Seconds later, the sommelier appears at our table.
Gabriel orders, “A bottle of Tenuta dell’Ornellaia Masseto, please.”
His pronunciation of what I can only assume is Italian is absolutely breathtaking. He is nothing if not full of surprises. And with every one he reveals, I feel more and more out of my league. I don’t belong here. He’d be better paired with Alison than with me.
“You’ve been awfully quiet so far, Marley. Should I be concerned about what’s going through your head?” His voice has a hint of amusement in it.
When I look up though, I see that his expression doesn’t hold an ounce of humor.
I lift a shoulder slightly, giving a small shrug. “Honestly…I don’t know. I can’t even tell you for certain what’s going through my head, so I don’t know if you should be concerned or not.”
His eyes shift toward the ceiling as if he’s taking serious consideration of my words.
Seconds later, he looks back at me. “Ask me a question.”
“What?”
“You’re still too deep in your own head to enjoy this evening, Marley. You want to run. I can see it in your eyes. So, if it will put you at ease and prevent me from having to chase after you again, ask me whatever it is that’s on your mind right now. You have my word that I’ll answer you honestly.”
My mouth drops open, but I can’t find my voice. Gabriel’s candor has managed to throw me off. The earnestness in how he speaks to me is so unlike anything I’ve ever experienced.
I have so many questions rolling around in my head that I’m not even sure where to begin. There was one thing he said that struck me the most, and I can’t help but address that first. “You’d chase after me again?” There’s no way to cover the hopefulness in that question.
As soon as the words leave my mouth, I regret them. I drop my gaze in embarrassment at my own stupidity, internally berating myself for sounding like some pathetic schoolgirl with a crush. I feel a light pressure against the back of my neck, and I turn my head to see Gabriel staring at me, his eyes as penetrating as ever. He’s leaning close, and his hand on the base of my neck sends a jolt through my body. My mouth has gone dry at his intensity, and my tongue darts out to wet my bottom lip. I inhale deeply, welcoming his distinctive smell. God, what is this man doing to me?
“As long as you keep looking at me like you are right now, I’ll keep chasing after you.”
“H-how am I looking at you?”
Gabriel leans even closer and runs his nose along the shell of my ear. “Like you’re dying to have part of me inside you. Like it doesn’t matter if I fuck you with my tongue, my fingers, or my cock, just so long as I’m fucking you.”
I can’t help the whimper that escapes my lips at his deliciously filthy words.
Even with the damage from my past, I know, deep inside, that sex with Gabriel would be different from anything I’ve ever experienced. My gut tells me that the man sitting in front of me right now could work my body in ways I never knew possible. And fuck, if I don’t desperately want him to. I feel like I could spontaneously orgasm simply from listening to him.
Before I get the chance to respond, the sommelier arrives with the wine Gabriel ordered. He uncorks the bottle and pours each of us a glass before leaving. I lift the glass to my nose and inhale deeply, appreciating the aroma of the grapes, the hint of oak, and the delicious floral undertones. I don’t drink, but I’ve always been a huge wine lover. Each one smells so different from the next.
I push the glass away and reach for my water.
Gabriel stares at me with a strange expression. “I assure you that it tastes even better than it smells.”
I give a nervous laugh as I begin to play with the napkin in my lap. “I’m sure it does. But…I don’t drink.”
He tilts his head to the side in curiosity. “Ever?”
“Ever,” I reply with a small shake of my head. “I like to remain clearheaded. I try to refrain from doing anything that can dull my senses.”
Picking up his wine glass, Gabriel swirls the burgundy liquid around a few times before taking a sip. “Why do I feel there’s so much more to you? I haven’t even begun to scratch the surface, have I?”
His question causes my shoulders to stiffen, pulling me out of any lustful stupor I was swimming in minutes before.
I need to change the subject and fast. “If I’m correct, aren’t I the one who’s supposed to be asking questions right now?”
He leans back in his chair, casually propping one elbow on the back of it, as he studies me thoroughly. My anxiety builds at the thought of what he might say.
At that moment, our waiter arrives, shattering the intensity that has filled the air around us. “Pardon me, are you ready to order?”
I grab the leather-bound menu in front of me and scan over the choices quickly. I finally settle on the chicken saltimbocca while Gabriel orders the veal marsala.
Seconds later, we are left to our privacy, thrust back into discomfort once again.
I try to ignore the disquiet that’s taken over, threatening to sully the evening ahead, as I cut into my chicken before lifting my fork and taking my first bite. I have to close my eyes as the amazing flavors burst on my tongue. I let out a low groan as I savor the food, and then I open my eyes and meet Gabriel’s.
“This is absolutely fantastic.” I’m so taken by how magnificent the food is that I don’t even care I’m speaking with a full mouth.
He lets out a low chuckle as he cuts into his own meal. “I’m glad you’re enjoying it. I’ll admit, seeing your reaction isn’t a hardship on my part.”
I can feel my blush returning at the suggestive nature of his words.
We eat in companionable silence for several minutes, just enjoying the faint notes of the piano and appreciating the food before us. Once we’ve finished eating and our plates are cleared, Gabriel takes it upon himself to order dessert.
“So,” he says as we wait for the waiter to return with our tiramisu, “it appears we’ve reached the question portion of the date. Ask away.”
I look over at him, studying his features for any signs of discomfort. There are none to be found. He really is being genuine about his honesty.
So, I blurt out the one question that’s been plaguing me the most. “Why a sex club?”
Inhaling deeply, Gabriel remains silent for several seconds. I’m beginning to question whether he plans on answering me when he finally begins to speak.
“It’s simple really. I’m a businessman above all else, Marley. Sex sells. That’s all there is to it.”
How he can be so casual is beyond me. “You say that as though it’s not even the slightest bit…immoral.”
Gabriel leans in, resting his elbows on the table and clasping his hands. “What am I doing that’s so immoral, Marley? It’s not as though I’m harming anyone. I’m not doing anything illegal—”
I can’t help but scoff at that. “Oh, please—” I begin to interrupt, but he cuts me off.
“I’ll have you know that I have every single license necessary to run a place like Indulge. There is no exchange of money for sexual favors. Everything is one hundred percent consensual, and every single member is required to fill out confidentiality agreements and submit to extensive background checks.”
“If everything is so hush-hush, then how was it so easy for Carmen and I to get in?” I can’t help but point out.
A flash of something skates across his features, but it’s gone before I can pinpoint exactly what it is.
“Whoever it was that so willingly handed over that password is in serious trouble. Legally and…otherwise,” he replied cryptically.
I can’t help but be thankful that Carmen didn’t rat whoever it was out. From the look in Gabriel’s eyes, there would be hell to pay.
Our dessert is delivered and placed in front of us before anything else can be said. Picking up my fork, I begin running the tongs through the different layers as I contemplate how to ask my
next question.
Too in tuned to my emotional state for my liking, Gabriel asks, “What are you thinking?”
“It’s just…I…well…” I sputter nervously, refusing to make eye contact. “Do you…need that kind of thing? I mean, is that, like, a requirement for you?” At that moment, I wish a massive hole would open up in the floor and swallow me.
He remains silent for so long that I’m forced to look up to see his reaction. What I see is most definitely not what I expected. His shoulders are shaking in silent laughter.
“I don’t see how this funny,” I hiss, seething that he finds my discomfort so amusing.
“Ah, bella, I’m sorry. I don’t mean to laugh. You’re just even more adorable when you’re uncomfortable.”
His laughter is no longer silent, and I quickly look around to see if it has drawn any attention from the other diners.
“Well, I’m glad I was able to amuse you,” I deadpan after taking comfort in the fact that no one seems to have noticed his rumbling laughter.
“Marley, look at me.”
I defiantly keep my head down as my cheeks heat in embarrassment.
“Please?” he asks so softly, so sincerely.
I can’t help but comply.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“You didn’t,” I reply petulantly.
Reaching across the table and taking my hand in his, Gabriel brings it to his mouth, brushing those sinful lips against my knuckles softly. I want so badly to remain angry, but I find myself melting at such a small gesture.
“Forgive me.” His deep voice causes a quiver of delight.
It’s as if he holds some sort of power over me. I can’t deny him anything.
A devastating smile spreads across his face, lighting it up, at the small nod I give him in response.
He lowers our hands back to the table but doesn’t release them. “To answer your question, no. I don’t have any sort of kink that is required in order to have sex with a woman. Now, that doesn’t mean I’m not open-minded when it comes to trying new things, but”—he leans in to me and begins to circle his thumb over the pulse in my wrist—“I always take my partner into consideration before any experimentation. Always.”
The way he stresses the word always proves that he’s trying to provide relief with that statement. He wants me to know that he’d never do anything I wasn’t comfortable with. A thrill of anticipation shoots through my body with that.
I give my head a shake, trying to pull myself together. “But Bertozzi Enterprises is one of the most successful companies in Chicago, Gabriel.”
He sits back in his seat. He picks up his fork with his hand that isn’t holding on to mine and takes a bite of his dessert. “That it is, bella. But the money I make at Indulge in one month is more than three of my nightclubs pull in a year combined. I had the opportunity to make a wise business transaction, and I jumped on it. That’s all it is.”
Memories from the night at the club flash in my head, causing me to feel uncertain. “But…that girl at the club—”
Gabriel sits his fork down and places a finger over my lips, effectively silencing me before I can finish. “That was an ill-timed, poorly made decision,” he states adamantly. “You were in my head day and night. I couldn’t stop thinking about you…wanting you. I thought if I were with another woman, I could get the images of you out of my mind.”
Before I can even ask, he answers the question on my mind.
“It was a colossal failure.”
Taking my time to absorb everything he is telling me, I reach for my own fork and take a bite of the tiramisu, letting myself appreciate the rich espresso and sweet custard. I can continue to try pushing him away, to doubt his sincerity, but the simple truth is that I don’t want to anymore. I find myself wanting to throw caution at the wind. I want to let myself be consumed by the hunger he makes me feel. I want to let him feed the fire that has been smoldering within me and let it burn so hot that there’s nothing left. I want his touch that I so badly ache for. Gabriel provokes emotions in me that I never thought possible—desire, anticipation, arousal, and as of tonight, jealousy. I owe it to myself to see where this could go. Even if the risk of it ending badly is insurmountable.
At that revelation, I find myself nodding. “Okay,” I whisper.
He squeezes the hand he’s still holding in his own. “Okay?”
“Yes,” I say. I take another bite of the rich dessert, letting myself study his expression before speaking again. “I believe what you’re telling me about that woman at the club, and—”
“What?”
“And I want to see where this can go,” I admit. “I’m willing to spare you the difficulty of having to continue chasing after me. It has to be exhausting.” I finish with a smirk of my own.
He throws his head back in laughter before looking back at me. “You have no idea.”
Seeing him laugh like that is exhilarating, but I need to say this next part before I let the heady reaction it’s causing overwhelm me completely. “But we need to go slow, Gabriel. I need to go slow,” I stress emphatically. “Can you do that?”
His gray eyes blaze with passion so powerful that, if it were possible, it could singe me from where I’m sitting. I sit and watch in awe as I witness while he tries to fight back his desire to consume me in order to give me what I need.
“Anything you need, bella. I promise.”
***
The rest of dessert is a true test to my willpower. Watching her mouth as she eats her tiramisu makes my cock spring to life, pressing painfully against the zipper of my slacks. I want nothing more than to devour her just as she devours every bite. But her request to go slow echoes loudly in my head, and I’m discovering that I can’t deny her anything. I’ll gladly go as slow as she needs so that she can remain comfortable, and hopefully—in the not too distant future—she’ll grant me a taste of her. At this very moment, staring into those green eyes shining with pleasure, I’d give just about anything for a taste of her.
I’m beyond thrilled with the small steps we’ve taken tonight. Because I know that it’s only a matter of time before she drops her guard completely. Then, I’ll finally be able to make her mine. I’ll be able to mark her body as my own, and fuck, just the idea of being inside her is staggering.
“Do you not like the dessert?” she asks.
I’m so absorbed with watching her tongue dart out, licking that little bit of powdered cocoa from her lips, that I find it hard to speak. If I’m not able to fuck her soon, there’s a strong possibility that I’ll explode.
“I’m slightly preoccupied at the moment,” I reply, not taking my eyes from her mouth.
My fingers itch to touch her neck as a blush spreads up to her cheeks, and I have to fist my hand to keep from reaching out. I love that I’m able to affect her so greatly. Her lips part on a sharp inhale, and I force myself to lift my gaze to hers.
“What are you thinking?” she asks me in that velvet voice of hers.
I can’t contain the smirk that spreads across my lips. I’m so close. I almost have her where I want her.
“I can’t tell you, bella.”
She’s playing right into my hands.
“Why not?”
Leaning in just slightly, I whisper, “Because you knowing what I’m thinking at this very moment would defeat the purpose of going slow.”
Her eyes darken and glaze over, and I know I’ve just won.
***
It goes against everything I’ve just told him, but I can’t help myself. I have to hear him say it.
“Tell me.” My voice comes out raspy with need.
“Be certain, Marley.”
Good judgment be damned. Was I certain? Absolutely not, but his words are like Pandora’s box. My curiosity and need to know what he wants to say is too much to resist.
“I’m certain,” I lie.
“I’m thinking about how your pussy probably tastes better than that dessert
you just ate. I’m thinking about how I’m going to love licking and biting every inch of your luscious body when I finally have you naked in my bed. I’m thinking of how many times I can make you come using just my tongue before I finally let you have my cock and about how good it’s going to sound when you scream my name as I fuck you so hard that you won’t be able to move by the time I’m finished with you.”
Wetness pools between my legs, and my nipples are so hard that they hurt. My heart is beating so frantically, so loudly, that I am certain the people across the restaurant are able to hear it. I don’t even realize I’ve been holding my breath until my lungs force me to inhale.
He’s grinning at me like the cat that ate the canary. There is no doubt in my mind that he knows he just won.
“Now, bella, are you still certain?”
“Have a wonderful night, Mr. Bertozzi. I hope to see you again soon,” Hostess Alison purrs as we make our way out of the restaurant.
The hand that is clasped in Gabriel’s as we head toward the door clenches involuntarily. A low chuckle emits from him, causing me to look over to see what he finds so funny.
“What?” I ask a little too harshly.
Leaning down as we exit and walk to the car, he whispers, “Are you jealous, Marley?”
I let out a very unladylike snort, which only makes him laugh harder, as he pushes a button on his key chain to unlock the car doors.
“I have to admit, it’s rather flattering.”
I turn to face him before he has the chance to open the passenger door, and I cross my arms over my chest. “I’m not jealous.” That’s a total lie. “I just think it’s disgusting that a woman would so blatantly flirt with a man who’s clearly on a date with someone. It’s tacky.”
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