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She is out of breath when she reaches my side. I turn on my heels and face her fully. “Come closer." She hesitates,rummaging through her mind for words to reject my command. I get impatient. "Closer." I ground. She is not a thing to be pushed around, I know, but she has to comprehend when I need her. I wish to give her pleasure, take her mind off anything that bothers her. My form of therapy may be fleeting but at least until morning she'd have something else occupying her mind.
"Why do you ask for things like you own everybody?" She sneers. She is lucky I am in a good mood. I could have punished her for that, make her regret saying those words. I don't own anybody. That is the reason I take as much as I please when available. I made her available to me. I called her out of that place so we can talk and take care of any problems she may have.
There is no other way around it. Or is there? Well, I don't care about the regular methods. If she expects me to lose my temper and explain myself to her, I will deny her the pleasure. This is my territory. Everything that happens around here, are all influences of my thoughts and actions. Slowly, she takes a step forward. I watch the rise and fall of her breasts covered in the thin material of the gown. I can smell alcohol on her breath and somehow, this doesn’t irritate me. I resist teasing her. I'll save the teasing for when we get better acquainted. Even after having too much to drink, she only stumbles when she is a step away from me. I extend a hand to her, and she accepts it. Our thoughts synchronize. She is aware of the strange attraction between us.
When my fingers slip into hers, she goes rigid. “What do you need, Ella? Tell me.”
Chapter 5
Ella and Antonio
What do I need?That is an easy one. So easy that I almost laugh out loud and fall to the ground, but Antonio Deluca has his hands in mine and we were finally having a normal conversation. The last thing I want is to ruin this with a sarcastic remark. The look in his eyes shows that he is genuinely worried. I begin to suspect that he may have overheard most of my conversation with mother when I called. “Money, Jason. Lots of it. Something you would never understand.” I rub it in his face not because I despise him but because I can't the look of sincerity in his eyes.
“I can give you any amount you need. You seem smart enough and I don’t pay without any work.”
His words make me regret my decision to keep this less venomous. “And what are you suggesting? If I may ask.”
“Relax, Ella. This is not one of those shows where the billionaire asks you to become his whore. Although, if you are open to such…”
“Get over yourself, Antonio Deluca!” I don't let him finish. I try to walk away, and he drags me back by the arm, his gaze burning down on mine. “You. Have. No. Right. None! To involve yourself in my business,” I rage.
“You made me your business the moment you fancied we would make a great couple for the wedding, and I wouldn't have wanted anything better, little lady.”
I blurt in my exasperated voice, “Little la…” Before the words of revulsion leaves my lips, Jason dips his head down to mine and pulls me into a kiss.
***
We start out rough and messy. Then I trace the outline of her lips with my tongue and her body melts underneath mine as I hold her head in place to prevent any form of escape. This time around, she conforms to my commands and allows herself to feel without pushing or pulling. Her eyes close and she greedily sucks in air, running her hands on my chest, squeezing my shirt before snaking her hands around my head. Her long fingers tangle in my hair and she moans.
It's a sweet sound and I want to draw it out of her a second time, a third time—until I eventually get enough. I kiss her and pull myself away then I pull her back in, claiming her lips with more intensity than the last. She tastes like the different flavors of my father’s favorite wine. My favorite wine too, no matter how much I try to deny it.
“Antonio,” she whispers above my lips and I take this as an invitation to run my tongue in her mouth. She accepts all of it, matching my pace and intensity. We only break apart for a second to catch our breath. She dives right back in, refusing to respond to the voice of reasoning. I barely know anything about this woman, yet I want her so much. The last time I wanted a woman this much was in high school, when Sergio and I were still young and believers of love. Eventually, Sergio met his match while I am still plundering the true meaning of companionship and commitment.
“You need to make a toast. We have to go back,” she says in whispers. My hands glide down to her waist and I mold her body against mine. It must be a physical attraction. That's the only thing that explains our situation.
“Do you accept my job offer?”, I ask her again.
“No,” she drawls and I decide to never ask again. I do not take rejection well and Ella Miller has proven to be as stubborn as expected.
“Fine.” She staggers as I pull away but I am quick to hold her up. “Thanks.” she coughs, taking a strand of her hair to the back. She adjusts her gown and straightens my shirt. Her breathing is still ragged but I assume full control of myself once again.
She moves ahead of me, half-staggering, half-walking as her hips jutted to the left and right. I take my time to appreciate her curves and mounds; I want her to feel my eyes digging into her back. She doesn’t disappoint; when we turn to the garden, her head jerks back and she bares her teeth at me.
“Asshole.” She mumbles and I wave.
“The best kind.”
***
Jason’s speech is abrupt compared to the other speeches that are shared. I can’t take my eyes off him as he blends into the conversations again, commanding so much attention to himself by doing nothing special. I catch his heated stares coming my way as he plays with the rim of the glass placed before him. My thoughts are ridden with the heated kiss we shared. I can't deny that I truly crave to feel more from him. I am here for fun, aren't I?
Now, a one-night stand was never something I considered. But maybe I could. As far as I know, he isn’t a serial killer ortomb raider. Maybe I am in for any ideas he may have for us when all this is over. Sliding him a look right beside me makes my body feel warm and fussy, and my mind is muddleheaded.
No. There is absolutely no way I am going to fall in love here. That is so not my thing. I do not trust any man enough to invest my heart in a relationship halfway across the world. He looks available but also intolerable, selfish, and bold. He is suitable for fun, yes but only that. I needed to quit contemplating making him a permanent resident in my mind and heart.
“Penny, for your thoughts, Miss Walker?”, he leans in to whisper in my ears. I keep my eyes straight, watching Sergio’s red-faced father as he sings a song in Italian. The alcohol is beginning to do its work, and how I truly wished to be a partaker of such a feast of its intoxication. “We are partners, you know, sooner or later, you have to speak to me.” He arranges the cuffs on his sleeves. I have taken notice of his habits, and this is one of them. I dare say it reveals that beneath all his arrogance and control, there is a nervous man afraid of slipping up and acquainting everyone with his weaknesses. “The rules are simple. When I speak to you, Ella, your respond.” he continues.
“I am not a paper doll, Antonio. Stop thinking you can be in control of everything and everyone!” I give Grace a stiff smile when she stares my way from across the table. The candlelight flickers between us, the smoke rising in the air to make her features hazy to my eyes, or perhaps it’s the alcohol seeping into my thoughts, too.
