men wanted. She liked things that way. It suited her.
Gia inhaled one last time and slid from the comfortable weight of his massive forearms, she admitted to herself no one would ever be enough.
He stirred, coming to his side and curled that big arm under a pillow, his strong features were almost as delectable as his chest, all cut and defined, muscles sharp and chiseled. The sheet slipped below his navel and Gia inhaled, closing her eyes to keep herself controlled. The inclination was there, to slide back under the sheet and wake Joe with her mouth or tongue licking over that smooth, brown skin. But that would distract her. That would keep her from walking away and not bothering so much as even a glance over her shoulder.
Gia Jilani wasn’t a look back kind of woman.
Looking back did nothing but remind you of where you shouldn’t be again.
Instead of waking him, she grabbed the heavy, refurbished Polaroid camera from the carryon bag near the foot of her bed. Joe didn’t move when she got closer, leaning one knee on the mattress as she focused the lens toward his sleeping form. The shot was beautiful, that much she knew before she snapped the picture and pulled the thin image free. It was her waving it back and forth, trying to dry it faster that woke him.
Joe stretched, blinking his long lashes as he watched her.
“Morning,” he said, scrubbing a hand over his face as Gia smiled, putting her camera back into her carryon and the drying picture on top of her empty dresser. “I warrant another picture?” He wasn’t mad, at least he didn’t seem that way and Gia shrugged, staying non-committal to the last. This wasn’t someone who expected anything more that answers that weren’t answers at all or maybes that would never be certainties.
Her half grin dimpled her right cheek and the expression earned a laugh, a nod of his head, and a “come here” waggle of his fingers.
“Just for a second,” he said, voice calm, but not needy.
“This isn’t our MO,” Gia offered even as she slipped under the sheet Joe held open for her. “You and me…we aren’t…”
“Ah, love, I know what we aren’t.” Joe pulled her close, nuzzling his mouth along her neck. “You’ve told me heaps we aren’t for months now, haven’t you?”
She meant to argue, say something that would pull the frown he tried to hide off his face, but Gia only nodded, agreeing with the obvious. Joe knew her. He understood what she wanted and what she couldn’t have. Not with anyone. But that didn’t mean she’d let him distract her. There was that whole not looking back thing she had to consider.
“This isn’t going to be…”
“Hush, you,” he told her, holding Gia’s face between his large hands. “I’m only keen for a long, slow kiss goodbye.”
And Joe took what he wanted, covering her parted lips with his, stealing her breath and sense right along with a slip of tongue, turning her to lay under him, hair tousled, sheet falling around her waist.
When she was good and breathless, he pulled away, watching her, moving her chin with his curled knuckle before he sighed, head in a slow shake. “You could’ve ruined me good.”
“Could have?” she asked, smiling at the practiced complaint he made to her every time they said goodbye. Some small voice reminded her she’d likely not to hear that from him again. Not ever, but Gia pushed back the slip of disappointment she felt and let the man go on with the schtick he’d perfected.
“I think I’m safe enough to just walk away, keeping you in my head as a nice memory.”
“Good.” Gia pulled him close, kissing him swiftly, deeply before she slipped out from under him and left the bed, grabbing a pair of dark jeans and a cream cardigan. “Wouldn’t want you getting attached or doing something silly like asking me out.”
She knew he watched her, could feel the heat of the attention he gave her as she dressed and brushed her long hair, twisting it up into a clip. When Joe didn’t comment, she looked over her shoulder, dropping her arms as she caught his head shake.
“What?”
“You didn’t notice, did you?” If Joe was angry, it didn’t show itself in his features. There was no scowl, no irritated glare. There was only that handsome face and awed expression. That, Gia would admit to herself, she’d definitely miss.
“Notice?”
“It’s been five months almost you’ve had me in your bed,