More Than Once by Dominique Wolf

CHAPTER 26:

Y

ou're in love with him.

That phrase lingered in my mind the whole way back. Just thinking about him made my heart skip a beat. I was definitely completely infatuated with him, but in love? I was trying to convince myself that it was too early to feel that way about him. There was still so much we needed to learn about each other. Wasn't there? I glanced at my phone expecting a message from him but there was still nothing. It had been hours since I last heard from him. My lunch with Reyna went on much longer than I expected but I was happy to have that time to catch up with her. She was headed to Diego's place tonight so I wanted to find out if Giovanni could come over. I got off the stop closest to my place and contemplated my next move. I dialed Giovanni's number but it went straight to voicemail. I wasn't sure if I should go back home or if I should head to his place? What if he wasn't there?

I tugged at my lip nervously. I was dying to know what happened with his mother. I wanted to be there for him after such a horrible conversation. There was no way it was going to go down well. Hearing that your husband cheated on you again couldn't be easy at all. The fact that you would put your trust in someone again and they had no problem breaking it made me sick. It wasn't even a situation that involved me directly and yet, I felt so strongly about it. I could only imagine how this must be affecting Giovanni.

Without thinking, I turned down the street in the direction of his apartment. If he wasn't home then I'd just walk back but if he was then I could at least be there for him. The sun was starting to set and I was thankful that I decided to bring my coat with me. The minute the sun started to disappear, the lingering cold air started to settle and remind us that we were in for a cold winter this year. I pulled my coat closer to my body and crossed my arms as I eventually reached his apartment building. I went through the basement entrance and waited for the elevator. I tried to dial him again but his phone was still off. He could still be at his parent's place. The elevator approached his apartment and I could hear music blaring from inside. The doors opened and I stepped inside.

“Hello?” I shouted. “Giovanni?”

I looked around the living room and I couldn't find him. Music was playing at full volume on his surround sound and I went to turn it down. He's got to be here somewhere.

“Who the fuc-” he shouted at the top of the stairs before realizing it was me.

“Oh! Isabella,” he slurred. “When did you get here?”

He had been drinking. He came downstairs, stumbling over his own feet as he walked into his kitchen. I'm guessing the conversation didn't go very well. I placed my handbag down on his couch and walked over to him.

“Giovanni,” I said softly, placing myself in front of him as he leaned against the counter. He reeked of alcohol.

“Hello, baby,” he mumbled, pulling me into his arms. “I tried- I tried to call but I lost my phone and then -”

He mumbled the end of his sentence and I couldn't make out what he was saying. Sadness lingered in his dark brown eyes and my heart reached out to him. I cupped his face and turned him to face me.

“You look hot,” he breathed and pulled me in for a kiss. “So hot.”

His lips met mine and his arms wrapped around me. His tongue flicked over mine and my arousal came to life. I wanted him but I also wanted to know that he was okay. I pulled away from him but kept my arms around his neck.

“Giovanni, what happened?”

He looked away. “I told her and she broke down as I knew she would. This is the second time now I've seen my mom become a broken woman.”

Poor Marcina.I went to pour him a glass of water. He downed the whole thing as I grabbed his other arm and pulled him to the couch. He didn't fight me - he followed me and dropped down. He was defeated. I sat next to him and ran my fingers through his hair.

“Talk to me,” I whispered.

“I hate my father,” he said as the sadness in his eyes turned to anger. “He broke my mother and he broke our family.”

“You don't hate-” I started to say but he interrupted me.

“Yes, I do. I hate him. He's not a man,” he spat. “You don't do that to your wife. And this is the second time. Joder.”

I took the glass from his hand and placed it on the table.

“What's your mom going to do?”

“No idea. She said she needed to be alone to think about all this. I left her and I knew she was broken,” he clenched his fists. “I fucking hate him for what he's done to her.”

I grabbed his hands and squeezed them. “Hey, you did the right thing by telling her. She deserved to know.”

He said nothing and stared straight ahead. His eyes were filled with anger and sadness and I wanted nothing more than to take his pain away. I hated seeing him like this. I hated that his father did this to him. I slowly rubbed my thumb against the bruise by his eye.

He turned to me and his eyes softened. “How did you know I was here?”

“I didn't,” I admitted. “I tried to call but you didn't answer so I thought I'd see if you were home.”

He leaned his head against my shoulder and I was glad I decided to come and find him. I didn't want him to be alone after today. No one should have to break that kind of news to their mother.

“I'm glad you're here.”

He pulled me to him and my lips met his. The strong taste of whiskey still lingered as I flicked my tongue across his. The urgency of his kiss increased as he pulled me onto his lap. I couldn't hold back the constant lingering tension between my legs anymore. Whenever he touched me or kissed me, my body came to life. I was always ready for him. I ran my fingers through his hair and rocked against his body. He groaned against my lips and my arousal increased. How did he always have this effect on me? It didn't matter the situation, my body was always ready for him. I pulled away from him.

“Giovanni, I want to be there for you,” I said softly. “Whatever you need.”

“I just need you,” he said as his eyes burned with desire. “I don't want to think about anything else right now. I just want to hear you screaming my name.”

I was flushed. He was never afraid of expressing what he wanted and we both knew he had the ability to push me off the edge every time.

“Don't you want me, Isabella?” He whispered into my ear, his breath against me sending my body into a frenzy.

“Of course,” I breathed.

“I need to know that you're mine.” He looked up at me, the desire still burning in his eyes but there was something more now - a sense of longing I hadn't seen before.

“I'm yours, Giovanni.”

“Only mine?”

He needed reassurance right now. His lingering but inevitable trust issues were being brought to light by the situation with his parents. I looked down at him. Oh, what a beautiful man he was.

“I don't want you to be with anyone else, Isabella,” he murmured.

My heart swelled at his words and I could no longer hold back my feelings for him. I needed him to know how I felt.

“You have my heart, Giovanni,” I whispered softly.

Looking down at the beautiful and vulnerable man in front of me, I wanted to admit how I truly felt but I was terrified. I was terrified that he didn't love me back.

“And I want to be there for you, whatever you need,” I continued. “But how about we get some food into your system first?”

His face fell for a moment before he sighed, “Order in.”

***

I woke to the sound of thunder booming across the night sky. My eyes flung open and I sat right up, taking in my surroundings. It gave me such a fright and it took me a few seconds to find my bearings. I ran my fingers through my hair. The curtains in Giovanni's room were still open and the only light was from the street lights beaming through the pouring rain. I glanced down at a sleeping Giovanni next to me, his chest softly rising and falling as he lay peacefully. We spent the last few hours wrapped in each other's arms. The alarm clock on the side of his bed told me it was just after midnight and I was surprised at how many hours we had already slept. I was wide awake now and my stomach growled. We devoured our pizzas earlier but my appetite was asking for a midnight snack. I wrapped my body in one of the blankets on his bed and slowly tip-toed to close the curtains and then out the room, careful not to wake him. He had such a trying day dealing with his family - he deserved to rest.

I strolled downstairs into the kitchen in search of a midnight snack. I'd been here enough times to know that Giovanni always made sure to keep his pantry and fridge fully stocked so there was bound to be something. I opened his pantry cupboard and a box of Pringles immediately caught my eye.

“Yes please,” I said to myself and reached for them.

I made myself comfortable on his couch, pulling the blanket closer to me to block off the light cold breeze that hovered in the air. I stared out at the beautiful city through the window. The storm was coming down hard and it brought over a wave of calmness that made me feel right at home. There was nowhere else I was meant to be right now. I dug into the chips as I enjoyed the nighttime view. I replayed Reyna's words over and over in my head.

You're in love with him...

I could try and convince myself all I wanted but I knew she was right. I was completely taken by Giovanni, since the first moment I saw him at Mala Mía. It's crazy to think that the first time we met was only a few months ago - a part of me felt like I had known him my whole life. He was exactly what I needed. He was strong, compassionate and confident. The kind of confidence that made you stop and stare whenever he walked into a room. He didn't seek the attention, it just happened to find him. Besides the fact he was incredibly attractive, there was a softer side to him that slowly crept into my heart. The walls I spent months building around my heart was a complete waste of time because Giovanni Velázquez managed to squeeze his way through. With all his dirty jokes and goofy nature. He was everything I didn't know I needed. I wanted to tell him how I felt - hell, I wanted to scream it from the top of this building but I was terrified that he didn't feel the same. I knew we had a connection, that much was obvious but as far as being in love goes, how would I know?

I was suddenly starting to feel overwhelmed by the fear of the unknown so I pushed that out of my mind and placed the empty box of chips on his table. Stop overthinking this. There was no reason for me to say anything to him now about how I felt. I just needed to wait it out a bit and see where this was going to take us. He was dealing with his family falling apart again and I was completely avoiding mine. We weren't really devoid of things to deal with right now so I forced myself to focus on just being there for him in any way I could be. I made my way back to his room and dropped the blanket to the floor. He was tucked underneath his duvet and I slipped myself in. He was facing my side of the bed with his one arm tucked underneath his pillow. I shifted closer to him and his other arm instinctively lifted, allowing me to position myself right up against his body.

“Where'd you go?” he whispered.

I didn't even realize he was awake.

“I was hungry,” I said sheepishly.

“Again?” He chuckled. “Did you find anything to eat?”

“Pringles.”

“Good choice.”

“How are you feeling?” I asked softly, turning to face him.

“Better now that you're here with me.”

He wrapped his arm around me and I felt the heat from his body against mine. He kissed my hair and I slipped my hand through his. This was so much more than the one-night stand I intended it to be. This was everything to me right now.

“Isabella?” He whispered into the darkness.

“Yes?”

“I'm glad you're here.”

I smiled to myself. “There's nowhere else I'd rather be.”

There was enough light still peering through his curtains that I could see his face in the darkness. He had sleepy eyes but he was smiling down at me.

“I owe Reyna for bringing you to Mala Mía that first night.” He kissed my forehead.

“I never would have thought that it would have been such a good idea,” I admitted.

“This is a one-time thing.” He mimicked me.

I giggled. “Well, I didn't know how great you were in bed. How could I ever just have you once?”

His eyes were closed but he remained smiling.

“You caught me by surprise,” he admitted. “You're changing me, mi hermosa.”

My heart skipped a beat. I rested one hand underneath my head and used my other one to slowly stroke my fingers through his hair. Here we were sharing late-night confessions with each other and I was dying to know what else he was going to share. It was crazy for me to think that this was the same textbook bad-boy with commitment issues that everyone warned me of. They just didn't know him the way I did.

“I hope that's a good thing,” I murmured.

He slowly opened his eyes to meet mine, “The best thing. I never knew I needed anyone until you.”

Oh, I loved him. Staring into his deep brown eyes while he bared himself to me confirmed everything I already knew. I reached up and his lips met mine. This kiss was different - it had so much more behind it. I wanted to tell him that I wasn't going anywhere because I loved him. I wasn't ready to form the words but he would know one day.

Suddenly, he pulled me closer to him and his lips met mine with a hunger that I now mirrored. I was slammed with the love and desire I had for him. Every overwhelming feeling I had was sitting front row and I needed him to know I was his. His hands traveled up and down my body as I pulled at his hair. He loved that and it told him what he needed to know. I had to have him - now. His lips traveled down my neck at a hungry pace as he gripped the shirt I was wearing. In one swift movement, he pulled me on top of him and I was now straddling him, never once breaking the kiss. He broke away from me and pulled his shirt over his head, throwing it across the room. I followed his lead and removed the shirt of his I had helped myself to earlier. His strong arms wrapped around me and he turned me over, my back now against the bed. He slowly brought his lips down on my body, leaving kisses across my collar bone and down my chest. My breathing picked up as his lips burned my body. He ran his hands down my body.

“Giovanni.” I breathed.

The anticipation of what was coming next was suffocating me. He made eye contact with me as he moved across my body and his intense gaze sent my body into a frenzy. He knew exactly what he had to do to drive me over the edge. He pushed his pants down, exposing how ready he was for more.

He brought his body over mine, his arms on each side of me. He slowly brought his lips to my neck again and up to my ear.

“I need you,” he whispered.

A small gasp escaped my lips. The combination of his body over me and his breath against my skin was pushing my arousal further and further.

“Giovanni,” I breathed.

I spread my legs for him, inviting him where he needed to be. The light peeping from between the curtains was enough for me to notice his smirk as he positioned himself between me. Without breaking eye contact, he pushed deep inside of me. I gasped as he filled me up, perfectly, like he always does. Having him inside of me was euphoric - there was nothing more that I needed. I needed him, always. We belonged together, as one... and I was becoming more and more sure of that. Our bodies moved slowly at first and then we were overcome by this animalistic desire. He lifted both my arms and pinned them above my head, holding them down as he moved deeper. I lifted my legs, welcoming him further and further inside of me. I couldn't get enough. I threw my head back against the pillows moaning his name into the night.