“You don’t have to thank me for anything, Angel. I will do anything and everything for you,” he told her in a heartbeat and her eyes widened in surprise. She knew that he probably says things like this to get laid but then why does it feel like he meant every word he uttered?
Her perfect lips parted like she wanted to say something but no words would come out. Victor’s eyes rested on her full soft lips that were so inviting that he had to keep fighting the urge to kiss her. A part of him wanted to lean in and capture those beautiful lips right away but he held himself back. He had decided to take things slow with her and he intended to keep it that way. Instead, he leaned down and placed a soft kiss on the pink spot on her cheeks that was barely visible under the low moonlight.
He was playing a long game and considering how smooth things were running he knew that he was heading on the winning path. But was it a game for him? Not really, though he kept telling him the other way. Whatever he was having with this girl was different; something he had never felt before. He wanted her to see him as something other than a monster.
He pressed her closer to his chest letting her warmth flow through his veins. “Where have you been hiding all these years, my sweet Angel?” he murmured under his breath, holding her close to his chest embracing her warmth with his. The cold night breeze fuelled their hunger for the heat growing in between them that kept growing with every passing second.
Ira cast her eyes down and a soft smile touched her perfect lips. She did feel beautiful in his arms; he made her feel like she belonged somewhere. “I can ask you the same thing,” she murmured, her voice barely a whisper. There was no way in hell was she could ever admit to him directly that she was drawn to him like a moth.
The corner of his mouth curled, and he pressed her further into his chest. She was like a breath of fresh air to him and he was losing himself in her spell. He cupped her face in his hands and studied her for a long minute. Her wide innocent eyes lacked the shine a girl of her age should be having and a part of him wanted to know what happened to her.
“Who did this to you, Angel?” he asked her, making sure that his tone was soft and gentle. He didn’t want to overwhelm her with things she very likely wasn't comfortable discussing.
Ira chuckled, like his question amused her, maybe it did or maybe she was just surprised by the fact that somebody like him would be interested in knowing about her. “What do you want to know?” she countered him, cleverly giving him the chance of choosing his choice of information, just the way she had done earlier but this time he knew what he wanted to know.
“What do you want the most in your life?” he asked her and he was instantly rewarded with a surprised look that gave him the satisfaction of getting the exact reaction he wanted.
A smile cracked into her face and just as he registered the look on her face in his mind the smile disappeared leaving a sad realization in her eyes. “Angel?” he asked her softly unsure of what was happening. She closed her eyes and sighed, “I want to go back to college,” she replied softly. He sensed the sadness in her eyes and he didn’t know what to say to her to make her feel better.
It’s at times like this he wished he was more laid back like Kevin who was the right combination of darkness and light. He knew exactly what to say to women and had this charming personality that would cheer anyone up. “Then I think you should go back to college,” he replied, though he wanted to offer to help her that would overwhelm her.
She let out a humourless laugh, “It’s too late now; I can’t handle two jobs at a time and going back to college is completely out of picture. I had to give up one thing or the other; I’m in desperate need of money so the decision was easy.” though her reply was cheerful, the pain in her eyes was crystal. A young girl sacrificing her dreams and her future for her family was something he had never come across.
He glanced at his Rolex and an involuntary groan escaped his lips. It was way past 10:30 and he knew that if he was not going to take her to bed it is not right of him to keep her here. It would simply taint her reputation and he didn’t want to do that to her. She was a good girl and her involvement with a man like him was not good for her reputation at least not until he claimed her as his, officially.
He gently caressed her bottom lips with the pad of his thumb and sighed, “Do you want to stay the night with me or…” her face paled visibly and for a minute he regretted asking that question.
“I would like to go home please,” she cut in, her voice laced with sheer urgency. He did not miss the uncertainty in her voice and he understood that she was still not comfortable around him and he did not like it.
He couldn’t blame her for it though; no woman in her right mind would want to be involved with a demon like him. A demon: yes, that’s what he was. Why would she ever trust him when he had never given her a reason to trust him. The last time she was this close to him he had almost forced himself on her.
She looked anywhere but him and it bothered him more than it should have. She was scared of him and he could not bear the thought. Fear is not the emotion he wants her to harbour for him. The only way he can make her stop fearing him is to get her to trust him. But how the hell was he going to do it?
“Very well then, I’ll get somebody to drop you home,” he told her in a stern crisp tone trying his best to mask his disappointment. God, he wanted her to stay the night with him. Maybe he could put her in a different room so that she could sleep comfortably. The mere thought that she was under the same roof as him was enough to comfort him, but he decided to respect her choice.
He leaned into her and gently brushed his lips on hers, finally allowing him the luxury of tasting her sensuous mouth before he sent her home. He could not keep her here with him but at least he could take in something to keep him awake at night. She parted her lips welcoming his kiss but he surprised both of them by pulling away.
He knew that anything more than a brush of lips could make him lose his control and he didn’t want to repeat his actions from the club the other day. Her face dropped and for a minute he felt like shit. ‘Damn you, Victor, she wanted you to kiss her and you broke her heart.’ he spat at himself for screwing over a good opportunity.
He pulled away from her, absolutely despising the lack of her warmth on his skin. He offered his hand to her in a feeble attempt to touch her again and surprisingly she took it without hesitation. The corner of his mouth curled, she was learning to trust him and that means he had hope.
He took her hand in his and walked her back to the patio where they had left their footwear, another something his angel had insisted. She kept throwing shy glances at him now and then as they walked and it was distracting him more than it should have. She was going home and there was nothing he could do about it.
He glanced at her and he knew that she was feeling the same too. Then why was she fighting this so much? He can get her to submit to him in minutes but that’s not what he wanted from her. He wanted to win her for real and most importantly he wanted her to accept him. This had never happened to him before; he had never thought of any woman this way and he did not know why.
Letting out a heavy sigh, he called out to Jackson and he came running to him like a good soldier that he was. “Yes, Boss?” he asked him as he expectantly waited for his orders. His eyes briefly moved to his barefooted angel and he noticed the appreciation in his eyes; an appreciation nobody asked him for.
“Get the car ready, Ira will be going home.” Jackson frowned at him looking a little surprised and this fuelled his irritation even more. ‘Yes buddy I’m not getting laid, screw you.’ he wanted to say that aloud but held himself back. There was no point in ruining a perfectly nice evening. Plus he did not want to come off as an overly jealous guy who is insecure of his very subordinate.
“Very well Sir,” he replied and walked away to do his job. Victor turned his attention to his girl and the look on her face made his heart sink. She looked somewhat disappointed and a part of him couldn’t help b
ut to completely relate to her. Guess sometimes it’s better to do the right thing then to do what you want to do. That’s something she thought of him tonight.
A thought flashed in his head and he knew what he had to do. And like an answer to his prayer, Jackson returned to inform him that the car was ready. “I changed my mind. Get me the keys to my Audi, I’ll drive her myself.” Jackson's eyes went wide in disbelief and so did his angel’s.
This was the first time he was volunteering to drive a girl home instead of getting one of his minions to do it for him. It only meant one thing; this girl meant something to him, something more than just a mindless fuck.
“Yes Sir,” he replied as he finally recovered from his daze. He rushed to the garage to get his car. His Audi was his baby; he considered it his lucky car and because it was in the presence of this very car that he had first seen her it deserves the title it owns.
Jackson returned with the keys in minutes and Victor snatched the keys from his hand and glanced at his girl who had a tough time hiding her smile. He could feel his lips curl and the realization started to sink into him, she wanted him the same way he wanted her and the thought comforted him more than anything else.
He offered his hand to her and she took it without hesitation, he wrapped his fingers around her soft hand and led her to his car that proudly stood on his porch. A soft gasp escaped her lips as her eyes landed on the car. She had never seen anything this exquisite up close before, not that she ever had a chance to experience anything in life.
He unlocked the car and stepped forward to open the passenger door for her. She hesitated for a minute but accepted his offer anyway. He put his hand on the small of her back and helped her get into the car and the brush of his hand over her skin sent sparks flowing down her spine and a soft gasp escaped her mouth.
He bent down to fasten her seat belt and he was suddenly engulfed by her intoxicating scent and for a minute he went perfectly still. He could feel her heat wash over him and his loins stiffened in anticipation. Gosh! He wanted to pick her up and carry her up to his bedroom and claim her right away but he held himself back.
Ira noticed the hooded look in his eyes and she could feel it mirror in her own eyes. He was so close to her that she could smell his musky scent. His warm minty breath fanned the sensitive skin of her face that began to heat up in clear anticipation. His warm fingers kept brushing over her exposed skin sending waves and waves of electricity through her veins.
He fastened the seat belts and was just about to pull away from her when he noticed the dazed look on her face. Her eyes were shut and lips parted. He sucked in a breath realizing what was happening and there was nothing more he wanted to do but to give in to the urge but he knew that the older the wine the better the taste.
He expertly buckled her up and let his fingers brush over her perfect body, enjoying the tension he was building in her. He pulled away half-heartedly and closed the passenger door snapping her out of her daze. Her eyes shot open and the realization of her shameful behaviour started to wash all over her. What was she doing? Throwing herself at him?
He got into the driver's seat and quickly buckled up. He knew that the more time he wasted here the more difficult it would be for him to control his urge to take her back inside and do what he wanted to do the minute his eyes landed on her. And the mere fact that she was reciprocating his urge was enough to drive him to the edge, but she wasn't ready for him yet and he was not going to scare her away by rushing things.
“So, do you have a boyfriend?” he asked her as they finally drove into the city. It had taken him a while to get back to his senses and even then he could barely focus on anything but her. She let out a little soft giggle which sounded like music to his ears.
Her cheeks heated up and she shook her head, “No, I used to be a nerd back in college and spent most of my time studying so never really got the time to date.” she replied looking a little embarrassed.
Victor gave her a sideways glance as he processed what she had just told him. Does that mean he’s going to be her first lover? The thought made his chest puff with pride, but he did not let it show on his face. But then again it’s highly unlikely for a girl this beautiful to have not have caught a guys attention before
“That’s good, it means I don’t have to worry about competition,” he replied.
“I’m not your property” she replied abruptly not liking the way he spoke about her. He tore his eyes off her and turned towards her holding his hard gaze on her.
“You belong to me Angel, I’m not going to take a single argument on that.” his words were cold as ice and she got her message. They spent the rest of the drive-in silence and she kept playing his words in her head over and over again.
Ira watched him with wide confused eyes; A huge part of her wanted to run into his arms and give herself to him and she did not understand why such a thought even entered her mind, especially for a man like him. A part of her wanted to stay with him for as long as she could and the other part of her wanted to get the hell away from him.
She sneaked a peek at his tall frame and found him staring down at her. Their eyes met for a brief moment and she immediately averted her gaze from him. She had seen a different side of him tonight that she bets nobody else ever had his gentle side. Could there be a possibility that there was a mushy little heart hidden somewhere deep inside his stone-cold persona?
Victor noted that as they got closer and closer to her residence the area started to get more and more underdeveloped and when they finally reached her cheap apartment building his temper had already started getting to his head.
“This place is crap, you shouldn’t be living here,” he demanded and she had this urge to roll her eyes at him.
“This place is cheap and my landlord is a good man. He does not complain or give me trouble if I’m late to pay the rent,” she replied and he was not at all convinced but he did not go to argue with her on it.
He will have to find her another apartment or better move her into his penthouse. The thought seemed wonderful but moving her in this soon would complicate things plus it may overwhelm her and he did not want that to happen.
He stopped the car in front of the gates of her building and cut off the engine. He quickly unbuckled his seat belts and leaned into her to help her with her seat belts. She could feel his eyes on her lips and she absently chewed on her lower lip.
He let out a low growl and roughly grabbed her face crashing his hungry lips on hers dragging her into a deep passionate kiss letting all his desire flow through his veins and into the kiss, drinking in the ocean of sweet sensual bliss that he had deprived himself of all night.
Ira closed her eyes shut and let herself give in to the ecstasy of the heavenly sensation of his perfect mouth on her’s. His demanding rough kisses mirrored the hunger growing inside him and she could feel the same hunger rise inside her as well making her want more of this, more of him.
He let his hand move to the back of her neck and he let it rest there as he cradled her head in his palms letting his other hand rest on her jaw as he deepened the kiss sucking and nipping at her lower lip that had been tempting him all night.
She let out a moan as he lightly chewed on her lower lips which he has come to love so much. She closed her eyes shut and let her fingers dip into his hair as she kissed him back with equal passion. They pulled away abruptly catching their breath, she opened her eyes and found him staring back at her with hooded eyes.
He brushed her swollen lower lip with the pad of his thumb and a soft sigh escaped her lips. “Go home Angel, before I change my mind and take you right here right now,” he growled at her, his voice hoarse with raw sexual frustration. She swallowed hard and quickly opened the door and scrambled out of the car.
She turned around to bid him goodbye but he had already started driving away at a rocket speed. Letting out a frustrated sigh she ran up to her apartment and closed the door behind her. She leaned against the door and absently brush
ed her finger over her swollen lips and a shy smile crept to her lips.
CHAPTER 11
Something had happened to her and she was finally coming to terms with it. Ever since she had shared that kiss with him in his car something had changed within her. She didn’t know what it was or how it came to be the way it is but it has happened and now there was nothing she could do about it but to let time decide her fate.
She had begun to harbour feelings for him, feelings she had never felt for anybody else. The way her body would go stiff every time she saw him walk by. Or the way her heart would beat when he watched her dance, it was all new to her. She had unknowingly made him a part of her life and she didn’t know if it was a good thing or a bad thing.
But one thing she was sure of was whatever this was, it was not one-sided. He felt the same too, she had seen a shadow in his eyes and she had seen it in her own eyes too. “But Ira, he is a bad guy. He kills people and sells drugs for a living. How can you fall for him?” Kajal had argued with her the other day when she had tried to talk to her about her new feelings.
“But he’s a nice guy,” she had found herself defending him several times. It was like a part of her was not even ready to listen to anything negative about him. “You had seen him mercilessly put a bullet through a man’s head.” Her inner voice had tried to reason with her but her heart was not willing to listen to her feeble reasoning.
She didn’t care who he was or what sort of a life he lived or what he did to others. No matter what happened he would never hurt her and that was more than enough for her to let these uncertain feelings grow within her. She knew the path she was taking was filled with pain and a lot of heartbreaks but she was ready to go through hell and back for him.
“Excuse me, where can I find ruled notebooks?” an elderly woman asked her, dragging her out of her thoughts. “At the end of the third aisle, Ma’am. Wait a minute, let me show you.” she put back the body lotions she was arranging and stood up and straightened her clothes. “That’s fine, I’ll find my way.” the lady replied, in an unnecessarily curt tone.
Victor's Girl: A Mafia Romance Page 8