Gino awoke with a feeling of trepidation he had never felt before. It took him a moment before he remembered why he was supposed to be feeling this way.
Well, he wasn’t going to blame himself. He cleared his throat softly and reached for the glass of water on the bedside table. He downed it, and set the empty glass back on the wood as quietly as he could before slipping out of bed.
He still had to find those damn Christmas lights. He couldn’t remember where they were. Gino wracked his brain and thought back to New Year and last Christmas. Where had those lights gone? Wait. Hadn’t he given them to Tristan for the Christmas party?
He uttered a muffled curse. At least Tristan and Stephanie knew what he was going to do, but he needed to figure out how to do things without arousing Alana’s suspicion.
He heard some rustling beside him and turned to see Alana turn over so that she was facing him, sighing into the sheets. Gino trained his gaze on her face for a moment. How would she react? Was she as ready as he thought she was? They had been discussing their possible future together for a long time, but if she rejected…
No. He shook his head. He wasn’t going to think like that.
He got up off the bed with a groan. There was no way he was going to be able to sleep now. Gino quickly freshened up in the bathroom and trudged into the kitchen to pour himself a glass of orange juice. Typically, he would go out for a run or go to the gym… some form of exercise would usually help considering it was only seven in the morning. But today he just wasn’t in the mood.
He lost track of how long he sat at the breakfast bar, repeatedly pouring more orange juice into his glass whenever he emptied it.
“Gino?” He looked up to see Alana standing by the doorway to their bedroom, her gorgeous dark hair tumbling over her shoulders in the most enticing way. She still wore one of his large shirts, as she always did, and seeing that made his heart swell. Yes, she was most definitely his.
His girlfriend padded over to him and sat down on the stool beside him. “Is everything okay?”
“Yeah.” Gino grunted. “What time is it?”
“About nine-thirty.”
I’ve been here for over two hours?
“Well, do you want some breakfast?” He abruptly stood up. “What do you want? Omelet? French toast?”
“Did you eat anything yet?” Alana asked, standing up as well.
“I just had some orange juice; I’m not hungry.” Gino opened the refrigerator and reached for some eggs. “Don’t you want anything?”
“Are you sure you’re okay?” She stepped closer to him and he could feel his heart beat faster at the proximity. “You usually eat. The only times you don’t have an appetite are if you’re sick or nervous for a business meeting.”
“I’m fine,” he said firmly. If he wasn’t careful, he would end up spilling his plans to her before he even had a chance of carrying them out.
“Alright.” Alana didn’t sound convinced. “I’d love omelet, but I’m going to take a shower first, okay?”
He nodded mutely and proceeded to make some eggs for the omelet. She emerged from the bathroom fifteen minutes later with damp hair, but smelling incredibly pleasant. Gino handed her the omelet with a smile and stepped outside to make a private call with Tristan.
“Tristan? Hey, man.”
“Gino? Why’d you call me so early? It’s Saturday morning!” Tristan said groggily. He could hear soft mumbling on the other end and surmised it was a grouchy Stephanie.
YOU ARE READING
Because I Love You
Romance(Sequel to I Love that You're in My Life) It's been three years since Alana and Gino last kissed and parted on that beach. Gino's business in New York and constant absences led their relationship to break off. Since then, Alana has focused on her...
