix’s girl but because what was happening was exactly what he’d been afraid of.
Kissing her today had been a leap of faith. One he’d hoped would get her out of his system. Instead, it’d backfired on him. His need for her now had magnified in a way he hadn’t expected. Making love to her would only make that a million times worse. If she told him now that that’s what she wanted he couldn’t even begin to imagine rejecting the idea—but he had to.
“Bad things,” she finally whispered. “This isn’t like me. I swear to you. That’s why it’s so hard for me to understand why this is happening.”
Earlier he would’ve looked at her. Watched her as she gave him any further details of her dreams but now he co
uldn’t. It was hard enough just listen to her.
“What kind of bad things?” He gulped, now afraid of what her answer might be.
“The kind of bad things that have me waking up with my heart pounding and breathless but very content.”
Gio froze and he could feel Bianca do the same. One thing he loved about her so much was how easily she put things out there. Only now he was wishing she’d have been just a tiny bit vaguer. He was having visions of the kinds of things he could do to her to leave her heart pounding and breathless. Although today he’d had a heavy dose of her breathlessness and felt her heart pound straight into his several times like now.
She still didn’t move but she began to speak again. “In my dreams—”
“Don’t.” He had to stop her before she went on. “I don’t think I can take it.” He backed up taking in the delicate features of her sweet face—he was in love with every one of them now. He forced a smile. It took everything in him to let it go—not stay there and listen to her tell him what he’d done to her in her dreams. “Let’s go check out that meadow.” He pulled out her scarf from where it was half pushed into his jacket pocket and placed it gently around her neck, then kissed her one last time before taking her hand and walking her out of the cave.
For the rest of the day she was his. They walked the trails hand in hand and played around in the snow when they got to the meadow. They each made a snowman and, since she obviously was more experienced at this then him, hers was much better than his half-assed crooked excuse of a snowman. Of course she laughed at it openly.
They then decided they would take their own snowmen down with snowball bombs. Being the gentleman that he was, Gio let her go first. Her first bomb was a direct hit that took his snowman’s head right off. Her jaw dropped and in the next second was laughing uncontrollably. “I didn’t mean to do that,” she squealed as she took off when she saw him give chase.