More Than This by Dominique Wolf
CHAPTER 36:
Isabella
“W
hat the hell are you doing here?” Lorenzo scowled.
I jerked my head up to meet the angry eyes of Giovanni as he approached our table. I didn't expect Lorenzo to kiss me, but for a second I allowed his lips against mine. I tried to allow the attraction I had for him to come forward but instead, nothing but guilt washed over me. I realized my mistake by allowing him to kiss me and I pulled away. Before I could say anything, Giovanni was standing at our table and I knew he just witnessed what happened
“What the fuck do you think you're doing?” he shouted and reached for Lorenzo, grabbing him by his shirt. “You shouldn't be with her.”
“Giovanni, please don't do this again,” I begged and tried to step in between the two of them.
I couldn't have a repeat of what happened the last time the two of them saw each other. I didn't plan on kissing Lorenzo and I definitely wouldn't have wanted Giovanni to see, but he did and he was seething.. My head was spinning and I was far too intoxicated to have to deal with this right now. Lorenzo pushed Giovanni back, forcing him to let go of his shirt.
Giovanni turned to me. “You told me you were just friends. You're not just friends, Isabella.”
“We are!” I argued, knowing that the evidence was against me right now.
“Look at the two of you! “ he shouted. “Fucking making out as if I’m not even here.”
Making out?That was a little dramatic.
Lorenzo stepped towards Giovanni this time, closing the proximity between the two of them.
“She can do whatever she wants,” Lorenzo said, speaking for me as if I wasn’t standing right here, “I think you should leave now before you embarrass yourself further.”
I didn’t want to be in the middle of this. The animosity between the two of them surrounded us and it started to suffocate me. Lorenzo had no intention of backing down and I knew Giovanni well enough to know that there was no way he was going to allow Lorenzo to get the better of him.
The anger raged in his eyes. “You should learn to mind your own fucking business.”
“Isabella's business is my business.”
I watched Giovanni snap as he pushed Lorenzo back. Lorenzo bumped against the table and our drinks spilled over.
“Hey!” I shouted.
They both ignored me as Lorenzo shoved him back. The crowds around us dispersed as the two of them were now face to face. We were drawing attention to ourselves and I was pretty sure we were about to get kicked out.
“You will never have what Isabella and I have!” Giovanni shouted. “Don't fucking fool yourself here.”
Lorenzo shoved Giovanni again. Were they seriously going to fight right now? What the fuck was wrong with the two of them?
“Stop!” I shouted and pushed myself between the two of them. I couldn’t believe they were putting me in the middle of this right now. Alcohol-fuelled rage burned between the two of them.
I turned to Lorenzo and grabbed his hand, forcing him to look down at me. “Lorenzo, please.”
“He needs to accept that you guys are over,” he spat. “He's the one who fucked up.”
“What did you say?” Giovanni snarled from behind me. “I broke your nose once, Lorenzo, do you want me to do it again?”
I remembered when I first learned of their history. Giovanni shared it with me the night he came banging at my door at two in the morning. I already knew how they both felt about each other and I should have known better than to have the two of them in the same room.
I turned to Giovanni and placed my hand against his chest. “Giovanni.”
One of them needed to put an end to this embarrassment. Giovanni dragged his eyes away from Lorenzo and met mine. His deep brown eyes were blazing with anger and I needed to get him to calm down. He was seeing red right now and I didn't want this to go any further. Neither of them had the right to act like this.
“Please stop,” I murmured.
“Isabella, you need to move out the way,” he hissed.
Lorenzo reached for my hand and I turned back to him.
“Izzy, let's get out of here,” Lorenzo suggested.
“You're not taking her anywhere,” Giovanni spat and reached for me.
Were we in fucking middle school here?God - why would they put me in the middle of this stupid tug-of-war.
“And who are you to stop me?” Lorenzo retorted.
“STOP!” I shouted and pulled my arms away from their grip. “Both of you need to stop. Neither of you gets to dictate what I will do. It's my fucking choice and right now I don't want to be around either of you.”
I was sick of both of them and their back and forth. They were going at each other as if I was not here and it was riddled with anger. I turned and made my way towards the exit. I was using everything I could to focus on not falling over as I stumbled outside. I pushed through the door and was welcomed by the cold air surrounding me. I took a deep breath in and took off down the street, needing to put some distance between me and the pissing contest that was going on inside.
“Isabella, wait!” Lorenzo shouted from behind me.
I turned and he jogged to catch up to me.
“I'm sorry, I didn't mean to behave like that.” He reached for my hand. “He just gets under my sk-”.
I pulled my hand away from his and stopped his apology. “I think we've all had too much to drink.”
“I'm sorry.”
I turned to him. “Why did you kiss me, Lorenzo?”
There was a part of me that was always curious about kissing him again. A very small part that was interested in the possibility of what could be, but as soon as his lips touched mine, I knew how wrong that was. I wasn't interested in him in that way and he didn't light my body up like Giovanni did. He didn't light my heart up like Giovanni did and I shouldn’t have allowed that to happen.
He looked confused by my question. “You know why I kissed you, Isabella. You can't act like there isn't anything between us.”
“We're friends, Lorenzo.”
“Friends,” he repeated and shook his head.
I didn't know what to say. Kissing him was a mistake. I tried so hard not to give him the wrong impression, but that clearly didn't work. I expected him to say something more about that but instead, he changed the subject.
“Can I take you home?” he offered.
I shook my head. “No, thank you, but I think I should go.”
He couldn't hide the hurt on his face. I didn't mean to hurt him but I was angry at him and the way he acted with Giovanni. I didn't expect this from him. He always had a calming nature to him and to see him trying to get under Giovanni's skin was something I didn't like. Giovanni was not innocent in all of this, but he was no longer my problem to deal with.
“Izzy, please,” Lorenzo murmured. “I'm sorry about what just happened.”
“I know you are and it's fine, Lorenzo, I just think this night is over now.”
He looked defeated.
“Look, Isabella, I care about you okay? I just don't want you to get sucked in with him again. I know he has a hold on you and I don't want him to keep hurting you.”
I sighed. I felt so guilty for dragging him into my mess. I felt guilty for giving him the wrong impression about the two of us. I knew he wanted more and I just couldn't reciprocate his feelings. I didn't know if I would ever be able to. He was right about one thing - Giovanni definitely had a hold on me and I didn't know how to begin to shake him. It wasn’t as if I broke up with Giovanni because I stopped loving him. That hadn’t changed.
“I'm sorry you got dragged into this,” I murmured.
“You don't need to apologize.” He squeezed my hand. “I'm going to go now but please promise me you won't let him get to you again. You're better than him.”
A part of me appreciated how he cared for me but the other part of me that was on team Giovanni was annoyed at the cheap shots he kept taking. I didn't have the energy to further the conversation with him so I let it slide.
“Thank you, Lorenzo.”
He pulled me in for one last hug before crossing the street and hailing a cab. I was actually thankful for the moment to myself. It allowed me to attempt to compartmentalize my thoughts. I was angry. I was angry at Lorenzo, but I was also angry at Giovanni for causing a scene yet again. He was so confusing. This morning when I saw him he said he just wanted me to be happy and now he was here causing scenes in public.
What the fuck?
His back and forth was driving me crazy. I leaned against the wall in an attempt to stop the world from spinning. I closed my eyes and breathed the fresh air into my lungs. In and out. I focused on my breathing and slowly started to get a handle on the dizziness. I opened my eyes and watched as Giovanni pushed himself through the crowds of people along the street.
Where was he going?
He didn't get to bulldoze all over my evening and then just fuck off. Not on my watch. Before I realised what I was doing, I took off in his direction. I quickened my pace and pushed myself through the crowds.
“Giovanni!” I shouted.
He turned the corner and I took off in a light jog, turning the corner to an empty ally.
“Giovanni, stop!” I shouted again, this time catching his attention.
He stopped and turned to face me. “Isabella.”
I stormed up to him. He made me so angry. I was angry with him and with his random outbursts of jealousy. I was angry that he stood here in front of me looking hot as hell. I was angry that the smell of his cologne was intoxicating and the way my name rolled off his tongue. My eyes flicked up to reach his and they were full of emotion, mirroring my own. I was way past the point of rational thinking and I had handed myself over to my true thoughts and desires. There he was again, completely consuming me.
“What were you thinking?” I asked. “Why did you come here tonight?”
“I came to meet Sergio.”
I rolled my eyes. “Did you know I would be here?”
“As a matter of fact, I had no idea you would be here. I certainly didn't know you were going to be here with Lorenzo.”
“Don't bring Lorenzo into this.”
“Why?” He snapped. “He seems to constantly be making an appearance in your life. You had no problem kissing him.”
“He kissed me!” I clarified. “There is nothing going on between him and I.”
He stepped closer to me, closing in on the distance between us. “You keep saying that but I don't believe you.”
I flicked my eyes to meet his. “You can't keep doing this, Giovanni. You can't keep appearing while I'm trying to move on.”
He scoffed. “You think you can move on just like that?”
“Well, I'm trying!” I objected. “But how am I supposed to do that when you keep pulling shit like this?”
He took a step closer to me. “Then why are you standing here with me right now?”
My breath caught in my throat.
“Why didn't you leave with Lorenzo?” he said in a low voice. “You didn't have to come after me, but you did.”
I took a deep breath in. Everything he was saying was right. I didn't want to move on from him. That was the last thing I wanted, but what else was I supposed to do? He and I would never be able to be together, not now that everything has changed, but I just can’t keep dragging myself away from him. I didn’t want to anymore.
He took another step closer to me. “You'll never have what we had with anyone else and you know it.”
The air around me became thin as the tension surrounded us. He reached out and caressed my cheek with his thumb. His touch was soft, but it still burned against me.
“He can't make you feel like this,” he murmured. “You can deny it, but I know you want me.”
My lips parted and a small gasp escaped. I swallowed trying to form the words needed to tell him that wasn’t true, but I couldn’t. He knew.
“Your eyebrow has lifted the way it always does when you hear something you like. Your cheeks are flushed and I can hear your breathing has picked up.”
He leaned closer to me, our faces now inches from each other and I held my breath in anticipation.
“I told you I wouldn't kiss you again, not until you wanted me to.”
Instead of leaning into me like I thought he would, he pulled away and turned down the alley again.
Are you fucking kidding me?
I was so ready for him. My body was calling for him and there was no way I could stop the desire rolling through me.
“Where do you think you're going?” I shouted.
“I'm going to find my car.”
I followed behind him into a dark parking lot. “You can't possibly drive right now.”
“Watch me,” his voice echoed.
He pulled his car keys out from his pocket and approached his car. There were a couple other cars parked in the lot, but his car was alone in the corner, away from any others. There was a dim light keeping the area illuminated, but we were the only two people here.
“Don't be an idiot, Giovanni.” I picked up my pace and reached his car as he unlocked it.
He ignored me and pulled the door open, getting into the driver's seat. I let out an exasperated sigh and walked over to the passenger side, pulling the door open and slipping inside. My head was screaming at me to turn around, but my heart was in charge now and I was following it. I shut the door behind me and breathed in the familiar smell of leather mixed with his cologne.
“What the hell do you think you're doing?” he asked, a flicker of annoyance in his voice.
“You're not going to drive this car,” I repeated. “Not with me in the passenger seat.”
He tugged at his lip and let out a frustrated sigh. “Why did you follow me?”
“I didn't follow you,” I objected. “You're the one who arrived tonight uninvited.”
“I meant why did you follow me to my car?” he clarified. “And how do you know I wasn't invited? Sergio is my friend.”
“And Katrina is mine.”
“You and your endless supply of friends,” he mumbled sarcastically.
I knew he was taking a dig at my friendship with Lorenzo again. He was infuriating. Here we sat next to each other in his car and despite all the anger inside of me, all I could think about was how close he was to me. His hand rested on his knee and he had his head tilted towards me. I was dying to reach out and touch him. I didn't care that we were broken up. I didn't care that he had just made a scene. I didn’t care about anything right now except him. The anger I had towards him right now was only fuelling my desire in a way I had never experienced before. He definitely picked up on the tension that seeped its way into the car.
“What’s on your mind, Isabella?” he asked in a low voice.
I tugged at my bottom lip and tried to get my breathing under control. The desire rolled through me and the pressure between my legs increased at an intensity that was new to me. I couldn't stop it and I didn't want to. I just wanted him. God, I wanted him so much it hurt.
I leaned closer to him. “You said you're not going to kiss me again.”
“Nope, not until you tell me that's what you want.”
He leaned closer to me. We were inches away again and his eyes wandered down to my lips. All the previous anger in his eyes had disintegrated and was replaced with a desire that mirrored my own. I reached out and ran my fingers across his rough beard and into his hair. Just being able to touch him again was beguiling. The rational voice in my mind telling me to stop slipped away into nothing more than a faint murmur. I didn't care about anything, but him right now. This was toxic, but I couldn’t stop. My desire was fuelled by my love for him and I couldn’t hold it back. I shouldn’t have said what I said next, but we were past the point of no return.
“I want you to kiss me.”
And so he did. He didn't wait one more second before he leaned into me. The moment his lips met mine, I was overcome with a deep euphoric feeling. This was what I wanted. I melted at his touch as his hands found my hair, tugging at it as he matched my intensity. Fuck, I had been craving him and I needed him. Now. He pushed his chair back as I leaned closer to him. He pulled me onto his lap, my legs straddling on either side. My hands found their way into his hair and I couldn't help but pull at it. I didn't want gentle right now. I wanted him and I wanted it rough. It had been far too long since I felt him. It was as if I had been drowning and now I was gasping for air that only he could provide. His lips left mine and made their way to my neck as his hand rubbed over my breast, squeezing it.
“Giovanni,” I breathed.
Every sense of mine was heightened by my intoxication. Every kiss was elevated and brought on new waves of arousal. I rocked my hips and I felt him hard against me.
I couldn’t help but moan at knowing what I had done. I loved feeling him alive beneath me. To know that I still had the effect on him gave me a sense of control I didn't think I had. I flicked my hips up against him and brought my lips back to meet his. I didn't care that we were in a car in a public place. I didn’t care that we were broken up and that this was wrong. I didn’t care about anything but him. I needed to have him now. I ran my hands down his body and pushed his jacket back. He leaned forward, never breaking the kiss as he pulled his jacket off him and tossed it to the side. My hands slipped under his shirt and I felt his hot skin against mine.
He pulled away to meet my eyes. “What do you want, Isabella?”
I rocked against him again, feeling how ready he was for me. “I want you right here, right now.”
He tugged at his lip before a naughty smirk settled against his lips. “You sure?”
I nodded and he brought his lips back to mine. His hands ran along my stockings that I had on underneath my dress. I was so thankful I was wearing a dress because I needed to have him and this was going to make it so much easier. I hadn't felt him in so long and my body was calling out for him. The throbbing between my legs continued as I rubbed against him, trying to find some sort of relief. He pushed my coat back and pulled it off my arms, throwing it to the side. He lifted my dress up and reached for the opening of my stockings. I lifted my hips and allowed him to push it down, my underwear along with it, slipping them off one of my legs. I was elevated higher than him, my head against the roof of his car. I expected him to release himself to me already but instead, I felt him brush a finger over me. I gasped at his touch as he slipped a finger inside of me. He pushed deep inside, hitting right where I needed him to. I moved with his rhythm, throwing my head back, basking in the pleasure he was building up inside of me.
“I’ve missed you,” I gasped.
“I’ve missed you, baby.”
He removed his fingers and reached for the button of his pants, pushing them down to his knees. His underwear followed after that and there he was, ready for me. I was consumed by my desire as I positioned myself above him. He had his hands on either side of my hips and brought me slowly down on him, stretching me as he filled me up.
My eyes rolled back as I pushed him deeper inside of me.
Fuck, I had missed him.
My hand cupped the back of his neck as I started to bring myself up and down on him. I was in charge here and I knew the intensity I needed it at. I picked up my pace as I heard small breaths escaping his lips. I threw my head back as I continued to move, he matched my rhythm and continued to push deeper and deeper. I tightened around him as the pleasure started to build already. My hand leaned against the fogged window, leaving a handprint against it.
“Isabella,” My name rolled off his tongue and I was just about ready to explode at just that sound.
I met his eyes and we both clung to this moment. I soaked him in. Every crease around his eye and the dark facial hair across his cheeks. Those deep brown eyes hidden beneath the long eyelashes. The dimple in his left cheek that made an appearance every time he smiled.
I love him so much.
I flicked my hips, pushing him deeper inside of me. I used this opportunity to ride him as we both fought for a release. His hand made its way to my hair again and he pulled it back, forcing my head to fall backward as his lips reached my neck again. I was consumed by the overwhelming pleasure rolling through me. We continued and the pressure between my legs built with each movement. I was reaching my climax and I didn't want it to end. I wanted to stay like this forever.
“Yes, Giovanni,” I moaned.
I didn't care if anyone heard me. I didn't care about anything in that moment except him and what it felt like to have him inside me again. I picked up my pace and it wasn’t long before I reached my climax, burying my face in his shoulder as my body was overcome with pleasure. He took control of the movements and pushed deeper inside of me. He couldn't control the small moans escaping his lips as he reached his own climax. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me against him, both of us soaking in the euphoria of being in each other's arms again. My heart swelled with love and I was overcome with emotion. This wasn’t a mistake. Him and I being together could never be one.
I didn't want this moment to end.
