Gio stared at the white nondescript door. Little gold numbers formed 472 nailed to the front, which was the only thing differentiating it from the others lining both sides of the hallway.
The building was six floors of nice; not too ritzy and not too rundown, with shiny elevators and corridor decorations, at both ends of the hallway, with a floral display on a table by the elevators. It was bright, with welcoming golden light, and the blue carpet smelled new.
He tried to gather the balls to knock.
Why Gio had come, he couldn’t figure, but after the latest disaster at The Giovanni, he’d gone back to the PD only to discover the taskforce had called it a night.
He needed to see Maddie. Couldn’t explain why. Something drove him toward her.
She’d been the only person on his mind.
Maybe she was the only one who would keep him from breaking out the scotch.
It’d only taken the work of a few minutes to get the address of the place she was staying, and he’d been surprised to discover it was an apartment, instead of a hotel.
His curiosity about that equaled the total cluelessness of him standing at her door.
If you knock, maybe you could ask.
But really, why was he there?
It wasn’t like he was about to tell her what he’d discovered about his sister’s so-called fiancé, or what’d happened at the casino with said fucker.
Or lack thereof.
He should’ve pounded the guy’s face into his ass, despite Elise and Sam’s presence.
It wouldn’t have helped his family sitch—his sister would’ve had an added reason to be displeased with him, but it would’ve made him feel a hell of a lot better.
He’d figure out who the turd was soon enough, then go from there.
Gio and Maddie had nothing to discuss about the case. If he opened his mouth, they’d argue, because her evidence pointed to something only his gut said was untrue. He had nothing concrete to exonerate his father, and her proof only crucified him. Or worse, implicated his sister, since she was in charge of everything money at The Giovanni.
Even if he had figured out Marco-the-cockstain, he wouldn’t have been able to bring Maddie in on it yet.
“Fuck. Me.”
Fuck—fucking.
That was a good idea.
Maybe he and Maddie—
He snorted. She’d denied him. Rejected him yesterday.
That just heaped on another dose of crazy, since he was still standing at her door.
Is sex what he’d expected from coming here?
Gio only wanted everything in his head to stop. He made a fist and gave a quick double knock.
Then waited.
Waited some more.
So much time passed, he was about to give up and go, when Maddie finally wrenched the door open.
She was adorably disheveled. Her hair was damp and mussed, making the golden waves darker in color, and her pretty face was pink, as if she’d just gotten out of the shower.
Somehow, the idea revved up his resolve.
The scent of fresh soap swirled around him, mixed with something that was just Maddie, and his hands itched to grab her. She wore an oversized soft pink tee and gray sweats. Relaxed clothing, incredibly sexy, and he’d seen her in a lot less.
“Gio…” Her gorgeous eyes widened. She swallowed, and he wanted to kiss her throat.
“Hey.”
Maddie arched an eyebrow. “I’d ask what you want, but the more urgent question is how did you find me?”
He smirked. “I’m a good little stalker.”
As for what he wanted…she wouldn’t like his answer.
His statement tugged the corner of her mouth up, but her brow was still quirked. “Well, why?”
“Why what?”
“Why’d you hunt me down?” She let go of the door and crossed her arms over her breasts.
He struggled to tear his eyes from that temptation, and met her hazel ones. “I…wanted to talk to you.”
That honey-colored eyebrow shot high again. “You could’ve done that all day. You barely said a damn word.” Maddie tilted her head, studying him. “Or, I dunno. You could’ve called. Texted. Emailed. What’s so urgent?”
You.
Not like he could fucking say that. He couldn’t explain that she was the answer to dull the voices in his head, either. She always had been, even eight years ago. She hadn’t known him long then, but she’d helped him get through his mom’s passing. Sorta. The alcohol helped, too.
Gio’s mouth went dry. Anything he said would make him sound like a liar. Something he’d already done to her today, even if she didn’t know.
He took a step forward, then another, forcing her back inside the apartment, and he followed, using his much larger frame to make her give enough space to close the door. He did so with a well-placed kick.
Her feet were bare, which made him tower over her even more.
“Gio, wh—”
He snatched her to his chest, and covered her mouth with his.
Maddie was right with him. There was no delay in her opening and kissing him back, so score one for him.
Their tongues danced and dueled, only this time she wove her arms around his neck and pressed closer, her soft curves melding into his chest. She didn’t have a bra on from her tiny peaked nipples brushing against his torso. That made him groan.
Gio slanted his lips over hers again and again, tasting her until she sagged in his arms, and his head spun. His zipper bit into his hard cock, and damn, he wanted her.
The burn for her was familiar, but his desire ached; it’d been so long since he’d held this woman in his arms.
The sense of rightness holding onto her that used to tease him back then, even though he’d been too young to want it, cascaded over him like it had before. But this was different, too. Stronger. More urgent.
Now, he didn’t want to let her go.
“Gio,” Maddie breathed into his mouth.
“Do me a favor, don’t lie to me.” His statement came out low, guttural.
She pulled back and stared up at him, those eyes amber with arousal, just like he remembered.
He bit back another groan.
“Lie to you?” She panted, pushing her impossibly soft breasts into his chest even more.
“Don’t tell me you don’t want me.”
The crimson stain on her high cheekbones spread, deepening and going up to her ears. She was so beautiful. So much more than he remembered.
He expected her to look away, but she didn’t.
Maddie didn’t pull from his arms, either. “I—”
“You what?” Gio demanded softly.
“Is that what you came over here for? Sex?” Her demands didn’t hold enough accusation for any real bite. She still remained his in embrace, her breasts to his chest, her hips glued to his.
There was no way she couldn’t feel his erection.
“I don’t know.”
Maddie cocked her head to one side and her hazel stare bored into him. “Really?”
“You’re the only one who can quiet the noise in my head.” The bit of honesty made him wince, but her face softened, and his heart skipped.
“It’s your dad, isn’t it? Did you come from the hospital?”
“No. The casino.” He couldn’t lie to her again, not about his stupid father.
Sorta.
“How’s your dad?”
“No change.”
It wasn’t untrue, even if he didn’t know the details. Elise would’ve told him if something about their father’s medical condition had worsened; or improved. Big Tony was still in the hospital, and Gio still couldn’t go.
“Oh, Gio.”
Guilt made him feel like a liar after all. Again.
She’d told him all those years ago that half-truths were just as bad as lies. The same for lies of omission.
Maddie squeezed her arms around him and pushed to her toes to kiss him.
Gio quickly took control, and the lip-lock went on until his balls pulsed painfully.
Her hands opened and closed on his biceps, but she made no move to pull away. “We shouldn’t do this. It’s a horrible idea,” she whispered as they both struggled for normal airflow.
“You’re probably right.”
That gave her pause, and those green-flecked golden eyes were so fathomless as she scanned his face. There were so many questions there, but Maddie didn’t ask him anything.
Should he mourn or rejoice?
“Do you want me to leave?” Gio whispered.
Why the fuck was he giving her an out?
The hovering guilt gave him an answer he wanted to ignore. He was playing off her sympathies regarding his father to get in her pants. That was worse than lying.
Was he using her?
“When you kiss me, it feels like it did eight years ago. More than that, it feels like no time has passed.”
He had a feeling the confession wasn’t planned, because her gorgeous face lit up all over again, a more appealing shade of pink than he’d ever seen.
Gio cleared his throat. “Same for me. I tried to say that yesterday.” This, at least, was a truth he could confess.
Maddie’s eyes went misty.
His tongue glued to the roof of his mouth. He should’ve teased her instead of gone for the truth. It was too heavy, old emotions making something more out of this than the lust he was trying to ride out. The lust he needed to concentrate on.
Maddie had been right about one thing yesterday.
Eight years was a long time. However, when he held her, kissed her, Gio felt he same about her as he had at twenty-three.
That couldn’t spell anything but disaster. Worsened of course, because of her case.
He wanted to say something—anything—but words wouldn’t form.
“I’m sorry for threatening to go to Olinsky. I don’t want you kicked off the taskforce.” Her voice was soft, and she averted her gaze. “I’m not afraid to work with you. You’re a detective now, and all your coworkers say you’re a hell of a cop. You can help my case.”
“You want to talk about this now?” He sure as hell didn’t, despite the compliment that was no doubt Hector-originated. Gio needed her body to be the distraction he’d been seeking. He needed to bury himself inside her and forget. At least for a little while.
Maybe he had come to her place for sex, after all.
He couldn’t let himself feel the guilt. He cared about her—whether he wanted to or not—so he wasn’t using Maddie.
Those hazel eyes flared when he rolled his pelvis, pushing his erection into her belly.
Maddie rocked her hips right back and he groaned. Her attention landed on his mouth. “Not really.”
He smiled, slow, intentionally sexy, and a bit triumphant.
Madison Granger never could tell him no.
“Wanna show me where you might have a bed in this place?”