Carpe Diem - Jesse 3 by Eve Carter Read Free Book Online

one drumming up all of my own guilty feelings. Either way, I didn’t have time to worry about it right now.
    Oh crap . The bright red digital numbers on the clock were screaming at me that I was late. I was supposed to meet Gio in the lobby five minutes ago. I shot a mist of hairspray over my curls and scooped up my earrings. I could put them on in the elevator on the way down. I grabbed my purse and stuck it under my arm as I poked the stem of the earring in the hole in my ear. Then I tapped over to the door in my high heels, but remembered I wanted to wear my silver bangle bracelet. With my purse still pinned under one arm and my head tipped to one side for the earring, I clicked my way back to the desk and snatched the bracelet. One last trip to the door and I was on my way to the elevator, were my wait gave me just enough time to clasp the last earring in place and shove the bangle bracelet over my hand.
    I let out a breath as I stepped into the elevator and took a moment to gather myself on the ride down. Once I was down in the lobby I relaxed and looked around the area for Gio, but where I had expected to see him waiting but there was no sign of him.
    “Oh crap. He stood me up.” I wasn’t talking to anyone in particular, I was just frustrated with myself for being late and missing my first opportunity. No one in the lobby was in earshot anyway. I let my arms hang at my sides in exasperation. It was my own fault. Disappointment set in and I hung my head as I turned to go back to the elevator.
    “Niki.” A pleasantly accented voice called out from behind me. I smiled to myself before I turned to see my new friend, Gio, looking devilishly handsome, dressed in a dark, modern-cut suit. I looked at him as he stood there with his hands in his pant pockets. If I had to guess, I’d say Gio looked to be around 30 years old. It didn’t surprise me that he wore a modern suit, because of his career, and he wore it very well.
    I looked up to the ceiling a little sheepishly and said, “I thought you’d stood me up.”
    “Are you kidding? How could I not come and take such a beautiful woman on a date?”
    Gio, this isn’t a date. I could have told him that. I should have said it out loud, but I didn’t. A little voice in my head cautioned me. What harm could come from him thinking this was a date? It would be to my advantage. I certainly had no plans to sleep my way to the top, but a little misleading wouldn’t hurt.
    Gio walked up to me and stopped squarely in front of me, close and definitely inside my personal space. He was so close that the scent of his expensive cologne wafted up my nostrils as he only just stopped short of actually touching me.
    “You have beautiful eyes. I hadn’t noticed today at the coffee shop...little flecks of green. Bellisimo.Very nice.”
    I swallowed hard. Resisting the flirtations of Romeo here was going to be more than I had bargained for. I straightened, stuck out my chin and put on my best business face. I decided to walk the straight line, and play this like it was meant to be, just a professional business evening, not a date.
    “So, where is this business event taking place?”
    I thought I saw a flicker of humor in his eye as a smile curved up the corner of his mouth and he stepped back.
    “Ten minutes from here. I have a car so, if you’re ready, andiamo, bella.”
    He took me by the elbow, guiding me out to the street, and pulled me along as we crossed to the other side where his car waited. A small red Fiat came out of nowhere, swerved around us, and nearly crashed into us as we landed out last steps to safety.
    “Asino!” Gino shouted in Italian and made an arm gesture at the small car as it whizzed by. I didn’t know a lot of Italian words but I was pretty sure that word meant, “asshole.”
    “Geez, that guy almost hit us. Is traffic always this crazy here?”
    Gino shrugged and said, “I guess you learn to live with it.” He was seemingly immune to the fact that