Suddenly what was happening too often lately was happening again. All thoughts of Felix were drowned out by thoughts of Gio. She was now visualizing that dream—wondering if Gio would end up with Evelyn tonight and unbelievably feeling a little jealous about it.

Bianca spun around and headed out the door. This had to stop. She was being ridiculous and it was embarrassing even to herself. Her stupid feelings were all over the place and she had to get it together. Her face actually flushed at the thought of anyone ever knowing about the absurdity going on in her head.

CHAPTER 11

It’d been over a f**king hour and Felix had still not gone back to sit with Bianca. He’d walked over once, kissed her and asked her something, she’d shaken her head no and then he was quickly whisked away by his damn publicist. Why the hell had he brought her if this is what he was going to do to her?

Gio hated to see her sitting there alone and obviously bored but Evelyn had clung on to him and she wasn’t going anywhere. Gio had seen the way Bianca had looked at Evelyn. He got the feeling she was offended by her. So bringing Evelyn over with him to keep Bianca company was out of the question. How stupid was Felix to show Bianca how easy it was for him to whip up female companionship just like that?

The slow song he was dancing to with Evelyn picked up a little and Evelyn swayed her hips against him. He knew how this night could end if he wanted it to but his body was in no way ready for that. Just swaying to the music now made every part of his body ache. He could only imagine how painful it would be to engage in anything more strenuous. And what he’d do to a girl like Evelyn would be all kinds of strenuous. She said she’d be up here for the duration of the events going on and that would be at least a week so he had no doubt he’d nail her eventually. Just not tonight.

His thoughts went back to Bianca and he glanced over and saw she was on her feet now. She walked over to the bar for another drink. He glanced around looking for Felix again and he wasn’t anywhere to be seen anymore. God, that pissed him off.

“Something wrong?” Evelyn asked, breaking him from his thoughts and he turned his attention to her big, pretty, hazel eyes. “You seem distracted.”

He smiled at her feeling badly that the entire time she’d been talking to him tonight he’d hardly focused on anything she’d said. Earlier because he could hardly think straight watching Bianca with Felix and now for just the opposite reason. He was pissed as shit that she was being neglected. “Nah, I’m just a little tired and sore. Yesterday was my first time snowboarding and I think I overdid it. ”

Evelyn laughed, then covered her mouth. “I don’t mean to laugh at you but I did the same thing my first time. When I tried to warn my then boyfriend about going overboard he didn’t listen either; only he actually broke his ankle that day.” She gave him a coy look. “The ass**le cheated on me so the memory of him being in so much pain and actually breaking bones always brings a smile to my face.”

Gio laughed. “Nice. You have an evil side.” He lifted his eyebrow. “I’ll have to remember that.”

She lowered her eyes to his lips and smiled pushing her body up against him even closer than they already were. “There’s a lot to me I’m sure you’d find very interesting.” She leaned in and whispered in his ear. “I like being dangerous.”

Gio smiled, feeling a little turned on by her declaration. “You do, uh?” he whispered back. “Dangerous like how?”

This could mean anything. He knew girls that were into all kinds of kinky shit. She giggled and nibbled his ear sending a shiver down his spine before answering his question. “I like doing it in public.”

Gio tried not to react. He’d be willing to try just about anything at least once but two things he didn’t do was anything that involved another guy in the equation and he didn’t do audiences. Unless of course the audience consisted of other girls waiting for their turn but he had a feeling that’s not what she meant. “You wanna elaborate on that?”

She pulled away from his ear and smiled wickedly. “Like on the sink in the men’s restroom.”

Before Gio could respond her lips were on his and her tongue thrust into his mouth. He was instantly aroused and the thought of taking her on the sink in the men’s restroom consumed him. Maybe his aching body could take a little pain after all. She finally came up for her air licking her wet lips before digging her teeth into her bottom lip.

Glass hitting and shattering on the floor broke his thoughts and not a moment too soon because after realizing it was just a waitress who’d dropped a glass and not a fight breaking out he remembered Bianca. One glance at her table and he was immediately panicked. She was gone. He stopped dancing and looked around from one side of the place to the other as fast as he could. “What’s wrong?”

“I just…” At that very moment he caught a glimpse the back of Bianca’s head walking toward the back exit—alone.

“I gotta go.”

With that, he left Evelyn standing in the middle of the dance floor. He felt bad about it, he really did, but he had to get to Bianca. Something told him she was upset and just the thought of seeing her upset did things to him that had him fisting his hands. He was definitely finishing up that talk he and Felix didn’t get to finish that morning. No girl deserved to be treated this way but especially not sweet Bianca.

He bumped a few people in the crowd in his haste to get to her. Any thought of his aching muscles was long gone. Pushing the door open, he lunged out into the freezing air in time to see the car pull up in front of Bianca.