More Than Once by Dominique Wolf

CHAPTER 22:

L

ater that evening I was perched on a single barstool by the bar of Mala Mía. Giovanni had been running around for most of the evening trying to get a handle on the influx of people that filled the place. Thursday was the first night of the week that it opened and it was, surprisingly, their busiest evening. It was almost as if people didn't have jobs they had to wake up for the next day.

I was alone at the bar but I actually didn't mind, I was enjoying the chance to sit and watch people. It was one of my favourite activities - to see people in their element when they think they aren't being watched. Crowds of women trying to get the attention of the men and women alike, the men pretending they aren't noticing those exact women as they try their own ways to get their attention too. The dynamic of the crowd was fascinating to me.

A tall beautiful blonde entered the club, catching my eye and I immediately knew that it was Casey. It was impossible to deny her beauty - she had the perfect slender body and her long blonde hair cascaded down her shoulders. She was wearing a tight red dress that clung to her body perfectly. I couldn't help the wave of jealousy that came over me. I tried really hard not to compare but how could I not? She was a model - of course, she was a model. I rolled my eyes at that thought. She walked down the stairs with a group of friends around her. She was laughing at something that was said and her smile shone through the club. She walked straight over to Giovanni who was at the bottom of the stairs. As much as I needed to look away, I couldn't stop watching her. She threw her arms around him like an excited little girl. He hugged her back but it was a different energy with her than I had seen previously. He was really making an effort to show me that she wasn't a threat. She ran her hand through his hair and he moved away from her touch as politely as he could. I smiled to myself and looked away.

This was never going to work if I didn't trust him and I had made the decision to do just that. He expressed more of how he was feeling about me and I had to give him the benefit of the doubt here. My heart was so full and warm because of him and I was adamant to not let anything affect me. I ordered a gin and tonic from the bartender and went back to my previous crowd watching.

Moments later, I felt an arm snake around my waist. I turned and Giovanni had taken his place behind me, resting his head on my shoulder.

“There you are,” he whispered in my ear over the blaring music.

“Here I am.” I smiled and turned to face him.

“Have I told you yet how beautiful you look?” He nestled his head into my neck, kissing it.

I couldn't help but blush. I borrowed a tight black long sleeve bodysuit from Reyna that covered all the curves of my body. Paired with a pair of black pants and my high heel boots, I usually shied away from skin-tight clothing but something about this outfit was giving me the confidence I needed and Giovanni's affirmations just made it all better. I turned my body around so my back was leaning against the bar and he positioned himself in between my legs, wrapping his arms around my waist.

“You may have mentioned it once or twice,” I teased.

He ran his hands down my waist and over my thighs. “Well, I will keep reminding you. I am loving this bodysuit by the way.”

“I'm sure you'll love it even more when it's on the floor later.”

He cocked an eyebrow and smirked. I have never been one to flirt like this but he brought out this sexy confidence in me that made me comfortable enough to share my deepest thoughts and desires.

He leaned into my ear and nipped at it.“Oh, hell yes!”

I had to bite my lip to remind myself to keep it together. We were in the middle of a crowded club and he was technically at work. I had to be patient and contain my desires until we were alone.

“Here's your drink,” the bartender shouted, breaking us out of our trance.

I turned back to the bar and reached for my drink. “Thank you.” He nodded and was off.

“Good choice,” Giovanni commented. “That's usually really good.”

I sipped on it and was surprised by the sweet taste. It definitely didn't taste like I was drinking alcohol. “It really is.”

One of the bouncers from the door interrupted us. “Patrón, ven conmigo por favor,”

“Si, si.”

Giovanni turned back to me. “I'll be right back. Be careful with those drinks, they're dangerous.”

I chuckled and continued to sip on my drink. He left a small kiss on my forehead and he was off. I couldn't help the smile that spread across my face. How in the world did I end up with Giovanni? A man who had a reputation of running from relationships and yet, here he was making me feel like the only girl in the world. He made me feel wanted and I loved this feeling. As I leaned on the bar to enjoy the rest of my drink, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned my head and Casey stood next to me, a fake smile plastered on her face.

“I don't believe we've met,” she said with a more nasal tone than I expected. “I'm Casey.”

I knew exactly who she was but I must have been a big surprise to her. She was even more striking up close. Her eyes were a deep brown underneath her incredibly long fake eyelashes. Her skin was flawless against her sharp cheekbones but I also had to give credit to the amount of makeup she was wearing. I was thrown off by her sudden need to introduce herself but I forced myself to play nice.

“No, we haven't. I'm Isabella.” We shook hands briefly and she leaned her back against the bar, flipping her hair back over her shoulder.

“So, how do you know Giovanni?” she asked casually.

I was unsure of how to explain what was happening between Giovanni and me. We weren't dating and yet, we had pretty much agreed to be exclusive - without using those actual words though. Could I even say we were exclusive? Ugh, all of this was too confusing.

“Uh well, I'm actually seeing him.”

“Seeing him?” She couldn't hide the shock on her face. “How interesting.”

I was incredibly uncomfortable. I didn't have to answer to her, but she was clearly doing an investigation of my relationship with Giovanni and I didn't like it one bit. Her fake happiness was replaced by her clear frustration from my answers.

“Why is that interesting?”

“And how long has this been going on for?” she asked, dismissing my question. She didn't even attempt to hide the bitchiness in her voice this time around.

I was awful at handling situations like this. I was really bad at conflict and as much as I wanted to tell her to mind her own business, I found myself intimidated by her and I hated myself for that.

“It's been a couple of months now.”

Technically, we'd been sleeping with each other for a few months now. I couldn't even remember how long exactly. Saying it out loud reminded me of how intense our relationship was already. I felt like I have known him my whole life and the overwhelming feelings I was already having for him over such a short period of time were terrifying.

Casey scoffed.

“Is there a problem?” I asked, my patience slipping further away from me.

“I just find that interesting,” she explained. “The timing is just off considering I've also been seeing him.”

I was well aware of the fact that they had a history together. I was unaware of the details surrounding it but I knew enough to know that this was a clear display of jealousy from her side from seeing me with Giovanni. I reminded myself to keep my cool.

“Well, you're not seeing him anymore.”

She lifted her eyebrows at me. “Can I give you some advice, Isabella?”

I remained silent.

“You may think you're seeing Giovanni, but just be warned that he and I always find our way back to each other. You're just a temporary stop and I'm okay with that. Gio and I have an understanding but I wouldn't want you getting the wrong idea about this.”

I snapped. “With all due respect, you know nothing about my relationship with Giovanni. You may have been someone he casually hooked up with in the past but that's not happening anymore while he is seeing me and he will make that perfectly clear to you.”

“Not sure how clear he was supposed to be considering the last time we slept together was a couple weeks ago, clearly overlapping the same time you two were seeing each other so maybe you're the one he needs to make that clear to.”

Her words hit me like a slap across my face. I knew she was just trying to get a reaction out of me and unfortunately, it was working. The last thing I needed to be reminded of was that they had slept together during the same time he and I had been sleeping together. What the actual fuck? I could feel the heat on my cheeks and I was seething.

“Like I said, Giovanni and I always find our way back to each other so enjoy this while it lasts.” And with one last smug smile, she turned on her heels and left.

I had a lump in my throat. I didn't know if I wanted to scream or burst into tears. I downed the rest of my drink and as I placed it back down on the bar, I made eye contact with Giovanni from across the club. He clearly witnessed my interaction with Casey. I was totally over this night now. I needed to get out of here and as much as I wanted to crawl up in my own bed, I was staying at Giovanni tonight and I did not want to walk to my place alone so late at night. I pulled my gaze away from his and walked towards the back - this environment suddenly suffocating me. I pushed through the crowds of people and made it to the back. I took in a deep breath and allowed the fresh air to fill my lungs. I walked past his office and went straight for the elevator. As I pressed the button, I heard my name being shouted.

“Isabella, wait!”

I turned and Giovanni made his way to the elevator. I couldn't bring myself to look at him - hearing that he was with Casey just a few weeks ago. It made me feel like an idiot all over again. When was that? I thought a few weeks back and it must have been around Reyna's birthday? What the fuck. I never would have continued to pursue him had I known about their on-going physical relationship. I felt like even more of an idiot because I actually had no right to feel this way. We were not dating but being with him like that meant something to me and now feelings were involved.

“What did Casey say to you?”

He reached for my hand but I pulled it away, crossing my arms. The elevator arrived and I stepped inside, he stopped the doors from closing with his hand.

“Isabella,” he started... “What did she say?”

“Nothing worth mentioning,” I murmured, looking down at the ground.

He let out an exasperated sigh.“Please just talk to me.”

“When last did you sleep with her?” I asked, finally looking up at him.

“What?” He was taken aback by my question and I could see the confusion on his face.

“When last did you sleep with Casey?” I repeated slowly.

I could see him racking his brain for an answer. I stood my ground and waited for his answer. I was dreading hearing him confirm what I already knew but I needed to hear it from him. I was humiliated by that entire conversation with her.

“Isabella.” He tried to reach for me again but I kept my arms tightly crossed against my chest. “Why would you ask me th-”

I interrupted him. “Giovanni, just answer the damn question.”

He shook his head.”Fuck, I don't know. A month ago? I don't track that shit. It was way before I realized how I was feeling about you.”

“A month ago? That's not what Casey said.”

“She's trying to get a reaction out of you.”

I was screaming on the inside but my face remained unchanged. The last thing I needed was to cry in front of him. I had enough humiliation for one night. A part of me kept reminding myself that we weren't together at the time and I had no reason to even be upset but the other part of me, the part that was riddled with feelings for him, couldn't help the hurt I was feeling. Being with him was unlike anything I had ever experienced and while I was soaking him in as much as I could, his attention was divided.

“Please don't let her get in your head. She's part of my past. I didn't know what was going to happen between us, Isabella. I never expected any of this,” he explained, the vulnerability in his eyes shining bright.

“You say months ago but I had seen you guys together so many times and then you still brought her to the bar that you knew I would be at a few weeks later?” I didn't even bother hiding my contempt.

“I already told you that was a mistake. I have a bad habit of fucking things up.”

“I don't want to be a casualty of your fuck up, Giovanni.”

“That's not going to happen again,” he sighed. “Isabella, please don't let Casey interfere with what's happening between you and me. I don't want her. I want you.”

I was torn. He was saying what I needed to hear right now but I couldn't ignore the part of me that was hurt by hearing that he slept with her again. He jumped between the two of us. It was wrong and yet this is exactly what happened with those fickle blurred lines that occur with relationships like this. I didn't want any more surprises like this. I didn't want to keep hearing about him with others.

“I want to go, Giovanni,” I whispered.

We were interrupted by two people calling for Giovanni again. He ran his fingers through his hair in frustration and shouted back, “Espere, por favor!”

He turned back to me. “Isabella, please just wait for me upstairs. I need to just sort this shit out and then we can talk. Please. Promise you'll wait for me.”

I kept my eyes firmly on the ground but the desperation in his voice made my heart call out for him.

“Okay,” I murmured.

“Thank you.”

And with that he was gone, the elevator doors shutting me off from this night.

***

The elevator doors opened to his warm apartment and I stepped inside. I always felt so welcomed here but now I was starting to doubt everything again. I was angry and upset. Who the hell did Casey think she was? Why did she have to remind me of their relationship? I was doing perfectly fine before she brought up every insecurity I had managed to lock away. Every piece of doubt I had towards Giovanni was now on the surface again and I was frustrated by all of this. I was angry at him for putting me in a position like that where I looked like such an idiot trying to defend our relationship when there were clear timing inconsistencies. I was angry that I didn't know he slept with her after sleeping with me.

Was I an idiot to have thought differently? I was angry that I felt so strongly for him that this was getting to me. Having these blurred lines in casual relationships was exactly where the fuck ups came in. You didn't know where you stood or what you could and couldn't get angry at because there was, technically, no real obligation. I couldn't be angry about him sleeping with her because at the time, I didn't even know if I was going to see him again and yet, here I was hurt by that new piece of information. The idea of him with someone else drove me crazy. I was being selfish now - I wanted him all to myself.

I wandered into his kitchen and went straight for the bottle of wine on the counter. I had been at his apartment so often lately that I knew exactly where everything was and I felt comfortable enough to make myself feel at home. From the first moment I met him, he made me feel comfortable. Never once did I feel like I didn't belong or I couldn't be myself. He felt like home to me. After finding the bottle opener and a wine glass, I was perched on the couch in his lounge.

Two glasses of wine later, Giovanni finally walked into his apartment. I looked over my shoulder at him and watched as he removed his jacket. I turned back to my glass of wine and took a sip. He walked into the lounge and sat on the coffee table directly in front of me. I kept my eyes firmly on the glass of wine in my hand. The alcohol mixed with my time to overthink was a terrible idea but there was no going back now.

“Thank you for waiting,” he said softly.

“Didn't have much of a choice. Couldn't exactly walk to my apartment at this time of the night.”

I was being unnecessarily sarcastic right now but that was the result of the wine.

“Come on, Isabella.” He reached for my wine glass and took it out of my hand.

“I wasn't finished with that.”

He held my hands in his and ignored my comment. He brought my hands to his lips and kissed each one of them.

“Can we please talk about this?” he murmured.

I remained silent. What did he want me to say? I was angry and hurt. I probably shouldn't have added alcohol into the mix but I just didn't know what to do. This was exactly the kind of thing I was afraid would happen. I was afraid that I would be left looking like an idiot for thinking I could have Giovanni all to myself. Every doubt I had managed to shut away was back and I hated that. I didn't want to second guess him - not after all the effort he's put in the last few weeks but I couldn't control it.

“Isabella,” he repeated. “What exactly did Casey say to you?”

I shrugged. This was one of my terrible defense mechanisms - I shut off and then I became unable to speak. The words sat on the tip of my tongue but I couldn't get them to come out. I've never been able to express myself the way I would have wanted to and now that has molded me to keep quiet in situations - even ones where I should be expressing how I really feel.

Giovanni let out an exasperated sigh and ran his fingers through his hair. “This isn't going to work unless you speak to me. I'm not a mind reader, Isabella.”

I rolled my eyes. “I am well aware of your lack of superpowers.”

“Ah, she speaks,” he murmured. “Now can you please tell me what she said to you?”

“She made it pretty clear that you and her always find your way back to each other and that I am wasting my time here.”

“Do you believe that?”

I shrugged. “I don't know what to believe. I haven't been able to stop thinking about you since we first met and that hasn't been the same for you.”

“Isabella-,” he started to say but I held my hand up to stop him.

“You can't even lie about that, Giovanni,” I said. “We slept together and then you slept with Casey and then back to me again. Is there anyone else that I should know about?”

He averted his eyes and my heart sank. Hearing he was with Casey was bad enough but now there was even more to the story.

“How many other women have you slept with since you've been seeing me?” My voice cracked from emotion and I took a deep breath in.

“That's not a fair question,” he retorted. “We weren't together during that time.”

I ignored that statement because I knew I had no leg to stand on, “Casey said you guys slept together a couple of weeks ago but you said it was a month ago? Why would she say that?”

“It's what she does. She's spiteful and she can see I'm happy now and wants to get in the way of that.”

I ran my fingers through my hair, exasperated by this whole situation.

He continued, “When I came to you that night after I brought Casey to the bar and I apologized, you have been the only one I have been seeing. I didn't know what was going to happen between us, Isabella - I didn't know I was going to feel this way about you.”

The suffocating feeling was back and I was suddenly overwhelmed by emotions. I stood up and moved away from him, pacing up and down.

“This is too much, Giovanni,” I said as I threw my hands up. “I don't think I'm okay with being just an option.”

“Isabella, you're not listening to me,” he said as he stood up and walked over to me. “You're not just an option to me. Fuck, this is all so new to me. I don't know what I'm doing. No matter how hard I try, I keep fucking things up.”

He looked defeated. All I wanted to do was reach out and comfort him but my pride was holding me back. No matter how much I really wanted to walk away from this situation, I was starting to realize that wasn't an option anymore. I wanted Giovanni. I wanted to be with him. But I was terrified.

“What are we doing here, Giovanni?”

“What's wrong with what we've been doing?” he sighed. “From the moment I met you, I knew there was something about you but I tried to push that out of my head. I didn't want anything with anyone. That's why I did the stupid things like sleep with Casey and bring her out because my defense is to sabotage these situations when anyone gets too close.”

He grabbed my hand and pulled me closer to him. “I don't want to sabotage anything anymore, Isabella. I'm trying here.”

“I know you are,” I murmured softly. “I'm just so scared of getting hurt, Giovanni. I don't want to get hurt.”

“I don't want to hurt you. I would never want that,” he said as he placed his hand on the side of my face and ran his fingers softly through my hair. “I need you to trust me.”

“I want to trust you. I do trust you,” I sighed. “Everyone just keeps getting in my head and reminding me that you don't date. You are not a relationship guy and even though I'm not trying to force any labels, I'm getting in way too deep here with you and I can't bear the thought of losing this.”

That was the truth. I knew my feelings for Giovanni were strong but after hearing Casey share what had happened between them, my deepest fear about being with him were realized. I couldn't hide it any longer that I was falling for Giovanni. He had been making so much effort with me lately, how could I not give him the benefit of the doubt? I needed to trust him completely if this was going to work.

“You're listening to everyone but me here, Isabella,” he murmured. “They are right. I have had a reputation of running away from committing to one person but I never thought that I would find you. I never thought I would find someone who made me want more. And I do, mi hermosa, I want more with you.”

I looked up at him and his eyes were begging me to believe him. I had seen so many different sides to Giovanni during our time together but this was the most vulnerable I had seen him. It made my heart ache. I reached out for him and wrapped my arms around his neck, resting my head against his chest. How was I in so deep? I couldn't believe how strong my feelings were for him at this point. I didn't want to accept that. It was too soon but the simple truth was that I wanted him in my life and I wanted to be with him.

“I just want you, Giovanni,” I whispered.

“And you have me, baby. In every way, I am yours,” he said as he kissed my hair. “Please don't let what everyone else is saying ruin what we have. I told you today already that it's just you and me and I meant that.”

That was everything I needed to hear. I needed to be reminded of what he's been trying to show me all this time. He wanted me and he wanted to be with me. I knew about his reputation but he was trying hard to show me that he wasn't like that anymore. I couldn't believe any of this. I couldn't believe that my life brought me here to Barcelona but I felt inside that part of that plan was so I could meet him. The only man to set my heart, body and soul on fire. He was quickly becoming everything to me and I no longer wanted to fight it. I could spend the rest of my life terrified to take a chance because of my fear of getting hurt again but what good would that do? I would be alone and I definitely didn't want that.

I pulled myself closer to him, I needed him as close as possible. My heart was overcome with emotion right now and I needed to have him. I pulled away to look up at him. Our eyes met and in that moment, our hearts were calling out for each other. He pulled into me - it was soft at first but the minute his arms encircled my body, we had to have each other.

The urgency in our kisses increased with each touch. My heart was bursting. I was drowning in my feelings for him and the desire I had for him consumed my every thought. My body craved him and my heart ached for him.

My hands found his hair and I tugged at it as his lips moved from my lips and down my neck. I ran my fingers down his shirt and slipped them underneath, feeling the heat of his body. I pulled at his shirt urging him to take it off. He broke the kiss and pulled the shirt over his head, tossing it across the room. My lips found his again as he ran his hand down my back, pulling the zip along with it. He ran his hands down my body and with one swift motion he lifted me up, my legs instinctively wrapping around his body.

He carried me to his bedroom, never once breaking the kiss. He slowly placed me down on the bed and pulled away from me. He towered over me and ran his hands down my body. My breathing picked up - I couldn't control it. Every touch burned against my skin and I couldn't control how he was making me feel. He ran his hand further down my leg and lifted it. He slowly pulled my boots off and tossed them to the floor. He brought his hands back down to my body, running his finger along the lining of my pants. There was no urgency in his touch - it was more delicate this time which only increased the pressure between my legs. Feeling his touch against me and watching him as he took his time with each movement only made me want him even more. He pulled my pants off my legs and let them fall to the floor.

I helped myself out of the bodysuit and lay there in my underwear. He flicked his eyes up to me and his feelings mirrored my own. He brought his lips back down to mine and laid his body against me. We were skin to skin now and that set us both alight. I pulled him closer to me, feeling every inch of his body that I could. The image of him above me with both arms on either side and his muscles rippling throughout was so sexy. I needed to feel him - every part of him. I wanted to leave a trail of kisses down his body and over every inch of skin I could manage.

I was enthralled by him. A greater wave of desire rushed over me and I suddenly wanted to take control of the situation. I pushed him off me, making sure we changed positions. He laid against the bed and my legs straddled him. He looked surprised by my sudden need to take control but there was a definite desire burning in his eyes.

He was intrigued and I was adamant to be in charge. I wanted to make him feel what I was feeling. I wanted to take care of his body the same way he had always taken care of mine. I wanted to remind him that no one could make him feel the way I could. He had mastered my body and I wanted to do the same to his.

I ran my hands down his chest, feeling every inch of his body. They followed down further over his abs. I allowed my nails to gently scratch over them. His body reacted to my touch and I knew he was enjoying that. I carried on - slowly dragging my nails up and down his body. His breathing picked up and he already loved what I was doing to him.

I brought my lips down against his neck and started to kiss him. Stopping a few times to suck and nip at his neck. I reached his jawline and left a trail all the way to his lips. He kissed me back and I grazed his lips with my teeth.

“Fuck, Isabella,” he breathed. “What are you doing to me?”

I smirked and pulled away. I moved my body further down until I was straddled over one of his legs. My hands reached for his pants and I pushed them down, dragging his underwear with it to reveal himself to me. He was ready for me and I wanted to make him feel good. I took him in my hands and he caught his breath. I flicked my eyes up to his as I slowly started to move my hands up and down. He threw his head back and the view of him basking in the pleasure I was providing him was driving my own body crazy. I wanted to take him in my mouth. I wouldn't call myself experienced in this department but he excited me and made me want to do all kinds of things. I wanted to learn new ways to make his body mine and I wanted to watch him get caught up in the ecstasy of it. He ran his fingers through his hair and I brought my mouth down over him, taking him in.

“Fuuuuuuuck,” he breathed.

His hand instinctively went to my hair and he pulled at it. Hard. His newfound roughness awoke something deep inside of me and I moved my mouth up and down him, going deeper and faster. Small moans escaped his mouth - he was unable to control his body now and I knew I was in the driver's seat. I didn't stop - I just kept going. The faster I went, the harder he pulled.

“Isabella,” he breathed my name and I lost it. Hearing my name in the midst of his pleasure was driving me insane and I had to have him.

I removed him from my mouth. “Giovanni. I need you.”

The urgency in my voice was undeniable and he obliged. In one swift motion, he flipped me onto my back and he was back in control. I unclipped my bra and removed it as he slid my underwear down my legs. Our primal energies had taken over and I was dying to rip into him. He leaned over and reached for a condom from his bedside table. He ripped it open and rolled it over himself. I spread my legs for him and he positioned himself in between me. He entered me and I cried out of pleasure. My body was so ready for him and it welcomed him with ease. I wrapped my legs around his body and pulled him deeper into me. He was buried so deep inside of me and I could already feel my body pushing itself to the edge. He didn't hold back. Each movement with more urgency than before. He went faster and deeper and I clawed at his back, digging my nails deep into his skin.

“Yes, yes, yes,” I screamed to the world, unable to hold back the vocalisation of what I was feeling.

He leaned his hand against the wall and thrust himself deeper into me. I had never experienced such intense passion before and I was losing myself in it. My body was reacting to what he was doing and I couldn't control my moans or the way my body was coming undone, over and over again. I threw my head back and cried out in pleasure. He gripped my hair and pulled it, arching my head back. I followed his rhythm and I knew my body wasn't going to be able to hold out any longer.

“Giovanni,” I moaned. “Fuck, I'm close.”

He pulled me closer to him and his lips reached my ear. He nipped at it and whispered my name into it as we both reached our climax. Drenched in sweat and caught in our synchronized heavy breathing, we both collapsed onto his bed. I lay on my stomach and watched as he tried to get control of his breathing. He turned to face me and smiled. I loved the way he was looking at me right now. It made me feel like I was the only woman in the world. There was no one else. Just the two of us at this moment, right now.

“Come here.” He gestured for me to scoot closer and I obliged, resting my head on his chest and draping my arm over his body. My breathing matched his and my heart was bursting with emotion. I felt his lips against my hair and I tightened my arm around him. The sudden exhaustion swept over me and my eyes slowly began to close.

“Don't ever leave me,” he murmured in the distance and before I could answer, I was welcomed by the sleepy darkness of my dreams.