Casanova In Training by Aliyah Burke Page A

that down? And since when do women call you Gio? Hell, anyone. You damn near bit our heads off for that.”
    He ground his jaw. “Thought you said Ashley was waiting.” He wasn’t even going to address the Gio bit.
    Both of them snorted at that.
    “Nothing that would have stopped you before.” Tinman again.
    Lizard rolled the bottle in his fingers. “He’s after something else. Something darker and sexier. Something which can handle a B-2 as it streaks through the sky, or a crotch rocket down here on the ground.”
    Gio remained impassive, despite the overwhelming urge to hurdle the table and slam a fist into Lizard’s face. When the check came, he scooped it up and slapped sixty bucks down to cover it all.
    “You two have fun now,” he said with a grin.
    “Seriously? You’re not coming?” Lizard asked.
    “Nope. Going home.” He touched two fingers to his head and strode away.
    Lizard caught up with him at his convertible. “Giovanni.”
    He turned and braced a hip against the door. “Jason.” His reply was the same tone as his friend’s.
    “What are you doing, man?”
    He sighed. “Going home.” Alone. Damn it all, he wanted to be with Jaydee.
    “That’s not what I mean and you know it. You can’t be in a relationship with her. Hell, you aren’t supposed to even sleep with her.”
    “I know the rules,” he ground out.
    “Then why?”
    “I slept with her after Mike’s funeral. That’s what we were talking about in the hangar.” No point in telling Lizard he’d just fucked Jaydee in that very hangar moments before he’d arrived.
    Lizard swore a round of curses before shoving his hand along the top of his short hair. Then he crossed his arms and stared. Gio mimicked the action and lifted a brow as well.
    “What?” he demanded.
    “You can’t see it, can you?”
    “See what, Armstrong?”
    The man shook his head. “Nope. If you don’t know, I ain’t ruining my fun by watching the realisation hit you. Just do one thing for me.”
    Gio sighed and waited for his friend to continue. “What’s that?” he asked when nothing else was forthcoming.
    “Stop being a dick. She’s a damn good pilot who doesn’t deserve your derision.”
    This was the second time Lizard had said this. The man was right and it annoyed him to no end to know Lizard was defending her. “Anything else?” Gio asked sarcastically.
    “Yeah,” he said, before spinning on his heel and walking away. “Don’t get caught!”
    A grin lifted his lips. He had no intention of getting caught. In his car, he headed for his apartment only to pause in the drive.
    Where did she live? Was she home? Or had she gone back to base? Bigger question. Why did any of it matter?
    Grumbling at himself, he parked in the garage and walked into the house. He and Mike had shared this place before he’d died. Gio strode to Mike’s room and opened the door. He knew what he’d see the moment the light flicked on, and he wasn’t wrong. Boxes. Sealed boxes of his best friend’s things. They remained here because his family wasn’t ready to get them back.
    So here they sat, their very presence mocking him. With a snarl, he snapped off the light and slammed the door shut, only to stomp to the kitchen for a beer.
     
    * * * *
     
    It was midday on his final day of being off when Gio found himself pushing through the doors of their ops centre. The halls were quiet as he made his way to the room with the simulator in it. He opened the door then stepped into the totally dark room. Flipping the switches, he frowned as he found himself staring at the room as it normally was. No sign of the numerous whiteboards Jaydee’d had, full of that gibberish-looking crap all over them. Nothing that even said she’d been in there.
    What were you thinking — that she’d be waiting for you? his brain chided.
    As he exited the room, he ran into a guard. The petty officer nodded and gave a proper greeting.
    “Have you seen any of the other pilots?” he asked