Granted Wishes (The Granted Series Book 1) (15 page)

“WOW. WHAT
HAVE YOU DONE
with my grandson, Gracelynn?” Anne gasps in amazement when she and Kat enter the cabin.

Gracelynn looks at her, dumbfounded. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“Well, he’s never decorated like this before.” She glances to Gio and Gracelynn.

“What do you mean, Grandmother? I do decorate.” He stammers like he doesn’t know who he tries to make him believe, himself or his grandmother.

She stares at him and shakes her head. “If you say so, Giovanni. You know you’ve never decorated the cabin before, but I love seeing what this girl does to you. She’s a keeper.” She winks and walks away, leaving Kat to carry all the bags and even the pizza into the kitchen.

“Let me help you with that,” Gio and Gracelynn say in unison.

Kat laughs. “You guys sound like twins.”

“Gracelynn, why don’t you go show Grandma where the decorations for the tree should go? I’ll stay here and help Kat with the food.” She leaves the room with Anne happy to show her where they will be decorating after dinner.

* * *

Gracelynn shows Anne where to put the decorations. “My grandson has never done this much for anyone,” Anne says while she stares at the room in awe. “Sure, he bought presents, but he never went out of his way to make someone happy, not the way he’s been trying to make you happy at least.” Gracelynn looks at her in surprise.

“He never went through this much trouble for Lizzie,” Anne continues. “God rest her soul, but to me she never deserved him or enjoyed the love he gave her. She wasn’t right for him, and we all told him so…”

“What do you mean, she never treated him right or deserved him?” Gracelynn asks.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have spoken up about it. It’s not my place to talk about Lizzie. She was a nice girl, just not the right one for my Giovanni. You my dear, are perfect for him though.” She winks.

Gracelynn is speechless, choked up like she can’t breathe. The world starts spinning, and then two strong arms wrap around her. “It’s okay. I’ve got you.” Gio rubs her back and kisses the top of her head.

“Oh my God. I didn’t pass out again, did I?” she whispers to him.

“No, but I could sense you needed me, so I came to comfort you.”

He leads her to the dining room where they all sit down to eat and enjoy the Christmas music while Gio holds a hand on Gracelynn’s leg under the table like he can’t let go of her, afraid she’ll slip away.

“How about we decorate the tree?” Anne asks.

They leave the dishes on the table and go decorate the tree. Everyone pitches in and helps to decorate the tree, even Giovanni. Gracelynn steps out of the room for a few seconds and comes back with her camera. She wants to capture the beauty of this small family. They make her feel alive. For the first time in years, she’s feeling the Christmas spirit again.

“Hey, stop it, you!” Kat says once she realizes what Gracelynn is doing. “Come on, put that camera away and help us with this tree.”

Gracelynn smiles, puts the camera away, and starts to help them.

By ten they finished decorating, done the dishes and enjoyed a few family games. They’re sitting in the living room, talking. “Would the two of you like to join me at the church on Saturday for the annual Christmas ball? It’s a charity event, and we’d love it if you could come. Couples get a discount,” Anne says while nudging Gio on the shoulder.

Gio looks at Gracelynn with a mischievous grin on his face. “Would you like to go to the dance with me, Gracelynn?”

“Why yes, I would.” She smiles back at him and his face lights up with pure joy.

“Well, Grandma, looks like we’ll be attending the charity dance.”

“Wait, what should we wear?” Gracelynn asks, suddenly worried. “I only have one nice green dress with me and the rest is pretty casual, as you’ve seen.”

“You can wear the green dress if you want, or I can lend you one of mine,” Kat states with a huge grin. “I can have Mara come over and do your hair and while I do your makeup. This will be fabulous! The two of you will be the talk of town, mark my words.” Gracelynn turns to Gio, who looks at her like she’s the most beautiful thing on the planet. “I’m sure whatever Gracelynn wears will be beautiful,” he says as he rubs his fingers against her arm.

Gracelynn smiles and leans into him. Then she notices both Anne and Kat staring at them and pulls her head back.

“Don’t stop doing that on our account.” Anne smiles. “We like seeing you two together. But…it’s getting late, and my old bones get weary when it’s cold outside. So I think we should go,” she says while looking at Kat.

Kat nods. “I’ll come pick you up on Saturday morning,” she tells Gracelynn as she puts on her coat.

Gio and Gracelynn say their goodbyes to both women. “I’ll let Holly out for the night,” Gio tells Gracelynn as she starts to walk back the hall to the bedrooms.

* * *

Gio lets Holly out for the night and comes back inside. He finds Gracie in his spare room, wearing a beautiful night gown reaching to the floor. The gown is the color of the sea and compliments her body exquisitely.

When she notices him, she lets her hair fall down from her ponytail, and he just about loses it.

“What are you trying to do to me, Gracelynn? I promised you we’d take things slowly, but with you standing there looking like that, I don’t know if I can.” He rushes into her room, takes ahold of her and grasps her in a tight embrace. Before she has time to answer, he kisses her with hunger and deep desire. A desire that he hasn’t allowed to be fulfilled by anyone in a long time.

* * *

Gracelynn is floored by the way Gio storms into her room. He looks almost delirious by desire, yet at the same time he’s holding back, and it’s amazing. When he comes in and kisses her passionately, she almost forgets all about their promises of taking things slowly.

She steps back and lets go of him. “I care for you, Gio. I just… I don’t know. I wanted you to think I was beautiful, and well, give you a surprise like you just did for me.” She becomes nervous, tugging at the gown, and then her sense for silly humor takes over again. “I can see you and junior approve?” She wiggles her eyebrows and looks down his body.

“Did you just call him junior? I can tell you he’s definitely no junior, but you’ll have to wait to find out.” He pulls her closer to him again, kisses her nose and forehead and then puts her head on his chest. He’s quiet for a minute and asks, “Dance with me?”

“Dance with you?” she asks. “Now?”

“Yes, I want to practice before the big day on Saturday.” He doesn’t sound too worried about it though.

“Okay, but what are we dancing to?”

“I’ll be right back.” He leaves her alone, and ‘right back’ turns into a few minutes. Just as she’s about to call for him, he returns, and has changed his clothes.

He wears a sexy pair of bed pants that hang low on his hips and show off his sexy body, since he’s not wearing a shirt. She could ogle at him all night and day.

“How can I dance with you when you look like that, Giovanni?” she whispers. “You’re so hot.”

“I had to make you hot and bothered, since you’re making me feel the same way in that exquisite night gown, doll. I’m just returning the favor. ” He laughs and then turns up the music on his music dock.

They dance to several old-time Christmas songs. She missed singing and dancing to Christmas music. With Gio here, everything becomes magical.

They dance in perfect rhythm together and listen to the words of the songs. It feels almost like a trance, until Gio pulls her out of it.

“I want to bring you happiness, if you’ll let me. I hate that you’re leaving soon.”

“I hate it too.” She sighs, knowing she can’t stay even if she wants to. “I love this song,” she says, trying to change the subject. “You’re such a romantic, just like Anne told me you were.” She enjoys his body next to hers and the next thing she knows is that she’s kissing him again, filled with passion. Then she leads them over to the bed allowing him to lean down on top of her and kiss her while the song still plays, a song about love and Christmas miracles.

GIO LOOKS
DOWN AT GRACELYNN
with lust-filled eyes. He enjoys seeing how badly she wants him, as it’s quite obvious he wants her too. He leans down and kisses her again with fierce passion, but then he stops and leans his head against hers. “We need to stop or I won’t be able to. It’s taking all my self-control not to ravish you and make you mine in every sense of the word right now.”

She looks up at him, her eyes filled with lust.

“You heard me right, doll. When I take you, you’ll be mine forever. I don’t want one night with you, I want forever,” he stops, shocked with what rolled out of his mouth. When has he turned into a romantic sap? He hopes he hasn’t freaked Gracelynn out.

Gracelynn reaches behind him and brings him down on the bed. She has him lay on his back as she places her head on his chest. She gently plays with his chest hair. “Thank you for treating me with respect. It’s one of the things I admire about you. You’re a wonderful man.”

As she continues to run her fingers down his chest, she stops and he knows she’s staring at his tattoo.

“Gio, are you okay? Did I pull one of your hairs too hard?”

He chuckles. “No. I’m good, Doll. I’m good.”

She smacks his chest. “Well don’t scare me like that. I thought you weren’t there for a second and I don’t ever want to hurt you,” she states, continuing to rub his chest.

He closes his eyes, enjoying the warmth and the gentleness of her touch.

She nudges him. “Are you awake?”

He grunts. “Yes, I’m awake. Your touch makes me a little sleepy. It puts me at ease.” He feels her smile against his body.

“I have one more question. May I ask what that tattoo is about?”

He grips her body next to his and wants to explain to this wonderful woman, despite the pain of it all.

“I wanted a reminder of my baby girl,” he says as a tear falls down his face. “We lost her when my wife was five months pregnant, just after we were able to find out the sex of the baby.”

She grips his hand tightly.

“I didn’t know how to comfort her. She wasn’t the same after our loss. I was shocked and surprised after finding out we were expecting. It was all so quick and I lashed out at her. I shouldn’t have done that. I think my hatred and negativity brought on the loss of the baby. Sometimes I wonder if both of them would still be alive today if I’d been a better father and husband.”

He cries and pours out his soul to her about the loss of his baby and wife. “What was she like, Gio?” She licks her lips and takes a deep breath. “Anne told me that Lizzie never deserved you and she wasn’t good enough for you.”

Gio is shocked. His grandmother is something else. She’s a little meddler but he loves her. “She told you this, when?”

She motions for him to lay down again.

He complies, enjoying the feeling of her on his chest, but still feeling sad and hollow.

“Anne and I spoke this evening. She told me a few things about your wife.” She clears her throat and continues. “She told me that I’m the right one for you.” She blushes against his skin.

He can feel something else was said, but she won’t tell him. “What’s going on in that head of yours, Gracelynn?” he mutters, worried.

“Nothing to worry you about, Gio. Nothing to worry you about.”

“Whatever is going on with you is important to me, so please tell me,” he whispers. Then he moves so he can run his fingers through her hair.

She shakes her head, refusing to tell him.

It upsets him that she can’t express her feelings. He hopes she’ll share them once she’s ready. “Let’s talk about this another time, sweetheart. It’s midnight and I need sleep.” He yawns, still rubbing her scalp but slightly slower than before.

“Good night, Giovanni. Thank you again for a magical evening.” She rolls over on her side. She reaches over and pulls his arm to hers.

Gio beams as he brings his body closer to Gracelynn’s. He whispers goodnight, but she falls asleep before he can say anymore. She’s fast becoming his addiction.

He smiles, thinking about the dance in two days and Christmas in three days. He hopes she’ll love his secret gift, which he managed to hide from her so far. Kat gave it to him while he was in the kitchen with her, and Anne and Gracelynn were talking in the living room. He goes to sleep wondering what he did to deserve a woman like Gracelynn. If she’d let him, he’d do anything within his power to keep her happy.

IT’S THE
DAY OF THE DANCE
. Kat and Anne came to pick Gracelynn up at nine am. It’s now two and Giovanni is going nuts. Before the girls left, they told him to wear a nice suit and gave him a tie, which he assumes matches Gracelynn’s attire. Kat informed him to be on his best behavior and she promised to have his girl at the church by four.

He looks around the house, wondering what to do. He decides to spend some time outside with Holly, walking the dog despite the cold and light snow. He goes down to the end of the driveway to stare at the place where he met Gracelynn for the first time. He looks up to the sky and whispers, “Thank you.” Just as he is about to turn around and run back to the house, he hears a voice.

“You’re welcome, Giovanni. She’s your other half. You’re meant for her as she is for you.”

Giovanni looks around, baffled. “Who’s there?”

He glances around again. This voice has been around a lot as of late, and he’d love to know who’s talking to him.

“
Let me say, it’s someone who loves you and Gracelynn very much. Someone who knows soul mates when he sees them. Enjoy your night at the dance with the woman you love.”

He holds his heart when he hears the voice again.

“I love that you’re both taking your time and waiting before becoming intimate. Waiting will be the key to winning her heart.”

He smiles and says thank you again to the sky. He glances at his watch, realizing he needs to get ready, trying to ignore the fact someone from above is whispering to him.

* * *

Gracelynn is freaking out more than she did at her own wedding. She doesn’t know why but she is. She hopes that Giovanni will like her in the red dress Kat found for her while Mara did her hair.

“Gracelynn, you look beautiful.” Anne beams. “Besides, not only will my grandson be captivated, so will every other man in this town when you arrive at our dance.”

Kat whistles. “Damn, girl, you’re hot.” Which makes Gracelynn speechless and blush.

“Oh, you girls are something else. I don’t know what you mean. Besides, you ladies are looking rather fine yourselves.” She stares at Kat who’s wearing a short, black dress with one shoulder sticking out with her hair nicely done and red pumps and dangly earrings. And then there’s Anne. She wears a sophisticated dark green dress, black flats and gorgeous earrings to go with her ensemble.

Just as Gracelynn is about to get into the car, she hears a voice.

“You’re gorgeous. You’ll make him so happy tonight.”
She glances over her shoulder noticing no one is behind her.

“
I’m always here. I love you. Have a wonderful time with a man who’s yours. Your soul mate.”

She’s taken aback by the words and shakes them off, smiling but with a bit of trepidation. What in the world is happening to her? Ever since she arrived in town, she’s been hearing voices.

She arrives at the church and enters, seeing lots of new faces. A sign above her head reads: “Welcome to the Charity Auction Dance.”

She nudges Anne. “You didn’t tell me this was an auction! What type of auction are we talking about?”

“Oh my, didn’t I tell you and Gio it was an auction for all the single ladies in town?” She runs off in a different direction faster than Gracelynn has ever seen her move.

“That little old lady,” she grumbles to herself. She stops abruptly when she notices Gio standing across the room looking right at her. He waves and walks toward her from across the room, looking sexy. God, how is it that he can look like sex on a stick any time of the day? But with that suit he looks even more handsome than ever before. The suit and the tie that Kat gave him complement his emerald eyes and her dress to pure perfection.

“Whoa,” he says as he approaches her. “Do you know how beautiful you look at this moment, Gracelynn? Everyone is staring at the most beautiful woman in New Hope.”

She shakes her head and then he turns her around so she can see that practically every man in the room is gaping at her.

Gio gets closer to her and she sees him discreetly trying to cover himself up in public.

She smiles, knowing what she’s done to him.

“Let me stand behind you, you have no idea what you’ve done to me in this hot red dress that looks like it was made for you,” he whispers. “I may have to hurt Kat for allowing her to put you in such an amazing dress; but at the same time I love that everyone will be watching what’s mine.” He kisses her neck but stops when he notices Gracelynn tenses up.

“What is it, Gracelynn?”

She pretends she doesn’t hear him. “Did you know this was a charity auction? An auction where the eligible ladies in town are the ones auctioned to raise money? Please tell me you didn’t know about this?”

He wants to plead the fifth but goes with the truth. “Yes, I know, but… I wanted to see you dressed up and dancing with me the entire night.”

She blushes. “You should’ve told me it was an auction. What if I don’t get purchased by
you
?”

He possessively holds her waist and whispers, “You, my dear, have nothing to worry about. No one in this town will be able to match me. And besides, the way they see us right now, they better know that you’re taken and to not bid against me.”

“Ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to the annual charity for Children’s Wishes. We welcome you and would like all the single ladies in the room to please come forward,” the announcer tells the attendees from the podium.

Gracelynn leaves Gio and goes up to the stage like every other eligible lady in the town and follows the man behind the curtain.

After a few ladies got ‘purchased,’ it’s Gracelynn’s turn to stand on stage in front of everyone. She’s nervous but once she finds Gio in the audience she feels better. He smiles at her, which gives her the confidence she needs to stand tall on stage.

“Let us start with $500.00 folks,” the announcer declares.

Gio raises his hand for the bid.

“1000.00 dollars, anyone for 1000.00 dollars,” the announcer states again.

A man bids in the back and she watches Gio glare at the man and then stands up loudly affirming the bid of $5,000.00.

She smiles when the other man sits down in defeat.

“Sold to Mr. Antonetti,” the announcer tells the crowd. Everyone claps as Gracelynn gasps at the crazy amount of money he just spent on her.

“You may all leave the stage and dance with your partners now,” the MC tells them. As Gracelynn leaves the stage, Anne finds her and gives her a wide grin and a hug to congratulate her.

Gio finds her talking with Anne and bows to her. “May I have this dance, my lady?”

Gracelynn curtsies at him. “Why thank you, sir.” She allows him to take her to the dance floor. “Why did you pay so much money for me?” she questions him as soon as they begin to dance.

“I did it because I wanted too. I could have paid more.”

She gasps again.

“Yes, I’m rich but I don’t flaunt my money. I’m conservative and wanted to help out the local sick kids and their families. You bring out the best in me. You make me want to be a good man for you and myself. Thank you, Gracelynn.” He kisses her check and holds her in a sweet embrace as they dance in sync to the music. No one else even matters. It’s them in the moment and enjoying the intimacy of the dance, which brings them closer together.

At the end of their dance, Gio excuses himself to use the restroom. While he walks away, Mallory approaches the table.

She scowls at Gracelynn. “Do you know who you’re dealing with? I doubt you do.” She crosses her arms over her tight, barely-covered chest. “You don’t know Gio like I do. He’s using you for the floozy you are.”

Gracelynn clenches her teeth together. “What right do you have to say you know him or that he wants you? He doesn’t want you. Leave us alone. You’re delusional.”

Mallory cackles. “Is that so? You’re the one who is delusional. Tell yourself whatever you want… but when you leave, he will move onto me,” she snaps, leaving the table before Gracelynn can reply.

Seconds later, Gio returns from the restroom. “What happened to you?” he asks, noticing her irritation.

“Nothing that I haven’t heard before,” she mutters to him.

“What do you mean? I thought we said no lies—not ever?”

“Mallory approached me while you were gone. She stated I’m a floozy and when I’m gone you’ll want her like you always have.”

Gio inhales. “Let me make this clear. I have not or nor will I ever want Mallory. Yes, she has come onto me many times, but I have told her NO.”

Gracelynn nods and looks around, hoping they aren’t making a spectacle of themselves at the dance.

“I haven’t been with anyone since my wife. I haven’t wanted anyone since and can tell you I’ve never wanted anyone as badly as I want you.” He leans forward and touches her forehead with his. He takes her right hand and places it over his heart. “You have my heart. You’ve had it since the night I banged into your car.”

She gasps. “You don’t know me long enough for that, Gio.”

He nods his head and looks into her eyes. “I know it seems crazy since we’ve only known each other for four weeks, but I do. I know you well enough to know that I will fight for you. I’ll always prove to you that you’re what I want.”

A long silence follows. Gracelynn doesn’t know what to say – she barely understands what he tried to tell her. Eventually she comes up with an excuse. “Can we leave? I’m exhausted.”

He nods his head in agreement. “Sure, doll. All you had to do was ask. Let’s go find Grandma and Kat before we head out.” He takes her hand and they go in search of Anne.

They find Anne at the punch bowl. “Grandma, we’re going to head out.”

Anne comes out from around the table and hugs them.

As they walk away, Anne stops them. “Since Kat and I are coming over for Christmas Eve dinner…. How would you both like to attend Christmas day mass with us?”

Gracelynn looks to Gio. He nods his head. “Sure, that would be amazing,” she replies as they leave the charity dance.