No Strings Attached

Chapter Twenty-Seven

The sight of Giovanni drinking coffee completely nude, tangled in my Egyptian-cotton sheets is enough to drive me for a good month. I sit across the room, my warm mug in my hands, listening to him relay leaving his mother's house at the crack of dawn.

"Was she really angry?" I grimace.

"Curious is the better word."

"Curious of why you were leaving?"

He looks down at the coffee. "No, I think she was curious of who was important enough for me to leave."

Oh. Okay. There is the bluntness I've come to expect from him. Surprisingly, I'm not intimidated by it. In fact, I'm damn pleased.

I grin slowly. "Well, I'm glad you're here."

His dark eyes are alight with playfulness. "I really have no idea why you are at the other side of the room. And clothed, no doubt."

"I'm wearing a robe," I counter, rolling my eyes. His gaze remains unwaveringly still on my face.

"Get over here."

The way those words stir up the nerves within me. I chew on my lip nervously, setting down my mug, standing. I stop by the edge of the bed when I find him shaking his head from side to side, very slowly.

"Take it off."

Fuck.

My fingers pull at the sash holding my robe closed, finding immense pleasure at being observed, knowing he truly desires to see my body. I drop the material without tearing my eyes away from his face, watching his gaze travel around my body without shame.

"You are fucking sexy."

I smile, slowly, blushing as I sit down on the edge of the bed. "And you are fucking bossy."

He smiles beautifully. "You hold most of the control here, Scar, in almost everything."

I eye the bed, blushing. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"You told me... you told me before I signed the contract that you like to dominate but... but you also can—"

"Submit."

I nod, the shade of a tomato. My curiosity has gotten the better of me.

"I did say that."

Oh, he's making this hard on me.

"Why did you say that? Have you... have you tried that?"

He tilts his head, staring at me. "I have."

"Like serious? Like 9 ½ Weeks serious?"

He laughs, his skin glowing, his curls pulled loose by my teasing. "I'll pretty much try anything once. You never know what will peak your curiosity, what will ignite your desires until you try it."

I nod, absorbing that. Giovanni has been around the block and I'm not at all surprised. He is a god in bed, that isn't anything new to me. He knows where I want to be touched without asking. He knows just where to kiss, lick, bite to bring me close.

"Are you trying to tell me something?" he asks after a moment, his voice slightly amused. I look at him, unable to answer. I don't fucking dare answer him to spare myself the embarrassment but honestly, I'd like to see him at my mercy. I'd like to watch him unravel, watch him struggle for once.

Even the thought of it makes my throat dry.

His eyes slant slowly, his teeth pulling on his lip in contemplation before he reaches out to the nightstand, setting down his mug with finality. My back immediately goes ridged as he removes the sheet, moving over to the middle of the bed.