Christ, I almost slapped Eslem.
When I walked into the dining room and saw her treating Lara like she’s a piece of shit, I lost it.
The woman I’m dating?
This time I can’t ignore the bomb I dropped in the dining room. It seems my heart decided Lara’s my girlfriend before my mind had time to catch up.
It is what it is. There’s no denying it any longer.
Fuck being bewitched, I’m falling hard and fast for Lara.
Noticing the dress, some of my anger dissipates.
I wonder what her reaction was.
The bathroom door opens, and Lara comes back into the room. She gestures to the dress. “Thank you so much for the gift.”
“You’ll wear it for me.” It’s supposed to be a question but comes out as an order.
“Yes.” Then she suddenly drops to her knees and pulls a slender box from beneath the bed. Standing up, a shy smile graces her lips. “I got you a gift, as well.” She hands the wooden box to me. “It’s to say thank you.”
Staring at her, a smile forms on my face. I flip the box open and look down at the gold fountain pen. “I love it.”
“You do?” She moves to my side and points at the toothed gears you’d find in a clock. “I really like that.”
“Me too. It’s unique.” Taking hold of the back of her neck, I lean down and press a kiss to her mouth.
When I pull back, happiness shines in her mesmerizingly blue eyes. My woman was degraded by my aunt and cousin, and it doesn’t look like it upset her.
“Are you okay?”
She nods. “Yes.”
“You’re not upset with the way Eslem treated you?”
Lara shrugs. “It was nothing, and she apologized.”
“Nothing, my ass. I won’t have people treating you like that,” I snap. Taking a deep breath to calm down, I continue, “Don’t ever let someone disrespect you again.”
“What am I supposed to do?”
Setting the box down on the bed, I lift my hands to her face and frame her cheeks. With my eyes locked with hers, I say, “You stand up for yourself, Lara. You’re mine, and I can’t have someone treating you like shit. Not only does it reflect badly on me, but I won’t stand for it.”
A smile spreads over her face, her eyes softening with affection as she stares up at me. “I like that.”
“Which part?”
“I’m yours.”
My thumb brushes over her cheek. “You know what that means, right?”
She nods. “I belong to you.”
I shake my head, and confusion washes over her face, which has me explaining, “It means this thing between us is serious. If you’re not ready for a relationship, you need to tell me now. It’s either everything or nothing.” Leaning into her, I say, “I don’t want your gratefulness, Lara. I want your heart, soul, and body.”
Her tongue darts out to wet her lips.
“Take time to think about it,” I add, not wanting to force her into anything. I want Lara to make the conscious decision to be with me. I want her to willingly submit to me.
“Okay,” she murmurs.
Lowering my head, I claim her mouth in a searingly hot kiss. I pour all my emotions – the anger, the confusion of the past two weeks while I tried to figure out what the fuck I was feeling, and the fear of losing her – into her mouth.
I wrap an arm around her lower back and tug her right against my chest.
Lara’s hands splay over my shoulders as our tongues massage, our teeth nip, and our breaths become one.
It feels like I’m losing my mind with need, my hands starting to eagerly move over her body. They explore the curve of her hips, her ribs, her breasts.
The kiss turns downright filthy as I pinch her nipples into hard buds. Lara lets out a needy moan, her hands finding the nape of my neck and tugging at my hair.
A knock at her door has me ripping my mouth away from hers and barking, “What?”
The door opens, and Nisa peeks inside, then her eyebrows fly into her hairline. “Nothing. Don’t worry.” She starts to pull the door shut. “Ah… continue.”
Letting out a chuckle, I shake my head as the door shuts. When I look down at Lara, she’s breathless, her lips beautifully swollen.
“As much as I’d like to continue this, I need to get back to work.”
“Okay.”
I lift my hand and brush the pad of my thumb over her bottom lip. “While I’m gone, there’s something I want you to do.”
“What?”
“Go to my bedroom tonight. You’ll find a vibrator in the right bedside table drawer. I want you to climb between the sheets and make yourself come, but don’t go too deep. Just use the tip, so your virginity remains intact.”
Her eyes are wide on me, embarrassment darkening them and coloring her cheeks.
“Do you understand?”
“Yes.”
Brushing my thumb over her lips again, I explain, “It’s to help you stretch so you’ll be able to take me.”