Reputation's Play (Book 1)

Ch. 47 The Garden of Good and Evil

Chapter 47

Sitting on the bed and avoiding Daniel wasn't an option.

Gia knew that very well. She knew that from the moment they had fallen onto the bed after losing all of their senses to each other. When Daniel had pulled her into his arms and kissed her tenderly, Gia knew looking at him would hurt even more than before. But it was a pain Gia was prepared to take on.

She let him have his moment of peace holding her, loving her, cherishing her for one day before she pulled her walls back up. When they sat in the bathtub together embracing the warmth of the water and their need for one another, Gia swore she could almost be happy again. But the moment she opened her eyes the next morning, she knew it was all wishful thinking.

Deciding to take on the situation head on, Gia stood up and exited the bedroom. Her feet carried her to the kitchen where Daniel stood by the sink with his coffee. Gia could feel his eyes on her as she walked in and reached for a glass in the cupboard. Her cheeks warmed and she immediately cursed herself.

"I can make breakfast before we head out," Daniel cleared his throat. "The housekeeper stocked the fridge."

"I don't think I can eat anything," Gia muttered.

"Coffee?"

"I can make it myself, thank you," Gia reached for the coffee pot, her hands feeling awkward.

"Are you mad at me?" Daniel placed his mug down. "For last night?"

"No," Gia shook her head.

"You're not even looking at me."

"I'm ..... Just making coffee."

Daniel watched her, eyes patient and breath held. He knew what was coming and he suddenly found himself praying to a god he didn't believe.

"You know..." Gia slowly turned and lifted her lashes to look at him for the first time since they had woken up. "What we did.....doesn't change anything between us, right?"

Daniel felt his heart drop. He had been preparing himself for those words but they didn't hurt any less.

"I know," Daniel nodded. He raised his hand and rubbed his forehead as if he suddenly had a headache. Leaning forward, he rested his elbows on the counter across from Gia.

"I just...." Gia began slowly. "I needed a distraction from everything that was happening and I think you needed that too."

"You're not a distraction," Daniel's hand moved to the back of his neck. "Not for me. What we did had very different meanings for each of us."

"Okay, but now you know what it meant for me," Gia rushed to say. "It was nothing emotional. Just a physical act."

"Yeah?" Daniel looked up at her with those dark broody October eyes that could kill a man from miles away. "You felt nothing when I told you over and over how much I love you?"

"Don't turn it into something it's not," Gia said. "Don't make me regret it."

"So right now you don't regret it?"

"No," Gia said honestly. "It happened and that's fine as long as you know that it means nothing to me."

"I get it," Daniel's gaze shifted towards the window and his jaw clenched. Gia couldn't look away from him. She felt a sense of unease inside of her chest as the minutes stretched on, filling the space between them with tension.

"I'm going to go get my purse," Gia said. "Are you ready to head out?"

"Yeah," Daniel said as he stood up and picked up his coffee mug. Gia stepped out of his way as he placed the dishes in the sink and turned on the water. When she was sure he wasn't going to say anything else, she turned on her heels to head to the bedroom.