Chapter Eighteen #2
“Get over yourself,” I call out, even though I’m the one who got caught ogling.
But his smirk remains throughout the rest of his set. Gio Bellanti is a ladies man through and through.
When he finishes, he chugs from his water bottle, then walks over and plants his hands on my waist.
“Going for failure?” he asks.
“Always.”
“That’s my girl.”
He hoists me up, and I grip the bar. He lingers close, steady and warm beneath me. “I’ll be right here to catch you.”
Rep after rep, I push through the burn until my arms are trembling, muscles screaming, grip slipping.
As I grunt through one last attempt, my chin barely clearing the bar, something outside the gym’s front entrance catches my attention. A shadowed silhouette.
That build and stance is unmistakable…
Stefano.
How long has he been standing there? And why the hell—
My grip gives, my fingers slip from the bar, and I drop. But Gio effortlessly catches me. He eases me down slowly, my body sliding along his, our sweat mingling. Heat lingers in every point of contact.
And as my feet hit the floor, I feel it. He’s hard.
Our heavy breaths tangle, suspended between us.
His eyes dip to my cleavage where my inhaler is tucked. “Need your pump?”
Still catching my breath, I shake my head.
As he drags his gaze up to meet mine again, he flexes his hips, making sure I feel exactly how turned on he is.
“Gio…”
“I wanna fuck you.”
I huff out a breathy laugh. “You want to fuck my tits.”
“Them, too.” Hands locked on my hips, he pulls me tight against him. “Also wanna kiss these sexy lips.”
“I’m tragic, remember?”
“I like tragic.”
“My dad will most likely kill you.”
“A fate I’ll happily accept.”
“Gio, I think—”
He kisses me. Sweeps his tongue inside with a force that says mine and takes what he wants. And I’m...surprisingly not mad about it. It’s been a while since I kissed anyone. Denied myself this part of intimacy.
In full on delusional dreamland, I’ve been saving my lips for someone else. Someone I’m not supposed to want. Someone I swore to myself would be the only one allowed to kiss me. If he ever even wanted to.
But Gio just stole that.
And I should be furious. Indignant. Should be pushing him away, spitting venom, reclaiming that unspoken vow.
But I’m not.
I’m...confused. Light-headed. Floating somewhere between what I promised myself and what I’m feeling right now.
Because I’m really enjoying this kiss.
He’s kissing me like he’s been parched his entire life and I’m his first taste of water.
Like he’s drowning and I’m air. He’s holding me pressed to him as if he’ll die if there’s even a sliver of space between us.
With a desperation that short-circuits my mind, his erection hard and insistent against my belly.
It’s been so long since I’ve felt this wanted. This desired.
So yes, I’m enjoying every moment.
Gio groans into my mouth, sliding a hand up to cup my breast, dragging me deeper into his heat, his fevered want, his hunger.
Just as I begin to loop my arms around his neck, ready to give in, to kiss him back…a loud BANG breaks us apart.
An explosion rocks the air.
Followed by abrupt, pitch-black darkness.
~
WE USE THE flashlights on our phones to navigate our way out of the gym when the generator doesn’t kick in.
As we’re pushing through the doors, I suddenly remember spotting Stefano out here before the lights went out. I glance around in search of him, but it’s total darkness in this area.
We find out from the maintenance team a few minutes later that a transformer blew. Only a couple buildings on this side of the villa are affected, but most have already kicked into backup power.
Gio tries to talk me into heading over to Lions House with him, but when the lights went out, so did whatever idiocy was tempting me to make bad decisions. My common sense came back with a vengeance, and the refusal is easy.
He walks me back to the Pink House sulking like a kicked puppy.
Thankfully, no one’s around to see him stop at the front steps, slide a finger under my chin, and tilt my face up for another kiss. Like I belong to him now. Like he’s claimed me.
When our lips part, he murmurs, “Is your heart still switched off?”
“Maybe.”
“You rubbed me down with healing oil when I was sick, and came to check on me every time I called.”
“Because I take care of my team.”
“Team…” He chews the word like it tastes bitter, then shakes his head with a grin, like he thinks I’m messing with him. “Turn your heart on for me, pretty eyes. I wanna know you.”
Before I can respond, he steals one more kiss. A firm, possessive press of his lips. “Come over later.”
With that, he gives my chin a light pinch then walks away.
Ugh. Men and their arrogance...
I head inside and up the grand staircase, finding Tazi outside my door with a small box in hand, knuckles raised to knock.
“Hey, I’m here.”
Tazi turns. “Oh, hey. Just came to drop this off.”
“Oooh, is that what I think it is?” I waggle my brows. “If so, finally.”
With a conspiratorial wink, she shoves the box at me and breezes past. “Enjoy.”
Clutching my long-awaited delivery like the treasure it is, I key into my room.
This package couldn’t have been more timely.
I’ve been wound tighter than a tripwire, with no outlet for a fun release.
And tonight, thanks to Gio Bellanti and his heavy dose of gym floor seduction, my desperation for a release has reached new heights.
I nearly let him screw me against a pull-up bar, for crying out loud.
I plop down at the vanity, tear open the box, and grin at the delightful little assortment inside.
Last week, I’d mentioned to Tazi that I needed a few discreet…toys. All she said was, “I got you.” She understood the assignment.
And oh, I’ll be having some fun tonight.
As I’m admiring a pretty petal-shaped vibrator, my door bursts open without warning. Eleni storms in like a whirlwind and kicks the door shut behind her.
“What did you tell my wife?” she demands.
Still inspecting the toy, I ask, “Should I know what you’re talking about?”
“Tazi’s been cold lately. Short, distant, and never in the mood. I saw you whispering with her last week. And now I hear she was up here with you?”
She stomps forward, trying to get my attention. But I’ve got a handful of vibrating silicone and zero time for sapphic dramatics.
“What did you say to her, Raya? We had a deal. As long as I did what you asked, you’d keep your mouth shut.”
“And I’ve kept my end of the deal.”
“Then why has Tazi been acting so distant all of a sudden?” she whines.
“Ever stop to think that she might be cheating, too?” I offer lazily, distracted by the monstrous purple dildo in the box. That’s most definitely not on my to-do list. “Maybe she even knew about your indiscretions all along.”
“What? Tazi would never—” She storms closer and all but plants herself on the vanity bench beside me.
Still, I don’t grace her with my attention.
“You know who it is, don’t you? You knew about me, even though I’ve been extremely careful.
So if Tazi’s messing around on me, you must know who she’s doing it with.
” She’s practically breathing fire down my neck. “Tell me. Tell me who it is!”
With a long-suffering sigh, I set the toy down and finally meet her eyes. “If I do, you will owe me another favor.”
That makes her reel back. “No. No more favors.” She jumps to her feet, backing up from me. “Your favors will get me killed.”
“Then go back to living in blissful ignorance.” I shrug. “You two love each other. That’s fact. You’re just bored right now. You’ll work it out eventually and grow closer. Or implode in spectacular fashion. Who knows.”
Her glare falls to the box of toys on the vanity, and her brows knit together. “That’s Tazi’s favorite toy shop… Wait—wait—is it you? Are you fucking my wife?”
That actually gets a laugh out of me. “Do you think I’m fucking your wife? Am I her type? Isn’t she more into whiny, narcissistic, validation-starved drama queens?” I smile sweetly. “Sounds more like you, doesn’t it?”
Eleni lunges for me, hand raised like she’s going for my hair. But I expend no effort in catching her wrist mid-air and twisting until she yelps.
“Do not test me,” I say quietly. “I’m not fucking your wife.”
“It hurts,” she whines, face crumpling. “Please, let go!”
“Will you behave and quit it with the damn dramatics?”
She nods frantically through the grimace. “I will, I will. Just let go.”
I release her.
She scrambles back, clutching her wrist like a wounded toddler, eyes watery with pathetic desperation. “Can’t you just tell me who it is? I need to know. I don’t want her to be with anyone else.”
Lesbians live and breathe drama.
“You know the deal, Eleni.” I offer a lazy shrug. “You want something from me, you do something for me.”
Anger twists across her face, ugly and bitter.
But she makes sure to back up toward the door before snarling, “You’re such a fucking snake.
I can’t wait for the boss to find out what a phony you are and blow your fake-ass brains out in front of everyone.
He lives to put on a show making examples out of people like you, you know.
I can’t wait to see what he’ll do to you. ”
My laugh is light and delicious. “Why wait? If you come clean to Tazi right now, you could watch me die tonight.” Letting that hang for a beat, I turn to her and lift a brow.
“But before you do, you should question what else do I know about you.” I tilt my head.
“Are you hiding any other major secrets, Eleni?”
She blinks at me, stunned, then mutters, “What a psycho,” and runs out of the room.
Ah, blessed silence.
Turning back to my toys, I pick up the hot pink one. Rose-shaped, with a soft little silicone tongue peeking out. “Hmm. I think I’ll start with you first. In the shower…”