“Sorry!” She’d gone quiet after my little outburst. “It just upset me to hear you worrying about something like that. Be happy.” Please be happy for me and don’t play into this superficial bullshit. I didn’t speak out loud, just brought her in close and kissed her brow. “I’ll bring you ice cream every day until you tell me to stop.”
I left out before anyone else could notice I was gone. I ignored Pop’s tail as I drove just outside of town to the copse of trees where I’d asked the driver to leave the tow truck. I jumped down from the Hummer and waited for my shadows to pull in behind me before walking over. “One of you drive this back.” I tossed the keys to the Hummer at them, let them figure it out.
I took my time on the winding roads back into town behind the wheel of the tow truck and pulled into the Fontane driveway, blowing the horn until I came to a stop. The door flew open, and both Victoria and her mother stood there as I lowered what was left of her car onto the driveway.
She didn’t seem to understand what was going on at first, though I’m sure she’d noticed by now that her luxury car was missing, but something must’ve tipped her off because she started screeching bloody murder. I honked the horn one last time before heading back down the driveway. I should’ve had Paulie meet me here to return the truck.
The twins came running as soon as I got back after taking the Hummer back from Matthew to drive home on my own. “What happened?” Their faces didn’t look like this was a good thing. “Somethings wrong with Gia.”
“What do you mean? What’s wrong with Gia?”
“We don’t know. As soon as we came home, she got a phone call and went somewhere.” It can’t be Becky or Victoria; I’d just seen them.
“You didn’t stop her?”
“We sent the guys with her; she was safe.”
“But when she came back, she seemed off. She’s not talking; she looks like she’s in shock.”
“Where did she go?”
“We’re not sure, but we think she went to see her mother’s old housekeeper.”
I hit the stairs running. “No-no-no-no-no!”
I checked her room first, but she wasn’t there, so I rushed to mine with my heart in my lungs. My poor baby! What ugliness did you learn? This is what I was afraid of, what I was sure would happen.
She was in my bed with the covers pulled up over her head, curled into herself, as she rocked back and forth. I pulled the covers back, and she flew up and into my arms before I could say a word, tumbling me down onto the bed with her. “Gabriel!” Her heart was beating too fast, her face covered in tears, and my heart that never seemed to know how to react with her shattered into a thousand pieces at the look of pure sorrow in her tear swollen eyes.
I tried getting her to talk, but she just clung. I was at a loss as to what to do, afraid I knew what she’d heard and yet not wanting her to utter the words with her beautiful lips. Lips that turned to mine in a frenzy. We’ve kissed before; in fact, since we both realized how much we enjoyed it in the last few days, we’ve practiced plenty. But this felt different.
Her desperation and need covered us both like a shroud, and when she tugged at my clothes, I let her, even though I knew deep down inside that it was the wrong time. “No, Gianna, wait.” She didn’t speak so much as grunted, and I fought with myself. Should I give into her or do what I think is right?
“Baby, this isn’t right, we can’t….”
“It’s what I want.” It’s what she wants. I don’t think I have what it takes to deny her anything.
GABRIEL
Trauma bonding, that’s what this feels like. Something triggered her; now, she needs to feel alive like her heart still beats. Part of me wanted to give in, but the other part, the heart that only she had touched after so many years of feeling dead inside, would never allow me to hurt her.
I didn’t resist any longer though, she’d only keep fighting me to get what she wanted, so instead, I moved into her kiss the next time she offered me her lips. When her lips wanted to move hard and fast, I tempered them with soft nibbles and a gentle swipe of my tongue across her full lower lip.
I was in control; I could stop at any time, but I’ll give her this much until she calms down. That’s what I told myself, what I believed to be true. So I didn’t fight as hard when she became the aggressor again. When she sent her tongue on a foray into my mouth, teasing my lips as she held my head in place.
Her kisses were innocent, pure, but it wasn’t her kiss that held me enraptured; it was her, all her. I got lost in the taste of her, and when she pressed herself close to me, taking us all the way down on the bed, the feel of her swept over me.
I thought we were done or close. She didn’t seem as hungry. I’d been keeping my hands on her shoulders, not daring to go any further, but when it felt like her lips were slipping away, I instinctively reached out for her, my hands cupping her cheeks to hold her in place. That’s when I felt her tears.
I pulled back or tried to, but she resisted, pulling me back in. “Just hold me okay, I won’t ask you for anything else if you don’t want to. I know you don’t see me that way….” She started to ramble, and had she been anyone else; I would’ve thought she was playing me just to get her way.
But this was my Gianna; she doesn’t do artifice; she genuinely believed that, and instead of giving her pointless words that wouldn’t get through to her in the state she’s in, I pressed the proof into her soft middle. “Does that feel like I don’t want you?”
“Then why?” She lifted her head to look down at me.
“Because you’re hurt and upset. If I took you now, it wouldn’t be fair; you’re not in….” She pulled my face to hers and brought our lips together, cutting the words off midstream in her way of telling me that I was wrong. I still felt in control still saw no danger; I believed we were past the worst.
We’ve spent hours kissing lately. I know how to control my body through that. I won’t go too far, won’t let her do something she might regret. I told myself these things as I let her take me under, holding onto my control when she rolled onto me, pressing me into the firm mattress beneath. And again, when the softness of her breasts grazed across my chest.
Knowing that I was in control gave me a sense of freedom, and instead of worrying, staying on alert, I let myself enjoy her. Her taste, her touch, her smell, a combination beyond anything I could compare. When she lifted my shirt slowly, teasingly, before running her tongue along my abs, that was okay; she was still fully clothed.
When she used my chest like a smorgasbord, licking from one end to the other, stopping only to lick my nipples, I didn’t complain; my cock had been hard since she turned to me, and I wasn’t out of my mind with lust. She’s safe!
When I heard the snap of her bra and looked down to see her kneeling between my thighs on the bed, her shirt off, the jeans she wore riding low on her hips, I still thought we had a chance. My eyes fell on her breasts; the perfection is hard to describe.
Her breasts were neither too big nor too small, my hands, knowing they’d fit there perfectly, itched to touch. Her nipples were high and hard on her chest. Cute little pale red berries that stood out on her chest. My eyes traveled lower, taking in the rest of her. The concave waist, gently curved hips, and back up to her breasts that heaved and moved with her every breath.