Page 29 of Lethal Infatuation

"Always so curious."

"I need to know. You could be a serial killer planning to hack me to pieces and then dump my body parts into the river."

I raised an eyebrow. "Lay off the documentaries, yes?" I pressed the ignition button and the car hummed to life. "If I were a serial killer, you would've already been dead by now."

"Thank you for the reassurance. You sure know how to calm my nerves," she said sarcastically. "And for your information, I'll never stop watching murder documentaries."

"I try," I said flatly. "We're going to Central Park. Relax." She gazed at me with those innocent eyes and it stirred sensations in my groin. "That's the reason why you're so paranoid."

After my previous intense encounters with her, I decided to try another approach. One that wasn't so overwhelming for her.

"Why are we going to Central Park?" she questioned. "You don't strike me as the kind of man that takes strolls in a park for leisurely purposes."

"I heard it's romantic." I pulled out of the parking spot and drove off. "Now tell me the truth."

Gabriella looked away from me, glancing out of the window. "I already told you. I was under the impression that it was a one night stand and I didn't want to deal with the awkwardness that comes thereafter."

"You and I both know there wouldn't have been an awkward moment between us, Gabriella. So what's the real reason?" My patience wore thin and I gripped the steering wheel so hard myknuckles turned white.

"Something tells me you're normally the one who leaves after your sexual activities. Doesn't feel good when you're one the other end, does it?" I could hear the playfulness in her voice.

It's something I picked up on—whenever she was in a situation that was too much for her to handle, she'd crack a joke. "Gabriella," I said sternly. "Not that my sexual history is of any importance right now, but no, I've never left in an abrupt manner after sex because we established boundaries beforehand."

"I just…" She paused, fidgeting with her gold necklace. "I don't know." I kept my gaze on the road, not wanting to make her retract her words. "It's complicated."

"Complicated?" I asked lowly, slowly turning to look at her. "Are you going to elaborate?"

"I don't know how to elaborate."

"Try."

"You won't understand, this is why I didn't want to have this conversation with you. This," she gestured between the two of us, "should've ended in Cabo."

"Well, fate brought us back together so things have progressed from Cabo to New York." She scoffed, folding her arms over her chest which inevitably pushed her tits together.Shit, stay focused. "Make me understand then."

"It's nothing."

"No," I muttered angrily, making her head snap in my direction. "Don't do that. Can you just talk to me? Jesus Christ, Gabriella." I came to an abrupt halt, parking on the side of the road.

She looked around, panic filling her eyes. "Are we on the Goddamn highway?" she screeched, tossing her ponytail over her shoulder.

"Yes," I said calmly. "I'm not moving until you talk to me."

"If you don't move, I won't be able to talk to you at all because we'll be dead or in a coma." She turned her head to the right, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Okay, fuck." It was the first time I ever heard her curse and the sound aroused me more than it should have. "Drive. I'll tell you, but please, just drive."

"Start talking." I stepped on the gas again, speeding down the highway.

"I haven't been with anyone for the past four years." My shoulder tensed at the thought of her with anyone else, but knowing that after all this time she chose me, eased my mind. "I got nervous, so I left. I didn't want to deal with the aftermath of our…endeavour."

I remained silent, allowing her to talk. "I've never felt such an intense attraction towards anyone other than you. I thought it would be best if I just left, and of course, I never expected to run into you here and I was hoping I never would. Does that make me a coward? Probably. I'll gladly be labelled as one if it means I'm protected."

I glanced in her direction for a few seconds. "I also had an emergency back home and had to leave earlier than expected. I thought the timing was definitely convenient, given the circumstances."

Five seconds. Ten. Twenty passed by with nothing but silence and the roar of the engine surrounding us while I drove. "Now I've got a question for you," she said softly.

"What is it?" I was yet to comment on her revelation.

"If you knew where I was all this time, why didn't you come find me?"

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