Untangle Me

Chapter 32

Vincenzo

It feels like I've only just fallen asleep when my door bangs open. I wake up instantly, my heart skipping a few beats at once and adrenaline nearly making me dizzy as I reach for the gun on my bedside table.

How the hell is someone here? I have a great security system at all the entries of this building not to mention the numerous guards stationed everywhere. Never has anyone managed to sneak up on me in my sleep.

I cock my gun, ready to shoot the intruder but stop myself just in time. My eyes haven't adjusted to the darkness but I recognize the silhouette standing in my doorway.

I blow out a breath, slowly lowering my weapon even as my mind buzzes with questions.

"Giada?" I ask. The woman seems frozen in place but a moment later, a guard rushes into my room after her.

"So sorry, sir. She attacked me and then ran for it," the guard mumbles hastily, heaving as he catches his breath. I stop him when he tries to grab the woman in my room.

"You lay a hand on her, I cut it off, got it? Now leave," I snap, my voice colder than winter in Antarctica.

Fuck, I'm so confused right now and still half asleep. Nonetheless, the thought of this guard, any guard, laying a hand on Giada makes my blood boil, as unreasonable as it is.

Finally, the man leaves and shuts my door behind him. The two of us are alone now, both silent as we stay enveloped in darkness.

"Giada?" I finally ask again. I can't see or hear her and it's starting to freak me out.

For a second, nothing happens and I worry that I just imagined the whole thing. That it was some kind of weird dream or wishful thinking because I spent my last conscious hours wondering about her.

"I can't believe I stormed in here," the woman breaks the silence, laughing softly. "Oh, God. You almost shot me." She blows out a breath. Then I hear her hesitant steps coming closer toward me and I decide I staying in darkness will no longer do.

Reaching for my bedside table, I click on the lamp. Thankfully, the light coming off of it is dimmed, only barely bathing the room in its glow.

It's enough for me to finally see Giada though. And when I do, my breath hitches.

Fuck, she's already looking at me cautiously, a small smile lighting up her features with each second I hold her gaze.

I don't understand what's happening. Why is she here? More importantly, why does she look so happy to be here? I'd have expected her to be screaming by now, maybe to have attacked me like she did her guard but here she is, fucking smiling.

And then, against my will, my eyes drop from hers to take in the rest of her. I follow the curve of her neck, memories of her smooth skin there already messing with my mind. My mouth near damn waters at the thought of getting another taste of that skin. I'm a mess.

And it only gets worse when my gaze moves over her chest. I force myself not to stare at the hint of her nipples poking through the thin fabric of her shirt and quickly take in the rest of her. The way her subtle hips are hugged tightly by those flimsy pants and how her round thighs poke out of them.

Forget her neck, staring at her legs is so much worse, making me fantasize about being in between them once more, biting and nibbling at her flesh and pulling such sweet sounds from her.

Shit, I pull my mind out of the gutter and force my eyes back on hers. Can I blame my behavior on just having woken up? My mind isn't as sharp as it usually is yet.

"What are you doing here?" I ask, my voice way rougher than I wanted. Giada's smile slowly falls, her eyebrows furrowing for a beat before her expression turns neutral. I watch all that happen in a matter of seconds, silently cursing myself for being the reason she no longer has that spark in her eyes.

"We need to talk," she says, her voice giving nothing away.

Still, my heart starts beating faster in anticipation. She's here. She really is and she wants to talk. It's more than I was hoping for if I'm being and the smallest sliver of hope blooms within me.

Not that I care about what happens tonight. I need to get myself in check and not lose myself in some fantasy. Just because Giada flashed me a smile doesn't mean she's the woman I used to know and it sure as hell won't diminish all the shit I pulled the last few weeks.

"Yeah, right," I agree. Before I can ask whether or not she wants to go to my office or schedule it for another time, she takes a seat at the very foot of my bed. Guess I have my answer right there. We're doing this now.

For an excruciatingly long moment, both of us stay silent and I suddenly find it hard to hold her gaze.

"Alright. Well, you should probably know that I remember. Like, almost everything, I think. My memories have been coming back since the gala," she finally says, averting her own eyes to look at her fiddling hands.

I don't know where this is going just yet so I stay quiet. Giada sighs.

"God, I wish you had just talked to me after I got here," she then mumbles, still not meeting my eyes.

But her voice doesn't seem angry. Instead, it's laced with undeniable sadness. Or maybe it's agitation. I used to be a lot better at reading her.

In the end, I mutter a silent, "Me too," in reply, hoping she hears my sincerity.

Somehow, having her this close while she feels words away is like a punch to the gut. I hate it.

I hate that I only realize now how much I've missed Giada. My Giada.

And I hate that I don't know what to do about it.

————————
As always, hope u enjoyed this chapter:))

Also, gotta let u guys know that I am a but stressed bc a lot of things r going on rn so be patient w me if the updates come a bit less frequent:/

Have a great day<3