Free Giovanni by Bethany-Kris

Franco asked.
    Kim couldn’t speak. If there was ever a time she needed to, now would be it.
    “Kim,” Giovanni said quietly, his jaw tight. “Yeah, we met at my brother’s wedding.”
    Franco’s gaze narrowed. “Oh?”
    Kim released a slow breath and offered a smile she hoped didn’t scream fake. “Sorry, I’m just off today. Yeah, we met while I was in New York with Dad and Cody.”
    “And?”
    “And what?” Kim asked Franco.
    “You didn’t tell me about meeting any of the Marcello family while you were there.”
    “Was I supposed to?” Kim hoped feigning ignorance would work. That was her piss poor plan, anyway. “They had the whole Casino Royale theme and I happened to play him out of his money at the Blackjack table.”
    “The entire table, not just me, and it was only one hand,” Giovanni rectified, a brow raising.
    “Exactly.” Kim gave Franco another smile, shrugging. “I didn’t beat him too badly.”
    That seemed to please Franco enough to get his uncomfortable scrutiny off of Kim. However, it didn’t stop him from adding, “Didn’t the last time you got caught counting cards teach you anything, Kimberlynn? I certainly would have thought so.”
    Kim hid her shaking hands below the countertop. With Franco’s back turned to her, Kim met Giovanni’s stare head on again. There was no doubt about it—the man was pissed off. Kim clearly put him in an awkward position. If the odd exchange from the hallway was any indication, Franco and Giovanni didn’t like one another.
    Kim couldn’t help but drop her gaze from Giovanni’s. Watching him brought up memories of teasing fingers at her breasts, a heated mouth to her flesh, and a strong body pressing her smaller form into a mattress beneath him. His voice alone sent ribbons of sensations tickling through her bloodstream. She did not need to be thinking of those things when Franco was less than ten feet away.
    Still, the memories wouldn’t leave. The leather jacket Giovanni had on was open, exposing the V-neck shirt he wore underneath that was tight to his chest, reminding Kim of the tattoos hidden beneath the fabric. The dark wash jeans he wore hugged his muscled hips, drawing Kim’s stare down to his groin.
    Oh, God … this was so very bad.
    Air lodged in Kim’s chest. While no one else in the room seemed to notice her slip, Giovanni had. His entire frame went still, hands clenched into fists at his sides. Kim bit the inside of her cheek, needing the distraction. She was grateful Franco’s attention was diverted by a question Cody was asking about something in the file he still held.
    That didn’t last long.
    “Kimberlynn, are you setting the table?”
    Kim blinked out of her haze, moving to put away her laptop and messenger bag. “Give me ten minutes to get the food ready.”
    It didn’t make a damned difference if Giovanni was there or not. It didn’t matter that the effect he had on her in New York was the same as how he made her feel standing only feet away. What happened between them happened and now it was over. Kim had a role to fill. She ignored the intense jade gaze observing her every move and making her heart beat on overtime as she worked.
    Time to play pretend again.
     

Chapter Six
     
     
    Kim wasn’t a good actress. She grimaced every time Franco directed even a glance her way. She turned as cold as ice if he did touch her. And when Franco did touch Kim, Gio burned red hot inside.
    Sweet Jesus, what did I do this time?
    Betrayal rested heavily in his gut, leaving behind a bad aftertaste. Kim lied to him in New York. Or rather, hid something incredibly important in regards to her relationship status.
    It wasn’t like Gio was a goddamn saint. He certainly didn’t mess with women who were spoken for by made men. Gio was in so much shit he could practically feel his eyeballs turning brown. There were only so many rules La Cosa Nostra held in esteem, after all. Sleeping around with a guy’s girl was one—a big