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“Well, don’t, then,” she quips, pleased with herself. She gets away with mocking and teasing me, unlike anyone. It’s irritating but refreshing, like nothing I’ve felt before.
“You have a smart mouth, Ella.” An image of her on her knees in my room pops into my mind and I shift in my seat. She looks away, concealing her smile. Her cheeks look soft and glow when the sunlight hits them. She’s silent and I take the occasional glimpse at her.
In spite of her paleness and the dark circles beneath her eyes, evidence of the misery I have caused her during these past few days, she’s absolutely stunning. My optimism grows and the turmoil of the last week regresses. She looks calmer, less scared. But cold and distant.
Slowly, I began to relax. I could get used to this. To her. Someday.
But as we near our destination, my confidence falters. I need to find the right words to convince her. To convince her that I'm not the vicious villain she thinks I am. “It's true that you don’t know everything about me, Ella. It comes with the territory, doing what I do. There are some things that should not be brought to light, for your own good.”
She looks agitated all of a sudden. “As if I haven’t seen enough,” I hear her mumble under her breath.
I feel the blood rushing to my face. I control my anger before she gets a whiff of it. “Strange. No Rovers or Cadillacs following us,” she says, squinting at the rearview mirror.
“I dismissed the guards for today but Francesco will be a few blocks away,” I say. “I don’t want anyone ogling you in our privacy today.”
“Yeah, you’d rather it be just you,” she counters.
Her response, though unexpected, is entertaining; she’s reprimanding me. “Frankly, yes,” I respond in a witty tone.
“Pervert,” she mouths, and bites her lower lip, I suppose to suppress a laugh. Lord, she's perplexing and witty and right.
“Can't argue with that either.” She examines her fingers, hesitating, as if she's considering what to say. I don't know what she's thinking, so, leaning forward, I tip her head up. She gasps as my fingers touch her chin. Again, that sound; I feel it in my groin.
“I don’t want you to be scared of me.” I sound hopeful. Damn it. Too hopeful.
“You have to stop frightening me if you want that,” she squelches, surprising me with her depth of feeling. I tuck a wisp of her brown hair behind her ear and inch closer to her side. “I can try that,” I whisper, my lips brushing her neck. Her scent is intoxicating, forcing me to lean in closer. Her tongue licks her lower lip and I see her pupils dilate. And it’s there in the air between us. Our allure, a living force. Fuck.
I seize her and push her against the seat, my lips seeking and finding hers. I claim her mouth, kissing her hungrily, my fingers closing around her neck, holding her. She tries to move under the weight of my arms but gives in. Her fingers reach for my hair. She directs me while she kisses me back, her tongue in my mouth. “Why do you have to disobey me?” I demand as I kiss her neckline. She tilts her head back to give me access to her throat. “Because I can,” she murmurs.
Ah. She stole my line.
I take a deep breath and pull back when the Rover comes to a halt. “We have arrived, sir,” Francesco says from the driving seat. I get out of the car before Ella, assessing the surroundings. The restaurant seems busier than usual and it sets me off. Francesco helps Ella out of the car and she comes to stand beside me.
I sense her. All of her. Here. Now. Shit. I swallow.
Her vicinity is arousing. She inhales sharply and looks at the ground. I reach for her hand and stroke her knuckles with my thumb. She looks up at me, her murky eyes clouding with desire. She bites her lower lip. And I know it’s on purpose this time. She is taking advantage of us being in a public area.
“Don’t do that,” I demand. My voice is sharp but full of longing. Why have I started wanting her so much? She rolls her eyes at me. Her lips part gently and I suppress a groan.
How can a woman do this to me? How does she derail me with a single look? I am used to being in control and I am practically drooling over her because her teeth are pressing into her lip.
As we approach the restaurant's entrance, the air shifts with an ominous weight.
I stop and pull Ella back towards me. ‘What’s wrong now?’ her tone is austere.
There is a split second of confusion before I am able to respond.
Then, a deafening roar shatters the bustling scene.
I feel the heat and pressure, and then everything goes silent for a heartbeat.
The world pauses, and I realize I'm on top of Ella, shielding her from the explosion.
The shockwaves ripple through the air, and I struggle to make sense of the devastation around us. Black smoke clouds the air, making it difficult to breathe. I cough and struggle to regain my bearings. She lies beneath me, and the weight of uncertainty settles on my chest like a suffocating shroud.
My hands tremble slightly as I reach for her. Why isn’t she moving? God, no. Please. No.
The choking trail of burning wood and the distant wail of sirens form a jarring opus, drowning out any hope of clarity. I try to rouse her but she remains unresponsive. I look at my phone on the ground. Fuck it. The screen is completely shattered.
