Page 14 of Unraveled

“You keep looking at me like I am.”

“Is that a bad thing?”

No. “Unsettling, maybe.”

“Unsettling, or gratifying?” he asked. “Because I’ve come to learn that things we find unsettling can often end up being quite gratifying, too.”

Cara wet her lips, and didn’t miss how Gian’s gaze dropped to watch her do that, either. “How thick are you rolling out the charm right now?”

“Not even a little bit, but I doubt you would believe me on that end.”

“I do find it hard to believe.”

He learned forward, close enough for Cara to get another whiff of whatever spicy cologne he wore, and his grin disappeared. Seriousness clouded his features, and suddenly, the interest she had thought he hadn’t been hiding, bloomed in his eyes. It told her that as much as she thought Gian was showing all his cards, he was keeping a few hidden.

“My charm gets me immediate results, and I use it when that’s what I’m looking for.” Gian’s fingers lightly grazed the bare skin of Cara’s shoulder, and she damn near jumped at the touch, shocked at the jolt of heat that flooded her. “I didn’t have any intentions of leaving with someone when I came into the club tonight, and I still don’t. That doesn’t mean I don’t want to, especially with you, it just wasn’t in my intentions.”

Cara sucked in a quiet breath at his candor. “So, I don’t get the charm, then?”

“Oh, no, you’ve got the charm. And then some. I may have lied a bit there. But I’m still sitting here, and so are you, because at the moment, this seems far more interesting than sending you off with a smile. Although, you are smiling, and I wonder how long it has been since you did that … considering?”

She glanced away, the dull ache of her lingering grief settling deep into her heart again. Whatever smile she had been wearing quickly fled, and Cara felt the weight of her pain come down to sit on her shoulders again.

Gian’s fingers slipped under her chin, and Cara found herself looking back in his eyes. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to make you sad.”

Cara laughed weakly. “I’m always sad, now.”

“Actually, earlier, you said out of control, if I remember correctly.”

“That, too.”

“I’m sure it feels like that, but trust me when I say, feeling out of control should not leave you sad.”

“No?”

“That’s not what being out of control is, bella. Losing control is … a freedom, something you can’t get with any other experience because it’s one of a kind, Cara. Grief is a weight that you can’t get rid of, not right away. Freedom is weightless.”

She liked the way he said her name. His interesting inflection to his words—likely caused by his ability to speak Italian and French—made her name sound far more interesting than it actually was.

Like him, she thought, one of a kind.

“One of a kind” fit Gian, given what he seemed like, in those moments with her. A man who was more interested in talking and being near her, than getting her to the closest flat surface simply because he liked the way she looked. She assumed that, if given the chance, he would probably take an offer to fuck, but she didn’t think for even a second that it was first on his mind.

Then, he glanced to the side, his gaze narrowing at the sight of a couple returning to the VIP section and heading toward their table.

“That,” Gian murmured, “is my goodbye for now, unfortunately.”

Cara tried to hide her frown, but failed.

Bambi and Stephan were returning, it seemed.

She didn’t know where in the hell Constantino had gone to.

“Here, your drink.” Stephan set the whiskey glass down forcefully, spilling a good tablespoon of the spirit on the table. Gian offered Cara another brilliant smile. “I’ve decided I’m not in the mood for it, now.”

“You asked for—”

“Cara,” Gian said, “I know that it’s a no on the drink, but my other offer is still open, if you’re interested. My interest here, however, is fading fast.”