Chapter 23
twenty-three
Gabriel
I close the door behind me and, like every night, I search for Valentina. For the last couple of weeks, we’ve had a ritual. I get home, we eat, we fuck. Sometimes it’s the other way around, and at the end, we spend time together.
But today? Today is different. Today was a bad one.
Ever since his wife walked out, Salvatore’s been tearing through the city like a storm, leaving chaos in his wake. And, of course, it’s me or whoever’s close enough who’s left to clean up the blood and stupidity he leaves behind.
I’m running on fumes, right on the edge, and there’s only one thing, one person, I want to use to shut my mind off and breathe again.
Most of the time, I find Valentina in the living room with ice cream, popcorn, and a movie.
This time, there are no car chases or gory scenes in horror movies.
Her eyes are glued to what looks like a crime movie on the screen.
I stopped watching movies a long time ago; I started to watch them again with Valentina.
I sit beside her on the couch, my eyes inspecting her face. She faces me, and my lips pull into a smile. “Hi,” I say.
She bites her lip lightly, eyes flicking over me like she’s measuring something I can’t see. “What happened?”
I narrow my eyes at her. “I said hi.”
She rolls her eyes. “Hi! What happened?”
I shrug. I have no capacity to talk to her about the problems at work. I just need one thing from her. “Nothing important. Have you eaten?”
She exhales and turns her attention back to the screen. “Yes. There’s food in the oven for you.”
“I’m not hungry for food,” I say and lean in, grabbing her by her waist and hoisting her into my lap. “I’m hungry for something else.”
Her hands grab my shoulders, and I pull her into a kiss.
I push my fingers into her hair, fisting it gently as I tilt her head to the side.
I push my other hand under her shirt up to her bra, opening it.
In one swift move, I pull her shirt over her head and pull down her bra, letting her perky breasts spill into my face.
I take one of her nipples into my mouth and suck on it, thirsty, wanting more.
With a hand on her back and the other on her waist, I pull her toward me until her pussy is grinding over my pants-covered cock.
Her head falls backwards, and I suck on the skin of her breasts.
I leave traces of my lips and tongue over her curves and up to her neck, where I suck on the delicate skin.
Her breaths, followed by a moan, fill my ears, and I search for her lips before I draw out her moans with my kisses.
Her hands dig into my hair as she presses herself into me.
I spin us around and lay Valentina on her back so I can get her out of her clothes.
I hook my fingers into the fabric and pull her pants down, including her panties.
I lick my lips and smirk before I spread her legs and lower my head between her thighs and dip my tongue into her glistening pussy.
I lick her lips and suck on her clit until I can hear moans.
I push two fingers into her, and with the right pace, I suck and fuck her until her back arches.
Her hands find my hair, and she presses her pussy into my face, her legs squeezing my head.
I quicken my pace until I feel her coming and pull my fingers out so I can drink her sweet juice with my tongue.
Before she can recover, I open my pants and push them down with my boxers. I turn her onto her stomach, pull her hips up, and sink into her hot cunt. I don’t move; I just enjoy the feeling of her and how she fits me perfectly.
I take her hands and pin them with one of my own behind her back, leaving her face down. I spread her legs with my knee, and I now have a perfect little cunt wide open for me.
I pull out completely and push into her until I can’t take it slowly anymore, and I pound into her, letting her moans fill my ears. I spread her ass cheeks, push a finger into her tight hole, and fuck her until she screams.
I close my eyes and chase the release, letting the sweat roll down my skin until her cunt squeezes me, and I let go, spilling my cum deep inside her, staying there until my dick goes limp.
I let go of Valentina’s hand, pull myself out of her, and pull my pants back on before I slump on the couch. Valentina is already on her feet, pulling her clothes back on before she sits beside me, her eyes furious and filled with questions.
Before I can detach and close my eyes, she asks, “Why do you do this every night?”
With my head on the back of the couch, I tilt my head toward her. “You mean fuck you? I thought you wanted that. If I remember, you came to me at the club, and after that, you begged me to fuck you. So, I do that, just as you asked.”
She huffs. “What I asked was to have sex with you, not to be fucked like I’m just some hole to you.
” Her face comes closer to mine. “We were going somewhere, and now this.” She looks me up and down.
“You're doing this on purpose. You're detaching yourself from the act by only chasing the release. And don’t you dare lie to me because this started way after the wedding. I just can’t figure out why.”
“Don’t analyze me, Valentina.” I shake my head, shutting her out before she even starts.
“There’s nothing here for you to figure out.
You’re getting what you need, and I’m doing exactly what’s expected of me as your husband.
” I lean in, my voice dropping to something blunt enough to wound.
“I’m fucking you and filling you with my cum, so if you weren’t on birth control, you’d end up pregnant, and this arrangement would be sealed forever.
That’s it. That’s the extent of my duty to you. Don’t read anything else into it.”
Pain explodes on my cheek. Valentina slapped me.
“You're an asshole. If you think you're going to get me off your back by getting me pregnant, you're so wrong. Because that is only going to be the beginning.” She inches closer to my face. “As for you doing your duty, you keep telling yourself that. A man who is doing his duty doesn’t care about the needs of his woman. He just chases his own pleasure. But you?” She looks me up and down, her jaw clenched.
“You're making sure you make me come, and not just once, but twice and more.
You're pretending to be something you're not, thinking it's better.
Thinking you're hurting me, but guess what? I know what to expect from you.” Her finger pokes my chest. “You? You don’t know what to expect from me.
You're afraid. You have built walls around you.”
“I’m not afraid. There are no walls,” I snap and fist my hands at my sides. “I’m just trying to be the husband in this charade, the alliance. For your family’s sake and mine.”
“You keep telling yourself that. But let me tell you something. If you think you're hurting me by behaving this way with me, you're wrong. You're only hurting yourself.” She stands and leaves.
I lean my head back on the couch and close my eyes. I know she's right. I know I need to get detached in order not to feel and get closer to her than I already am. Keeping space between us is a necessity. Keeping no feelings between us is a need, and it isn't up for discussion.
The thought of going after her pops into my mind, but I stop myself. She needs to know that this is what she's getting from me. Maybe then she will want me to stay away from her, which would give me a reason for keeping her at arm’s length.
I stand with the intention of taking a shower to cool my head. I pass Valentina, who is wrapped in a towel in front of her closet, and as soon as I’m in the bathroom, I step into the shower and turn the cold water on, letting it calm my skin.
It takes a while for the cold water cools down any thoughts I had of Valentina being right, and as soon as I feel like myself again, I exit the bathroom. Instead of seeing Valentina in our bed, I find it empty.
We have a routine; I come home, we eat together, and then we watch some crappy movie. If I’m late, she eats and waits for me. Both ways, I end up fucking her, and after, we both sleep in our bed.
Except tonight.
Never before has she questioned what and how I feel, or the way I have sex with her.
Maybe she’s had enough of me.
Has she? I dress quickly and talk myself into explaining to her that this is the best way our marriage will work, not to have any expectation of love, just respect and mutual agreement.
I enter the living room, and instead of finding Valentina watching another movie, I’m met with empty space.
“Valentina?” I call. “Valentina?” I enter every room she might be in.
I open the door of my study and almost expect her to be there, but nothing.
This is the last room in the penthouse. Where the hell is she?
Panic rises inside me, and I search for my phone.
I open it and dial Valentina’s number. It rings a few times and is then disconnected.
A message comes through.
Valentina:
Don’t call me. I need some time alone.
A tight knot settles in my chest as I type my response.
Gabriel:
Where are you? You can have time alone here. It’s not safe, and you know it.
I sent the bodyguards home. The building is secure enough, and though there is security at the front desk down in the building, I’m sure Valentina ditched him too.
I wait for her to answer, but nothing comes through. I hit call again, but it doesn’t ring. I look at my phone, which is trying to proceed with the call, but nothing happens.
Frustrated, I march into my office and open my security surveillance. I rewind it and watch as Valentina exits the penthouse and goes down to the garage. She hops on her bike and rides into the night.
I call her one more time, and the same again. Did she block me? I refuse to believe that, so I’m just telling myself that she doesn’t have a signal.
I dress quickly, and on my way to the garage, I call Marco.