He Hates Me Not (Hate & Love Duet 2)

She’s relieved to find me here after thinking I’d left her for good.

I was planning to punish her a lot longer, have her look out from the window, leaving the balcony’s door open and basically begging me to come and take her.

Be with her.

However, I’ve come to the realization that I’m actually weak when it comes to my little Petal.

I can’t stay away. That’s equal to breathing non-clean air. The act of breathing is there, but it’s also suffocating your own lungs.

While I spend my days holed in the office with Enzo and Angelo, plotting our next move, all I can think about is night time where I get to watch my little Petal and see her, even from afar.

She forces her face into a neutral expression. “What are you doing here?”

“Whatever the fuck I want.”

A sigh rips from her as she sits on the edge of the bed, it’s close, but not close enough to have me invading her space. She scratches under Mr. Bingly’s chin absentmindedly and he purrs in delight.

Little fucker.

I’m really reconsidering my strikes system against animals.

“Lucio just threatened me,” she says through a sigh. “Do you think he’ll hurt Dad?”

“Given the chance, he won’t only hurt Paolo, but he’ll kill you both and keep your remains in jars.”

She swallows audibly. Good.

Now, she knows the lions’ den she has herself in.

And I’m going to use the chance to glue her to my side one way or another.

I can’t keep sneaking into Paolo’s house. Sooner or later, one of the guards will pick up a pattern and everything will be fucking over.

She peeks at me. “What should I do?”

“Why are you asking me?”

“Well, you’re more familiar with this type of life than I am.”

The fact she’s asking for my opinion should flatter me, but it doesn’t. She’s only asking me so she’ll root herself further with her fucking father and family name.

Mr. Bingly purrs loudly again and I push him away. He jumps from the bed but not before scratching me.

“Hey!” she protests, seeming more worried about her cat than me.

“He scratched me.”

“That’s because you chased him away.” She pauses. “So?”

“So what?”

“Are you going to answer me or are you still going to ignore me?”

“I’m not ignoring you.”

“Yeah, right.” She pouts then quickly masks it. “You left that day, Jas.”

“You left first.”

“Why can’t you understand that I need my father?”

“Probably because that same father killed my own father and mother and grandmother and sister for that matter.”

She gulps audibly. “My grandfather is the reason behind that, not my father.”

I scoff. “Are you serious?”

“Why, yes. My father would never do that.”

“You’re too blinded that you can’t even see the truth, Georgina.”

“Or maybe you’re the one who’s refusing to see it.” She folds her arms over her chest.

Silence stays between us for a few seconds. It’s useless to fight her about Paolo’s involvement in my family’s death. She’s seeing him as this larger than life presence who’ll give her a family life she lost as a kid.

“Jas…” She touches my cheek with her fingers and I feel like the fat cat, being caressed by her, being looked at with those soft eyes. “Why can’t you let go?”

“Let go of what? Of the memory of blood, of seeing my mother’s vacant eyes after she protected me with her life?”

“No, of the grudge. It’ll only eat you from the inside out.”

I release a long breath, but I don’t pull away from her touch as her finger strokes my cheek.

For a moment, I feel untouchable, like the world is in the palm of my hands. As long as I have her, then I can be one invincible motherfucker.

I clutch her by the arm and pull her underneath me. She releases an excited yelp before it turns into a moan as I claim her lips.

“Jas…” Her fingers get lost in my hair and she kisses me with abandon, as if like me, she needs that sense of belonging, that sense that we’re it for each other.

We fought it for so long, but my little Petal and I share a connection, an inkling no one else is able to have.

Sometimes, it’s fucking damnation, all the shit I feel for her, but other times, like now, it’s fucking everything.

In no time, I have her and myself naked and then I’m thrusting into her in slow measured jerks.

“Oh, God.” Her body contracts all around me while she holds on to me as if I’m her world.

Just like she’s mine.

I don’t stop, fucking her slowly, so slowly that tears rim her eyes and she stares up at me as if knowing exactly where this is going.

“What are you doing to me?” she breathes. “Take me rough, hard. I’m your slut.”

“You’re more than my slut. You’re my fucking world.”

She cries out then, clenching around me with all her might, calling my name over and over.