Page 65 of Forever Mine

"And I will. But not today. I will not hurt you even more. I will not add insult to injury over what thatpiçodid."

"Piço?"

"It means dick."

I have a vague memory of him calling Marcus that at the bar. I mean Nicolas. I’m going to have a hard time referring to him as Nicolas after knowing him as Marcus for this long. Feels like a lifetime ago. Was that really only last night? I shudder as I think about knowing who he really is. Finding out he's a Bianchi. The stories I'd hear about the Bianchis growing up were almost urban legends. The abuse their women suffered was absurd. Bianchi men have no problem maiming and killing women, even their own. A Bianchi woman who goes against her husband is as good as dead, and her death will be long and torturous.

"Where did you go,querida?" Gabriel asks quietly. My eyes meet his as he crouches next to the bed and pulls my hand to his lips, kissing it gently.

"I'm just trying to figure out the connection between Marcus and me. How my family is involved. I'm not sure what will happen, and I'm scared," I admit.

"We'll figure it out," he promises. "I won't let anything happen to you. I promise. You should probably call him Nicolas now. That’ll help you with moving forward.”

I sigh. “I know.”

I want to argue with him. I want to scream that no one has ever protected me, including my damn family. Only Nana. Gabriel must see my expression change because he gently cups my face.

"I protect what's mine,anjinho. No one, and I meanno one, will ever hurt you again," Gabriel says deeply as his eyes sear into mine.

"Okay," I whisper. "I'm exhausted. I want to rest." One of the medications they sent me home with causes drowsiness. At this moment, I'm thankful for that. I want to escape my reality for a few hours.

"I need to make a few calls. I'll come to check on you in a little while." Gabriel leans in and kisses me softly. I want to deepen the kiss, but he pulls away before I can. He chuckles as I pout. "In due time,querida. Trust that it'll be worth the wait." He brings my hand to his mouth and kisses my palm once before exiting the room.

I look around Gabriel's room and again notice how barren it is. Absolutely no color. No personality. He seems full of charisma, yet this entire condo is a blank canvas. It's rather odd. But as I settle into the bed and pull his comforter closer to my face, I'm overcome with his scent. Partially his cologne or body wash, and mainly just the scent that is inherently Gabriel. I could bathe in this scent and never feel I got enough of it. I hum happily as I burrow into the pillow and let my mind wander to what it might be like once Gabriel finally does take me. Will he be tender? Probably not. He already hinted he wanted it rough, at least the first time. Will he be dominant and powerful? My guess is yes. Thankfully my ribs are only bruised, not fractured or broken. So I can only hope he gives in sooner rather than later.

Tomorrow I need to up the ante. Tell Daddy how much I want him.

The following day, I begin a subtle play to slowly break down Gabriel's defenses. He brings me breakfast in bed, and I 'accidentally' drop the comforter to show my bra. Another time I walked downstairs in my shortest pair of shorts and a very tight tank top. By the fourth day, Gabriel is hanging on by a string. I'm pretty sure he's jerking off multiple times a day, and he definitely does so in the shower right before coming to bed. But he's a perfect gentleman in bed, holding me against his chest all night. Gabriel never gives me an opportunity to take advantage of him in the morning, as he's always awake and out of bed before me.

Gabriel has begun locking himself in his office and claiming I can't interrupt him while he's working. I'm also attempting to work from home, but I can't concentrate. Part of me is hyper-focused on the unknowns between the Bianchis and my family. At the same time, the rest of me is so fucking turned on that I can't do anything else. As soon as he gets in the shower each evening, my hand is in my panties. I can get off two or three times before I hear the water turn off. My ribs feel so much better now, and the bruising on my face has faded significantly.

I'm done waiting by the start of the second week at Gabriel's. I'm a ticking time bomb. I need dick. If Gabriel doesn't give it to me, I will be forced to Amazon Prime some dildos to help take the edge off this tension.

When I wake up alone again, I'm done. I brush my teeth, use the toilet, and then stomp through Gabriel's condo, trying to find him. To say I'm furious when I see a short note on the kitchen counter is a massive understatement.

Querida, Had to go to Denver for the day. I'll be back late.

-G

"You asshole!" I seethe. My phone dings right as I'm about to call Gabriel and rip into him. It's a text from Nathan.

Nathan: Em is having some contractions. We're heading to the doctor. We'll keep you updated.

Me: Oh my God! What can I do? Do you need anything?

Nathan: No, we're good. My mom has the girls and Jack.

Me: What does Jack say about this?

Nathan: He says his brother isn't today, but is coming soon.

Me: Has a doctor confirmed it’s a boy, or are we still relying on Jack’s visions?

Nathan: We still don’t know for sure. Jack told us as soon as he found out about the pregnancy. The baby hasn’t cooperated during ultrasounds to confirm. I’m afraid to accept that it's a boy since we had three girls in a row.

Me: God, I love that kid.

Nathan: He's a keeper.

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