Chapter Twelve

~ Janos ~

Waking up with Gianni in my arms was better than I had dreamed. It was something I had been thinking about pretty much since that night in the hotel, even if I hadn't known who he was at the time.

I tightened my arms around him, not wanting it to end. I knew it would. Gianni was either going to wake up and be so embarrassed by what we'd done, he'd escape the first chance he got, or he was simply going to decide that this wasn't what he wanted. That we had moved ahead in our relationship too quickly.

I wouldn't blame him for either. I hadn't expected to sleep with him when I saw him standing in the rain. I'd just been so mesmerized by the serenity on his face. I had remembered his desire to dance in the rain and before I could stop myself, I was holding a hand out to him.

Things had kind of exploded from there.

Who could blame me? Gianni was a stunning man. He was beyond smart, he was funny, charming, and I simply liked being around him. He was also drop dead gorgeous. Deep chocolate brown eyes, wavy brown hair, thick muscles on a slim body.

What wasn't to like?

And, after the night we had just spent together, I was even more positive that he was the man I had slept with at the Regency Hotel. The way the two men moved was the same, the way they smelled, and even the soft cries they made when I touched them.

All the same.

I didn't want to get up. I wanted to stay cuddled next to Gianni until the sun went down, and maybe even into the next day. Unfortunately, someone was coming to take samples for the paternity test soon and we needed to be awake and functioning.

With a great deal of reluctance, I unwound myself from Gianni and moved to the side of the bed. I went to the bathroom and took the quickest shower I could before drying off, doing my hair, brushing my teeth, and just generally making myself presentable.

I went with a casual look again, slacks, a dress shirt, belt, and loafers. I could always change into a suit later if I needed to. I didn't want Gianni thinking I was rushing him out the door because I needed to go to work.

I owned the company. I could take the day off if I wanted to, and I wanted to. I wanted to spend the day with Gianni even if we didn't spend it in bed.

Maybe I could take him out to lunch.

I searched through my closet until I found clothes that I felt would fit Gianni and then carried them into the bedroom, setting them on the end of the bed. I'd already gotten some clothes for him the night before and left them in the guestroom, but I had no idea where those were.

I didn't want to leave Gianni long enough to go looking for them.

I checked to see if it was raining first and then I did pick up the phone and dialed Vasso, asking him to bring me coffee out to the patio outside my bedroom. He could bring breakfast after Gianni woke up and joined me.

I made sure the curtains were open before going out to the patio. I wanted to be able to see when Gianni woke up. I settled in a chair and pulled out my cell phone to make a few calls while I waited on him.

At some point, Vasso brought me my morning coffee.

I finished my phone calls just about the time I saw Gianni start moving. I set my coffee cup down on the table next to my chair and then got up to go back into the bedroom.

I sat down on the side of the bed and reached out to brush the bangs back from Gianni's face. "Good morning," I said when his eyelids fluttered open. "How did you sleep?"

I knew that I had been right about him feeling shy when his face flushed and he tugged the blankets up to his neck.

"Okay," he whispered.

It was all I could do to fight the smirk threatening to come out. I wanted to shout it to the world that I had claimed him last night, but that was probably the last thing Gianni needed from me.

He needed reassurance.

I leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to Gianni's forehead. "Breakfast is going to be ready soon. Why don't you go take a shower?" I pointed to the end of the bed. "There are some clothes for you to use. If they don't fit, let me know and I'll get you something else."

"Thank you."

I didn't want to leave Gianni, but he looked as if he needed a little time to himself. I wouldn't stay away for long. I didn't want him to over think what had happened between us last night. I was afraid he'd talk himself out of us dating.

I flashed Gianni a smile. "If you need anything else, I'll be right out on the patio."

"Okay."

I was reluctant to leave him, but I needed to. If I didn't, I'd climb right back into bed with him. He looked very cute with his cheeks flushed and the blankets held tightly to his neck.

Adorable even.

I got up and walked back out to the patio. When I glanced back, I caught just the barest hint of a rounded ass as Gianni raced for the bathroom. I chuckled and took my seat again, reaching for my cooling coffee.

While I waited, I picked up my phone and started scrolling through my messages, emails, and social media platforms. I didn't use social media too much in my personal life, but there was a place for it in my business.

I had a very good public relations team. They handled most of the social media nightmare for me, but I still needed to keep abreast of everything that was happening. I didn't want to get a microphone shoved in my face and have a reporter ask me something I had no idea about.

There was a news story about my sister attending some high society social function with a few of her friends, but that wasn't unusual. She liked those sorts of things.

It was the fact that she had thrown her drink in someone's face that concerned me. That was bad news all the way around. Not only could it affect her, but it could affect the company.

I dialed her number. "Tess, tell me about the party," I said as soon as she answered.

"That crap made the news?"

"It did."

My baby sister huffed. "Stupid reporters."

I couldn't disagree.

"Tell me what happened."

"It was stupid."

It usually was.

"Marla Thomas started sprouting a bunch of shit about how she was going to marry you and that I needed to listen to her because she was older than me and I was going to be her sister-in-law. When I disagreed, she said she was going to have you kick me out just as soon as she became Mrs. Kostas."

"Marla who?"

"Marla Thomas," my sister replied. "She's the daughter of Richard Thomas, the president of T-Corp. Industries."

"I know who Mr. Thomas is, but I don't think I've ever met his daughter." T-Corp. Industries supplied a lot of the materials we used to finish and furnish our buildings after they were built.

"Well, she seems to think she's not only met you, but you two have fallen in love. She was going around telling everyone at the party that she was going to be Mrs. Kostas."

Wouldn't she be surprised when I brought Gianni to the next social event we both attended?

"I'm not worried about her," I told my sister. "I've already found the person I want to marry and it is not Marla Thomas."

I knew I shouldn't have said that the second I heard my sister suck in a sharp breath.

"Oh, really?" my sister mused. "And just who is this person that has stolen your heart?"

I grinned because how could I not when thinking about the man of my dreams. "His name is Gianni and he's beautiful."

I turned quickly when I heard a soft gasp behind me. "I need to go, sis. I'll call you later."

"Oh, but—"

I hung up on her and stood. "You look good in my clothes."

It was a stupid thing to say, but it was the truth. Gianni looked outstanding wearing my clothes.

"Did you just tell your sister about me?"

"A little," I admitted. I shook my cell phone. "There was a news story about her throwing her drink in the face of a woman named Marla Thomas. My sister said she was going around a party they both attended telling everyone that she was soon going to be Mrs. Kostas. I simply told my sister that I had never met Marla, let alone was interested in her. I already had someone I was interested in."

Gianni's eyes rounded as he pointed to himself and asked hesitantly, "Me, right?"

I smiled. "Didn't you hear me tell my sister that the person I was interested in was named Gianni and that he was beautiful?"

He nodded.

"Then could it be anyone else but you?"

He shook his head.

I chuckled as I gestured to the seat across from me. "Come sit down and have breakfast. We have a big day ahead of us."

"We do?" Gianni's eyebrows lifted as he walked over to sit down. "What else are we going to do besides get the paternity test samples taken?"

I helped him push his chair in and then walked around to my side of the table and sat down. "I'm taking the day off and I'd like to spend it with you."

"Oh." Gianni blinked owlishly at me. "What are we doing?"

I rested my elbows on the table and clasped my hands together. "What would you like to do?"

"I know I need to go back to my apartment to grab a couple of things, but other than that..." Gianni shrugged. "Up to you, I guess."

"I think I can manage that."

Growing up in the Galeazzi family, I had no doubt that he had been exposed to the finer things in life. It would be useless for me to show those types of things to him.

I wanted to show Gianni what dating me would be like. I wanted to spoil him and show him our little corner of the world.

I had just the place in mind.