Leah's Seduction: 3 (Gianni and Leah - Leah's Seduction) (8 page)

Chapter 14

Leah’s heart pounded, and she felt faint. Her palms began to sweat, and her legs trembled. What was he doing there?

“Leah, if you’re in there, please open the door.”

His voice was such a welcome sound. And he looked so damn sexy. How was she supposed to deal with this?

Still she hesitated. Gianni had seduced her before. With his charm and endless sexual talents, he had made her believe that sex was enough. Leah didn’t know if she could resist him, and contemplated telling him to go away.

But having Gianni so near weakened her resolve. God, how she wanted him. Could she risk everything for that? Right or wrong, she probably would.

“Leah?”

She peeked out, aware that he must have seen the motion, and knew she was right behind the door. Taking a deep breath, Leah unbolted the lock. Grasping the knob, she willed her hand not to shake. Then she pulled it open.

Gianni shifted from one foot to the other. “Can we talk?”

Leah stepped back from the doorway and let him pass. His cologne wafted by her, making her swoon. It was Gianni. In her apartment. He had only been there a couple of times before, when he’d come by to pick her up.

It was awkward having him in such small quarters. Gianni was used to mansions, private jets, and a condo that cost so many multiples of her salary that she couldn’t do the math. But he didn’t seem uncomfortable.

He walked into the living room. “May I sit down?”

“Okay.”

Gianni sat in an overstuffed chair, and Leah sat on the sofa across from him. All she wanted to do was look at him, and keep him there for as long as she could. But she admonished herself for that. It was over between them. She couldn’t let him use her.

He leaned back and crossed his legs. Gianni’s beautiful gray-blue eyes looked sad. She didn’t want to see him sad. The reason she had left him had nothing to do with punishing him. Leah wondered if he suffered as much as she did.

“How are you, Leah?”

She rolled her shoulder. “I guess you can probably tell by looking at me. I’m a wreck.” Leah hadn’t meant to be so honest, but she had always seemed to be so with Gianni.

“I’m devastated too,” he said.

Leah let the words hang in the air, trying to decide if she believed him. “Why would you be? You didn’t lose anything except a sex partner. Surely I’m replaceable.”

Gianni raked his hand through his hair. She had not seen him rattled before, but Leah saw it now. He was emotionally affected, which was not what she had expected.

He looked at her, and their gazes locked. Leah’s heart skipped a beat. “You are
not
replaceable,” he said. “And I am as miserable as you are.”

“It doesn’t change anything.”

He leaned forward. “Maybe it does.”

A spark of hope surfaced, but Leah was afraid to believe. “How has anything changed?”

“Do I have to say it?”

Yes, he did, but Leah didn’t say so.

“I was an idiot. I didn’t realize what you meant to me.”

Leah’s heart leapt.

“I have been with women before, and done many of the things we did together.” He hesitated. “But it was not the same.”

Leah waited.

“It wasn’t
you
. No other woman is
you
.” He clasped his hands together. “I want you, Leah. You do something to me, something I can’t begin to tell you.”

She held her breath.

“I know you want me to say that I love you. And I might risk everything by not saying it.” He looked so sincere. “But I want us to be honest with each other.”

“We should be.”

“I don’t know if I am capable of love.” Gianni shook his head. “It’s not that I don’t want to, and it’s not you, Leah. Please don’t think it’s you.”

“What is it, then?”

He rubbed the back of his neck. “If I could tell you right now, I would. But it’s not that simple.”

“It never is.”

Gianni leaned forward. “I miss you so much, Leah. I want you to come back to me. I know you were hurt. And I’m sorry. So sorry.”

Leah choked back tears of joy.

“I want us to be together,” he said. “I know it won’t be easy, and it’s a lot to ask. But I’m asking.”

As much as she wanted to leap into his arms, Leah held back. This was her life. And it was his life. She had to be sure. “How can it work? I thought you didn’t want me to love you.” Leah watched his reaction, and seeing that he was still listening, went on. “I can’t stop loving you.”

Gianni came over to the sofa and sat beside her. She could feel his heat, and she breathed in his intoxicating male scent. He took her hand. “All I can offer is that I will try. For you, I will. I can’t promise that I can give you all you need emotionally. But maybe, over time, who knows?”

“I want to believe you,” she said.

“Trust me, Leah. I know you trusted me before. Your belief in me was not unfounded.” Gianni stroked her knuckles with his thumb. “I want to give you what you need. I think I can. There are some things I have to work through first.”

Leah’s wall of indifference crumbled. Not that it had been that sturdy to begin with.

“I don’t want to do it alone,” he said. “I want you with me. I want you in my life.”

Her hand trembled, and Gianni squeezed it. Going back with him might be a big mistake. Then again, it might be the turning point, the decision that would make her life everything she hoped it would be. With the only man she wanted.

“I’ve talked a lot, Leah,” he said. “Now it’s your turn. What do you want?”

“I want
you
, Gianni. From the first moment I saw you, I wanted you. And I do now.” She took a breath. “I’m not sure where we are headed. But I know one thing.”

“What’s that, baby?”

“I want to be with you. And if you will try, I will help you.” She gripped his hand, so glad he was back. “You have so much love to give, Gianni. If only you would let yourself.”

“Maybe I can…if you are with me.” Gianni pulled her closer, and she melted against him. He kissed her wildly as if he was starved for her taste, and her touch. Dipping his tongue inside, he raked it against hers. And he ran his hand along her spine.

When he pulled back, Gianni smiled. “I’m tempted to take you up to that loft bed, and remind you what it feels like for me to be inside you.”

Leah tingled all over.

“And I might do just that,” he said. “But if it’s okay with you, I’d like to show you something.”

“What is it?”

Gianni stood and pulled her up. He wrapped her in a strong embrace, and buried his hand in her hair. She pressed against him, feeling alive again for the first time in weeks.

“Come with me.”

He took her to the limo, and they went to his condo. Leah couldn’t imagine what he wanted to show her. But Gianni refused to tell her. On the way over, he had his arm around her shoulders, and Leah kept her hand on his thigh.

Once inside the condo, Gianni stopped in the foyer, taking the time to kiss her again. Leah pressed against him, feeling his need. He kissed her deeply, and when he pulled back, Gianni covered her neck and jaw with a flurry of kisses. “You taste so good. I’ll never get enough.”

Leah smiled and touched his cheek.

Gianni led her into the large main room, and there, high on the wall, was a painting. It was the ocean, a vivid blue and orange sunset scene, Leah had liked so much the day she had seen it in the shop. Gianni had wanted to buy it for her, but she had persuaded him not to.

“I knew you fell in love with that painting the day you saw it,” he said. “But you wouldn’t let me buy it for you.”

She turned to look at Gianni.

“After that day, I was in your apartment a few times, and I realized why,” he said. “You had no wall space where you could display it.”

Leah walked over to him, and Gianni wrapped his arms around her. “So I bought it for you, baby. And it will hang here in my living room, so you can see it as much as you want to.”

She looked up at him. “You’re assuming I’ll be here often enough to enjoy it.”

Gianni smiled. “I want you to be, baby.”

The lovely painting was a gift. But it wasn’t just a gift of art. It was Gianni’s way of saying that he wanted permanence in their relationship. It was his way of expressing it. Leah was touched. There was nothing he could have done right then that would have been better.

Leah had no delusions that it was going to be easy. Or that Gianni would say he loved her anytime soon. But they were together. And he cared. Whatever else they had to work through, they would do it together. There was no doubt in her mind she wanted to.

“It’s perfect.” Leah mouthed the words, too choked up to speak.

Gianni traced along her jaw with his fingertips. “Thank you, baby, for giving me another chance.” Then he leaned down and covered her mouth with his. Leah melted into him, the man she wanted more than anything in the world, knowing that somehow they would make it work.

# # #

Follow the passionate story of Gianni and Leah in Leah’s Seduction 4.

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This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Leah’s Seduction 3 by Emily Jane Trent ©2014 All Rights Reserved

Published By Camden Lee Press

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Emily Jane Trent writes steamy romances about characters you’ll get to know and love. The sex scenes are hot, and the romance even hotter! If you are a fan of stories with a heroine that’s got spunk and a hunk of a hero that you’d like to take home with you, these stories are what you’re looking for.