Ties of Blood (Book One)

Chapter 15 ~ Gianna

Gianna Rostova

I woke up, once again completely oblivious to my surroundings.

Whatever pillow I was on was way harder than the one's in my room.

I stirred and part my eyes slightly, this place was obviously a man's room but I don't remember going to the club and going home with anyone. My eyes then flew open when I found out that this 'hard pillow' was Matteo's chest.

I immediately snatched myself like it hand been burnt, and jumped off his bed and onto my feet.

"Sorry." I say, looking anywhere but his face.

"It's fine, how are you?" He says, I assumed he was talking about last night when I hopelessly cried into his arms and got his shirt wet.

This wasn't the first time I had been stood up by my father, only this time...it didn't hurt as much.

"Um, good actually." I smile softly at him, he doesn't smile back but his eyes look softer than I'd ever seen them and to me, that was enough.

He suddenly stood up, the tension of the moment we had breaking. My eyes drifted down, he seemed oddly aroused for just sleeping, the curiousity in my eyes must have been obvious because he said, "It's morning wood, amore, it's normal."

My face heat up, I mumble and excuse and he walked over to his bathroom, he tossed a towel over his shoulder and glanced in my direction.

"You're staring." He says a small smirk on his lips.

My face flushes red and I sputter, "What? No! I was staring past you, at your shower head."

He looked at me, walked closer and stood from behind me and paused before whispering in my ear, "The shower head isn't that interesting, amore."

I whip my head around to reply to his statement with something just as snarky but for a brief moment my lips brush against his. The moment had been so quick and intimate, it felt like we'd just made out. My chest was heaving and so was his. I stare at him and he does me.

My eyes drop to his lips, and before I could process another thought he pulls away and his cold expression returns. "Get ready."

Just when I thought we were connecting.

"For what?" I ask, a little breathless from the previously close proximity.

"You requested a trip?" He says, a smirk ghosts over his mouth and I'm quickly brought back to reality.

"Oh, right." I pull away by taking a step back from him accidentally backing into the desk behind me containing his colognes, one of the fell on the table but when I looked back at Matteo he was still looking at me.

I put it back with the rest, and look back at him with a sheepish grin. "I'm gonna go get ready."

I walk out of his room calmly but as soon as I'm a fair distance away I lean my back against wall and give into to the blush that had been threatening to form.

After I composed myself and splashed water all over my face, I changed into a floral dress that ended mid thigh.

Matteo said we were going on boat trip so imagine my surprise when I see a private jet outside the house. He stood outside on his phone in a pair of Balenciaga shorts and a black compression shirt.