Chapter 20
CHAPTER TWENTY
Monica
Gabriel wasn't lying when he said he'd protect what was his. Before I was released from the hospital, he had Emily pack all my belongings and move them to Gabriel's condo. I've been instructed to take it very easily by the hospital doctors and to basically let Gabriel wait on me. Now that I've finally decided to embrace a romantic relationship with Gabriel, I feel a sense of peace I've never felt before.
I'm an independent woman. However, I realize I'm this way because I've never had a man who wanted to take care of me. Wanted to fight for me. Realizing Gabriel is unlike any man I've ever dated has been remarkably cleansing. I'm thirty-four years old, and I finally found someone who I respect and who respects me.
On the first day out of the hospital, Gabriel takes me right to his condo and sets the security alarm as soon as we're inside .
"I'll explain how to work the security system tomorrow, querida . Let's just relax today," Gabriel says as he swiftly pulls me into his arms and carries me up the stairs.
"I can walk, Gabriel," I sputter.
"Let me take care of you, baby," he says huskily as he leans down and presses a kiss against my neck. I shiver as goosebumps erupt across my neck and shoulders. Gabriel chuckles as he carefully deposits me on his bed. "No more guest room. You're staying in here with me. Our room now."
I feel the butterflies in my stomach again as I look up at him. His eyes show adoration and tenderness, but his body stance is all power and presence. I watch as his eyes darken. "You need time to recover, querida . You can't look at me like that."
"Like what?" I whisper as my hand reaches out to drag along the waistband of his jeans. His quick intake of breath tells me he's as turned on as me. One fingertip touches the hot skin on his hip as Gabriel leans forward until our noses touch.
"You're looking at me like you want to devour me whole, querida . Like you want me to taste every inch of your skin and own you. Mark you as mine," he whispers against my lips. My eyes close in surrender as I whimper. He's not wrong. I want that desperately. "You need to recover. I won't harm you. I need you healthy because how I want to take you will be rough. Been dreaming of this for too long. I can't be gentle at first."
"Fucking hell," I murmur as he leans down to kiss my neck again. "Kiss me, tesoro ."
"Soon."
"What do you mean by that?" I say breathlessly.
"You need to recover. Your face … you need to recover, querida ," he mutters against my neck. He's caged me in with his arms, but no part of his body touches me. I want him so badly, and he's holding back .
"I'm not made of glass, Gabriel."
"No. You're much more valuable than that."
"I need you to kiss me."
"And I will. But not today. I will not hurt you even more. I will not add insult to injury over what that pi?o did."
" Pi?o ?"
"It means dick."
I have a vague memory of him calling Marcus that at the bar. I mean Nicolas. I’m going to have a hard time referring to him as Nicolas after knowing him as Marcus for this long. Feels like a lifetime ago. Was that really only last night? I shudder as I think about knowing who he really is. Finding out he's a Bianchi. The stories I'd hear about the Bianchis growing up were almost urban legends. The abuse their women suffered was absurd. Bianchi men have no problem maiming and killing women, even their own. A Bianchi woman who goes against her husband is as good as dead, and her death will be long and torturous.
"Where did you go, querida ?" Gabriel asks quietly. My eyes meet his as he crouches next to the bed and pulls my hand to his lips, kissing it gently.
"I'm just trying to figure out the connection between Marcus and me. How my family is involved. I'm not sure what will happen, and I'm scared," I admit.
"We'll figure it out," he promises. "I won't let anything happen to you. I promise. You should probably call him Nicolas now. That’ll help you with moving forward.”
I sigh. “I know.”
I want to argue with him. I want to scream that no one has ever protected me, including my damn family. Only Nana. Gabriel must see my expression change because he gently cups my face.
"I protect what's mine, anjinho . No one, and I mean no one , will ever hurt you again," Gabriel says deeply as his eyes sear into mine.
"Okay," I whisper. "I'm exhausted. I want to rest." One of the medications they sent me home with causes drowsiness. At this moment, I'm thankful for that. I want to escape my reality for a few hours.
"I need to make a few calls. I'll come to check on you in a little while." Gabriel leans in and kisses me softly. I want to deepen the kiss, but he pulls away before I can. He chuckles as I pout. "In due time, querida . Trust that it'll be worth the wait." He brings my hand to his mouth and kisses my palm once before exiting the room.
I look around Gabriel's room and again notice how barren it is. Absolutely no color. No personality. He seems full of charisma, yet this entire condo is a blank canvas. It's rather odd. But as I settle into the bed and pull his comforter closer to my face, I'm overcome with his scent. Partially his cologne or body wash, and mainly just the scent that is inherently Gabriel. I could bathe in this scent and never feel I got enough of it. I hum happily as I burrow into the pillow and let my mind wander to what it might be like once Gabriel finally does take me. Will he be tender? Probably not. He already hinted he wanted it rough, at least the first time. Will he be dominant and powerful? My guess is yes. Thankfully my ribs are only bruised, not fractured or broken. So I can only hope he gives in sooner rather than later.
Tomorrow I need to up the ante. Tell Daddy how much I want him.
The following day, I begin a subtle play to slowly break down Gabriel's defenses. He brings me breakfast in bed, and I 'accidentally' drop the comforter to show my bra. Another time I walked downstairs in my shortest pair of shorts and a very tight tank top. By the fourth day, Gabriel is hanging on by a string. I'm pretty sure he's jerking off multiple times a day, and he definitely does so in the shower right before coming to bed. But he's a perfect gentleman in bed, holding me against his chest all night. Gabriel never gives me an opportunity to take advantage of him in the morning, as he's always awake and out of bed before me.
Gabriel has begun locking himself in his office and claiming I can't interrupt him while he's working. I'm also attempting to work from home, but I can't concentrate. Part of me is hyper-focused on the unknowns between the Bianchis and my family. At the same time, the rest of me is so fucking turned on that I can't do anything else. As soon as he gets in the shower each evening, my hand is in my panties. I can get off two or three times before I hear the water turn off. My ribs feel so much better now, and the bruising on my face has faded significantly.
I'm done waiting by the start of the second week at Gabriel's. I'm a ticking time bomb. I need dick. If Gabriel doesn't give it to me, I will be forced to Amazon Prime some dildos to help take the edge off this tension.
When I wake up alone again, I'm done. I brush my teeth, use the toilet, and then stomp through Gabriel's condo, trying to find him. To say I'm furious when I see a short note on the kitchen counter is a massive understatement.
Querida, Had to go to Denver for the day. I'll be back late.
-G
"You asshole!" I seethe. My phone dings right as I'm about to call Gabriel and rip into him. It's a text from Nathan.
Nathan: Em is having some contractions. We're heading to the doctor. We'll keep you updated.
Me: Oh my God! What can I do? Do you need anything?
Nathan: No, we're good. My mom has the girls and Jack.
Me: What does Jack say about this?
Nathan: He says his brother isn't today, but is coming soon.
Me: Has a doctor confirmed it’s a boy, or are we still relying on Jack’s visions?
Nathan: We still don’t know for sure. Jack told us as soon as he found out about the pregnancy. The baby hasn’t cooperated during ultrasounds to confirm. I’m afraid to accept that it's a boy since we had three girls in a row.
Me: God, I love that kid.
Nathan: He's a keeper.
Me: I can be there immediately if you need me.
Nathan: I know, Mon. Em wanted you to get an update before we left. We're headed out now.
Me: Give our girl a big hug from me.
Nathan: Already done.
I love the twins. They are so amazing. And I love that Em named one after my Nana. But the middle girl, Daisy? She holds my heart. I know she isn't mine, but it's like Em copied and pasted my personality onto that little ray of sunshine. She won't take any shit from anyone. She's only recently started to walk, and she's already getting into trouble.
I immediately call Harper.
"Hey, you busy?" I ask when she answers the phone.
"No, I'm not busy. Just currently being used as a cow," she retorts. I burst out laughing. It sounds like her boys are climbing all over her.
"Can you do anything today? I really need to get out of this house," I tell her.
"Owen was gonna take the boys so I could go to the mall. You okay with that?"
"Yes! I need out of here."
"Would you mind if I invited Owen's client Victoria? She's been having a rough time with her ex-husband fighting every detail of their custody arrangement. I think she could use a ladies' day," Harper tells me.
"Sure. What time can we go?" I ask.
"Give me an hour to shower, then I'll grab Victoria and come get you. Text me your man's address."
"He lives down the street from Liv's old house."
"No way! I bet I've crossed paths with him then."
"Oh, yeah, I forgot you lived here when you were mad at Owen."
"You mean when he got me evicted? Yeah."
"Hey!" I hear muffled sounds from the background.
"Did I say something untrue?" Harper calls out.
The response is a grumble from Owen.
"Yeah, didn't think so. "
"You guys seriously must have amazing sex," I blurt out.
"You have no fucking idea," Harper whispers, giggling. "I need to finish feeding Ashton and then shower. I'll text you when I'm almost there."
We hang up, and I take a shower myself. The guest room has its own bathroom, but the master bathroom is so much nicer. While Liv's condo had a small shower and a huge soaking tub, Gabriel's bathroom has an enormous walk-in shower complete with a rainwater shower head and steam function. It's blissful showering in there. He also has a soaking tub, just not as big as the one in Liv’s old place.
As I'm finishing getting ready, my phone dings with another text.
Gabriel: I miss you.
Me: I find that hard to believe.
Gabriel: Why?
Me: Because you left me here all alone.
Gabriel: I couldn't bring you,querida. I would if I could.
Me: I'm lonely, Gabriel.
Gabriel: I'll be home tonight.
Me: Your woman has needs,tesoro.
Gabriel: Needs?
Me: Yes, needs. I'm lonely, and you left me here to take care of myself. Just like I've had to take care of myself every day … and night … since you brought me home from the hospital.
Gabriel: Jesus, querida.
Me: I'm done waiting.
Gabriel: I don't want to hurt you,anjinho.
Me: Maybe I want to hurt a little with you.
Gabriel: Are you sure?
Me: Absofuckinglutely.
Gabriel: I'll be home by seven. Be ready. Tonight, you're mine.
Me: Looking forward to it,tesoro.
I squeal with glee as I grab my shoes and head downstairs to wait for Harper. I'm so freakin giddy now. If we're heading to the mall, I'm getting some lingerie. Might as well make this as memorable as possible. I feel like this will be the last first fuck I have. I think Gabriel might be it for me. My forever.
After Harper texts that she's out front, I skip out after locking Gabriel's door. While he hasn't necessarily encouraged me to go anywhere without him, he gave me a key and explained the complex security system.
"Well, you seem in a good mood," Harper says curiously.
"I am. I'm gonna get laid tonight!" I screech as I climb into the backseat of Harper's SUV. Owen forced her to upgrade.
"Uh, so yeah. Victoria, this is Monica. She doesn't have a filter," Harper says dryly.
"Hi, Monica. It's nice to meet you. Thanks for letting me tag along," Victoria says warmly.
"Hey. Sorry about the lack of filter. I really don't have one. But Harper still loves me because she really doesn't have a filter either," I say with a wink. Victoria chuckles and nods.
"I'm learning to let go of my filter. My ex demanded perfection all the time. Trying to recall the person I was before I met him has been a process. I think I'd have been pretty similar to the two of you," Victoria muses.
“Well, hang with us for longer, Victoria. We’re bound to rub off on you,” I tell her. “Harp, did Nate text you? Em’s having contractions.”
“No way! They confirm if it’s really a boy yet?” she asks.
“Nope.”
“When is her due date?”
“Next week, I think. But she told me last week that since this is her fourth baby, she’d probably not make it to her due date.”
We spend the rest of the drive chatting about random things as Victoria and I get to know each other. She'll fit in just fine into our little group. Her personality mirrors a mixture of Emily and Olivia. She is very kind and thoughtful, with a hint of meekness, mostly due to her jackass of an ex-husband. She has two daughters and works at the elementary school where both Olivia and Emily worked. Em's basically been pregnant or nursing since she moved here and hasn't been back in the classroom since. Liv is debating on going back once her twin girls are older. These people are just too damn fertile.
"Alright, ladies, I have lingerie to purchase!" I shout as we get out of Harper's SUV.
"Damn, Mon, you really don't have to scream it. We know. You're gonna get lucky tonight," Harper teases .
"Oh, shit! I should get waxed. Right? What about a blowout? Should I get my nails done?" I fret.
"Mon. He's not gonna care about any of that. But if it makes you feel more comfortable, we'll do whatever you want. We just need to find a salon," Harper says.
"Um, I'm not getting a solidarity wax. I'm thrilled you're happy, Monica, but no wax is coming near my bits," Victoria blurts out, then covers her face in embarrassment. "I can't believe I just said that!"
"Oh my God, I love it. You already know you don't need a filter around us. This is so perfect. Okay, no solidarity wax for you. Harp? You in?" I ask.
"I guess. Owen really doesn't care, though. I could be full Chia Pet, and he'd still dive into the jungle," she shrugs.
"Seriously?" I ask incredulously.
"Seriously. Most men, at least real men, don't care. I think Em and Liv would say the same thing about their men."
"Huh. Well, maybe I'll skip the wax, then."
I'm not entirely convinced she's correct, but I'm willing to give it a go and see how Gabriel reacts. I'm not rocking the full 'Chia Pet,' as Harper so eloquently referred to a full bush, and I keep things nice and tidy down there between waxes. But with everything going on, getting a wax just hasn't been a priority. I may do some shaping at home before Gabriel returns, just as a precaution.
We spend a couple hours gallivanting around the mall, having lunch, and getting me some gorgeous lingerie. Victoria shows me pictures of her two adorable daughters and tells me all about her plans to open up a preschool once all the money comes through from her divorce. Em has already told me Mountain Springs desperately needs more daycares and preschools, so I think Victoria will definitely be successful.
When I ask if she intends to date anytime soon, she vehemently shakes her head .
"Oh, no. Absolutely not. My priority is my girls. I'm not getting burned again," she states. Famous last words. It'll be fun watching her unwittingly fall in love again with someone a thousand times better than her ex-husband. He set the bar so low Victoria doesn't think any man will suffice. Hmmm. That sounds remotely familiar.
After Harper drops me off at Gabriel's condo, I rush in to throw dinner together. Once it's cooking, I head upstairs to check my nether region situation. It's remarkably put together and not in need of any razoring, so I grab one of the new sets of lingerie I picked out today and pop it on. Typically I'd wash all lingerie before wearing it, but It's almost six, and Gabriel said he'd be home by seven. This set is a deep red color. Lace panties, a corset bra, and a matching garter belt, then I grabbed black studded thigh-high stockings. Next, I change out of the jeans and shirt I wore to the mall and grab one of my favorite dresses and stilettos. Even with the added height of four inches, I'm still well over a half-foot shorter than Gabriel. But I know he will drool seeing this entire getup, both on me and on the floor.
When I hear the garage door opening, I run down the stairs and into the kitchen, where I stir the spaghetti sauce I'm cooking. Gabriel opens the door, stops, and drops something on the floor. I turn around to see him staring at me as his eyes slowly drag down and back up my body. I turn off the burner as I see his pupils dilate.
"What's underneath that?" he asks hoarsely.
"I think it's something you'd be better seeing firsthand," I reply.
"How are your ribs?" he asks suddenly as his eyes appear stuck on my stilettos.
"Huh?"
Gabriel's eyes reach mine, and wetness pools in my panties as I see the lust incarnate in them .
"Your ribs, querida . Do they hurt today?"
"No."
"I'm not going to be able to be gentle. I wish I could, but I need you too badly."
"I don't want you to be gentle," I whisper. Gabriel takes a step toward me and stops.
"I need the words, querida . What do you want right now?"
I take a step toward him and then another.
"It's not what I want, tesoro . It's what I need," I say huskily as I reach out to palm his already rock-hard cock in his pants. He groans as his hand latches into my hair. "What do I need, Gabriel? I need you to fuck me. Now."
He swears harshly as he crashes our lips together.
About fucking time.