THIRTEEN
I wasn't lying when I said the last time I'd ever been on a date was years ago. Eight years, to be exact. I was twenty-two-years-old and in university studying for my criminology degree.
Tiffany Mitchell. One of the institution’s brightest students and one of the most beautiful women at the time with long, blonde hair, dark green eyes, and a smile that would make anyone who saw it swoon.
I specifically remember being a nervous fucking wreck the day I asked her out and almost went into cardiac arrest when she agreed to it. Thereafter dates or any romantic gestures were a thing of the past.
Until now, of course.
It was a Saturday evening and the city was still hustling and bustling when I drove to Gabriella's house. The past week had been excruciating because not only was I dying to spend time with her, but every single night I had to take a cold shower.
I couldn't stop thinking about her. Her smile, her beautiful face, her body, that sexy fucking voice. Jesus. If I was this whipped after having her just once, then God knows what'd happen if I claimed her again.
I pressed her face into the mattress, suppressing her whimpers and moans. I pounded into her, watching her back arch deliciously. "Fuck’s sake, you feel so good wrapped around me. I'm almost tempted to fuck you raw."
My dirty words earned me a loud moan from Gabriella as her pussy tightened around me. She gripped the sheets tightly until her knuckles turned white. I moved her head sideways so I could see her face.
I leaned over, going deeper while I bottomed out. "You'd love that, wouldn't you?" She nodded, but I wanted to hear her utter the words. I rubbed a palm over her ass before slapping it harshly.
"Oh my—shit," she whimpered, her cheeks tinting with a deep shade of red.
"Say it."
"Yes," she groaned as I slowed my movements, pulling out and then slamming back in. "I'd love that. I want you to come inside of me."
My train of thought was easily disrupted when I realised a car was about to swerve in front of me. I hit the brakes, jerking forward slightly. "Goddammit," I muttered to myself, waiting for the road to clear before driving again.
Those are the thoughts that swirled in my mind every waking minute of every day. I was damn lucky that I wasn't able to work because I would've been easily distracted, which was highly unlike me.
Cold showers weren't enough. I ended up fucking my fist with every occasion. Plagued with visions of her.
New York traffic was always a bitch, and the longer I remained in one spot, the more my irritation grew. I flicked my wrist to check the time and frowned when I realised I was late.
Eventually after what felt like forever, I pulled up in front of her house, switched my car off, and climbed out, walking straight to her doorway in a true gentlemanly fashion.
I rang the doorbell waiting for her to answer. I wasn't counting or anything, but exactly thirty seconds passed by before Gabriella opened the door.
With my hands in the pockets of my slacks, I stared at her in awe. A stunning black dress adorned her figure. It was simple, elegant, and classy. Despite the simplicity of it, she made the garment look fucking breathtaking.
"Hi," she said in that breathless tone, the sound drove me up the Goddamn wall.
"Hey." I kept my eyes focused on hers, not wanting to deter my plans for the evening. "Kehlani told me you're not a fan of flowers due to allergies, so I brought this instead."
I reached into the pocket of my suit, retrieving the cream coloured box. "Open it later."
She eyed me suspiciously and gracefully took it. Her eyes shimmered when I finished my sentence, a look of gratitude plastered on her face. "Thank you so much." She starred at the box. "What is it?"
"You'll see when you open it," I said. "Later," I couldn't help but reiterate.
She rolled her eyes at me and my hands itched to wrap it around her delicate throat, but I expelled the thought. "Are you ready to go, pretty girl?"
She blushed, but played it off by brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "Yes, let me just grab my purse and lock up. Give me a few seconds."
"Did I tell you how beautiful you look?"
"Yes, but I wouldn't mind hearing it again." Gabriella was extremely playful. Her feistiness was prominent, but that humorous side shone through more fiercely the more time I spent with her.
I held her hand in mine, guiding her inside of the building. "You're beautiful, extremely beautiful."
"You're handsome," she said softly, squeezing my hand. "The most handsome man I've ever seen."
"Flattery will get you nowhere," I repeated the words she uttered to me at the wedding reception, making her chuckle. I remember every moment between us. There wasn't a single detail I'd forgotten.
"Are you sure?" she asked, as I placed my hand on the small of her back as we approached the front desk of the restaurant. "I think I could easily persuade you with my flattery."
My eyes flickered to her and I smiled, walking behind her and leaning forward so I could whisper into her ear. "You keep talking to me like that and I can't guarantee that I'll take things slow, mikrí petaloúda ."
She turned her head slightly, the side of her face now in my view. "Do you really have that little self-control, Nico?" I inhaled sharply, then slowly exhaled.
"No," I answered. "However, you're starting something you won't be able to finish."
"According to whom?" She raised an eyebrow and glanced at me while we walked to our table. I pulled the chair out and waited for her to sit.
I bent down, placing my palms on her shoulders. "You're the one who wants to take things slow, remember?" I whispered in her ear, making her shiver.
She turned her head sideways, enough for our eyes to meet. "That doesn't mean I can't handle you."
I caressed her skin and watched her intently. "I'm sure dinner isn't the appropriate place to discuss the amount of times you tapped out while I fucked you, right?"
Her lips parted and she swallowed, my eyes immediately zeroing in on her throat. "I suppose not." Despite her composure, I could hear the subtle crack in her voice.
"That's what I thought." I placed a soft kiss on her cheek and then walked over to my seat. Gabriella gazed at me with those captivating eyes. "Speechless?"
"No," she fired back almost instantly, making me laugh. "I just don't feel like indulging in an explicit conversation."
"Yeah?" I asked sarcastically, placing my elbows on the table and interlocking my fingers. I leaned forward, wanting to get closer to her. "I'd love to hear you discussing explicit topics. It brings me immense joy to see how you handle yourself under pressure."
"Seems like you're underestimating me."
"I'd never do such a vile thing." We stared at each other intensely, but unfortunately, the moment was cut short when the waiter approached us and took our order.
I watched the exchange. Gabriella swung her long hair over her shoulder, pointing at something on the menu while the waiter paid close attention to her. I glanced up at him, noticing the look on his face.
The last thing I wanted right now was to display my jealous tendencies, but the way this fucking waiter was looking at Gabriella made my blood boil. The possessiveness and jealousy clawed at me, but I quickly placed both hands on either side of me and clenched my hands into fists .
She smiled brightly, displaying those dimples. "And for you, sir?" The question snapped me out of my daze and I looked at the man with a stoic facial expression.
"I'll have the same thing she's having." He nodded, jotting it down on the little notepad in his hand.
"Anything to drink?"
"What would you like, Gabriella?" I asked, watching her intently with a scowl on my face.
"White wine, please."
"A bottle of white wine." I dismissed the waiter and he told us our order would be ready in ten to twenty minutes before walking off.
"Is everything okay?" she questioned. I nodded, even though I wasn't fucking okay. Every muscle in my body was taut. I was so wound up that it felt like I was going to snap at any minute.
"I'm okay." I tugged on my shirt and released a soft breath. The look she gave me made it clear that she didn't believe me, but she didn't pry, either. "How's work?" I asked. "Kayden told me you're planning the charity event this year."
"Work has been stressful as of late due to the charity event, but I guess that's part of the job." Her voice alone intensified my obsession.
"From what I've heard and seen, you're one the best event coordinators in the city. I don't think you should be stressing about this."
"Seems like you know so much about me, yet I don't know anything about you apart from your name and your occupation."
I chuckled softly, feeling the tension slowly dissipating. I leaned back in my chair, my eyes never leaving hers. "What would you like to know about me?"
"We'll start with the most basic question: how old are you?" Her question made me chuckle .
"Thirty," I answered. "And you're twenty-three." Her eyes widened slightly before she rolled them.
"Of course, you knew that. I should be running for the hills right now," she said seductively.
"You could try, but you won't make it very far."
Her soft chuckle was like music to my ears. "When's your birthday?"
"September 6th." She looked at me with pure excitement on her face.
"That is actually insane." I frowned, but I had an idea of where she was going with this.
"What is?" I asked.
"'Mine is June 9th." I smiled at her revelation. "Same numbers, just turned around. How coincidental."
"Don't tell me you like astrology and angel numbers."
"I won't confirm or deny it, but it is interesting. Can you blame me?" She laughed. "Why are you on a sabbatical?"
"I got shot while working on a case." Gabriella froze, then frowned. The concern on her face was the cutest thing I've ever witnessed. "No need to look so worried. I'm perfectly fine, as you can see."
"The bullet marks I saw, was it due to that specific incident?" I only nodded. "I noticed three bullet wounds. Are you returning to work anytime soon?"
"Why? You worried about me?" She glared at me and the look on her face made me laugh.
"It's not funny."
"Yes, I'm supposed to return to work in two months' time." The waiter approached our table with two wine glasses and our beverage of choice. His eyes lingered on Gabriella a little too long, but she was solely focused on me .
When I didn't thank him, she spoke up. "Thank you so much," she said politely.
"You're welcome, ma'am. Your food should be ready shortly. Let me know if there's anything else you need."
"We won't need anything else, thanks," I said bitterly, making him look at me with widened eyes. Luckily for him, he was smart and immediately walked away.
"You didn't have to be so harsh."
"I'm hanging on by a thread here. That wasn't harsh."
"I don't understand." She looked at me in confusion.
"He's looking at you like he wants to fuck you, Gabriella," I said bluntly, making her breath hitch. "Nobody should look at you like that. Actually, who the fuck am I kidding? Men shouldn't look in your direction at all."
"He wasn't—"
"Don't even try to make it seem like he didn't look at you with that intention. He's speaking to you as if I'm not present." Her lips parted slightly and her eyes flickered with what seemed like desire. "Come here."
"You want me to sit next to you?"
"Yes," I said bluntly. "Now come here."
Gabriella released a soft breath and looked at me with furrowed eyebrows, but complied nonetheless. She sat next to me and I instantly wrapped one hand around her waist, pulling her closer.
"Listen to me carefully." I leaned in, talking directly into her ear and I could see her shiver. "If any other man touches you, I'll burn everything he owns," I said sternly, gazing at her with dark eyes. "I'll burn everything in my pathway. I'll destroy everything that man holds dear to his heart."
She shook her head, a deep frown plastered on her face "You wouldn't," she said breathlessly. "Nicolas, that's crazy. "
I grinned mischievously, running my tongue along my upper teeth. "You think that's crazy, sweetheart?" I spoke in a deep, low tone.
"The things I do are worse than that," I murmured, digging my fingertips into her hips. "I'm downright insane. I'm fucking unhinged, Gabriella."
I gripped her chin, turning her head in my direction and ran my thumb along her bottom lip, pulling it down gently. "And when it comes to you, crazy doesn't even begin to explain it. I'd go to war for you."
Her eyes flickered to my lips for a brief moment. "You're mine, mikrí petaloúda and I want every fucking man on this Earth to know that. Understood?"
When she didn't answer me and only gazed at me with those damn eyes, I grabbed her jaw. "Understood?" I repeated. "Answer me."
"Yes, I understand."
"Good."