More Than Once by Dominique Wolf
CHAPTER 18:
I
t took about fifteen minutes to get back to Giovanni's place. He parked in the basement parking lot and we took the elevator up to his apartment. The doors opened and I was welcomed back to his home. It was warm inside and the cold breeze from outside quickly disappeared. The curtains in his living room were open and I watched the storm release itself to the world. I found it oddly calming to watch. The raindrops beat down against the buildings, washing away the unnecessary residue of the day. The lightning scattered across the sky, waiting for the opportune moment to light it up from behind the dark clouds. Giovanni strolled into the kitchen and brought the kettle to boil. I placed my handbag down on his kitchen counter and slipped my big jacket off. He disappeared upstairs and returned shortly after that with a new shirt on.
“I'm sorry again about your shirt.” I lifted myself onto the barstool by his kitchen counter. He grabbed two cups from the cupboard above his stove and placed them next to the kettle. “Please don't worry about that. It's just a shirt.”
I could tell he was still holding onto the tension that came from the interaction with his father. That was definitely not the way I wanted to meet a member of his family but I didn't expect the relationship between the two of them to be so strained. He placed a cup of coffee in front of me and leaned against the counter, looking over at me. He looked like he wanted to say something but he remained silent.
“Giovanni, I want you to know that you can talk to me about anything.” I reached out and grabbed his hand.
He kept his eyes firmly on his cup of coffee and squeezed my hand. I figured that sharing his feelings wasn't something that came easy to him so I was willing to wait until he was ready.
“I care about you,” I murmured softly. He sighed and his eyes met mine.
“My dad had no right to say that to you,” he glowered. “He can be a real asshole.”
“It's ok-,” I started to say but he interrupted me.
“It's not okay, Isabella,” he continued. “You are not the flavour of the day. You are not like any of the others and I don't want you thinking that you are.”
I caressed his hand with my thumb. “I don't think that.” And that was the truth. I may have felt that before but I trust what we spoke about and I knew that what was happening between us had more to it. I didn't know why I trusted him so much so quickly but I did. His effort in the last 24 hours alone just proved that he felt for me what I was feeling for him. I sipped my coffee and I waited to see if he would say anything more about the situation. The last thing I wanted to do was push him into talking about things if he didn't want to.
“Are you hungry?” he asked.
I was disappointed at his choice to change the subject but I didn't want to push him.
“Starving.” I smiled.
***
Hours later we were still sitting by the kitchen counter, this time with empty plates in front of us. Since we had already established that he seriously lacked skills when it came to making food, I ended up making us a delicious Spaghetti Bolognese. I made sure I taught him step by step how to make the meal - he was going to have to learn to cook at some point in his life. I didn't understand how he lived alone without the ability to cook but he assured me that pre-cooked meals were a very big part of keeping him well-fed and he took full advantage of that convenient way of living.
“That was really delicious,” he commented. “Where did you learn to cook?”
“My dad actually taught me. He used to love to cook and I spent most of the time in the kitchen with him when I was younger.”
“You mentioned that you weren't close with anyone in your family. Has it always been like that?” he asked.
“With my mom and sister, yes. It was a strange dynamic - my mother has always been strict and very formal and my sister seemed to have absorbed her traits. My dad and I had a close relationship when I was growing up but the more successful the newspaper got, the less time he and I had together.”
My dad was always a kind man. That was one thing about him that never changed but we drifted apart when he and my mother started to spend more time focusing on the success of their newspaper rather than their family. He was also the quieter parent, always going along with what my mother decided. She was so focused on their business that she never had time to be a mother. She and I never saw eye to eye with each other so I made sure to always keep our communication as brief as possible. It wasn't ideal but over the years I had come to accept that she was the way she was and I couldn't change that. I tried to bond with her but it was impossible.
“They still think you’re in Madrid, right?”
“To be honest, I don't know what they know and I don't care anymore. After everything that happened - getting dumped, losing my job, moving here - I didn't exactly want to keep in touch with them.”
“You know they're going to find out one day, right?” He glanced over at me. “How do they not know already? Surely they can tell through speaking to yo-...”
I interrupted him. “I hardly speak to them. I had a bad fallout with my mother after the whole ‘quitting my job’ thing so she keeps me at arm's length. She wants me to suffer by not having their help. She thinks she's punishing me by forcing me to do things by myself but it was what I wanted the whole time anyways.”
I was thankful for our decision to replace our coffee with wine as I brought my wine glass to my lips. I thought back to that last conversation with my mother...
The next few hours were a blur. I still hadn't quite absorbed what happened between Nate and I but that wasn't the most recent issue I had to deal with. I was ashamed of how I acted in the boardroom today but I couldn't help it. I couldn't control all the emotions that flooded through me. It was the last straw. I quickly went back to the hotel to grab my stuff and check out. I managed to book the last flight to Barcelona and now I was sitting at the airport waiting for Reyna to fetch me. The last 24 hours had changed every part of my life and I didn't know how to even begin dealing with it. My phone started to vibrate again and I glanced down to see my mother's name on the screen. I sighed. I couldn't avoid her anymore. She had been trying to call me since I got on the plane and I knew she was going to give me an earful now.
I took a deep breath in and answered, “Hello?”
“Isabella Avery, where the hell have you been?” My mother shouted from the other end. “You have so much explaining to do young lady. We got an upsetting phone call from Nigel earlier today. He said you quit and stormed out of the office and...”
Stormed out? That was a bit dramatic.
“I didn't sto-,” I started to say but she cut me off.
“You better get yourself home right now. You have created such a big problem and we need to fi-,”
This time I cut her off. “I can't come home.”
“What do you mean you can't come home? Where the hell are you?”
“I'm in Barcelona.”
She shrieked. “Barcelona?!?”
I heard murmurs from the other end, probably from my sister who was listening to everything we were saying. I was so numb at this point, I couldn't really comprehend anything that was being said and I really didn't care.
“Isabella, what the hell have you done to your life? You're in Barcelona? Why are you in Barcelona? You and Nate were supposed to leave at the end of the week and weren't you going to Madrid?”
“Mom, please stop,” I snapped. “Look, Reyna had a family emergency and she asked me to come here.”
I was lying but I needed some kind of story to get her off my back for now.
“I don't care who has an emergency,” she shouted. “You quit your job! Why the hell would you do that? Do you have any idea how hard we worked to get you that job in the first place?”
“I didn't ask you to do that.”
“You didn't ask? How ungrateful,” she snapped. “We've always done everything we could to give you the best life and this is how you repay us? By humiliating us?”
I hung my head in my hands. She was driving me fucking crazy right now and I was on the brink of a collapse.
“Where is Nate? How could he let you run off like this?”
My heart tightened. I couldn't tell them what happened with Nate, especially not right now. I feltsick enough already.
“I'm going to meet him in Madrid. I told you, Reyna had a family emergency and you kn-...”
She cut me off again, “I don't care about Reyna's family emergency. I care about my daughter not throwing away everything in her life. We've worked so hard-...”
“I never wanted this!” I shouted. “You always forced all this fucking shit on me and I didn't want it!”
“Don't you dare speak to me like that!” She spat. “Who the hell do you think you are?”
“I'm sick and tired of you dictating my life. It's enough now.”
“You ungrateful little brat! If this is what you want then fine, good luck trying to make something of your life without us. You've already disappointed us enough.”
And with that, I disconnected the line. I had nothing left to say to her.
That phone call destroyed whatever was left of my relationship with my mother. The lingering anger I had towards her was still there but I worked really hard to shove it into a box in my mind that I didn't have to deal with.
“I pretty much told her to stay out of my life so she has. This is the least involved she's ever been and I'm sure it's driving her mad,” I said as I shrugged and sipped my wine again. “I cut off everything from my previous life - my social media, no communication with past friends, nothing. The less interaction I had with people from my parent's society, the better.”
“And how do you know Nate wouldn't say anything to them?”
“He wouldn't,” I answered quickly. “He knew how overbearing they've been and he wouldn't want to deal with them anyway. My mother also hated his mother for some reason so it's not like our families were close. The chances of them crossing paths were low, it was only when Nate and I needed to get them together and that wasn't going to happen anymore.”
A part of me resented them for embedding this idea of a perfect life in my head. The idea that if I didn't follow what they wanted, I wouldn't be happy or successful was just their own propaganda. Here I was living my own life without restrictions and I have never been happier. It wasn't the life I thought I would have but at least it was mine.
“You're going to have to tell them,” Giovanni repeated as he sipped on his wine.
“I know but that's not today's problem.” I reached for the plates and started to clear up the dishes.
“What if I wanted to meet them?” Giovanni asked.
“Trust me, you don't.”
He didn't push the subject any further and instead, he hopped off the barstool to help me clear everything and load it into the dishwasher. It was strange to be this comfortable with him and yet,I was. We moved as if it was our everyday routine, as if we had been doing this for years.
“How long have you lived in this apartment?” I asked, as I walked over to his couch and made myself comfortable.
“About two and a half years now.”
“It's a really great apartment.”
“Yeah, it was convenient when we opened up the club to turn this into an apartment. Alvaro was already looking at houses with his wife so this worked out perfectly for me.”
He came to join me on the couch with a small tub of ice-cream and two spoons in hand. I smiled and took a spoon from him.
“I hope you like chocolate ice-cream,” he murmured and scooted closer to me.
“Who doesn't like chocolate ice-cream?” I chuckled and draped my legs across his. It was still storming outside and I was comfortably cuddling up to a beautiful man in his beautiful apartment. I couldn't believe the genuine calmness I felt around him. It took a while after the run in with his dad, but eventually Giovanni let go of the tension he was holding onto. I never brought it up again and care-free Giovanni was back. He popped the lid off of the ice-cream and I took a spoonful.
“Thank you for helping me paint today,” I said in between our spoonfuls of ice-cream.
“You're welcome.” He smiled. “It's coming together really nicely.”
“Yeah it is,” I agreed.
“So, why a coffee shop?” he asked.
“Well, my idea was to have it be both a coffee shop and a bookstore in one. Reyna's always wanted to invest in a small business so she trusted my judgment with the place. I think she felt bad and wanted me to have something to invest my energy in. I've always loved books and I wanted to create a place where people could come and enjoy a good book and hopefully, a really good cup of coffee too.”
“I'm not much of a reader so I hope that's not a deal-breaker.”
“You should've told me that before. Now I need to reconsider some things...” I nudged him playfully.
He smirked. “Have you guys decided on a name yet?”
“Haven't decided yet but I'm really leaning towards calling it 'Aroma'.''
“Aroma,” he repeated. “That's a great name.” He took another spoonful of ice-cream and passed the tub over to me. I took it from him and continued eating.
“You're the first person I've shared that name with.”
“Well, I'm honored to be part of your inner circle,” he quipped. I smiled and as I brought another spoonful of ice-cream to my mouth, it dripped right off the spoon and onto my chest.
“Shit!” I exclaimed, wanting to keep it from messing up my shirt. “Please, could you get me something to clean this up with.”
“I can help.” He took the ice-cream tub and spoon from my hand and placed it down on the table. I wasn't sure what he was doing at first but he pulled me closer to him and leaned closer to my chest. I watched him as he kissed me right where the ice-cream dropped. I let out a soft gasp - not expecting him to be cleaning it up with his tongue. I was aroused by his touch. He licked the ice-cream up and flicked his eyes to mine.
“Is that better?”
I bit my lip. “Much better.”
He still had his spoon in his hand and he reached over for the tub again. He took a small spoonful of ice-cream and brought it down against my chest.
“My bad,” he mused. It was cold against my skin and I couldn't help the goosebumps that spread across me. I wasn't sure if that was just from the cold or from what he was doing to me. Never taking his eyes off me, he brought his tongue back down on me and licked it up. My body awoke at his touch and I didn't want him to stop.
“Take your shirt off,” he demanded.
I happily obliged, pulling the shirt over my head and tossing it across the room. My bra joined it on the floor. The tub of ice-cream and spoon was still in his hand, I knew this was becoming a fun little game. I lay back against the couch and he positioned himself next to me. He filled the spoon and brought it down across my body creating a line of ice-cream from my chest all the way to my belly button. He placed the tub and spoon on his table and brought himself over me, his hands on either side of me. The way he was looking at me was driving me crazy. The desire burned in his eyes and I knew it mirrored my own. The ice-cream was cold against my skin but I was so hot for him that I didn't even care. He brought his lips down on my body, licking me slowly along the path he created on my body. I couldn't control the small moans - they escaped my lips and I tugged a fist full of his hair. This was so hot and the tension inside of me was starting to escalate.
“Giovanni,” I breathed.
“Do you like what I'm doing to you, Isabella?”
“Yes.” I absolutely loved it but I couldn't form enough words to explain that to him. My body was too caught up in his kisses. He licked up every bit of ice-cream but that didn't stop him. He moved across my body, kissing and sucking softly. I pushed my thighs together in an attempt to control the tension building. I was unsuccessful - my body was ready for him now.
“I want you,” I moaned.
The desire in his eyes flared and he brought his hands to the button on my jeans. He kissed me right above my jeans as he opened them and slid my zip down. He pulled my jeans off and my underwear next. I reached for his shirt, tugging at it - I need it off. I needed to feel his body. He reached for it and pulled it over his head. My hands immediately found his body, running them all over him. I just couldn't get enough of him. The curves of his muscles and the ink on his skin - it was so sexy. He brought his lips down to mine and I welcomed him with my tongue. The taste of chocolate ice-cream still lingered and just the memory of him licking it off of me made me pull him closer. I needed to feel him. Every inch of him. He slid his hand down my body and he reached between my legs. Without hesitation, he slipped one finger into me and I gasped against his lips. A second finger followed. He didn't hold back and found the perfect rhythm that had me throwing my head back against the couch. His lips moved to my neck and I had to bite down on my lip to keep the moans from escaping.
“Don't keep quiet, Isabella, I want to hear you.”
The moans left my lips and I didn't hold back. I couldn't even control it anymore, everything he was doing was pushing me closer and closer to the edge. My hand found its way through his hair, tugging at it uncontrollably. He was amazing in every way and I couldn't control the overwhelming desire I felt whenever he was around.
“Giovanni, I need you,” I breathed urgently.
He pulled himself away from me and my body felt the emptiness. He removed his pants and underwear and reached for a condom from his wallet. I was so ready to have him again. The view I had right now of him and his body against the crazy storm outside was picture perfect. He was everything I needed right now, in this moment, and I was more than ready. I spread my legs for him, inviting him in. He brought his body back down on mine and positioned himself between me. With one swift motion he was inside me and I gasped in pleasure. It was euphoric. His hands dug into the couch on either side of me as I wrapped my legs around his body. I pushed myself closer to him, needing to feel him deeper inside of me. He thrust deeper into me and a few soft gasps escaped his lips. Just the sight of him above me, basking in the pleasure we were both feeling, was pushing me over. He was beautiful. I never really thought that would be an accurate way to describe a man but that's what he was. He was unreal to me. He quickened his pace and I pushed my body against his, moving to his rhythm. He grabbed my arms and placed them over my head, holding them in place. He kept me from touching him which only drove my body more crazy.
“Isabella...” he breathed.
The sound of my name on his lips was beguiling. I tightened around him. It was the most intoxicating sound and I wanted my name to be the only name to leave his lips out of pure pleasure. We savoured each moment as we moved in perfect rhythm together. Deeper and faster he went and I was on the brink of my climax.
“Yes, Giovanni,” I moaned. “Don't stop.”
He didn't. He continued to push himself deeper inside of me as I tightened around him. I soaked him up - his ability to push me to my climax was unlike anything I had experienced and yet, he managed to do that to me every time. He knew exactly what to do to me - he had mastered my body and it only wanted him. He let go of my arms and I held onto his back, my nails dug deeper into his skin as I welcomed my climax, moaning his name for the world to hear. He joined me shortly after that and dropped against me, both of us breathing heavily and without control. I ran my fingers through his hair and he looked up at me with those big brown eyes that I just couldn't get enough of.
“You're something else, Giovanni,” I murmured.
I've said that before but I meant it. I've never known someone like him. If someone had told me months ago that I'd be here with Giovanni, I would never have believed it. I never expected to find him and now that I have, I knew I wasn't going to be able to let him go. I was hooked on him and there was nothing I could do about it. He moved up and laid against the couch while my head found its way to his chest, my legs draped across his body. He slowly ran his fingers through my hair, his breathing starting to slow.
“Will you stay with me tonight?” he asked softly.
I turned to look up at him and ran my finger along his jaw. “Of course.”
His arms tightened around me and for the first time in months I felt like I belonged. Right here in Giovanni's arms was where I was meant to be. I was falling.
