More Than This by Dominique Wolf

CHAPTER 41:

Isabella

G

iovanni wasn't kidding when he said his family was excessive.

By the time Saturday rolled around, his mother had sent stylists with plenty of dresses for me to choose from. She also made sure to send someone over to do my hair and makeup. I was overwhelmed by the entire process, but as I got ready for the party, I started to feel a flicker of excitement inside. I was enjoying these last couple of days with Giovanni. We were away from anyone that could remind us of the ongoing drama in our lives and I loved it. We were staying in a quaint cottage on the property. It was a massive property and the main party hall was central to all the other cottages and rooms scattered across the land. Ours was the furthest away and I was enjoying soaking in the countryside. There was not even a flicker of city life insight and I felt a welcoming sense of calmness rest over me. We had managed to keep things as platonic as possible over the last couple of days except for the fact that there was only one bed that we had to share. I was proud of myself for not giving in to my temptation, but that part of me was starting to lose her mind. Every time I was close to Giovanni, he reignited my desire for him. Every sense was alive in anticipation of what was coming next.

But nothing did.

He stayed true to his word and respected my boundaries. If I wanted something, I was going to have to be the one to initiate it.

“Your hair is all done, miss,” the young hairstylist with a thick Spanish accent announced as she stepped back from me, examining her work.

She brought my hair forward to fall against my chest and ran her fingers through the curls. “Tan hermosa!”

“Gracias,” I replied and turned to face the mirror.

I was surprised by my appearance. The team that was sent clearly had superpowers I was unaware of because I couldn't recognize the woman staring back at me. They had given me a confidence I didn't think I would ever be able to have.

“You guys are amazing,” I gushed as the other stylist walked back into the room, dress in hand.

They both smiled at me.

“Time for the dress,” she announced.

I stood up and removed my gown. In the back of my mind, I was clearly hoping for something more to happen between Giovanni and me, given the sexy black matching underwear I had decided on. I knew I shouldn't think that way but I couldn't deny that I wanted him again. Especially after sleeping next to him for two nights and not having done a single thing. The voice in my head was screaming to give into him, but I stood my ground.

The two of them helped me into my dress and it fit the curves of my body perfectly. I turned to the mirror again and a confident young woman stared back at me. I had decided on a long red dress with a plunging neckline and thin straps. The tightness of the dress held my breasts perfectly in place and I was happy with how it looked. I would never have had the confidence to wear something like this a year ago, but I wasn't the same woman I used to be.

A light tap at the door came from behind me and I heard Giovanni's voice on the other side. “Isabella? Are you almost ready?”

“Almost,” I shouted back.

Giovanni had been banned from the room for the afternoon as the ladies worked their magic. I was sick with nerves wondering what he was going to think about how I looked. He still made me so nervous. I leaned down and slipped on my gold strappy heels and slid on the gold bracelet they had laid out for me.

“You look beautiful, miss,” the hairstylist said with a kind smile.

“Thank you so much.” I smiled. “And thank you guys for all your hard work. I appreciate it.”

With one last smile and a friendly nod from each of them, they slipped outside the room and left me alone with my reflection.

“Isabella,” Giovanni said from outside but slowly started pushing the door open. “Are you re-”.

He stopped his sentence as his eyes landed on me. I noticed him in the mirror and my breath caught in my throat. He was wearing a slim-fitting black suit. He wasn't wearing a tie and instead had one button undone. He styled his hair and I noticed he cut the length of his beard a little. The facial hair was still spread across his cheekbones, but he had neatened it.

God, he looked so good.

“You look gorgeous,” he gaped.

He was gawking at me now as he strolled over to me. I turned to face him. I couldn't explain how he was making me feel at that moment. His eyes were swimming with desire and I knew it mirrored my own. The tension between us was practically suffocating us now.

“You clean up pretty nicely too,” I teased.

“No seriously, Isabella.” He couldn't take his eyes off me. “How the fuck are you so beautiful?”

The heat spread across my cheeks and my heart skipped a beat. The tension deep inside my stomach was slowly creeping its way over my body.

“It's taking all the self-control I have right now not to kiss you,” he murmured.

My eyes flicked up to meet his. I was dying to kiss him. We were inches away and all I had to do was lean into him, but I couldn't. I was adamant to stick to my rules.

“Permission to hold your hand?” Giovanni held his hand out to me.

I giggled. “Permission granted.”

I slipped my hand in his and allowed him to lead the way.