Page 12 of (UN)Bounded

“Okay.” He releases another breath. I wonder what has him so wound up. “And Gabo? Thank you. I owe you.”

Vicente disconnects the call before I can ask him what’s going on, but I’ll have time this weekend. I know he’ll loosen up after a few drinks.

As soon as the elevator opens to the main floor of my penthouse, a delicious smell hits my nostrils. I’m immediately transported to my childhood in my parents’ hacienda. I can’t believe Bella cooked niños envueltos—a delicious set of veggies wrapped in thin beef slices and spices. But if I thought the smell was good, I'm left breathless when my eyes fall on Bella. This morning, when I came out of the shower, she was dancing while cooking, and it was a sight for sore eyes—Bella can move. But nothing would have prepared me for the barely-there shorts she’s wearing, which give me a painful peek at her ass cheeks.

She moved all the furniture out of the living room to create a makeshift dance studio. She’s wearing headphones, so she hasn’t noticed that I’ve arrived. I can’t hear the music she’s dancing to, but the way she’s moving, her entire body is telling a story—one that I’d like nothing more than to join.

She’s swaying her arms, side to side, creating a storm. Her feet are quick, and she jumps from one side of the room to the other—impressively, I must add. Then she stops suddenly, wrapping her arms around her waist protectively. Her face contorts as if she were in pain, and somehow, it hurts me, too. It’s incredible how affected I am just by her movements. I’m sure if I were listening to the music, I’d be bawling like a baby. It’s art. And it’s beautiful.

She opens her eyes and freezes in place the moment she sees me. A lovely blush brightens her cheeks, and I can’t help but keep staring—she’s so beautiful. Her hair is a wild mess, her chest rises and falls to the beat of her heart, and sweat glistens on her beautiful creamy skin. She’s a vision.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t realize you were home. I’ll put everything back the way you had it after dinner. Are you hungry?” she asks as she rearranges her messy bun. When she lifts her arms, her tits also go up, and I have to inhale a sharp breath.

Hosting Bella definitely wasn’t a good idea when I haven’t had a chance to get laid in months. This new project I’m working on is more demanding than I anticipated. It’s a good thing I’m leaving for the weekend. I can relax, decompress, and come back on Monday ready to kick ass—and avoid having unholy thoughts about her.

“Yeah, I could eat,” I reply. I loosen my tie, and Bella swallows hard, and that immediately catches my attention. Damn, I need a cold shower.

“Great, I’ll plate the food, you serve the wine?” she asks as if we’ve done this a thousand times, and it feels nice. Every single woman I’ve brought to my place who has tried to make breakfast in the morning gets the cold shoulder. I’ve never been a man to go from a one-night stand to a steady relationship. I don’t even think I’ve ever wanted a steady relationship, so the mere thought of feeling okay with Bella cooking dinner for me is wild. It must be because she’s family—she’s my best friend’s little sister, for fuck’s sake.

We sit on the patio, enjoying the calm breeze. The street lights below and the sounds of the city are the perfect background for the evening. Amid the cacophony of people chatting and cars passing by, my place feels like an oasis in the middle of the chaotic city. I take a bite of the food Bella prepared, and my eyes close in ecstasy. Damn, it tastes just like the one Graciela, our nanny, used to make when we were growing up.

“This is delicious. Where did you learn to cook?” I ask, honestly intrigued.

Bella lowers her gaze and wipes her lips gently with her napkin. So demure, yet so sexy at the same time. When she raises her gaze to find mine, a small smile appears on her beautiful face.

“Inés, our nanny, became best friends with Graciela when we moved to Chile, and they exchanged recipes. The first time Ines prepared this at Luca’s place, I fell in love.” I chuckle at her response but nod in understanding.

“Yes, I’ve heard they became tight. Isn’t it crazy that both of our families are so different, yet have so many things in common? For instance, this dish is my favorite ever. If I could only eat one thing for the rest of my life, it would be this.” I raise my glass and motion for her to do the same.

“I had no idea it was your favorite, but I’m glad I decided to prepare a nice dinner instead of taking a bath and going to bed as I had originally planned. Jet lag is no joke, and I’d rather tire myself out now than go to bed and wake up in the middle of the night.”

The image of her taking a bath forms in my head, and I immediately push it away, shaking my head. Instead, I go for what I think is a harmless and friendly toast. “Here’s to a fantastic meal with unbeatable company.”

Her eyes light up at my compliment, and I immediately berate myself. What the fuck I am doing flirting with her? I need to stop this shit. Instead of overthinking what I just did, I chug the entire glass of wine and help myself to a refill. She doesn’t say anything, but she eyes me warily, as if she’s worried about me. I should slow down on the drinking for a bit; I don’t want her to think I’m a heavy drinker.

The rest of the meal goes by quickly as she smartly changes the topic and goes on to tell me what she did all day. I’m captivated by her bubbly personality. The way she describes the cafe where she sat for a while at Piazza Maggiore, enjoying focaccia with the most delicious cappuccino she has ever had—her words, not mine—I’m truly enjoying her story until she mentions she met someone. My brain halts like a rollercoaster stopping in its tracks.

“Hold on. Who did you say you met?” I try to sound nonchalant, but my tone has more emotion than I anticipated.

She raises an eyebrow and gives me a smirk that my dick immediately notices. Fuck.

“His name is Giacomo, and we’re taking the same summer class,” she says with a chuckle as she takes a sip of her wine.

I bite my lip, trying to take a couple of minutes to calm down, but she mimics me and bites her lip, and that only makes my dick grow harder. I’ll have to wait for a while before I can get up from this table.

“Anyway, he seemed nice, so we exchanged numbers.” She shrugs like it’s not a big deal. A feeling too close to jealousy forms inside me. Jealous of what? I have no idea. Maybe it’s because the fucker got her number, and I didn’t.

“So you made plans for the weekend already?” I ask, and she shakes her head no. I release a deep breath, and she eyes me curiously.

“I told him I had just arrived and wanted to get a feel for the city this weekend. I’ll see him on Monday in class, anyway.”

Instead of calming down, this makes me even more jealous. She’s already thinking about seeing him? It serves me right for getting hard for a girl who’s eight years younger than me.

“Oh, about this weekend… are you okay staying here by yourself?” I ask, taking the opportunity to share my plan with her.

“Gabo, I truly appreciate you letting me stay at your place, but under no circumstances am I expecting you to be my babysitter. There are plenty of places for me to visit this weekend.” She gives me a sweet smile, and I smile back.

“I know you don’t need me around you twenty-four seven, it’s just I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable or anything while you’re here.”

---