Page 12 of Cara & Gian: The Guzzi Duet

She glanced up, her blue eyes widening further. “How do you know my name?”

Gian smirked. “Family friends.”

“Right.” Cara flashed him one of her own smiles. “It’s Gian, right? Gian Guzzi.”

He lifted a single brow. “My name is well-known around this place.”

“The owner—I know. Constantino told me.”

“Oh?”

“And Guzzi isn’t exactly a … little name, either.”

“Would you like a drink, Cara?”

She didn’t even think about it before saying, “No.”

“A dance?”

“No.”

“Then why are you here?” Gian lifted a hand, waving at the club behind him. “That’s sort of what you do in a club, bella donna.”

“I do speak some Italian.”

“Good, then you know what I think of you. A very beautiful woman.”

She did manage a smile that was slightly truer than her first. “You’re terribly arrogant. Flash a smile, say a few pretty words, and I bet most women eat out of the palm of your hand.”

“The men of my family like to say it’s a learned talent, actually.” He grinned, and didn’t miss how for a moment that Cara was silenced by the sight. “And as of right now, I’m not trying any of those things on you.”

“How do you hold all that cockiness and those damn grins in then?”

“I don’t.”

“And everyone melts.”

“I’m not looking at everyone. I’m looking at you.”

Cara laughed lightly, a sweet sound that helped to light up her pretty features. “Smooth, Gian.”

“That was nothing, only the truth. But seriously, if you don’t want a drink, you don’t want to dance, and you don’t have a date …” Gian left that one hanging for Cara to finish for him.

“No date, either.”

“Then what are you doing here?”

“I wanted to feel normal for a night. Not so suffocated, I guess, or out of control. Also, someone showed up at my place and wouldn’t take no for an answer.”

Had someone else said those words, Gian might have been confused. He thought, considering this woman had recently lost someone important in her life, that her statement made a hell of a lot of sense.

“Your sister—your twin.” Her lips turned into a frown, a question in her stare. He quickly added, “Her face was all over the news, and Constantino is a very old, and good friend of mine.”

“Huh.”

“That’s what you meant, though, isn’t it?”

Cara shrugged. “I’m supposed to be having fun, not being sad tonight.”

Gian knew better than to engage Cara in any more conversation than what he already had done. He certainly didn’t have the time to invest to be interested in the woman, never mind struck by her unassuming beauty. It would be different, if he wanted nothing more than a quick ride and little else from a woman, but in that moment, he wasn’t looking for that, either.

He was, of course, but not right then. Cara was still sitting, staring at him, and waiting. He wouldn’t usually bother to talk at all.

“Are you going to sit?” Cara asked.

He knew better.

Gian took a seat in the booth when Cara moved in farther.

Knowing better meant nothing to Gian.