She enjoyed his company far more than she should.
Not only did she enjoy his company, but she looked forward to it as well.
He made her laugh, which she loved regardless of the pain. He made her smile and feel warmth where there wasn’t any. There was a lot she liked about him, but she knew deep down, it couldn’t last.
They were in different worlds, and even though for now theirs had collided, it didn’t mean they’d work.
Chapter Five
A few days later Vincenzo watched as Arika walked slowly into the room. The wound in her abdomen was healing. The doctor had said it hadn’t punctured any major organs or arteries as he’d been able to remove the bullet and stitch her back up. What he had warned about was the recovery time and the potential pain, seeing as it was in her abdomen and the muscles people used for simple things like walking, getting up and down, lifting cups, or books. Anything that required some strenuous activity would cause pain and would also prolong the recovery time.
She took things slowly.
He watched as she walked into the room and sat down on the sofa. She never came close to him unless he moved into her space. He wasn’t sure if she was afraid of him or not. Several times when she’d looked at him, he was sure he caught a flash of desire, of need, reflected in her eyes. It would be gone as quickly as it appeared.
“I cannot believe you don’t own a TV.”
“I went into your apartment, remember. You don’t own one.”
“I don’t need one.”
“Neither do I.”
“What do you do all day when you’re on your downtime?”
“I sit in silence, read a book, work out.”
“Where do you work out?”
“In my basement. I have a gym.”
“It’s not a special torture chamber?”
“Nope, I leave that to my bedroom.” He winked at her, and her cheeks were red once again. “You’ve never been flirted with.” It wasn’t a question.
“Why are you asking me that?”
“I’m not. I’m stating it.”
“We were talking about the television and your lack of one.”
“You ever been stripped naked, kissed over every inch of your flesh? Had your legs spread open and someone lick your pussy?”
He saw her hands clench at her sides.
“Do we have to talk about this?”
“Why not? I want to talk about it.”
“Just because you want to talk about it doesn’t mean we should. I’m not comfortable with this.”
“Then tell me why your nipples are hard as fucking pebbles pressing against the front of the shirt you’re wearing.”
She glanced down at her body. “I’m cold.”
“It’s a hot day. I’ve had to open a window.”
“There’s a draft?”
He smiled. “Come on, Arika. We’re two people here.”
“I’ve never been with a man. I wasn’t lying to you when I admitted that. I’ve not had sex, ever.”
“Not once?”
“No.” She gritted her teeth as she spoke.
Her reactions to his questions were so cute. He would gladly sit and watch her all day.
“You’ve not been with a man, ever?”
“Do you like me to keep on repeating myself?”
“Yes.”
“No. You’re the first person to ever see me naked or to get me dressed. Just you.”
“I rather like that.” He moved from the far end of the sofa, close to her. Placing his finger against her hand, he stroked up and down.
She no longer flinched at his touch.
Instead, she looked down.
“You ever thought about what a man could do for you? How he could strip you naked, worship your body, fuck you until you forget your own name?”
“I’ve thought about it a lot. Doesn’t mean it’s going to happen, so there’s no point in thinking about it.” She pulled her hand away
He could push the issue, but instead, he rested his head back against the sofa, closing his eyes.
“Do you ever think of taking a woman hard?”
This got his attention.
Lifting his head, he saw her looking at him. The fire in her eyes caught him completely off guard.
“I have taken women hard.”
She licked her lips, looking past his shoulder. “You’ve had women on their knees before you, lips open, forcing them to take your cock to the back of their throat until they gag. Holding their hair in your grip so they know who has control and who doesn’t.” She tilted her head to the side, and he didn’t know how she could look so innocent with the words spilling from her lips.
“I’ve done that.”
Her gaze came back to his.
“I’ve also had it where I’ve kept hold of their hair and forced them to take my cock even though I’m too big. I need a woman to be soaking wet, otherwise there is always a bite of pain when I fuck them. When I thrust inside that first time, if they’re not dripping then they feel every single inch of me. The tighter the cunt, the more pain.” He leaned in close, liking the game they were playing. “You know what else I love?”