by Henry, Jane
From me .
Chapter Four
W here were we? What had happened? I had a vague recollection of him pulling me into the hotel, with nothing else available but the open road and his bike, amidst the most terrifying thunderstorm I'd ever seen. And now... what the heck had I done? Who was this guy? I was soaked to the bone, my clothes clinging to me as I looked around the large, kinda cute, but definitely not fancy hotel room .
He walked around the room, and what he did next was a little weird. He opened the closet, scanned it, then shut it as if satisfied it was vacant. Next, he moved to the bathroom, flicked the light on, grabbed a stack of towels, and tucked them under his arm before he flicked the shower curtain open, and then shut that door and the light to the bathroom off. After that, he moved around the bed—oh, God, there was only one bed , and a couch—looked around the edges, at the table beside it, and the small desk in the corner. What the heck was he doing ?
The storm seemed far in the distance now, only bright flicks of lightning outside the window fading every few minutes. And suddenly, I was exhausted. Wet, cold, a little frightened, and so, so tired .
"No boogeymen in the closets?" I teased, wrapping my arms around my soaking-wet body to warm myself. He'd sobered, not even a glint of humor in his eyes. He didn't respond .
I shivered, and I wasn't sure if it was because of the cold .
Who was this man? Something inside me screamed a warning, that he was not safe, he could not be trusted .
But he'd held me when I screamed. He'd carried me up the stairs so I wouldn’t cut my feet. And even now, he was ensuring my safety .
Finally, satisfied that we were alone and our temporary home was safe, he sat on the edge of the bed. "Gabriella, come here, please ."
Though he said please, there was command in his voice, and my body instinctively responded. My belly dipped, my heart sped up, and my mouth went dry .
What would he do ?
I walked to him slowly, my eyes on him, taking him in as I made my way over. His hair was sopping wet, darker now, almost a medium brown as it hung across his forehead, nearly shading his dark brown eyes. His shirt clung to him, and through the transparent fabric I could see the outline of his chest, strong and muscular, and thick black tattoos that ran along the edges of his shoulders and slashed down at startling angles .
Scary. Dangerous .
Hot .
When I didn't come quickly enough, he lifted a stern brow and stared at me, his lips pursed. "I need to see if you're okay," he said. "You were fucking terrified out there ."
"Yes," I whispered. It was embarrassing, now, how I'd lost my mind like that. But he didn't know what thunderstorms and dark closets did to me. How could he? He'd probably been raised by normal parents. Nice people. People who loved him .
"I'm fine, now," I said. "And I'm sorry ."
He shook his head from side to side. "You were scared, babe. Fucking terrified . And there's a reason for that. You don’t need to apologize." Ok, so if he was a serial killer or something, he was a sweet one. "C'mere," he repeated gruffly. When I was within arm's reach of him, he pulled me to sitting on one knee and tipped a finger under my chin .
Oh my God .
"You okay now? The truth, Gabriella." I looked out the window, and I knew that yes, I was okay now, just a little mortified because of how I'd behaved .
I looked down at the floor. "Yeah, I'm fine now. I always lose it during severe thunderstorms," I whispered, my voice shaky, but I needed to tell him. "It's the only thing I'm really afraid of, Dante. I can't help it. I've tried to overcome it, but somehow, I just...can't ."
He held me against his chest, and as he wrapped his sturdy arms around me, I stopped shivering. He was strong, and he was warm, even though we were both still soaking wet. "It's okay," he soothed. "It's over now. Maybe someday you can tell me why you're so afraid of thunderstorms. But now that you're calm, we need to get you out of these wet clothes ."
Foreboding pooled in my stomach. What was he going to do ?
"Go take a hot shower. Leave your clothes to dry and take this." He released me and handed me a large white towel. "I know it's weird because you don’t even know me, but I promise I won't touch you ."
A little blip of disappointment shot through me .
I wanted him to touch me. My face must have fallen, because he laughed. "You look let down, babe," he said, his laugh as dark and seductive as melted chocolate. "Go take your shower, and maybe if you’re a good girl, I'll give you another kiss ."
He gently pushed me off his knee and gestured for me to go to the bathroom. I blinked, looking around the room. When I came out wearing nothing but a towel, what would he do ?
"Go, Gabriella, before you catch cold," he said, his voice deepening now, and his eyes grew stern. I shivered. God, it was delicious when he commanded me like that. And right then, in that moment, having been kissed by a man I hardly knew, standing in the middle of a hotel room with the hottest guy I'd ever seen, I felt oddly brave .
"Or what, bossman? You gonna spank me again, like you did to get me to move? You think I forgot that ?”
His eyes flared with something I couldn't decipher, a kind of heat that made my belly warm and my pussy clench, as his lips twitched and his voice dropped. "Yeah, baby," he said in a deep rumble. "You do what Daddy says, or that's exactly what I’ll do. I'll take you over my knee, and believe me, you won't forget it ."
Ho-ly shit .
I turned to the bathroom and scooted in, chased by his low, dark chuckle .
Over my knee .
You won't forget .
Daddy.
Oh my gawd .
I had no idea why I was so turned on but I wanted it, all of it—to be taken over his knee and spanked, and to hear himself say daddy all over again. It was nothing I'd ever experienced before but I needed it, like, now .
I looked around the little bathroom. It wasn't the fanciest thing I'd ever seen, but there was a lock on the door, which I clicked into place, imagining him hearing it on the other side of the door and doing... what? Cracking his knuckles or something? Then I looked in more detail around the bathroom. Despite the fact that he'd removed a stack of towels, there were at least four or five more, and thank God for that because I had to do something with my wet clothes, and I wasn't exactly going to parade around in front of a man I hardly knew with nothing on .
Thankfully, I was small, and one of the towels would fit me well. But as I glanced around the bathroom I realized there were two robes on the back of the door. I tiptoed over, eyeing them suspiciously. There was something a little weird about there being robes, like this was some sort of B-level spa, but I sniffed them and was pleased to discover that they smelled clean, like mountain fresh something and a little bleach. I'd do anything for my own robe from home, but this would be better than prancing around in a towel .
I opened the shower, and found it sparkling clean (thank God ), and on the shelf were brand new little bottles of shampoo, conditioner, and a lavender-scented body wash that would be really nice. It took me a minute to figure out how to turn the thing on, but when I did, hot, steaming water beckoned me to come in and wash away all my troubles, to distract me from the fact that Sexy Prince Charming sat on the other side of the door .
I stripped out of my soaking wet top, peeled my jeans off, and tossed everything in a heap on the counter of the bathroom, then stepped into the stream of deliciously hot water .
I lathered myself up, breathing in the delicious floral scent, scrubbing my body with a fluffy clean washcloth, then lathered my hair with some of the shampoo. I used dollar store toiletries at home these days, nothing like the organic stuff mom used to buy, but it served its purpose. Didn't really matter what my hair looked like or what I smelled like, when I'd only be spe
nding my day at the restaurant, waitressing, cleaning, and whatever other tasks that needed doing .
But here... this night was magical. And yeah, this was no fancy place, but it was head and shoulders above anything else I'd experienced before. And as I washed, I started to fret a bit .
I was a mess, and Dante had rescued me. Did he think me some sort of needy little girl? Someone who couldn't handle herself, or act responsibly? I sighed, closing my eyes as the stream of water washed away my grime, my tears, and my bravado .
"Useless," my stepmother said .
"Stupid," my step sister called me .
"No one would ever want you," Elenora had said just the day before .
Oh, how I longed for the carefree days of my youth, when my mother would tell me I was her special girl, and that she was proud of me. And my father… I choked back a sob. He would always make me feel beautiful and cherished, and we would laugh at the silliness of the world around us, forgetting everything that troubled us .
I didn't know how long I stood there, but the water had grown a little tepid, and I suddenly realized how selfish I'd been. As I daydreamed in the heat of the shower, allowing myself momentary longing for what used to be, I'd taken up all the hot water. What about Dante? He was just as cold and wet as I was, and I was sure he needed to warm up too. As quickly as I could, I rinsed my hair and body, shut the shower off, and stepped out. I wrapped myself back up in that big, fluffy towel, ran my fingers through my hair, and snagged the smaller of the two robes, twisting it about me, and tying the knot at my side .
"Gabriella?" God, in that ten minutes I'd been in there, I'd forgotten how deep his voice was, so much so that it startled me and I jumped a little .
"Y-yes? Coming out now!" I hollered, suddenly afraid to open the door. When I did, he was sitting at the desk and he'd... oh, God ... stripped off his wet t-shirt and hung it up on the side of the desk, in front of the heating vent that blew warm air into the room .
"Hand me your clothes," he commanded, his back to me, and I allowed myself a moment to take in the glorious sight of his beautiful, tattooed, muscled back .
I wanted to run my tongue along the edges of his muscles and snake my fingers down his chest ...
"Gabriella?"
Oh my God! I was out of my ever-loving mind .
"Yes, of course, just a minute," I said, turning back to the bathroom and snagging my bundle of clothes. "Here, you don't have to do that for me," I said, but he merely raised a heavy brow, pursed his lips, and waited. Silently, I handed him my clothes .
I jumped when he snapped them open one at a time, smoothing them out, and laying them across the bare area where warm air blew from vents. He snickered to himself. "These are so tiny," he said in his deep voice .
I didn't know how to respond, so I didn't .
"Ok, did you leave me any hot water in there?" he asked, and I felt a moment of chagrin before he turned to me, giving me a lopsided smile that made my belly turn to mush .
"Erm... well… sorry about that. It was so luxurious in there, just standing under the hot water. I could've stayed for hours, but then I remembered you needed a shower, too…" I trailed off .
His lopsided smile turned into a full-on grin. "Luxurious. You found this hotel's bathroom luxurious? Babe, I can practically see the floor through the carpet. Did they somehow miraculously make the bathroom fancier ?"
"Well, no, but at home we just have a standing stall thing and my sisters are always pounding on the door for me to answer. And I only have cheap toiletries, so ...”
“I see," he rumbled, without further comment. "Be back in a minute. Be a good girl while I'm gone, yeah?" I squirmed .
Oh, God, he was so sexy I wanted to die .
"Sure thing," I said, saluting him as I plopped on the bed and lifted the remote. "I'll just sit here and watch TV or something .”
He snickered, shook his head, and went into the bathroom. As he was in there, I wondered if I should take advantage of the opportunity. Find out who he was, maybe. What did they do in the movies? I could maybe frisk his jeans for his wallet, or… something? But I realized two things pretty quickly. First, what exactly would the purpose be? And second... he was still wearing his jeans .
I flipped through the channels instead, and as I lay there, warm and dry, my eyes grew heavy. It seemed like only moments later the cranking of the shower woke me from my sleep .
I rubbed my hands over my eyes as the door to the shower opened and he stepped out, wearing, predictably, just a towel wrapped around his waist .
I couldn't tear my eyes away .
His broad, powerful shoulders filled the entire doorway. The defined muscles on his chest looked sinfully delicious, as did the thin, dark line of hair that ran down his trim waist, all the way to... Oh, my .
Yeah, I was staring .
"Were you asleep?" he inquired. "Don't let me disturb you. It's late, and you probably have to get back early in the morning. I do, too. Phone's probably blowing up already," he grumbled. "You take the bed. I'll take the couch ."
"You can't do that, Dante," I protested. "You're ginormous, and I'm tiny. I should take the couch.” I got up out of the bed and rummaged in the little closet until I found a blanket, then tossed it on the couch. "But yes, I am awfully tired, and as grateful as I am for everything you've done for me—honestly, you've been amazing through all this—I really should get some sleep. What time did they say they served breakfast again ?"
But I stopped talking then because the humor had fled his face and he stood, still in his towel, glaring at me, his hands on his hips .
"You're not taking the couch. Get back on the bed." He jerked an angry thumb back at the double bed .
No way. He was not gonna do this .
"Thank you again for your kindness, but this is hogwash. You know you won't fit on that couch, and how exactly are you supposed to ride that bike of yours back to town with a crick in your neck and a sore back? Hmm?” I lifted my chin at him. “I’m taking the couch… end of story. Now stop trying to boss me around, and let me sleep, please ."
I turned my back to him, hoping he'd see I meant what I said. He pulled the blanket up over my shoulder, but a second later I squealed, limbs flailing, as he lifted me up bodily and hauled me over to the bed .
"The hell you are," he growled .
"Put me down!" I pounded on his huge back but it was like a kitten batting a moth. He paid me no mind and merely whacked my ass, hard, and plopped me down .
My blood rushed in my veins and my body betrayed me, wanting more. Harder .
"Behave yourself, Gabriella. I can tell you're a good little girl, but you remember what I told you I'd do before you took your shower." He wagged a finger at me. Miraculously, his towel was still astride his hips, he hadn't lost it. I squirmed and glared at him, but it was no use. I was overpowered, and way, way turned on, my glare simply a facade for what I really felt .
"Listen, Dante," I said .
"No, Gabriella, you listen to me. I'm not going to hurt you. I'm not going to take advantage of you. But do you really think that a guy like me, who'd fucking carry you up the stairs so you wouldn't cut your foot on the glass, would let you sleep on the couch? Jesus. I'll sleep on the couch, you'll sleep on the bed, and I swear to God you talk back to me again, and you won't sit for a fucking week ."
His beautiful brown eyes were narrowed on me, daring me to disobey, making me listen, and his voice, though calm, barely held the edge of control .
I don't know what happened, then. I don't know if it was the fear, or the really strange, weird, messed-up night, or the fact that I was mad at myself for being turned on by his caveman-like tendencies, but without even thinking about it, I picked up the pillow next
to me and whipped it straight at his beautiful, furious face. It smacked the side of his head, and he reared back, then it slithered along his body and fell to the floor in a heap .
My heart leapt to my throat and a quiver ran through me, as I wondered what he’d say, or do. A long, tense filled moment passed and no words were spoken. But his eyes bore straight into me and a muscle twitched in his jaw .
"What'd I say?" he finally whispered, in a dangerously low voice, prowling closer to the bed. I scrambled to the other side. I wasn't afraid, really, more excited than anything, and I wanted to hide the fact that I was .
"You said not to talk back. I didn't talk back. I—I threw a pillow. That is technically not talking back. And fine! I’ll sleep on the bed. That huge, monstrous, cavernous bed, all by myself, while you cramp yourself on that teeny, likely filthy, crumb-ridden little couch !"
He reached me then, and before I knew what was happening, he plunked me straight over his lap .
"Dante! Dante, don't you—ow !"
I yelped, more startled than in pain, as his huge hand slapped against my ass. Pain blossomed into heat, which wove its way through my core, and my clit zinged with need .
Another sharp spank landed. "God, you need a good, hard spanking," he said, giving me another good whack. I felt him beneath me, hard as a rock . He was turned on. Oh, God . So it wasn't just me .
He didn't even lift my robe, and I was ready to climax right over his knee .
"Stop it!" I said, scissoring my legs. I flailed a hand behind me, wishing he would know I both wanted him to stop and yet I didn’t. I wanted him to make it hurt, to really sting .
Who was I? Had I gone insane ?
"Dante, please !"
"Kick your legs again, you lose the robe ."
"No!" I sputtered. "You wouldn't. You said you wouldn't take advantage of me ."
"I fucking won’t. But you're under my protection tonight whether we want this or not, Gabriella.” He wasn’t spanking me now, and he’d only given me a few good whacks, but my clit throbbed painfully, my full breasts pressed up against his nearly-bare knees, and beneath my belly, his erection made me hum with desire .