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“True. I wouldn’t say I wait until there are no dishes left, but I’m also not super familiar with what my sink looks like empty.” He tossed the dishcloth into the sink, proclaiming, “Two points!” Then he grabbed another beer for himself before topping up her glass of wine. “Want to put a dent in that puzzle you brought before bed?”
She nodded, butterflies fluttering in her stomach at the thought of bedtime. She followed him to the living room, sitting down on the couch, while Elio pulled the large, overstuffed recliner closer to the coffee table. They worked together, flipping all the pieces picture-side up, then started searching for end pieces.
She was relieved he wasn’t one of those people who just picked up a random piece and started anywhere. She was the type who did the border first, not even bothering to touch the center pieces until it was in place.
As they put the puzzle together, they talked more. Elio told her stories about past hockey games and some of the crazy adventures he and his teammates had when out on the road. She shared some funny snippets about the guests at her hotel, either things they’d demanded, left behind, or weird complaints they’d lodged.
Two hours passed quickly, and as Gianna yawned, glancing nervously at the bed again, she realized just how long her day had been. She’d risen at dawn to pack her suitcase, getting on the road to the Poconos by nine this morning.
“Okay,” Elio said, putting down the puzzle piece he’d been trying to place. “Let’s get the sleeping situation out of the way. I can tell you’re tired. It’s a king-size bed, Gianna.”
“I know that.”
“And you’re sitting on the couch. What do you think about it?”
“Why is it so hard and uncomfortable?” she asked, prompting him to laugh.
“Because it was cheap.”
She pointed to the plush bearskin rug in front of the fire. “That looks comfy. I could—”
“You’re not sleeping on the floor. We’re both adults. And I can promise you right now, I won’t venture onto your side of the bed. Unless, of course, you ask me to.”
She snorted. “I’m not going to do that.”
Elio raised his hand. “Don’t feel like you have to give me an answer now. Take some time to decide.”
Gianna laughed, enjoying his easy sense of humor. “Fine. We can both sleep in the bed.” She raised one finger at him sternly. “But I’m trusting you to be a gentleman. Don’t make me call Liza.”
Elio raised three fingers, giving her the Scout’s Honor promise, though she was ninety-nine percent sure he’d never been a Boy Scout.
Gianna walked over to the dresser and grabbed her pajamas. “I’ll just go get changed and brush my teeth.”
Elio nodded as she walked into the bathroom and closed the door, aware her hands were shaking slightly. Not out of fear or nervousness but because she wasn’t all that certain she could resist issuing Elio the invitation to join her on her side of the bed.
She shook her head at herself in the mirror. “You are not having sex with Elio,” she muttered under her breath. And then, to solidify that thought in her mind, she made a mental list of all the reasons why.
He’s Liza’s brother.
He’s a player from the word go.
You are not a one-night stand girl.
He’s experienced and you are…a lot less so.
The list worked its magic, so she brushed her teeth, put on her pjs, then walked back into the living space.
Elio grinned when he saw her pajamas. “Cute.”
Yeah, she thought sadly. That’s exactly what they were. She might have rethought her bedtime attire if she’d known Elio was coming, certain these long fleece pants adorned with dozing teddy bears and the long-sleeved pink tee that said “Time to hibernate” wouldn’t have been tossed in her suitcase.
And there was another item for her list of why she and Elio would never have sex. He was no doubt used to sexy women, and the best she could pull off was cute.
“I built the fire up. I’ll get up a couple times tonight to add more wood to keep it going. Otherwise, it’s bound to get cold in here. The wind is really whipping out there.”
“Yeah. Turning out to be quite a snowstorm. Blizzard-like.” She walked to the far side of the bed and crawled beneath the covers as Elio took his turn in the bathroom.
When he emerged, she sucked in a rough breath.
