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

the tray to pass under my nose when Gio picked off a couple different pieces and passed one my way.
    “Try this,” he said and handed me a hors d'oeuvres.
    “This is amazing. What is it?”
    “I haven’t the slightest idea.” He laughed lightly. “But what can I say, I’m Italian, I love food.” Gio turned around to get us a drink but he didn’t have to look far. Another sharply dressed waiter was right behind him, wielding a tray of tall, fluted champagne glasses, each filled with the sparkling elixir of the gods. With a thank you nod to the waiter he handed me a glass and said, “Salute. To all the beautiful women in Italy tonight—present company included—may all your dreams come true.”
    I touched the rim of my glass to his and took a sip, hoping the dim lights of the party would cover my blushing cheeks. This guy could charm the pants off of anybody. I bit my lip and scanned the room, looking at all the stylishly dressed people. Suddenly I felt self-conscious. What was I doing here? I should be back at the hotel, having dinner with Jesse. The air in the room began to feel sticky. I felt hemmed in by all these people milling around me. This scene wasn’t for me. I didn’t belong here. I wanted to bolt for the door and suck in large gulps of air as I went. But I didn’t. I turned my attention back to Gio, who was talking again and forced a pleasant smile on my face.
    My momentary panic attack subsided and, when my senses focused again, Gio was saying, “So tell me about that boyfriend of yours. You say he’s a motocross rider?”
    I nearly choked on the champagne I had just taken into my mouth and I coughed as I replied, “Yeah, he’s riding for Yamaha. The whole team is here for a month to train for the upcoming season.”
    “How long have you two been together?”
    “Not very long.” Bad answer. Why’d I say that? “Well, I mean, actually we met early summer.”
    Gio smiled. “That’s pretty amazing that you came all this way to support him, considering you have only known him for like... five months or so.”
    “It’s good for both of us. A good opportunity for me to make some connections in the fashion business. Also, it's nice to be able to see Jesse in between his training. It would have been tough, not seeing him for a whole month.”
    “Ah, I see. Amore is in the air. So, he is training every day?”
    “Pretty much.” I gave a sheepish smile and twirled the stem of my glass between my fingers.
    “Well, I don’t want you to be bored, sitting around doing nothing. If you like, I can show you around Milan, introduce you to everybody in this town that you should know. It could be a great boost for your career.”
    “You would do that for me? Thanks, Gio, your offer is fantastic but I can’t let you spend so much time on my behalf. Don't you have gigs? I mean, I don't want to be a nuisance to you.”
    A smooth, dreamy smile crossed Gio’s face. His eyelids lowered, leaving him with sexy bedroom eyes. He leaned in and said, “A beautiful woman like you would never be a nuisance, cara mia.” He leaned back, as if he had inhaled me and taken some little part of me with him as he stepped back. “You can hang out with me when I go on photo shoots. You could help me out, kind of be my assistant for the month. You would be able to talk to the designers and agents while I work. It would be a great way for you to get to meet many people in the profession.”
    “But what about Alicia? I thought she was your assistant?”
    Gio looked over at Alicia and threw back the last of his champagne. She and one of the gorgeous male models were twisted into a hot kiss. He had his hand on her thigh, half way up her short skirt. I turned back to Gio, to see his reaction. I thought for a moment that he might disapprove, seeing Alicia all over that guy. I detected a hint of something earlier, that their relationship was more than business, but wasn’t sure what I had noticed. I swiveled my head and met