Page 39 of Crimson Fate
I graze her cheek with my fingertips. The question looming in the back of my mind excites me. Could I actually fall in love with this woman? Eva presses in on my thoughts again. Her concern for my happiness may have been for nothing if I could actually have genuine feelings for Gia. The truth is, Eva’s concern has awakened a similar one inside me. If Gia and I navigate this arrangement, my relationship with Eva will most certainly change. I can’t see my new wife okay with me having such a close friendship with a woman, especially not one as beautiful as Eva and whom I clearly care so much for. But where would that leave Eva? Would she find the same kind of happiness with someone? And why does the mere thought of it create a fire in my belly?
“Thanks for not running away screaming when you got to hear just how fucked up my family really was.” I laugh.
She smiles up at me. “That’s the beauty of what we have here. I don’t think anyone outside of our world could truly love us the same way as someone from within. We understand what we have come from better than anyone else ever could, and that’s why we can so easily accept each other for who we are.”
She’s right. Our shared experiences have forged a bond that transcends the superficial connections I have grown accustomed to. Gia understands the intricacies of my past, the tangled web of dysfunction that has shaped me into who I am today. And in turn, I see the strength in her, the resilience that has carried her through her own trials.
As I sit here on the couch with her head on my lap, a sense of calm settles over me.
Gia’s gaze softens as she reaches up to caress my cheek. “I see you,” she says, and for a moment, it feels like my heart might burst out of my chest.
“Fuck. You are so goddamn beautiful,” I state with conviction.
She sits up and turns to face me, clearing her throat. “I want to ask you something, but I don’t want you to think less of me.”
“There’s nothing you can ask that would lessen the way I feel about you,” I assure her.
“I know how this will make me sound,” she says. “But if we’re really thinking there is even a chance we want to move forward with this arrangement, I need to know.”
“Know what?” I press.
She sucks in a sharp breath before she continues. “One of the things that’s vital to me finding any sort of fulfillment in my life is passion. If that spark isn’t there, the only way we can enter into this sort of union is with the understanding I am allowed to seek it outside of our bedroom.”
I shake my head as I process what she’s saying. “Are you saying if we aren’t... compatible sexually that you want permission to fuck other men?”
She exhales, her fingers toying with the edge of her dress—a silent siren call. “I suppose you can put it that way. Sex is important to me. It always has been. Connecting with a partner with a passion deep enough to drown in makes me feel alive. And if we don’t have that connection, I want to be honest about my expectations before we get too far along.”
Her forwardness shocks me, but I also find it intriguing. “Gia,” I respond, a mix of curiosity and apprehension coloring my voice. “I can understand where you’re coming from and respect your honesty. But I don’t think I could ever share you with another man. It’s not how I’m wired.”
Gia looks at me, her gaze searching my face. “I understand how you feel,” she says softly. “But I need you to consider that we aren’t the typical couple. We’ve both been through enough to know that love can take many forms and sometimes people need different things to be happy.”
“And what if we do have that passion you need?” I pose the question, studying her face as I wait for her response.
Her voice is steady but raw with vulnerability. “Then I promise to give this marriage my all. I won’t seek anything elsewhere because I’ll have found everything I could ever want right here with you.”
Her words hang in the air, and for a moment, silence envelops us. I can feel the weight of her confession, the immense trust she has placed in me, and there’s a burning in my gut to fulfill her deepest desires.
I take her delicate hand into mine, tracing circles on her palm with my thumb. A faint smile tugs at the corners of Gia’s lips. “If a sexual connection is that important to you, we should probably explore that between us before making any decisions.” My words are laced with flirtation as I say them.
Her eyes meet mine, fierce and unapologetic, and I see the embers of her suppressed desires glowing brightly. Gia’s eyelashes flutter, a subtle yet potent signal of her intrigue. Her lips part, and she leans forward ever so slightly, her voice low. “I think it’s only prudent of us to do all of our due diligence.”
My heart races as her words hang in the air, a charged energy swirling between us. A magnetic pull draws me closer to her, and I can sense she feels it too. The air in the room crackles with anticipation as if we have entered uncharted territory. I never met a woman who was so sure of her wants and desires sexually, and I find it intoxicating.
Gia’s hand slides up my arm, her touch setting my skin ablaze. Without hesitation, I close the distance between us, capturing her lips in a searing kiss. It is a collision of longing, and as our lips dance together, the world around us fades into insignificance.
Gia’s fingers tangle in my hair, pulling me impossibly closer, while my hands slide down her back, tracing the curves of her body with reverence. As we break apart momentarily to catch our breath, Gia looks at me through darkened lashes and whispers, “Should we go upstairs?”
“Absolutely, let me lock up down here, and I’ll meet you up there,” I instruct, my voice low and commanding. We stand, and I guide her to the staircase, watching her ascend until she’s out of sight before I turn away to secure the place.
I find Nico in the downstairs office, sitting near the window that overlooks the front of the property. “Everything quiet?” My voice breaks up the silence, low and steady.
Nico stands and pivots on his heel, a slight nod greeting me before words follow. “Yes, boss. I walked the exterior, and everything looked good. I made sure all the doors were locked and the security system was engaged.”
I smile at him. “Good, keep it that way. Gia and I are retiring for the night. Nobody knows we’re here, but you should keep your eyes sharp.”
His gaze meets mine, a flicker of understanding igniting in those dark irises. “Understood.”
“If you see anything—anything at all that doesn’t sit right—you come get me. Immediately. Understand?”