Granted Wishes (The Granted Series Book 1) (3 page)

GRACELYNN AWAKENS
TO HER HEAD
pounding and notices the lace curtains are drawn slightly. She lays atop a white, laced bed spread, still wearing her dress. She reaches for her necklace, and immediately calms down. The room is luxurious. White inlaid curtains and high quality bedding in the same color, and most importantly some of the most exquisite art work she’s ever seen. “Hello, is anyone there?” She keeps looking around after she burst the question.

She slowly gets out of bed, stumbles toward the door, and inhales. Three large bay windows showcase a white whirlpool tub that looks out to the breathtaking scene of snowy mountains and a lake or pond in the backyard. Everything is built to perfection.

A panic attack overwhelms her.
Just breathe, Gracelynn. Breathe and go find whoever’s place you’re at. Here’s hoping it isn’t some old creepy man or a serial killer who preys on young women.

She opens the white bedroom door and beautiful music fills her ears. She follows the music, walking without really knowing where she’s headed, but stops suddenly when she sees the person responsible for the music. She gasps. A half-dressed, delectable man, wearing tight, black bed pants which hang off his hips is the one singing beautifully. It takes her breath away. She gapes at this Adonis and then all of a sudden has a vision of him being Angelo. “Angelo, is it you? Are you really here?” She gets closer to the man and succumbs to darkness… again.

* * *

Giovanni is cooking at the stainless steel stove when he hears a noise. He turns and rushes to his guest just before she collapses on his floor.
Why does she think I’m Angelo? And someone tell me why she won’t stop passing out around me
. Holding her in his arms again, he admires her and not in a creepy way. He does have morals, but damn is she beautiful. With her gorgeous auburn hair and petite body, she’s one adorable looking package; if she could just stay awake. Giovanni moves, still holding on to her and places her on the long table bench. He grabs a wash cloth and wipes her brow. “Miss, wake up. You’ve fainted again.” He sweeps her bangs off her face and feels the softest skin. His fingers tingle with pain and excitement like when he touched her the night prior. Just then she opens her eyes and stares at him like she’s looking straight into his pitiful, sorrowful soul. He stares back at her.

“Miss, I know I’m handsome, but I typically don’t have women fainting around me,” he jokes. “Are you okay? God I hope so, since we’re stuck here for a while, courtesy of the snow storm.” Gracelynn takes his hand and grabs it and shyly kisses the palm of his hand.
Did she just do that? Why does this woman draw me in with just a look?
He steps back from her, startled by what she just did.

* * *

Gracelynn blushes slightly and can feel her cheeks getting warm. “I’m doing well. I sometimes have low blood pressure. Could I trouble you to get me some orange juice?” He nods and leaves her to walk toward the fridge. He gives her a glass of juice and walks out of the kitchen without saying another word.

Gracelynn wishes Giovanni would’ve stayed in the kitchen. What did she do wrong to make him leave?
Who is this guy and why do I keep calling him Angelo?
He makes her heart flutter just like it would for Angelo. He’s charming, with dark hair, sexy beard and then there’s the whole bed pants thing—yum! But what really gets her are his eyes. They are deep green, the color of an emerald, and for some reason they lure her in until she can’t look away. How can a complete stranger make her feel like this? “
Angelo I need you
,” she sighs. She closes her eyes and clutches her necklace. “
Thank you honey, for your love. I miss you, your face, and your love.”

With her eyes closed, she feels someone drawing near. She opens her eyes to see Giovanni standing near the kitchen island, watching her. It takes a moment before she drops her hand from her necklace and stares back at him. Angel wings decorate his bare, sculpted chest. How crazy would it be that he too, believes in angels? Is this a crazy sign from above? Nah, can’t be.

“Excuse me. We seem to be having some sort of issue here. I’m sorry you had to rescue me and help me multiple times. This was supposed to be a beautiful, relaxing trip planned by my best friends. However, this whole thing has turned… interesting,” she says while clutching her dress. “Please forgive me for staring, and for fainting, and all that…but your angel tattoo is beautiful. Angels are important to me.”

* * *

Gio glares at this stranger. He doesn’t know what to tell her. He can’t bare his soul to a stranger, so he grumbles. “Miss, how about we work on getting something to eat and then work out the specifics of why you are in my cabin—which clearly isn’t your vacation destination.” He walks over to the stove and talks over his shoulder. “I was making pancakes before you fainted. Would you like some or would you prefer something else? I can cook almost anything and would enjoy your company for dinner.” He flashes a smile in her direction and turns back around before Gracelynn can answer.

* * *

Gracelynn smiles trying to hide her irritation. This man is a contradiction. One minute he refuses to answer her questions, next he claims he’d like her company for dinner; while he cooks dinner and asks what she would like to eat. This is certainly new. Angelo could cook, but not very well. “Thank you. I would be appreciative of whatever you cook. Is there anything I can do to help you prepare our breakfast?”

He turns back around and says without thinking, “An angel like you doesn’t need to help. She can sit and finish her orange juice and kindly tell me her name.”

Gracelynn tilts her head up and smiles. She boldly stands and walks to the stove and puts out her hand. “My name is Gracelynn. I thank you for your hospitality.” Just as she starts to walk away from him, he grabs her and pulls her towards him.

She smells his minty breath and his most intriguing-scented cologne.

“I’m Gio and it’s a pleasure to finally have a name to call you other than Miss. Gracelynn is a fine name and perfect for an angel like you.” He lays a small kiss upon the top of her hand, like you would see from an old-fashioned movie, leaving her gasping.

“Breathe, Gracelynn. As much as I enjoy catching you when you fall, it’s not good to faint as many times as you have in the last two days.” She chuckles and playfully hits him on the arm. He grabs his arm, pretending to be hurt. “Ouch! It’s not nice to hurt the host who is cooking you dinner, you know,” he jokes.

She pouts and puts her head down. “Well, I’m sorry, sir, but I didn’t think it was right for the host to be hitting on the guest.” She looks up at Gio’s face, which has turned white and laughs at him. “Gotcha!” They both laugh and find their way into one another’s arms. They stand there, looking at one another, both breathing heavily. But all of a sudden they hear a bark and it pulls them out of their spell.

“What is that noise?” Gracelynn asks since she’s not seen any animals.

Gio steps back from Gracelynn scratching his sexy facial hair. “I forgot I let Holly outside a few moments ago before coming back in here to speak with you… I sort of got side tracked with you,” he says with a gleam of wickedness in his beautiful eyes. “I apologize for Holly scaring you. I’ll be right back but I must warn you, she can be a bit intimidating and doesn’t take kindly to strangers.”

Gracelynn laughs, twirling a strand of her hair. She sits down at the remarkable, deep dark table bench. “I look forward to meeting this so called intimidating dog of yours.” This provides the perfect opportunity to put some space between her and this man, who makes her legs and heart flutter. She can’t help but wonder why when she’s around him, he makes her feel alive again. And God knows he’s one hell of a specimen, but he’s still not Angelo.

* * *

Giovanni returns with Holly only to see Gracelynn sitting on the bench looking out the window in deep thought. He thinks she looks like an angel. A person with grace, class and… a hint of sadness. He knows sadness and he can see it in her. At that moment, Holly runs away from him and jumps on Gracelynn’s legs. The woman smiles and leans down, and Holly licks her face.

Gio grabs the back of his neck. “That’s not happened before. Holly never takes to strangers, let alone want to lick their faces.” He sounds surprised.

Gracelynn chuckles. “Well, I’m sure it’s not every day Holly meets a wonderful and beautiful person like me.” She blushes. “Um, what I meant is… I love animals. I had a cat of my own, which you would have loved.”

Giovanni can’t help but take that comment out of context. “And why would’ve I loved your cat, which I’m sure I would though.” Gracelynn opens her mouth in shock from his open sexual innuendo.

“Gio seriously? Men! ” She laughs and continues. “I meant you would’ve loved my cat because I find it ironic that your dog is Holly and I had a cat named Mistletoe.” She shrugs and keeps petting Holly. “You’re a good dog. You remind me of the dog we had when I was a young girl.” All of a sudden, sadness appears upon her face. “Gio, would you mind if I headed back to my room? I feel a bit lightheaded.” She walks away leaving him wonder what the hell just happened.

A SUDDEN
NOISE STARTLES
Gracelynn from her sleep. She pulls herself up in the canopy bed, noticing Gio about to enter the room. “Gio, I’m sorry I fell asleep. It’s been a tiring few days. No, that’s a lie…A tiring last three years would be more appropriate.” Suddenly, the tears she’s wanted to spill for a while appear, and she cries uncontrollably into the white covers.

* * *

Seeing her break down guts Gio. He quickly puts their tray of food on the green-and-white-striped chair and walks towards her. He wipes his hands on his bed pants. He feels protective toward her, wants to hold her and keep her happy and safe.

He sits down on the bed and gently touches her arm. “Gracelynn, I’m sorry for your troublesome last few years and the pain you’ve endured. I know I’m a complete stranger, but I’ve been known to be a wonderful listener.” He winks to get a reaction out of her, but he gets nothing. “Gracelynn,” he tries again, “eat with me and we can work everything out together, okay?”

Another few seconds go by without a response, but then she leans forward and hugs him and he’s struck by her. He closes his eyes, enjoying the warmth of her body against his, not to mention her fabulous smell. The smell of a summer’s breeze—one he hasn’t smelled in a long time—along with a hint of lavender. The smell is alluring and unfortunately, it’s also something he shouldn’t be thinking of at a time like this.

“Gio, I know I keep saying this, but thank you for everything.” Gracelynn’s eyes go wide when she notices he brought them food. “You brought me dinner in bed?” He nods and she beams at him with a tear-streaked face. He leans toward her and wipes the remaining tears away. She closes her eyes and gasps at the touch of his hand. He leaves the bed and goes over to the chair to grab their dinner.

“I decided that since you weren’t feeling well, I would make you chicken noodle soup and crackers. And bring water, Sprite and a berry muffin.” He sounds like she would be displeased with her dinner. She beams at him, smiling from ear to ear. She touches his arm without thinking. “This is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me. Thank you, Gio.” He smiles at her and they eat their dinner on the bed, in companionable silence.

Gio rubs his now full belly. Dinner was great, but he’s been dying to know more about this woman, to know the truth about her and why she seems so struck by grief. “Gracelynn, could you please tell me your story now?” He places their empty bowls back on the tray.

“Yes, Gio. I’ll tell you the story,” she whispers as he watches her tug on the covers for comfort.

Watching her lower her eyes upsets Gio, for a reason he can barely explain. “Please, could you look at me when you tell the story? I would prefer to look into your eyes when you tell me this.”

Gracelynn looks up and meets his sparkling eyes. She unclenches the sheets and watches while he curls up on the bottom of the bed.

“I’ve had a rough few years. My boss Ben and my best friend Cassie told me I needed to take a vacation and if I didn’t take it… I would have to look for a new job.”

Gio grips his hair, frustrated. He gets up off the bed and walks on the soft plush, white carpet. “What are you saying? They bribed you with the vacation or you’d be dismissed? And they’re your friends?”

Gracelynn likes seeing him being so concerned over her. “Gio, I appreciate and see your frustration. Believe me, so did I. I yelled at them, but Cassie is the HR woman within our company, and Ben is the big boss. So when they told me this, they had their reasons. And to be honest, I hadn’t been performing too well,” she adds with a hint of sadness, knowing her friends were right about everything.

“So, you took them up on the offer then? But how did you end up here?” Gio asks, curiously watching Gracelynn’s facial expressions.

“Yes, I took their offer. I made them stew on it all day only to walk in on them…turns out they had an affair they told me nothing about. They were shocked I took them up on their offer, and told me they’d have everything ready for me in half an hour, and my GPS programmed. I was fifteen minutes away from my programmed destination when my car started making strange noises. Then snow started to fall heavily and then the GPS told me that I’d reached my destination… but I couldn’t see anything! I closed my eyes for a second to figure out what to do and then next thing I knew I heard this terrible crashing noise…and then I ended up here.” She rushed through the explanation, barely stopping to breathe.

“Come to think of it, how is my car? Is it okay? That car is very special to me.” She reaches for her necklace.

Gio gives her a look filled with concern and sympathy. “Yes, the car looked fine. The front of mine struck the back of yours, leading you sideways into the tree. You bumped your head off the side of the window somehow, but I’m amazed that you aren’t hurt more than you were.”

Gracelynn lifts a hand to the side of her head.

“How’s your head?” Gio asks, unable to keep the worry from his voice. “It bled pretty heavily.”

“Oh, I’m fine. It doesn’t even hurt anymore. Thank you.” She smiles at him. “I should be getting on my way, go to my car and check out the GPS. I’m still confused by all of this,” she adds quickly and hopes he didn’t notice the melancholy in her voice when she mentioned leaving. She’s unsure why, but being in this stranger’s home makes her feel at peace, something she hasn’t felt in a long time.

* * *

Ignoring her last remark, Gio walks to the large bay window staring out at the mountains. “To be honest, I’m completely baffled.” He stops and rubs the stubble on his face. “I left the house on Friday and the strangest thing happened to me… and I’m still not sure exactly what it was.” He shakes his head, lost in thought.

“What do you mean, Gio?” Gracelynn licks her lips, panic flooding in her voice. “Did someone hurt you?” “No, no, no.” He chuckles, appreciating her concern. “But when I was driving I swear I felt like someone was watching me. It was the oddest sensation and then I heard this strange whisper saying
: ‘You need to go back to your cabin, Giovanni. There will be a present waiting for you. You must go back now
.’ Needless to say it scared the shit out of me—I thought I was losing it.”

“So what did you do?”

“I turned the truck around to come home and literally ran into your vehicle.”

“Do you think it really was a voice or just your mind playing tricks on you?” Gracelynn asks.

“Well, I received a few surprises actually. I ran into you, literally, then you passed out, called me Angelo lots of times and then my dog, who normally hates everyone, turns out to love you. That’s quite a few surprises for two days, if you ask me.”

“This whole thing is quite humorous, don’t you think?” She covers her mouth and laughs.

Gio raises his eyebrows. “Do you have a fever? You’re not making sense.”

“Just stating the obvious.” She shrugs, barely able to hide her laugh. “It’s humorous to me that you were told to come back home for a present. I was told to drive to here for my vacation. Don’t you see that as odd?”

“Actually yes, I do find this quite odd…but still, I like getting to know you and spending time with you.” He moves towards the bed and takes her hand. “Do you ever feel like there’s something out there, something beyond our control?” Gracelynn nods and looks down at her feet. Gio tips her chin so he can look into her gorgeous eyes. “Please look at me when we talk.” He looks away for a second, but when he turns back at her, his eyes sparkle. “This is going to sound crazy, but I feel drawn to you.”

Gracelynn stares into his eyes, purely drawn in by his kindness and honesty. “Yes, I believe in fate. When I touch my necklace I feel closer to my husband who passed away. But….”

“What’s wrong, Gracelynn?” Gio asks, fear creeping in his voice.

She shakes her head and frowns. “I haven’t felt this way about any other man, not since my husband. I don’t know what you want from me. I don’t know anything about you and I don’t do hook ups or anything like that.” Her voice grows louder, and she releases her hand from his and crosses her arms under her chest, not realizing she’s giving Gio a remarkable show of her cleavage since she’s still wearing her V-neck dress.

“Gracelynn, I’m not going to do anything, but it sure looks like you enjoy to hoist your
gals
up for me to see, don’t ya?”

“Oh my God, seriously?” She bursts out laughing.

“Made you laugh didn’t it? I knew it would get a rise out of you. So, I took the opportunity to give you a laugh. You should thank me.”

“Thank you, for what?” Gracelynn snaps back good-humoredly. “You always hitting on
gals
who accidently show them to you? Is this how you get them to come to your home?”

Gio bites his lip in anger. “Just wait a second. I never said anything about any other girls or checking out their
gals.
I wanted to make you laugh.” He rubs the back of his neck as if he struggles with what he’s going to say next. He looks up, gritting his teeth. “And for your information, no other woman has been here.”

* * *

Gracelynn doesn’t quite know how to behave herself. Why does she care about who has visited his cabin before? They don’t know each other and she’s worried about what he does with other women’s gals. She tries to shake the feeling, and lifts her head, seeing the hurt in his eyes. “I feel like I’m always apologizing to you. Forgive my rude remark, please. I wasn’t being very kind.” She thinks about her current situation and how this was supposed to be a vacation and how this entire adventure so far has been thought-provoking.

“Would you mind if I’d stayed the night again? I know I’ve been here for the past two days, but I don’t have anywhere else to go. I can pay you for the food and your trouble.”

“Pay me for staying at my place? Are you trying to sound like a prostitute? Because you sure sound like one when you talk like that. Besides, is that what you say to a man who went out of his way to rescue you?”

Gracelynn sits on the bed, flabbergasted. That’s not what she meant at all. A prostitute? Why would he say that? “A prostitute, Giovanni, seriously? I was trying to be kind. I just wanted to help for your trouble.” She grabs her bags and starts searching for her jacket. “I can have all of this ready in two minutes. Can you tell me where I can find the nearest motel? It seems that would be a better place to stay.”

* * *

The thought of her leaving sickens Gio and before he can stop himself, he walks towards her. She instantly steps away from him, but that doesn’t stop him from gently placing a kiss on her cheek and whispering, “I’m not mad at you, sweetheart. I’m sorry for my outburst. I overreacted, and I’m so sorry. You can stay tonight, of course. Is there anything else you need from me before I turn in for the night?”

She shakes her head and looks down at the plush carpet, not meeting his eyes.

“Okay. Good night, Gracelynn. Come, Holly, it’s time for bed.” He leaves her room without another word.

Leaving Gracelynn’s room was one of the toughest things Gio has ever done. He has no idea what it is about the woman that drives him mad and makes him want to be near her. And why did she tell him she’d pay to stay the night? And why did he have to be a total idiot and call her a prostitute then, when obviously she didn’t mean it like that? No wonder she wanted to leave. He doesn’t want to think about the sexy, sassy, amazing vixen leaving his place yet though. He hopes that in the morning, she’ll decide to stay.