Loving Gigi (19 page)

Their food was delivered, and Gigi pushed hers around her plate while seeming to debate if she wanted to answer his question. Finally she looked across at Gio and said, “I didn’t want to mention it to you, Gio, because I don’t want it to be an issue. After Papa died, I asked to go to school in London. My mother paid for a private school by working two jobs and selling off many valuable items from the palazzo. I want to return those items to her.”

Kane fell a little bit in love with her just then and took her hand in his again. “I’m sure that means a lot to her.”

Gigi raised her eyes to his. “She doesn’t know I’m doing it. Which might be for the best, since I’m not doing it well. Some of the items are quite rare, and the collectors who purchased them don’t want to part with them. It doesn’t matter how much money I offer them.”

Julia tapped her hand on the table in inspiration. “Such a shame. Too bad someone can’t help you with that.”

Gio started to say, “I could—” but stopped when Julia put her hand on his arm and shook her head.

It wasn’t very subtle, but Julia wasn’t subtle by nature. Her sincere desire for those around her to be happy more than made up for that tiny fault. Kane gave Gigi’s hand a squeeze. “I have many contacts in Europe. Some of them might be able to loosen the grip of those collectors.”

A hopeful expression lit Gigi’s face. “You would do that for me? It’s an extensive list.”

There were many things Kane wasn’t sure about when it came to Gigi, but he was sure if she wanted something as badly as she wanted this, he would move heaven and earth to make it happen for her. “Give me the list and what you know about where each item went, and I’ll get them for you.”

Gigi’s eyes lit up. “Like a quest.”

Kane wouldn’t have described it that way, but his chest puffed up with pride, nonetheless. “If you want to call it that.”

Gigi rose slightly from her chair and gave Kane a grateful kiss, full on his lips. It started chastely, but quickly deepened.

Gio growled audibly.

Kane didn’t care. It only took one touch from Gigi to make him forget where he was and who was there. He was on fire for her, just as she instantly became for him. She dug her hands into his hair and held him with the same desperation he felt.

A sharp kick to his shin from Julia brought him back to reality, and he reluctantly broke off the kiss. He and Gigi sat back and let out matching, shaky sighs. They exchanged a guilty, passion-filled glance before attempting to return their attention to the others.

Julia said cheerfully, “The food here is amazing, but I’m getting tired. Let’s see if we can get that check.”

‡

A
fter dinner, Gigi
and Kane walked hand in hand farther up The Royal Mile to the castle at the top. The courtyard was still open even though the castle grounds were closed. Kane sat on a cement wall overlooking Edinburgh and pulled Gigi forward between his legs. The air was charged with their attraction to each other. Gigi was one touch away from mauling Kane publicly like a randy teenager. He took both of her hands in his and gave her a lusty smile, apparently having similar thoughts.

“Your apartment was wonderful, but my hotel is closer,” he murmured against her neck in a bedroom voice that filled Gigi’s mind with stimulating memories of how they’d spent the night before. The evidence of his urgency was pressed deliciously against her abdomen.

The memory of how he’d felt in her hand, her mouth, deep inside her, had her quivering with need. Her body craved his. All she had to do was say yes and the pleasure from the night before would be hers again. Maybe it was the castle beside them, or Julia’s earlier observation that Gigi deserved better than she asked for, but Gigi wanted more than hot sex with a man who may or may not have feelings for her. The maiden Julia had referenced wouldn’t have asked her knight in shining armor to tame a dragon, only to sleep with him as soon as he agreed to. No, she would have waited for his victorious return.

Gigi pulled back slightly from Kane, still holding his hands, but breaking all other contact. “I don’t want to sleep with you again. Not yet.”

For a moment Kane looked so shocked it was almost comical. “Last night was amazing for me. You didn’t feel the same way?”

Gigi blushed. “It was incredible.”

“But?”

Unable to look him in the eye while trying to express herself, Gigi kept her eyes focused on the top button of his shirt. “My mother spent half of her life with a man who wouldn’t leave his wife for her.”

“I’m not married,” Kane said.

Gigi gave his hands a squeeze and looked up. “Hear me out.”

Kane opened his mouth as if to say something, then closed it and nodded.

“My father said he loved us, but he could only love us so much, you know? He had another family who needed him. I didn’t realize how much it had affected me until recently. I’ve kept my expectations of people very low so they won’t disappoint me. I think that’s wrong. I don’t want half of anyone.”

A storm raged in Kane’s eyes. “I don’t know what to say, Gigi.”

Emotion brought tears to Gigi’s eyes, but they weren’t from sadness. At least, not about what Kane was saying. They were tears of growth as Gigi faced a part of herself she’d denied. “I know, Kane. What can you say? We’ve really only had one night together. But that’s my point. We did this—us—backward. I know how I feel around you. I know how tempting it is to give in to that feeling, but I need more than that.”

Kane let out a long breath and looked away for a moment then back. “What do you want, Gigi?”

Gigi looked deeply into his eyes and spoke from her heart. “Everything—or nothing. If that’s not what you’re looking for, let’s end this now. You offered to help me find my mother’s things, but I’ll understand if you don’t want to do that anymore. I don’t regret last night, but it can’t happen again, not yet.”

Kane’s face was tight with emotion. Gigi wasn’t sure what he was thinking. She moved to disentangle her hands from his, but he held her firmly before him. “I promised to get your mother’s items back to you and I will, but only on one condition . . .”

Gigi held his eyes and swallowed hard. For a brief second she worried he would make her an offer that would change how she felt about him. Could she blame him if he did? She’d slept with him so quickly he might think the worst of her. She fought back the insecurities begging to surface. Insecurities tied to having a mother who had been someone’s mistress. Would that be his offer?

Kane brought one of her hands to his lips. “I want you to come with me when I negotiate for the items. We’ll get them back for your mother, but we’ll get them back together.”

Panic brought a shake to Gigi’s hands. “You understand I don’t want to—”

Kane kissed the inside of her wrist. “I got that.”

Gigi scanned his face for a clue of how he felt about it. “And you’re okay with it?”

Kane pulled her back against him, looping his hands behind her waist. His arousal was still proudly prominent in his trousers, the feel of it against her almost made Gigi change her mind. She licked her bottom lip and fought against the desire growing within her.

When he spoke, his voice was deep and sure. “It’ll be torture to be around you and not take you where we’ve been, but if waiting is important to you, then it’s important to me.”

Fresh tears spilled down Gigi’s cheeks. She grabbed his face between her hands and kissed him soundly. He returned the kiss, but instead of deepening it, he ended it by lifting his head with a groan. “Go easy on the gratitude, though. I’m only human.”

*     *     *

Kane had spent
the last three weeks traveling back and forth between Edinburgh and London. His plan for additional headquarters was still very much up in the air but only because he was now looking into Scotland’s viability as a location. He didn’t want to admit yet that it had anything to do with Gigi, but he didn’t think he was fooling anyone.

Although he hadn’t said anything to Gigi yet, he’d also spent an hour or so each day tracking down the items on the list Gigi had given him. If the request to purchase an item was easily granted, he completed the transaction and had it shipped to a storage facility he’d rented near Venice. If the collector requested to meet him in person, he sent the information to Marge in New York so she could adjust the flight schedule and lodging for what was growing into a several-week agenda.

When he’d first informed Marge of the trip, he’d told her he was helping Gio’s family with a project. He’d revealed more than he’d meant to when he asked Marge to make sure the lodging she chose for each stop was both efficiently located and romantic.

Marge had sputtered in surprise. “Romantic? Are you taking Gigi with you?”

Part of him had wanted to tell her it was none of her business, but since she was making the arrangements for the trip—it was essential for her to know who to plan for. He’d said, “I sure hope so.”

As if the news hadn’t shocked her at all, she’d calmly clarified, “One room or two?”

He’d sighed, “Two.”

“Oh,” she’d said. “Don’t worry, it’ll all work out. May I say something on a personal note?”

“No.”

That didn’t stop Marge.
Of course.
“You’re doing this the right way. Your friendship with Gio is too important to rush into something that could jeopardize that. Plus, you’re old enough to understand that it’s time for you to stop hopping from one woman to the next. This is good for you.”

Her words had rung too close to the opinion of someone else Kane knew. “Have you been talking to my mother?”

Marge had laughed. “She was here yesterday with your father. He looks so happy to be in the office again. Your mother said he could play here until you give them grandchildren and then spoiling them will be his only occupation.”

“Goodbye, Marge.” Kane had hung up with a pained chuckle. Coming from a close family had benefits
and
drawbacks.

Time had flown by. He’d had dinner with Gigi several nights a week. They’d stayed as far away from her apartment and his hotel as they could. It was frustrating, but surprisingly satisfying in a way. He couldn’t remember the last time he had eagerly anticipated anything as much as he did seeing her each evening. They had an unexpected number of things in common, and one of those was an appreciation of Edinburgh.

At first, it had been nothing more than a small city to Kane, one that just happened to be where Gigi lived. However, the friendly nature of its people was winning him over. He and Gigi often nursed a drink at one of the local pubs while swapping stories about their lives. They discovered they both found the stare of housecats unnerving. Although they liked different music, they laughed at the same comedians. When they compared their bucket lists, there were several items they had in common. Their age difference didn’t matter now that Gigi was older.

They did find one subject they disagreed on. They’d been sitting in a pub listening to a local band when Kane had asked Gigi to say something to him in Italian, and she had refused. She’d claimed not to speak it anymore even though he had heard her use it quite fluently at her brothers’ weddings. He thought back to when he’d visited her mother’s house and remembered that she’d spoken, even then, only in English.

“Aren’t you Venetian?” Kane had asked because he’d wanted to gauge her reaction to the question.

“My mother is,” Gigi had answered stiffly, pulling back from him emotionally. He could almost see her slamming up protective walls to hide behind.

He’d kept his tone light. “So, what do you consider yourself?”

“Not my mother,” Gigi had answered shortly. “Can we talk about something else?”

Kane had let the topic drop, but it had reminded him of something her mother had said. Leora had lost more than her lover and her paintings; she had lost her daughter as well. He hoped to rectify that one day.

Kane was walking to meet Gigi for dinner when his phone rang. Nick. “Hello.”

“Kane, I’m in Edinburgh with Luke and Max. We need to see you. Tonight.”

“What the hell are you doing here?”

“We’ll tell you when we see you. Come to the hotel.”

“I can’t right this minute. I’m meeting Gigi.”

“Gigi’s fine. She’s with Rena and the girls.”

Kane stopped dead in his tracks. “Did something happen?”

“Meet us in the bar on the first floor.” With that, Nick hung up.

Kane hailed a taxi. A variety of horrible possibilities played out in his mind. He called Gio.

“Hello?” Gio answered curtly.

“Thank God. I thought you were dead.”

“That’s a novel way of saying you missed me.”

“Hey, Nick just called me. He’s here in Edinburgh with Max and Luke. They want to talk to me.”

“And you thought that meant I had kicked the bucket?”

“The possibility had crossed my mind. They said Gigi is with their wives. It sounded serious.”

“It was. Gigi called Julia, and she was upset.”

“Upset? I’ve been with Gigi every day. If she were upset I’d know about it. What did she tell Julia?”

“I don’t know. Julia wouldn’t tell me.”