—FINAL CHAPTER—

‘Take me’ she had said and she meant it when she said it. She had been so scared when she saw him turn his back on her, frightened to see him disappear from her life again. Words blurted out of her lips. And now, lying in his bed, she said them again, holding his hand, begging him to stay, forcing him to look into her eyes. For the second time that night, she repeated: “Take me”.

—0—

All that night had been like a dream. But dream or reality she had decided to live in it. And she had never been surer of what she wanted. She couldn’t care about anything else but that moment she was living, she definitely didn’t care about her past anymore. She felt a peace she couldn’t understand. Though being no one else but being herself, she couldn’t help to reconnect to the world and call her family. She had promised her sister, Hilda, a full account of her night as soon as she returned back home. Surprisingly enough, she didn’t have the slight interest in returning back home at all, at least not until the next few hours, or her next life…

She let him take care of her.

He had held her all the time until he opened the door to his studio. As their feet entered his realm, he guided her to the nearest table and, finally letting her go of his embrace, he dedicated himself to her. She blushed, she laughed at his jokes, and she obeyed silently to all his commands. He sat her, he pampered her, he kissed her, he cooked her crepes with sizzling creamy cheese that got stuck on her braces. Then, they laughed again.

He fed her, he hugged her and told her stories, she let him guide her to his bedroom, he commanded her to sleep. He kissed her again.

And it felt like a dream. She opened her eyes but the room was dark. She couldn’t remember when or for how long she had fallen asleep. The headache had faded away and she was still dressed, resting her head on a pillow.

The air smelled of fresh shower gel and it perfumed her senses, awakening her.

She felt his presence in the darkened room.

“Gio?”

He heard her calling and stopped in his steps.

“Gio, is that you?”

“Yes.”

He hastily walked to where she was, sat on the border of the bed, and slowly dimmed the lights of the night table lamp. He wouldn’t have believed, when he left the room that afternoon, that she would end up there, on his bed, just a few inches away from his touch. It was surreal and yet he couldn’t believe how many nights before, resting where she was now, he had swore he hated her and wished to never see or hear about her ever again in his life. How was it that suddenly there was nowhere else he'd rather be but right there with her?

Gio noticed she hadn’t said a word and was looking a bit pale and absent.

“Betty, are you feeling well?”

His dark eyes explored her quickly. Only a few hours ago he had seen the most horrid scene in his short years: Betty lying in the street, bloody and unconscious. Just seeing her there, motionless in his arms, broke him completely and made him realize how rotten had been his intentions towards her that night.

He reached for her and gently caressed some strands of hair in her forehead. The dark marks were still painted on her amber skin.

She touched his wrist with her own fingers, stopping his caresses.

“No. I’m okay. I just… heard…” she couldn’t continue and it was just then, after her search to distinguish any form amongst the shapeless shadows in front of her, that her eyes adjusted to the weak light and, without the help of her glasses, she could finally recognize the details of the world around her: his smile, his attentive and caring eyes, his hair slightly damp falling in wet strands, the naked torso, his whole self covered with nothing but a towel.

Gio smiled as he saw her eyes travel further down.

“Do you like what you see?” His smile had turned into a grin.

She many times wondered if he could read her thoughts. She was particularly ashamed of what she had in her mind at that very moment. She blushed and closed her eyes, embarrassed.

“Gio…”

Her heart was already racing inside her. She felt streams of blood push her back to the feverish state of mind she had been living since the night started —no, ever since the day they met.

He knew what was going on inside her. He smiled kindly again. As much ad he desired it, he wasn’t sure it was the right moment to awake those feelings in her. He had blown it once, in his impatient urge to bestow his love on her. That night he’d bet against it, and he’d won. But he also knew he’d just been lucky. He wasn’t going to tempt destiny again. Not with her.

“Now, get back to sleep. Tomorrow you’ll feel better. You’ll see.”

He motioned to get up but she didn’t let him go. Her fingers wrapped his wrist. Her eyes were looking right to his. She wasn’t going to let him go anywhere. For the whole night he had been messing her mind and her body, seducing her into wanting him like she’d never desired anyone before him.

“Take me.”

She pushed him to her and held the back of his neck with her free hand. She locked her lips with his and let her mouth taste all of him, aching for him to realize the true nature of her feelings.

“What more proof do you want?” she said over his wet lips.

Gio worked his way on top of her, his naked chest above her.

He breathed his words like a whisper, still battling between right and wrong, between common sense and the insanity of loving her like he did.

“Betty, you have no idea how long I’ve been wanting you.”

A strand of black hair fell on his forehead, almost covering his fiery eyes. She reached her hand between them and put it back in place behind his earlobe. She made her way through his face, delighted in the contemplation of the beauty of his boyish features, until she rested on top of his expectant lips. “You have me, now.”

Her fingertips brushed his chin, his neck, his collarbone, his pectorals… until she reached to the point where both her bodies touched. She felt the dry touch of the fabric in between them, and her fingers started to undo the first button of her own blouse, then the second…

He stopped her, now looking intently through her eyes. He had a way to look at her that is was frightening, yet fascinating. She shivered again, drowned in the presence of his powerful eyes.

“Let me… love you” he said without breaking eye contact, taking both her hands and commanding them to rest above her head, on the pillow. Betty shivered drowned by the fresh contact of his damp skin against hers. He buried his face in her neck, inhaling her scent, while his expert hands skillfully set her body free from the blouse and her undergarment, unveiling her beauty.

He stopped for a minute and pulled back to contemplate her and, as she felt the weight of his stare travel her body, she instinctively covered herself.

He smiled at her, amused at her shyness. He wanted so much to reassure her of how sublime and alluring her beauty was to him. He placed his lips against the skin of her arms, delighted by her soft spasms in reaction to his touch. He kept kissing them adoringly until she yielded and slowly relaxed to his will. Her arms dropped heavily to her sides.

She felt the heat of his breathing burn against her breasts as his lips traveled her smooth curves slowly and quietly.

He caressed her tenderly, without haste, encouraged by the sight of her beauty now at the mercy of his own hands. He saw the fragile brownish skin of her nipples react to his love, the rhythmic movement of her chest and her loud breathing. Everything about her was an aphrodisiac, driving him mad… calling him, enticing him, provoking him.

He traveled further south, leaving a wet trail of burning kisses against her feverish skin.

While his lips did the silent talking, his hands took hold of both her skirt and underwear and slid them down slowly, the fabric brushing her love-craving skin. He pampered every single portion of new land discovered with his mouth and his tongue until he reached her toes.

Betty felt him stop, and opened her eyes. He was looking down to her naked self, smiling devilishly and standing in all his might at the feet of the bed. He cocked an eyebrow and, in one swift movement, threw the towel to the floor.

Her face flushed at the contemplation of his aroused body. There was no way she was going to look at the logo of his deli the same way anymore.

“Gio…” she could barely say followed by a loud cry of nervous laughter. He’d parted her legs with both his hands and—

She arched her back as she felt the moist of his tongue explore her boldly and deeply inside her. Her body jolted to his touch and felt she was about to explode. She fought with all her might to stop the madness but he was strong and kept her pinned her against the bed with force until, slowly and persistently, he coaxed her to yield into his game.

He heard her panting and felt her react to him. His mind was driven to the edge by the smell of her intimate scent. Gently but hungrily he devoured her until all his senses cried “I want to make her mine” over and over again. She felt on the verge of insanity.

He broke from the kiss when he noticed her body tense under him. She was eyeing him intently, almost complaining, her eyes ignited with lust and desire, her chest shaking in heavy breathing, both their bodies ready in expectation.

He reached up, opened the top drawer of the night table and found what he was looking for. His fingers broke a package. But two hands stopped him, commandingly.

“Let me.”

She sat on the bed and bent down to him. He bit his lip as he saw her kiss and taste him in a way he never imagined Betty Suarez to. He closed his eyes and let out a small groan the moment he felt her lips covered him completely. He clenched his teeth and lost himself at the mercy of her lovemaking.

After a brief moment of making him succumb to her will, she stopped and gently put the plastic in place.

She finally rose and she saw in his face that he was visibly surprised.

“Betty!” he said with a grin.

He kissed her hard on the lips and threw her back against the bed that creaked in response to his violence. He didn’t want to be gentle anymore. He had so much desire for her; he wanted to unleash it all.

He entered her without ceremony and she welcomed him eagerly. Just like when dancing, she responded to his every touch, ignited by sparks of dangerous flames. She abandoned herself and clung to him in uncontrolled frenzy. Their bodies locked in a battle for power, devouring every second with their tongues and their lips.

As he moved inside of her he felt her want him, beg him for more, search for him. Her body convulsed as his strokes became more and more intense. He gave a little cry of pleasure when, in the craze of maddening love, her nails sank against the skin of his back. He held them back in place on top of the pillow, where they couldn’t hurt him and, in revenge, he pushed harder into her. She felt losing her mind under him, his breathing burning her face and all her senses converging in only single point of her whole being.

Their bodies, pressed against each other, swayed in a rhythmical motion, eager to profess the intensity of their passion, and to claim at the same time, in their desperate selfish hunger, as much love they could gather for themselves.

She moaned his name; she cursed him, building into a crescendo until she cried in ecstasy, whriting hopelessly under him. He bathed in her for a while longer until he could no longer resist and released himself within her.

They stood still for minute or two until they finally came down to their senses. Spent from all that loving, he rolled away from her and helped her way between the sheets. She loved the smell of the bed: their fragrances combined impregnated in the pillow. She found herself wishing she could wake up every morning to that scent. And yet, she didn’t want the night to be over. That night had been the boldest night of her life and she had no regrets, if she ever had any ounce of doubt, he had erased it from her heart and her body thoroughly with his love.

He hugged her from behind and secured her tightly, whispering in her ear.

“I’m afraid I won’t ever let you away from me,” he held her closer, “never again.”

The day found them lying on the same bed, his arms around her, their fingers interlaced, breathing at unison, two hearts beating the same tune of peace and love, embracing the light of a new dawn together.

The night was finally over.

THE END

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