Chapter 15
We move across the hotel lobby, his hand firmly on the small of my back. In his presence, I feel untouchable. The hotel staff greet him, and he only offers them a slight nod as if he's on a mission.
We enter the elevator and stand in silence as we go up to the top floor. He looks down at me, and I can feel his eyes all over my body. The feeling makes my vagina pulse.
I don't know what's going to happen. I don't know what I want to happen. One side of me keeps reminding me of my mission, the fact that if this man beside me discovers who I really am, I'll wind up just like the man in Luca's trunk.
I can't let that happen, no matter what. For me, for Bill.
Agent Russell and Harris told me to get close to Gabriel if possible, so I just need to play the game.
Unfortunately for me, there was never any training for when you're this deep undercover and feelings begin to mix—or, in my case, collide into you like a fucking rocket without any explanation or reasoning.
He's the very antithesis of me and my profession. Most women would be scared in his presence if they knew what I knew and saw what I saw, yet here I am, his scent making me wet.
I tense up because now really isn't the time to have a conversation with myself about Gabriel and my feelings for a mafia hitman as an FBI agent.
Who the hell can comprehend that anyhow?
I'd need days, weeks maybe, to unpack this, and I have about 45 more seconds until we're at the door of my hotel suite.
Fuck it.
I'll do what Bill always told me to do: don't overthink things—overthinking gets you killed.
Let's let tonight play out as it is, and I'll pick up the pieces in the morning and figure out what, if anything, it'll mean for the mission.
This man did save my life, after all.
The elevator dings, and the doors slide open.
"After you," Gabriel says, gesturing me forward.
I walk slowly, unsure of the exact reason—there are too many to pick from.
When I reach the door, he comes up behind me, his body gently pressing against mine as he extends his left arm to swipe the card and unlock the door.
His body against mine makes my heart rate go through the roof. I feel something stirring in me that I've never felt before. I get nervous and take a step forward, pushing the door open. He stands there for a second and follows me inside.
I don't turn around when I hear the door shut, but alone with just him, I don't feel like I've returned to my prison. That feeling of dread and doom is gone. It's like my wings have returned, and the cage is broken.
I continue to stare forward out the window into the night sky. I know he's standing still, observing me, wondering what I'll do.
Without turning around, I ask, "Would you like a drink?" My voice sounds unsteady, highlighting my nerves from deep within.
Gabriel's silent, but I hear him walk forward, closing the distance between us.
He leans down and whispers in my ear, "Sure, why not."
I make an audible gasp and bite my lip to silence myself. I watch as he walks over to the fully stocked bar and thumbs over the bottles, looking for something to serve us.
I clear my throat. "I'll take the wine, please."
He lifts it up and reads the label. I see a flash of anger cross his face.
"Pick something else."
I'm confused by his reply.
"Okay," I say hesitantly, "Can you surprise me with something then?"
He nods.
I take a seat on the couch, not trusting my legs to keep me upright. My nerves are becoming too overwhelming. I rack my mind, thinking why he wouldn't allow me to have the wine. And then it hits me.
It's Luca's favorite brand.
I watch as he finishes our drinks and brings them around the bar. His looks to be a sophisticated pour of whiskey, and mine a martini with two olives.
As he hands me my drink, our fingers touch, sending a jolt through my entire body, ending right between my legs. The intensity between us is so undeniable that in this moment my only thought is to just give in to the desire, even if it's just for one night.
It's as if the thoughts I had buried deep in my mind about Gabriel just needed the tiniest of cracks to burst out into my conscious mind and overtake my emotions.
"Thank you," I say and take a large gulp of my martini, hoping the alcohol will steady my nerves.
It doesn't.
Instead, the warmth spreads through my body, fueling everything that I'm feeling.
He doesn't speak. He doesn't sit. He just stands there and watches me intently, sipping his whiskey without breaking eye contact.
I stare back, losing myself in the depths of his gaze.
You know where this is headed. You either tell him to leave now or face the consequences.
He sets his glass down and moves toward me, like a predator closing in on its prey. My heart races, but I don't move.
Reaching out, he gently brushes my hair back, revealing the bare skin of my neck. I almost melt as his fingers trace a path along my jawline. His touch is sensual, igniting a fire within me that threatens to consume me whole.
With one finger under my chin, he tilts my face up and leans in. The world around us fades away until there's nothing left but his intoxicating scent and the sound of our breathing. His lips hover just above mine, teasing me with the promise of a kiss.
"Tell me to stop, Bella," he whispers against my lips. "Tell me to leave, and I will."
My heart is rattling in my chest, caught between my duty as an FBI agent and my desire for this forbidden man. I know the risks, but I can't help the growing intensity between us. It feels inescapable, like if I say no today, it'll only postpone the inevitable.
I should tell him to go, to leave, but I can't. My resolve crumbles to my desires. Instead of looking away, changing the conversation, anything—I look at his lips.
Screw it.
I'll deal with the consequences.
He takes my silence as his answer and claims my lips in a searing kiss.
Gabriel groans, deepening the kiss as he tangles his fingers in my hair. I curl my hands around his biceps, holding on tight as if he might disappear if I let go.
This feels wrong on so many levels, but I can't bring myself to care.
My emotions, my desires, overtake any sense of logic, and in this moment—I feel alive.
He pulls me to my feet as we continue kissing, his hands slowly caressing my body.
With each kiss, I feel myself slipping further away from Agent Anna Bennett and deeper into Sofia's world. A world where Gabriel could possess me completely. The guilt gnaws at me, but the pleasure is too intoxicating to resist.
He tugs my hair back, and my vision turns to the ceiling.
I gasp from the mixture of pleasure and pain.
He licks from my collarbone up my neck as he wraps his other arm around me and presses me against his hard body.
I feel the bulge in his pants, and my wetness intensifies.
He stops for a moment, and I'm left breathless and yearning for more.
"If you give yourself to me tonight, Sofia, you're mine forever. You'll never belong to anyone else," he whispers in my ear.
His possessiveness stirs a primal instinct within me that makes me question myself. I try to deflect the onslaught of emotions I'm feeling, but his touch continues to weaken my defenses.
He searches my face for an answer.
I nod, sealing my fate.
He claims my lips once more. My hands wander across his chiseled chest, feeling the power beneath his tailored white shirt. Every touch increases the ache I feel in my core.
We stumble into the bedroom, our kissing growing more urgent with each step.
I stop for a moment and remove my high heels and Gabriel feels the need for it to continue.
He slides my dress off my shoulders, and it falls to the floor, leaving me before him in just my lacy thong.
He takes a step back, drinking in the sight of me with hungry eyes. He smiles and grabs me.
He makes a trail of kisses down my neck. The sensation makes me lose control. I gasp as he teases the hem of my thong with his thumb. His hunger radiates through every touch, stoking the burning fire within me.
He cups my breast, and a moan escapes my lips when he begins sucking on my hardened nipple. The warmth of his tongue envelops me. My body arches toward him, desperate for more. I fist his dark hair, lost in the pleasure of having this powerful man at my mercy.
His hand slides further down, grazing my stomach as he reaches the damp fabric of my wet panties. The heat of his touch there makes me moan. With skilled fingers, he hooks my thong and slides it down my legs.
He begins to tease my swollen clit, his fingers circling slowly. I squirm, my body seeking release. His touch fuels the desire that courses through my veins.
His fingers slide into me, finding a rhythm that drives me wild. Our eyes lock as he pushes me closer to the edge. "You're so wet for me, Bella."
A moan escapes my lips as my legs tremble, struggling to keep me standing.
Gabriel curls his fingers inside me, hitting the spot that makes my vision blur. I cry out, my nails digging into his shoulders as the desire to come climbs higher and higher. He doesn't stop, pushing me further with each stroke.
As my orgasm crashes over me, I collapse into him, my body shaking uncontrollably, as I take a few deep breaths.
I reach for the top button of his shirt, my hands still shaking from my release. When I think I've got it, I pull. The button pops off his shirt and falls to the floor.
He looks down and then back up at me. "Don't stop with one," he says, his eyes darkened with lust.
I clasp my hands on his shirt, letting my animalistic side take over. I feel what he must feel in this moment—a desire to devour my prey.
I pull my arms apart in one quick motion, and his buttons tear away from the fabric and scatter on the floor. I pull his shirt off and toss it to the side.