Their eyes locked, her smile wicked.
Before she could move away, he grasped her hand and inched it just high enough so he could feel the heat of her hand against his cock.
“If you want that to simmer down, you should probably give my hand back,” she whispered.
A growl, low and deep, escaped his throat and he let her go.
The minx let it linger before pulling away.
“Where is Nicole with that ice water?” he asked.
The single most erotic experience in her life, and it happened in broad daylight, beside a pool filled with old women.
Giovanni moved back to his own chair as she finished covering her skin with lotion.
“Do you want me to do your back?” she asked.
“More than you know, cara. When we’re alone.”
And why weren’t they alone right now?
Nicole walked up from behind them, three plastic cups pushed together in her hands. “Here you go.”
Emma reached quickly to help her and then handed one of the ice waters to Gio.
He immediately rested it in his lap.
She tried not to laugh and bit her lip.
“You’re not helping,” Gio said in a hoarse whisper.
She giggled.
“Did I miss something?” Nicole asked.
Gio said yes and Emma said no.
“When you two figure it out, you let me know.”
“Hey! Hey!” Chris waved a hand in the air. “The party can start.”
The Golden Girls heard his call and cheered.
Rob and Pierre followed behind. They had a bucket of beers.
“We wanted to switch it up,” Pierre said.
The three of them pulled lounge chairs closer.
Chris handed Gio a beverage.
“Emma?” he asked, a beer in his hand.
She shrugged. “Sure.”
“Nicole?”
“I’ll stick with my sangria.”
Rob twisted around a couple of times. “We need music.” He ran off to find some.
“Has anyone seen Kimmy and Weston?” Nicole asked.
“I heard they took a hike on their own.”
Electric dance music filled the speakers surrounding the pool.
Emma reached for the bottle opener that was being passed around.
“We have wine over here if anyone wants some,” Carol called from where the older women were perched.
“We’re going with hops and barley, Ms. Carol.”
“If you change your mind . . .”
“Do they ever sober up?” Nicole asked.
“Don’t judge . . . that’s you in fifty years,” Emma told her.
“I should start collecting hats now.”
Emma felt heat on the side of her face and turned to find the cause.
Giovanni stared, a smile on his face.
“I’m thinking it’s time for a swim.” He nodded toward the pool, lifted an eyebrow.
She set her beer down. “Sure.”
Leaving her sunglasses behind, Emma walked with him to the edge of the pool.
They both stared into the deep end.
“Do you jump in or ease in?” she asked.
“Today?” Gio looked down at himself, didn’t answer the question, and jumped.
She laughed, despite the fact that his splash drenched half of her body.
He came up for air, shaking his head as he treaded water.
Emma sat on the edge of the pool and put her feet in the water. “Feel better?” she asked.
“Working on it.” He swam over and placed a hand on the side of the pool next to her. “Are you getting in or do I have to make you wet from here?” he asked as he lightly splashed water onto her legs.
Unable to help herself, she said, “You already made me wet before getting near the water.”
Gio’s eyes instantly moved to her waist and then rapidly shut. “You’re killing me, bella.”
She scooted forward and reached for his hand.
The water instantly cooled her heated skin as she submerged into the pool up to her neck.
“That’s better.”
Gio released her hand and placed his on her waist.
They both kicked their feet just enough to stay afloat, neither of them speaking.
“I want to say something witty or ask more questions about your life . . .” Gio’s eyes stayed on her lips.
“Right?” Except the get-to-know-you part of what they were doing here was dialed into the physical. She felt it.
Gio expressed it. “How soon can I get you out of this swimming pool and into my room?”
She placed a hand on his chest. “I’m not sure why we even came out here.”
He looked over her shoulder to their group. “They’re going to notice.”
“I don’t care.”
His hand squeezed before letting go. “Give me a few minutes’ head start.”
Emma stretched out an arm and pushed away from the side of the pool, swimming to the other side.
Gio dunked his head one more time and swam to the side steps in the deep end and pulled himself out.
A few strides and he grabbed his towel on his chair and rubbed it over his face. If he said something to Nicole or the others, Emma couldn’t tell. He walked away and toward the villa.
She waited until he was out of sight and followed his actions.
Nicole eyed her as she walked closer. “That was a quick swim.”
“Sometimes that’s all you need.” Emma pulled her towel over her body, wrapped it around her waist.
“Where did Gio go?”
Emma looked over her shoulder, shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ll go check on him.”
Nicole let out a laugh. “Real smooth, Em.”
“Must have been something I said.” Emma reached for her beer and then grabbed Gio’s as well.
She knew the others watched as she left.
The air-conditioning inside the villa slapped her damp skin as she padded barefoot down the hall and toward Gio’s room.
It had been a while since she’d been with anyone, and outside of college, she’d not been as bold as she was in pursuit of Giovanni.
It was liberating.
At Gio’s door, she knocked using the tip of one of the beer bottles.
He opened the door, his smile ear to ear.
“You forgot your beer.”
He pulled her arm until she was inside and let the door shut behind her.
Gio removed both beers from her hands, set them aside, and was back in front of her in three steps.
He’d changed into a dry pair of shorts, while she was still wet under the pool towel.
She hesitated, her breathing sped up, showing her nerves . . . or was that excitement?
They both moved at the same time, their lips crashed together, almost painfully.
Her lips were open, matching his. Indecent kisses that finally felt possible now that they were alone.
Her hands fell onto his chest, his wrapped around her and sucked her in.
Already her head buzzed and spun. The fire he’d sparked on the trail ignited like smoldering embers after a forest fire. Hot down in the core and ready for the right gust of oxygen to flame once again.
His lips left hers and found her ear. “I want to take you slowly,” he whispered.
Emma wanted to cry with the pain in waiting. “Haven’t we been dancing long enough?”
“Bella.”