A Dangerous Game of Love (28 page)

He was still out hustling but since Aniya moved in with him he had slowed down a lot and spent most of his time in the crib or at his new up and running dealership. When he or Gio weren’t available to be the girl’s body guard they would have a couple of the homies sit outside of their schools and houses. He didn’t know if Kendrick knew where he lived but he wasn’t taking any chances. After counting money and distributing products to the homies Gavin headed back towards his house. He was done tip toeing around Aniya and tonight they would have a sit down and clear the air.

Back at the house, Aniya moved around the kitchen with precision, she was in the middle of cooking dinner for her and Gavin. These past few weeks were rocky ones, she had barely interacted with Gavin. It had been months and still to this day she was feeling a way about everything that went down. She thought it was crazy how she should’ve been worrying about Kendrick popping up out the blue and planning an attack but she wasn’t; she was worrying about what happened when he and Gavin were together in the past. Tonight she hoped her and Gavin could sit down and put everything on the table. She wanted desperately to move on but until she had the answers to her questions she knew she wouldn’t be able to. Removing the cover from the pot she checked to see if the rice was done then turned the flame off. She had already removed the jerk chicken out of the oven and the plantains were in the pot boiling. She didn’t know if she should text Gavin and see what time he was coming home or just wait. Since she had been staying with him he had been coming home at a decent hour every day.

Just as she made up her mind and went to get her phone to call him, she heard the front door opening. She felt butterflies in her stomach as she smelled his cologne even before he walked into the kitchen. Busying herself she went to take the plantains out the water. With her back turned she still felt the moment he stepped into the room, he didn’t say anything to her though but she could feel him staring at her back. “Are you just going to stand there or are you going to speak to me?” Aniya asked.

“What’s up ma? What you doing?” Gavin responded.

“Cooking us dinner, I hope you’re hungry.”

“What did you make?”

“Jerk chicken, rice and plantains.”

“Oh hell yeah I’m hungry, let me go jump in the shower real fast and I’ll be ready to eat.”

“Umm…ok it should be done by then,” Aniya slowly responded as she tried to push the negative thoughts out of her head.

“Why you sound like that lil mama?” he asked, making her jump as she felt his breath on her neck. She didn’t even feel him behind her.

“No reason, go and hurry up, so we can eat.”

“Iight and while we’re eating I want to talk to you ok?”

“Ok because I want to talk to you too,” Aniya responded.

“Iight cool…”

Sitting at the dining room table they ate in silence, neither knowing how to break the ice. Gavin was about to speak up when Aniya started talking to0.

“Look lil mama…” “Gavin…can
I?”

Laughing, Gavin told her to go ahead and speak but she told him to go.

“Iight look lil mama, I need for you to tell me what’s going on with you, like why are you shutting me out and acting like a complete stranger towards me. I thought after all we’ve been through and what we shared you would always come to me.”

Sighing, who would’ve thought that they both wante
d to talk about the same things?

“
That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. I know I’ve been acting funny or whatever but I can’t help it.”

“Well tell me what I have to do for you to feel comfortable around me again.”

“I need for you tell me everything about you and Jayla, y’all relationship, everything! I feel I need to know. It’s going to continue to be on my mind and cause friction between us until I know the history or whatever, but never for a moment do I want you to think I feel threatened by her because I don’t.”

“How about we go sit in the living room and I’ll explain everything there,” Gavin suggested.

“Ok…”

Once they got comfortable on the couch, Gavin broke down his entire relationship with Jayla from how he met her to how long it took to get her in bed. He explained to her that he once had a soft spot in his heart for her since she once carried his seed. He also made it clear to Aniya that never once did he have a serious relationship with Jayla nor did he ever cheat on her with Jayla either. They sat and talked about everything, from Jayla to Kendrick to them and where they stood with each other. Aniya admitted that she still loved him and always had but she wasn’t ready to jump back into a relationship with him but Gavin wasn’t hearing that, he didn’t care what she said because in his mind she was always his and always would be his. By the end of the night the tension that once filled the room disappeared and was filled with love and laughter…it was just like the old days…

More than friends?

Since the very first day Nicole came to stay with them Gio was going out of his way to make sure she was comfortable. He had her set up in his room and had been sleeping in the guest room for the past month.

The more he was around he noticed she was much different from Gia and Aniya; Gia was the rambunctious one, she was always loud and had to be noticed. Aniya was the spoiled one and the jokester but Nicole was very different she was the calm one of the crew. She never said too much, only spoke when necessary. He found her shyness attractive; even though she was supposed to be like his sister the more time he spent around her he started to develop some feelings for her.

One afternoon after Gia left to go managed his clothing store G&G, he and Nicole were alone in the house. Sitting at the counter, Gio was fascinated with the way Nicole moved around the kitchen, it was obvious she knew her way around it. The smile that graced her face gave away the fact that she loved to cook.

“Nic, what you making?”

Glancing at him for a quick second then turning back around she told him “Grilled chicken, grilled shrimp,
rice and corn and then I’m going to throw all of it over a salad.”

“Sounds good! Who taught you how to cook?”

“Mainly I taught myself and I watched the food network channel a lot so I guess you can say they taught me,” she said letting out a little laugh before she continued. “Growing up I basically had to learn everything on my own and what I couldn’t I would go to Niya’s mom.”

“Why? Where were you parents if you don’t mind me asking?”

“Well my mother died while giving birth to me so I never knew her and my father was always working even when he was home he would be locked in his office working. So he never had time to teach me anything.”

“Damn I’m sorry to hear that, but from the looks of it you did a good job on your own.”

“Thanks and I guess I did,” she said now smiling up at him.

He noticed the whole time they talked she never looked him in his eyes she always focused elsewhere. She looked so timid he had to fight the urge to take her in his arms. Shaking his head at himself he continued to watch her cook.

Once the food was done she mixed it all together and made their plates. Sitting at the dining table their conversation flowed. She picked up on the fact that Gio would stare her a lot; the way he was staring made her blush. For a brief moment they held each other gaze until she blushed and looked elsewhere. Taking another quick peek at him, she saw he had a smirk on his face.

“What’s so funny?’” She asked.

“Oh nothing baby girl, nothing at all,” he said before he continued to eat.

Smirking herself she took the opportunity to check him out; starting at the top, his hair was cut in a low fade that was filled with waves, he had pretty light brown eyes that lit up whenever he smiled, and his smile was to die for her. His skin was a smooth deep brown almost like the color of cognac. Even sitting his height was evident. Nicole had guessed he had to be at least six feet if not more because whenever she stood next to him, he towered over her. What got her most was his demeanor; he held so much confidence but was still so humble. He was like the male version of Aniya. The entire time she stayed at the house, she never seen him he bent out of shape. It was like he let nothing bother him he was always so cool calm and collected.

“What you looking at?”

“Oh nothing…nothing at all,” she replied playing the same game as him.

“Using my lines huh?”

“Yup…problem?” she flirted.

Looking at her with a raised eyebrow and smile he told her, “Nope…no problem at all.”

“That’s what I thought.”

“Keep it up baby girl.”

“And if I do?” she asking trying to tempt him.

“Chill I don’t think you’re for all of that, you better fall back before you get into something you can’t get out of,” he told her trying to see how far she was going to take it. If she wanted to play he would play her game, but he was going to win.

Laughing, “Whatever Giovanni.”

She was the only person he allowed beside his late grandma to call him by his first name. He didn’t know why but he liked hearing her say his name.

“Yeah you knew what was good for you. But look I took off today so what you trying to do? You got me all day…well I mean if you don’t have any plans,” he said trying to clear it up; he didn’t know how she was feeling so he didn’t want to come off wrong.

“I’m not doing anything, I don’t have school today and Niya and Gia are busy, so you have me all to yourself for the day.”

He tried to stop his smile but he couldn’t he liked hearing the sound of that.

“You want to go out and do something?”

“Umm…if you haven’t noticed I don’t go out much I’m a homebody, but I got it! I know what we can do.”

“True you really are I thought Niya was bad but you got her beat. Bet what?”

“Let’s drink. I bet I can out drink you.”

Laughing loudly he couldn’t help himself, “Imagine that though? That’s not possible.”

“It is and I can, so you down?”

“I am but let’s place a bet.”

“Okay if I win you do whatever I want and if you win I’ll do whatever you want. Okay?” She asked.

Thinking about it before he answered, “Iight deal and anything right?”

“Yup anything. Get ready to lose Giovanni.”

“We’ll see. Go to the bar and get what you want to drink.”

Nicole got up and went over to his bar, he had a nice little selection; Bombay, Hennessey, Grey Goose, Ciroc, and Patron. Mulling over them until she decided to go with Grey Goose. She held up the bottle
and threw a wicked smile at him, imitating Jay Z she asked him, “You ready G?”

Laughing at her playfulness Gio just shook his head at her. This was the side of Nicole that he was beginning to love, all the other times he never really got the chance to know her but spending so much time with her he was learning her inside and out.

“Yeah I stay ready, I just hope you ready. You need some juice to chase ya shots or something?”

“Tuh…don’t try to play me, I got this all day every day. I’m from New York!!!!” Nicole said. They both started dying laughing.

“Iight you ain’t said nothing but a word baby girl, pour em up let’s do the damn thing.”

They sat taking shot back to back, Gio handled them like a pro throwing them back without flinching and at first Nicole was doing them same until the Goose started to sneak up on her. They were about to take their sixth shot when Gio asked “Baby girl you iight over there? You not looking too good. I mean if you just want to throw in the white flag I won’t mind.”

“Trying to talk to me outta this is not going to work Giovanni, so stop trying and let’s go,” she replied before tossing hers back. He smirked as he threw his back never taking his eyes off her while thinking
, “
shorty is my kind of girl.”

Ten shots down, Nicole was laid out on the floor faded and Gio was sitting in the floor with his back resting against the couch, he was lightly fried also.

He pulled Nicole’s feet into his lap and started massaging them. “You know I hate to say it but I really didn’t think you’d be able to hang with me. I thought after like the third shot you would call it quits.”
“Never judge a book by its cover, I thought you knew that. I can hang with the best of them. Who do you think, drives after Gia and Niya are wasted out of their ass? ME! If you didn’t say let’s stop I could’ve kept going and since you did call a quits that means I won. Ha! Therefore you must do whatever I want.” Nicole drunkenly stated.

“Iight you got it. You won, so what you want?”

“Umm I don’t know…” Nicole said plopping back down after a failed attempt at sitting up.

Laughing, “How you make a bet but you don’t know what you want your prize to be.”

Removing her feet from his lap she tried yet again to stand up, “To be honest I didn’t think I was going to win.” Laughing at herself as she stumbled around the room in search of the remote for the stereo. Seeing it resting on the couch behind Gio’s head Nicole reached her arm out to get it not realizing how far away she was from it and ended up tripping onto Gio. His arms went around her waist steady her and she somehow managed straddling his lap.