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He leaned back in his chair, considering me, and I resisted the urge to shift in my seat. “You’re jealous.”
“I’m just feeling cheap.”
“Jesus, Gia. You’re anything but cheap. You’re one of a kind. Gorgeous. I never did anything to make you think that or feel like that. If I did—”
I rushed to reassure him, placing my hand over his. “I’m sorry. I just jumped to conclusions. You always have a beautiful woman on your arms, and then the penthouse and the home on the water… I thought—”
“What we shared was special. I don’t take women to the penthouse or to my house. I have to have dates for events, but I wasn’t dating those women. I haven’t had a relationship in a long time. Maybe since college. Women tend to only want one thing from me.”
The immediate thing that popped into my head was sex, but he said, “Money.”
“Oh. I can see that.”
“They want what I can give them materially, not anything else.”
“That’s—I’m sorry, Silas.” That wasn’t okay, and I couldn’t imagine it. “If it makes you feel better, men are usually intimidated by me.”
His eyes darkened. “I can see that. You’re strong. Successful. I find it hot as hell.”
I flushed all over, and I was seconds away from begging him to take me upstairs to his penthouse.
The waitress arrived to remove our salad plates. When she left, Silas leaned his elbows on the table. “I want you, Gia. I’m attracted to your brains, your body, and your tenacity. Never think that you’re one of many. You’re one of a kind.”
Nine
SILAS
“Thank you,” Gia murmured.
I nodded and leaned back in my chair. “I’m curious why you color your hair blonde.” I only asked because she had dark hair as a little girl. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have even noticed.
Gia laughed. “At first, it was to upset Papà, and then I liked it. It was a way to stand out in the family. To be different.”
I was a little lost in her smile and the pure joy on her face. “You don’t need to color your hair for that. You always stand out to me.”
Her cheeks flushed pink.“It was just something I did, and it stuck.”
She’d be gorgeous no matter her hair color. “I like you as a blonde.”
She looked away from me. “I like it too, and it’s been so long, I can’t remember how I look with dark hair.”
“What else did you do to rebel?” I asked, needing to know more. I’d heard things from her brothers, how she drove them crazy when she started dating, but otherwise, they didn’t talk about her. They knew how she felt about me and were loyal to her.
“You’ve probably heard the stories. Leo was supposed to watch out for me, and I’d take off with some guy.”
“On the back of a motorcycle,” I said lightly, even as it irritated me.
“I did it to drive my brothers crazy. They always kept it from Papà, though.”
“That was nice of them.”
“They wanted to make sure I was safe, but they didn’t have to worry. I could take care of myself. I was always in control of any situation I was in.” Her eyes flashed to mine, as if she hadn’t meant to reveal that last part.
“I don’t doubt that.” She could take care of herself, but she shouldn’t have put herself in those situations. I had a feeling she didn’t do anything like that now. “Do you date a lot?”
“Occasionally, but no one holds my interest for long.”
I smirked at that because I was positive I more than held her interest. She was resisting me, but she wouldn’t be able to do that forever. I was confident in my ability to wear her down, to drive her crazy until she gave in. And when she did—it would be worth the wait.
