Lodged (Kinsmen Billionaires #2)

14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Gio Bianchi

“ G io, do you have a minute to chat?” Dr. Smith queries when he pops his head in the lab after class. I hope this is not about the rumor Alyssa tried to spread—I don’t think I would be able to lie to him. And I don’t want to spoil my days off with Ruin either, since we’re leaving tomorrow morning.

“Of course, Dr. Smith. What’s going on?” I square my shoulders, like I’m preparing myself for impact.

“Why don’t you follow me to my office? I think it’d be best to be away from prying ears.”

I inhale deeply. I’m so fucked. Why did I ever think I could pull off dating a student? I should have waited until after the semester was over, as I originally planned. But to be fair, I don’t think I could have stayed away from Ruin much longer—the way electricity runs through us everytime we’re close is mindblowing.

Dr. Smith motions for me to take a seat across from his chair, but I shake my head. I have too much pent up energy accumulated, and I need to keep moving.

“It was brought to my attention that a rumor is circulating in the environmental department, and as you could imagine, I was shocked when I heard my star student, Gio Bianchi, was involved in ‘dating a student’ allegations.”

I look him straight in the eye, even though I’m internally cursing at the fact that maybe Alyssa recognized Ruin after all. If I’m going to go down for this, I’ll go down with my head held high. I can figure out something else to do with my life, I just need to make sure Ruin doesn’t suffer because of this.

“I don’t want to know if the rumors are true. To be honest, the less I know, the better.” My eyebrows arch in surprise, and Dr. Smith chuckles. “Oh, Gio, I’ll let you in on a little secret—we’ve all been there, done that at some point. Don’t look so surprised. We are only human, after all. And even though the school has policies against fraternizing between faculty and students, the rules for you are a little less clear since technically, you’re a student, too.” I release a breath, and Dr. Smith chuckles.

“I’m willing to bend the rules for your benefit, since, from what I’ve seen, you haven’t shown her any favoritism or made special concessions for her.”

“What are you saying, Dr. Smith?” He smiles as he comes to stand in front of me.

“I’ll grade her work, and you’ll continue to be her teacher.” I open my mouth but no words come out.

“I have a feeling she’s special to you, this is not a fling.” I nod because I’m still speechless, and he’s not wrong.

“If this were another situation—if you were just having fun, or if she were a minor—it would be a completely different story. But I know you, Gio. You’re a good man.”

“Thank you, Dr. Smith. I honestly don’t know what to say.”

“Don’t mention it, and please try to be less obvious in class.” He pats my back and makes his way back to his desk. I nod and smile at him as I leave his office.

“Thank you, Abuelo ,” I say in a low voice, not doubting for a second that my guardian angel is behind my luck.

Last night, I pulled an all-nighter, and surprisingly, it wasn't for work. I was making sure these next couple of days with Ruin will be unforgettable. I hope she likes everything I’ve prepared for us. I told her to meet me at one of the private hangars of the airport. If she was confused by my request, she didn’t mention it. That’s another thing I need to talk to her about, though it feels weird as all hell to say, “Oh yes, by the way, I’m a billionaire.” That’s just not my style.

I got here earlier than the time I told her—I wanted to make sure everything was ready for us to go. When I see her coming down the escalator, my heart speeds up. She looks stunning with her hair down in soft waves, framing her gorgeous face. She’s wearing a burnt orange dress with a small white floral print, a sweetheart neckline, and a brown sweater. She usually wears suede boots, but today, she’s wearing Doc Martens—the perfect mix of sweet and sassy.

I rush to meet her at the bottom of the escalator, and when our eyes lock, no words are needed. I’m sure my eyes mirror hers, full of emotion.

“Hey,” I whisper when she’s in front of me.

“Hi,” she says in a breathy tone, and I wonder if she’s tired.

“You look stunning, Ruin,” I tell her honestly. She smiles, and I get lost in those clear green eyes.

I notice her chest rising and falling rapidly. My protective instinct immediately kicks in.

“Is everything okay? You seem a little out of breath.” She turns a pretty shade of pink, and my stupid brain catches on—maybe she’s excited to see me.

“Yes, everything is fine. I’m just happy to see you,” she says as she tucks a piece of hair behind her ear.

I grab her hand and place a kiss on the back of her palm. “So am I.” Her blush intensifies. If I keep looking at her, my dick is going to be standing at attention, and we’re not there yet.

“This way.” I place my hand on her lower back and grab her bag.

“Wait, I’m so confused. I thought you said we were going to Corolla.” She stops walking and looks up at me, her green eyes darkening.

“And we are. I just thought it’d be better if we flew there instead of driving for five hours.” Her lips part slightly, and I have to fight the sudden need to feel them against mine. “Come on, everything is ready to go,” I say, holding her hand in mine. When our fingers intertwine, it feels like I’ve found a piece of myself I didn’t know was missing. Her soft, delicate hand fits perfectly in mine. I give it a gentle squeeze, and she squeezes back.

“Gio, I must confess something,” Ruin says as soon as we’re seated, and the pilot tells us to get ready for takeoff.

“What is it?” I ask, trying to figure out if there’s something amiss.

“This is my first time flying, and I’m really nervous,” she admits, not meeting my gaze, and my heart warms seeing her so vulnerable.

“I was nervous the first time I flew, too. But I can assure you, we’re completely safe.” She nods, but her face is pale.

“Come here,” I tell her as I open my arm, and she buries her head against my chest—a deep sigh leaving her body.

Flight time is less than an hour, and once we were in the air, Ruin starts to relax a bit, but the majority of the flight was spent in comfortable silence. When we land, we get in one of my cars—a Mercedes Benz GLS—that I had previously arranged to be left at the airport for us.

“Gio, I hate to be so nosy, but I can’t help but wonder—is that airplane yours?” Ruin asks, moving uncomfortably in her seat. I give her a smile as I get ready to let it all out.

“I was wondering when this would come up.” I glance at her, making sure she’s paying attention. She gives me a sweet smile that calms my nerves. It’s not everyday I have to tell the girl I like how much money I have.

“I don’t think there’s a way to say this without sounding awkward or cocky, so I’m just going to say it.” I take a deep breath before saying the words out loud. “I’m a billionaire.” Silence fills the car, and I can only guess what’s going through Ruin’s mind. I briefly take my eyes off the road and glance at her—she is in pure shock.

“Please say something.” I chuckle nervously.

“How… I mean, wow.” Ruin chuckles as she shakes her head.

“I’m not going to bore you with all the twists and turns, but my grandpa left most of his land and money to me and my two siblings when he passed away. Once I officially became an adult, I started investing my share. When I moved here, I met Penny, who became my financial advisor. That’s when my assets skyrocketed.” Another round of silence falls upon us, but this time, I don’t feel as anxious. It’s all out in the open now.

“That’s impressive, Gio,” she says easily, and I release a deep breath. “I feel so incredibly unworthy, though. Here you are—one of the smartest people I know, not to mention a freaking billionaire. And what do I have to offer?”

I give her a pointed look as I press the button to open the gate to my house.

“Don’t you ever refer to yourself like that, Ruin. There’s so much more to you. Can’t you see you have me hanging on your every word? Every move? I don’t think one life will be enough to spend with you.” She chuckles nervously, and I turn to face her once I’ve parked the car.

“Come on, let me show you around. I can’t wait for our getaway to start.” I get out of the car and jog around to open the door for her. “Thank you,” she tells me with a bright smile as she holds my hand.

“Always.”

The moment we step into the house, I hear Ruin’s gasp. “Gio, this is incredible,” she gushes as she twirls around the living room. I grin at the sight—I’ve come to realize that Ruin’s happiness is my happiness, and I’ll make it my purpose in life to see that smile on her face every single day of our lives.

“Are you hungry?” I ask her as I walk toward the kitchen. This place was the first big purchase I made after becoming a billionaire. I fell in love with the view. The entire first floor has glass windows instead of walls. The marble floors were imported from Italy, and I remodeled the entire house. I wanted to have a state-of-the-art gourmet kitchen, hoping my siblings would come and visit one day. But having Ruin here is even better.

“Oh my goodness, Gio. I feel like a broken record wooing and wowing at every turn, but what’s all this?” Ruin comes to stand next to me, and I wrap my arm around her shoulders, pulling her flush against me.

“Well, I wasn’t sure if you had breakfast this morning, so I thought we’d have brunch.” Her eyes light up, turning the lightest shade of green.

“Thank you, Gio. To be honest, I didn’t eat anything because I’m not a morning person, and I’m not usually hungry until I’m starving .” Her face turns pink again, and I could kiss her right now—she looks so cute. But there’s stuff to talk about before we get to that point.

There’s a buffet-style spread of food: pumpkin pancakes, apple cider donuts, scrambled eggs, hash browns, and fresh fruit. There’s also a coffee bar and a chocolate station. I put a little bit of everything on my plate, while Ruin piles hers with pancakes, topping them with whipped cream and caramel sauce. A smile spreads across my face as I watch her enjoy plating the food.

“Here, let me make you the most delicious pumpkin-spiced latte you’ve ever tasted,” she says as she puts her plate down and gets to work. She starts by brewing espresso in my fancy Nespresso machine. Then she froths the milk, and for the pumpkin sauce, I am surprised when she makes it from scratch. Once all the ingredients are ready, she pours each of us a cup and tops it with whipped cream and pumpkin spice seasoning. I give her a thankful smile when she hands me my cup, and I moan after taking a sip.

“This is delicious, thank you.” She does a curtsy, and I bite my lip. Taking a deep breath before speaking, I try to calm myself. We’re not there yet .

“Do you want to eat outside? I have space heaters.”

“That would be lovely.” Once we sit down on the patio, I enjoy a few sips of my PSL before digging into my food.

“How did you prepare all this? I’m amazed.”

“A company on the island offers things like this, preparing homes for guests to arrive. I decided to take it easy today and have the day planned for us. I figured tomorrow we could cook together.”

“I love that idea. What else do we have planned for today?” she asks after taking a huge bite of her pancakes.

“Patience, sweetheart.” She stops chewing, and I freeze.

“Was I too forward?” I ask, suddenly unsure if we’re on the same page here.

“No, it just caught me by surprise since you’ve said we needed to take it slow.” That sweet blush starts rising from her chest to her cheeks, and I can’t help it, I close the distance between us and place a kiss on her forehead. Ruin’s breath caresses my neck, and fuck if I don’t feel it all the way down to my cock.

I clear my throat as I create a little distance between us, needing to clear the air on a few things before I can actually kiss her.

“Yes, I’ve been adamant about us taking things slow and waiting until I’m no longer your teacher. But Ruin, the more time I spend with you, the more I want to get to know you and experience everything with you.” I release a breath as I look up at the sky—a beautiful, bright, sunny day with clear blue skies on this fall day at the beach.

“I had a conversation with Dr. Smith yesterday.” Ruin tenses.

“Are we in trouble?”

I smile and shake my head. “No, on the contrary. Even though a relationship between us is frowned upon, Dr. Smith offered to grade your assignments. So, even though we still can’t be seen in public, if something were to be said about us, I’m no longer in charge of your grades. Technically, I’m not breaking any codes at school.”

Ruin gets up from her chair and lunges at me, so I hug her—inhaling her apple and honey scent is like hugging fall.

“Oh, Gio, this is the best news ever. I’m so thankful Dr. Smith is on our side, even though I can’t help but think Alyssa went and told him about us.”

I chuckle at her excitement, but I’d be lying if I said I’m not equally happy.

“Yeah, I have the same feeling about Alyssa, but I can’t prove she’s the one spreading the rumor. And Dr. Smith is an excellent mentor. He said he knew me, and knew I’d never get involved with a student to try and take advantage of her, but something tells me it was more than that.”

“What do you mean?” Ruin frowns, confusion transforming her face.

“Well, I hate to think this way, but I’m sure the donations I’ve made to the program played a part in his decision to help us out. I’m not proud of it, I’ve never donated money to gain any favors but…”

“You’re the best man I know, no one will second-guess your motives.” I smile at her compliment.

Once she moves back to her seat, we finish eating before heading out toward the beach, at her request.

“Are you kidding me right now?” Ruin says as she takes off running toward the pumpkin patch I had set up for us.

“I couldn’t go with you to the Apple Festival in your town, so I thought it’d be great if we could have our own private festival today.” Ruin squeals in delight, and my heart bursts with pride. I made her this happy.

“So, where do you want to start?” I ask her, and she looks around, taking in all the booths.

“Let’s go bobbing for apples first.”

I nod with a smile and motion for her to go ahead of me. I should have known she’s a pro; she got seven apples in one minute. I clap at her impressive record as she jumps up and down in excitement.

“Okay, Bianchi, your turn.” She points with her thumb to the basin full of apples as she moves away to give me room.

“Ohhh, sassy Ruin came to play.”

“You have no idea.” I swallow hard at the innuendo. Fuck, I’m playing with fire, but I can’t wait to go up in flames. A picture of Ruin bobbing her head while sucking my dick forms in my head, and I try to adjust the growing bulge in my pants. I think I’ll need to go for a swim in the cold ocean to cool off.

The girl who’s manning the booth sets up a timer, and once she says go, I go down hard and try to bite an apple, but they’re slippery. Ruin made it seem way easier. When the timer goes off, I’ve only managed to get two apples out of the basin, and Ruin raises her arms in victory. Meanwhile, I’m fighting for my life trying to catch my breath.

We end up playing cornhole, pumpkin ring toss, and an agility race, which to no one's surprise, Ruin beats me every single time. There’s also a DIY scarecrow and a pumpkin-carving station, where we spend most of the afternoon. After carefully selecting the pumpkins we were going to carve, I decide to make a robot-looking pumpkin, and Ruin goes for a more traditional jack-o’-lantern.

As the sun sets, the breeze turns chilly. After thanking the people who worked at our festival, we head inside.

“This is the most magical date I’ve ever had. I usually don’t get to enjoy the festival much back at home, since I’m working most of the day at my family’s booth,” Ruin says, her eyes glinting under the lights. The admiration I have for this woman keeps growing. Her sense of duty to her family is similar to the one I have for mine. She could rebel and say she wants to act her age and enjoy the festival, but instead, she chooses to help and put her family first. I’m happy I can give her some of those donated moments back.

“I’m so glad you think so, but the day isn’t over yet.” Ruin gives me a puzzled look as I get closer to her and hug her into me.

“What do you think about dinner with some music?”

“Ohh, what kind of music?” Ruin asks, intrigued.

“I hope you like country,” I say, trying to play it cool. I remember in one of our text exchanges, we spoke about our favorite artists.

“Are you kidding me? I love it.” My smile is wide at her words. I motion for her to follow me to the beach. The crew I hired has already cleaned up the festival supplies and set up a tent with a bonfire just outside. Fairy lights twinkle around the perimeter, casting a warm glow over a comfy couch covered with fuzzy blankets. A nearby table is stocked with pulled pork BBQ and apple cider.

Ruin turns around and mouths, “This is incredible,” and I just keep smiling. I never knew making someone happy would be so rewarding.

There’s a small stage, and Turner Scott—my favorite country singer—is looking right at us, a warm smile on his face.

“Good evening, Miss MacAllister. Do you have any requests tonight?” Turner asks a very blushing Ruin as he strums his guitar.

“Oh my goodness, Gio. He knows who I am,” she says, giddy with excitement.

“Of course, he does. I told him I needed to impress a girl, and he asked me all about you.” Her eyes shine with unshed tears, and I cradle her face in my hands.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” I ask as I get lost in her eyes.

“Nothing, absolutely nothing,” she says as she covers my hands with hers. “It’s just that you’re this incredibly amazing man, and honest to God, I don’t know what I did to deserve you.” I press my forehead against hers, breathing her in, letting her warmth run through me.

“We’ll have time to talk later. Why don’t you answer Turner’s question first.” She gives me a curious look but nods with a beautiful smile. She asks Turner for a song, which happens to be my favorite. He starts singing, and Ruin snuggles close to me. I cover our legs with one of the blankets, and I thank the stars for giving me the chance to make memories with the woman who awakened something in me I thought I would never have.

The evening unfolds as Turner performs some of our favorite songs along with a few requests from other artists. After dinner, Ruin asks Turner if she can sing a song with him, and I’m stunned when her voice fills the beach—raspy and intense. Her tiny frame transforms as she tells a story, not only with her voice but also with the way she moves her body. I’m transfixed.

It’s only when the chorus hits that I realize which song it is: Willow . When she sings “that’s my man,” she points at me, and I move toward her like a moth to a flame. When the song ends, I hug her and kiss the top of her head. We stay there, enjoying each other's company, as Turner sings one last song.

Ruin and I dance on the sand, the breeze making us shiver as the bonfire warms us up.

It’s the perfect ending to a perfect night.