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Chapter 20
“Out.” He grabs my hand and pulls me out of the elevator, and I stumble forward.
I swallow the lump in thy throat as I look around.
Jeez.
I always knew that Gabriel Ferrara had expensive taste, but this is next level. The walls are a soft hue of gold. The ceilings are sky high, and huge dark wooden archways interconnect the rooms. The arches remind me of something you would see in an historic church or something. Grand and oversized.
The furnishings are all beautiful dark wooden antiques. Huge navy and maroon Aubusson rugs are on the dark timber floors. Beautiful artworks in huge gold gilded frames are hanging on the walls.
It’s like a step back in time to a king’s palace or something.
“Welcome to my home.” His eyes twinkle with pride.
Suddenly, I remember the mission. That’s right, I hate you.
“It’s nice.” I lie through gritted teeth. It’s not nice, it’s fucking fabulous, but I’m not giving him the satisfaction of gushing over it.
His dark eyes hold mine.
“Don’t look at me like that.” I drop my shoulders to try to look tough and in control.
“Like what?” Before I can answer the question, he cuts me off. “Like I want to taste every inch of your skin?”
I feel myself melt into a puddle. Don’t start talking dirty, I won’t stand a chance.
“Yes.”
“But I do, Seraphina. I cannot hide it. I won’t even try to. I haven’t even touched the surface with the things I want to do to you.”
Arousal begins to steal my brain. “You shouldn’t be such an asshole, then,” I whisper. That didn’t sound convincing, even to me.
“Do you know me at all?” He smiles as he lifts my hand to his lips and kisses my fingertips. The hairs on the back of my neck
stand to attention.
Oh….
I watch him softly kiss my hand. “That’s the problem, I do,” I whisper, distracted.
He’s just so…
“I’m not your plaything, Gabriel,” I say as I pull my hand from his grip.
“But I am your toy to play with.” He smirks. “Only too happy to donate my body to science.”
“You think I’m a science experiment?” I squeak.
He tips his head back and laughs out loud, and I bite my bottom lip to stop myself from smiling too.
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apter zu
“Would you like a drink?” he asks.
“That depends.”
*On what?”
“On whether I’m getting an apology for your assholeness or not.”
His eyes dance with delight, and I get the feeling that it is me who is the toy. “Gracie.” He takes me into his arms and drops his lips to my neck. “I am sorry for acting like myself at the office.” He bites me, and goose bumps scatter up my arms. “I should have acted like someone else.” He teases me as he bites me again. “Because the very least you deserve is for me to act like I want the entire office to know my business.”
He bites me again, and my body melts against his as I grab his hair.
Okay, what the hell is this?
He’s taunting me while not apologizing and my body is lapping it up.
Asshole.
I take a step back from him. “I’d like that drink now, please.”
“Of course.” He licks his lips as his eyes hold mine and the darkness behind them sends a shiver down my spine.
I get the feeling that I’m going to get it.
Hard.
He walks into another room off the living room and down a corridor and I tentatively follow.
Holy what the?
It’s a bar. A fully fledged huge bar, the walls are dark green and the bar is a rosewood timber.
He begins to pour the drinks as my eyes look around the space.
There’s a pool table, a card table, even a roulette table. It’s like a damn casino in here. To the right, there’s a sunken room with a black circular leather couch around a pole.
Huh?
“What’s the pole for?” I ask.
“Strippers,” he says casually as he takes a sip of the drink he’s just poured.
I stare at him as my brain misfires, what do you even say to that?
“You have strippers to your house?” I gasp.
“Of course I do. I certainly don’t want to go to their houses,” he replies casually as he passes me a heavy crystal glass.
What the…
I’m shocked, shocked to my cofe. He has a fucking stripper pole in his bar room.
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ENDING THE LAST BETRAYAL LOOP: Faked My Death and Found REAL FREEDOM
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Itake a sip and winen, so strong. Teh, it’s horrible to this stripper pifce?
He raises his plass in the air with chocky wink teething like that
“neves.” I reply dryly. I imagine all the hot women he must have here, and insecurity creeps in. What could be ever see in
Damn li, maybe I do need this liquid bravery. I take a bus golp and it burns all the way down.
Ugh. Oh, hell
Perhaps tonight’s stripper may be throwing up after drinking this, but whatever. He asked for it.
“it” He points to a stool at the bat, and without thinking I do as he says and drop to the seat. He sits down beside me: his eyes linger on my lips as he takes a slow sip of his drink.
He’s imagining something, god knows what, but it’s perverted. I know.
I glance over to the sunken lounge and the pole: I imagine him sitting there watching a naked girl writhe and dance for him. It’s too much to bear and I snap my eyes away.
Seriously what am I doing here? He isn’t in my league. We aren’t even in the same stratosphere.
This is going to break me.
“What is it?” he asks.
“Nothing.” I say softly.
He puts his finger under my chin and lifts my face to his. “Seraphina?” My stupid eyes well with tears, betraying my bravado
act.
His face falls. “What is it?”
I put my drink down on the bar. “I should….I’m going to get going.” I stand. “Have a merry Christmas.” I force a smile. “It was really.” I pause as I try to get a hold of my emotions, “nice working for you.
He stands abruptly. “Seraphina, the night is young. Don’t go.”
Tm not a stripper, Gabriel. I’m not even a player. The last time I had sex was over a year ago, and this is…..” I gesture to the room. “Isn’t..” I shrug, embarrassed that I’m not the bad girl I want to be, that my heart is already broken after one cheap fuck on his desk. “It’s not who I am. I’m sorry if I gave you the wrong impression.” I rush back out to the living room with him hot on my heels. “Seraphina.” I keep walking.
“Seraphina.”
“Don’t.”
“Seraphina.” He grabs my hand and spins me toward him. “Forgive me.” He pauses as he searches for the right words. “I shouldn’t have taken you in there…it’s been a long time since.” He pauses.
“Since what?”
“Since I’ve been with someone like you.” Someone who stupidly loves you?
I stare at him, hating myself that I can’t forget tomorrow and be lost in the moment tonight.
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ENDING THE LAST BETRAYAL LOOP: Faked My Death and Found REAL FREEDOM
Chapter 20
He cups my face in his hands and kisses me softly, his lips linger across mine. “Don’t go.” He kisses me again. “Please?”
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