Falling Into Temptation (6 page)

Chapter Eight

Gabriel

Sitting at my desk, I rummage through the news alerts that popped up online overnight. Speculation is rife about who this new mystery woman is. Article after article with pictures of me in the club, dancing with Victoria, and one shot of her with her face in her hands, presumably after I left. My anger is about to boil over. I can’t believe I was so stupid, losing myself in her like that. Out in public, no less. It makes me look weak… an easy target. Because if one woman can make me lose it, then that means others can too.

But that isn’t what bothers me the most. I keep worrying about what Victoria will think of all this. She doesn’t look happy in those photos, running away from the vultures. She was already skittish before, and now this. The only saving grace is that none of the photos show her face.

I knew when I saw her in that club I should have just turned around and walked back out. I’d already told myself I was only going to indulge in her once, promises be damned. I don’t even know what I was thinking telling her I’d like to see her again. I don’t ‘see’ women, I fuck them. Pure and simple. But when she walked into that club, everything changed.

The way she was dancing, and that fucking dress…. I couldn’t take my eyes off her. It was a pull too strong to resist. I needed to feel my hands on her again, to let every man who might even think about fucking her know who she belonged to. And she ate it up. 

I had never, in all of the women I’ve been with, seen a woman respond that way to my touch. Sure they tried faking it with their shitty acting skills thinking I would be none the wiser. But they didn’t like my rough hands or my harsh words. They were high society princesses, wanting to be treated as such.

But not her. She was different. She soaked up everything I had to give her, and there was no fucking way she was faking that. It made me wonder why. For the first time in a long time, I felt a twinge of guilt for what I was doing. For what I liked. Because I didn’t want to take advantage of someone who was vulnerable. And it was clear, this girl wanted to be vulnerable to me. But I’d had a taste of her, and it wasn’t nearly enough.

I tried to get her off my mind, even resorting to calling up Anya. But when she came over and started on her mind numbing tangent about how hard she was working to lose five pounds, all hope was lost. I politely tried to get rid of her, but even she knew something was up. She told me she’d never seen me so high strung before and offered to help me relax. When I rejected her, she left in a fit of rage.

Even as I jacked off in the shower tonight, my thoughts went back to Victoria. It’s getting fucking ridiculous. And I know what needs to be done. I’m sure once I show her what I want to do to her, she won’t have me anyway. So I need to get it over with.

I reach for my phone and hit the speed-dial. It’s now or never.

Chapter Nine

Victoria

The sound of someone banging on the front door wakes me with a jolt.

I roll over and groan, tangled up in my dress from last night with a throbbing head. I can hear Alanna talking with someone for a moment, and then the door shutting. A moment later she appears in my bedroom door with a gold box in her hands and a big smile on her face.

“Delivery for Miss Kelly,” she belts out her best English accent. “Courtesy of Mr. Maddox.”

“It’s way too early for this,” I mutter, flopping back onto my pillow.

Alanna sits down beside me and nudges me with the box until I give in. I open it carefully, removing a white card with a note written on it.

Victoria,

I hope you slept well and dreamt only of me.

I want to see you today.

Call me.

Gabriel

His phone number is written on the back of the card in the same perfect penmanship. I set the card down and proceed to look beneath the tissue paper. Inside is an arrangement of the most beautiful chocolate covered strawberries I’ve ever seen, no doubt from some fancy confectionary company. Alanna grins as she helps herself to a strawberry and brings it to her mouth seductively.

“Ooh, Victoria this is food porn.”

I shut the box and set it down beside me, picking up the card to read it again. This situation is getting out of control, but I can’t help myself. I want to see him again too. I want to feel his hands on my body again. I can’t stop thinking about him. I know this is probably the same way he always lures women in, with these cliché notes and boxes of chocolates designed to make them feel special. But I don’t care, I want him anyway.

“You have to see him again, Toto.” Alanna interrupts my far away thoughts. “I have to live vicariously through you because I’m dying to know how this plays out.”

I chuckle at the dreamy look on her face and grab a strawberry for myself. “I don’t know. I want to, but I don’t know if I should. He seems like bad news.”

Alanna just shrugs and continues munching on the chocolate covered fruit. “So what if he’s a major player, you’re only in it for some casual fun, remember? And I think he would be good for you. I’ve never seen you so wild and free like you were last night.”

I have to admit, she has a point. I just got done telling myself the other night that I needed something like this.

“Maybe you’re right, it could be kind of perfect. Since I know there’s no possibility of wanting more with him because he won’t want more, it will help me keep my emotions in check. We can just hook up a couple times.”

“Yes!” Alanna nods enthusiastically. “That’s exactly right. I’m so glad we got that settled, because I have something to tell you, and you can’t freak out.”

“Oh God,” I mutter. “What now?”

“Well, don’t forget what you just said, you’re still going to see him, even after I tell you this, and I’m not letting you back out. There was no harm done, and we just need to be a little more careful…”

“What are you talking about?” I snap. Alanna has a knack for dragging out the inevitable and I hate it when she doesn’t just come right out with it.

“Don’t get angry, and don’t panic,” she says reassuringly. “I’ve been up early checking the internet, and there are some photos…”

Oh no. This can’t be happening.

“No, it’s okay,” she says quickly. “None of them show your face, I promise. I looked through every single article. They are dark and blurry and trust me it could be anybody in those photos. There is no way she’ll ever know it’s you.”

My relief is swallowed by my guilt as I think about how close I came to revealing us. “God, I can’t believe how stupid I was. You’re right, I need to be more careful.”

“So you’ll still go see him?” she asks with a hopeful expression. God love her, the woman is like an infectious ray of sunshine.

“Yes, Alanna.” I grin. “I’ll go see him. I’ll wear a hat and glasses or something.”

“Good plan,” she says, reaching into the box for another strawberry.

An hour later, I’m freshly showered and feeling slightly better as I prepare to see Gabriel again. True to his domineering nature, he demanded that I be picked up by his personal driver. I argued with him about it at first, but ultimately I ended up relenting. I have a feeling that might be a common occurrence with us.

Now I have thirty minutes to get ready, and I have no idea what to wear. I sort through my lingerie, trying not to pick anything too racy. I don’t want Gabriel to think I’m handing myself to him on a silver platter. Because I’m using him just as much as he is using me. Or at least that’s what I tell myself.

I end up settling on a black bra and thong set with little pink bows. Simple, cute, and straightforward. That’s the easy part because now I have to pick out actual clothing. At first I feel like nothing in my closet is good enough for the likes of Gabriel Maddox. But then I remind myself that I don’t really care what he thinks, this is just sex. I throw on a black slashed tank top with lace underneath and a jean mini skirt, paired with some short studded boots. 

For once my hair cooperates, and I actually like what I see. By the time I finish applying my signature lipstick and mascara, I have exactly two minutes to get downstairs in time to be picked up.

When I walk into the living room, Alanna is busy munching away at the chocolate covered strawberries again. “Oh great,” she says. “You’re going to go get laid, and I’m just sitting here getting fat courtesy of your hot new man.”

“Finally, a reversal of roles!” I grin and self-consciously smooth my skirt down. “So do I look alright?”

“Like sex on legs, baby. You’re a knockout, as always. He’s going to be eating out of the palm of your hand.”

I smile gratefully because Alanna would never tell me I looked good if I really didn’t. “Okay, well I better get going then, wouldn’t want to be late and upset Mr. Testy again.”

“Have fun!” Alanna calls after me as I step out the door.

Downstairs, the driver is waiting in front of the black sedan. He’s wearing a black suit and hat, holding my door open for me. He introduces himself as Paul, and I recognize him from the first day I crashed into Gabriel.

The ride to Gabriel’s Apartment is surprisingly quick for the city, only about twenty minutes. I guess it’s probably practical to live so close to his workplace. His apartment is, as I imagined, in another high rise building. Paul the driver escorts me to the elevator and punches in the code for me before gracefully exiting the lift and leaving me to ascend on my own.

A couple minutes later, the doors open into a hallway and I walk to his door. I take a deep breath, knocking quietly. A moment later Gabriel appears, looking sexy as hell. He seems relaxed with a white V-neck tee and loose black pants. Part of my dirty imagination wonders how quickly those clothes could come off.

Once I’m inside, he pulls me into his arms without hesitation, smashing my lips to his. His hands clasp my cheeks as he gives me a hungry and passionate kiss, leaving me gasping for air by the time he pulls away. He takes a step back with a bewildered look on his face as if even he is surprised by his overly warm greeting towards me.

He holds me at arm’s length, examining my body from head to toe.

“God, Victoria,” he groans. “You and these outfits, they are so fucking sexy.”

I break eye contact, feeling shy under his appraisal. I can’t tell if he’s being genuine or just trying to lay it on thick, but either way I’m definitely not used to men talking to me like that. He must sense my withdrawal, because he gently cups my chin, pulling my gaze back toward him. Today, in the bright light of the apartment, his eyes are a gentle shade of pale blue. It amazes me how someone so menacing can have the most beautiful eyes.

Gabriel grabs my hand and leads me to the kitchen, motioning for me to sit at the breakfast bar. He goes to the fridge, giving me the first chance to take in his apartment. It’s moderately sized, and much less grand than I imagined it would be. I half expected to see a butler walking around a mansion this morning when I envisioned it.

Everything is black. Black leather couches, black walls, and shiny black floors. In the living room, I notice all the furnishings seem to have sharp edges. I can’t really see how any of it could be comfortable. There are no family photos, and the only artwork that hangs is a few large printed photos of cityscapes.

On the opposite wall, there is floor to ceiling glass which showcases an outdoor balcony with a private spa overlooking the city below. It’s the only detail of the apartment I really like. The space just seems so sterile and cold, like an office building rather than a home. I wonder idly if this reflects Gabriel’s personality as well. On the outside, he does seem somewhat cold, but I know on at least a couple of occasions I’ve seen a glimpse of another side to him.

But I, better than anyone, should know not to judge a book by its cover. There are probably a whole lot of reasons Gabriel is the way he is, and it isn’t my place to make assumptions. Still, a small part of me hopes that I will see more of his real personality… the one he hides away from the world.

Gabriel interrupts my thoughts when he reappears with two Mimosas, setting one on the breakfast bar in front of me. “A little hair of the dog.”

I take a small sip first, unsure if more alcohol is what I really want after this morning. But the taste is light and surprisingly refreshing, and I find it to be exactly what I need. He watches me approvingly as I drink, leaving his own drink untouched.

“You want me, Victoria,” he states in a matter of fact tone, getting straight down to business.

“Excuse me?” I shoot him a look of annoyance.
What a cocky bastard.

“Well, it’s true, you wouldn’t be here if you didn’t. There’s no need for either of us to play coy. I want you too, very much, and I will make no show of hiding it.”

“Glad to see your ego is still in check,” I retort sarcastically.

I take another long pull of my cool drink, feeling like I’m going to need it for this conversation. I really shouldn’t be surprised by his attitude anymore. Yep, this apartment is definitely a reflection of his personality.

“The thing is,” he continues. “I want to be clear what this is between us. I fuck, and that’s it. You said the other day that I could have my pick of women, and it’s true. If you want sweet words and pillow talk after, then you’ve come to the wrong place.”

I can’t believe he just said that.
Is this his pathetic attempt to win me over? By telling me he could get any woman he wanted?
I’m already stewing up something venomous in reply, but he interrupts me before I can even open my mouth.

“I’ve never had to have this conversation with anyone before.” He runs an anxious hand through his hair. “The women I date, they are usually well aware of what I expect beforehand. But I just feel it’s important that I’m honest with you upfront, giving you the chance to run now if you want.” His voice becomes strained, and he actually looks nervous. “But, I really don’t want you to run.”

I still can’t get over his earlier comment, and although it may be childish, I decide to have a jab at him anyway. Consequences be damned.

“Well,” I snap, “if you have your pick of women, then why don’t you just fuck them and save yourself the trouble.”

“Victoria, please, just hear me out. I want you. I can’t tell you in any other way than I already have. It’s that simple. But after you hear what I have to say, you may not want me.”

I swallow the lump in my throat. Okay, I need to focus. What exactly is he trying to tell me?

“Well, just lay it all out for me then,” I reply as calmly as my voice allows me to. “I’m not a damn child, Gabriel. Just tell me whatever it is. I’m sure I can handle it.”

“You’ve had a small taste of me. But I want there to be more.” His voice is filled with longing, and somewhere deep inside of me my own muscles seem to respond.

“First, I want to be clear,” he says distantly. “When you’re with me, I’m in control Victoria, not you. I need you to understand that. There is no other way. I will be rough with you, and I will do what I please until you tell me to stop. And once you tell me to stop, this thing between us ends… for good. Understand?”

I can’t help it. The sick, twisted part of me is enthralled by what he’s telling me. He wants to control me. To dominate me. And all I can think about is him standing over me naked, bossing me around. I can feel my face flushing at the very idea of it, my panties soaking with sudden arousal. The demons that live deep inside of me are rearing their ugly heads, screaming let’s totally do this! Meanwhile, logical me is shaking her head, asking how I always manage to get myself into these messes.

“Okay, I get it… the whole Dom-sub thing.” I shrug casually. “But just so you know, I won’t tell you to stop if you piss me off. I’ll just punch you.”

His eyes light up as he chuckles softly at my outburst. “You are so fiery, Victoria, I love that.”

I can’t keep my lips from tipping up again, hard as try. This man makes me smile even when I’m trying to be serious.