Page 23 of The Sicilian's Obsession
Her cold voice hit me in the chest. Fuck, she was pissed at me. She refused to face me, keeping her back to me, completely stiff. This was not the same woman I left here weeks ago.
"Let me make you some dinner." I hated that I was begging, but she needed to eat. Jake mentioned on his way out, she hadn't been eating consistently at all. The last time he saw her eat was yesterday morning. There was no way she wasn't hungry.
"I'd rather not mess the kitchen up." Her voice was slightly less cold, and I could hear the tiredness. She was also slumping forward. I took my chance. I whirled her around to face me, noting that there were tears in her eyes.
"Fuck, princess, don't cry. We can order in and talk. It's going to be all right." I pulled her into a sigh and felt masculine satisfaction when she completely melted into me. Even if she hated me for being a bastard, she still felt safe with me, and I couldn't get over that fact.
"S-sorry. I'm j-just emotional."
I squeezed her tighter. "I never should have left. If I'm being honest, I was being a coward, but know this. You did nothing wrong." I pulled back so I could look deep into her hazel eyes. She believed me and if that wasn't ego boosting, I'm not sure what was. I held my hand out to her and she grasped it like I was her anchor in the storm. Things like that made me want to puff my chest up like a love-struck idiot. Love-struck? I barely knew this woman. For sure, I was not falling in love. At least that was the lie I told myself. We headed to the living room and placed an order for pizza, something simple. While we waited, I thought about the things I needed to say to Katima.
"I freaked out." Not the best start, but it was all I had. "I've never been with someone like you and if I'm honest, I'm scared that I'll ruin you." Katima just held my hand while we sat on the couch, letting me say my piece. "You're so innocent and gorgeous. Not only is what I did a breach in contract, but I felt like I never should have touched you." I breathed out, trying my best to formulate my feelings into words. "I know I hurt you, but please forgive me. I didn't mean to do that."
"I shut down the company temporarily," Katima said, shocking the hell out of me. "With my dad being off the radar, I couldn't concentrate, and then the more I thought of that night, the more I spiraled into a bad place. You hurt me a lot. Not just that night, but in the aftermath."
I nodded grimly at her. I knew she understood what I did was wrong on so many levels. "I'm attracted to you." It felt so good to say the words out loud. "It's shit timing, but I can't stop thinking about you. I was a miserable SOB the entire time I was away from you. All I wanted was to be here with you."
She squeezed my hand, and I felt hope.
"That's all I wanted too."
The doorbell rang, signifying our talk was over for now. I grabbed the pizza, and we ate in the living room while watching bad television.
After a few hours, I noted that Katima was dozing, so I lifted her and carried her to bed.
Before I could creep out of the room, she grabbed my hand and said the words I most wanted to hear. "Please stay."
I gave in to her plea, stripping down to my boxers. Katima kept her shirt on but took off her pants and we got comfortable in her queen-sized bed. She spun, facing away from me, and I pulled her close into my body. I wasn't sure why, but I needed to feel her pressed up against me. It was such sweet torture. While my cock was raging for release from my boxers, Katima was lightly snoring next to me. It was all I ever wanted, all I missed while I was gone.
A whimpering sound woke me up. I glanced at the clock and saw it was a little before four am. Katima was thrashing in her sleep, her face pinched as she fought some figure. She was actively scratching the air, like she was digging her claws into someone. I shook her gently, trying to wake her. She sat up quickly with a startled gasp. What a pair we both made. Luckily, my PTSD nightmares were mostly gone, because we both didn't need to be screaming in our sleep.
"Do you want to talk about it?" My voice had traces of sleep left in it and I rubbed my eyes. We could get up for the day if she wanted.
She started to shake her head but thought better of it. "My dad said I had an overactive imagination, but it felt so real, you know?"
I gave her a nod in the dark, noting the sun was already starting its trek into the sky. "What do you dream about?" Maybe this would help me figure out who was stalking her.
"It's dark and cold. I'm young, I think it was around the time when my mom died. I'm not too sure. There's always a man, and I can never make out his face, but he always grabs for me, pulling me out from wherever I am and forcing me to him. I want to get away from him, but I can't. He holds me too tightly. I usually scream. Sometimes, he calls me his little butterfly. That's why the emails set me off because that nickname disturbs me."
This was the most I had ever gotten from Katima. I wondered briefly if it was because she was still fighting off remnants of her nightmare. I was glad she was talking to me, but I was also upset that she was upset. She shouldn't have to live her life in fear. I laid her back gently and caressed her back. She sighed into my body. Of course, I was hard again. This was so not the right moment.
Then she said the most shocking thing to me. "Can you make me forget?"
I paused my caresses and tried to make out her face in the waning darkness. "That what you want?" I gruffly asked. I could already feel the tingling in the base of my spine.
"Yes," she said on a sigh.
I groaned, knowing that I was going to have to practice a ton of self-control this time. "It won't be like last time. I promise," I vowed to her.
She gave me a tiny nod, and I proceeded to take her panties off. She smelled so sweet. How the heck did she smell like sugar and chocolate down here? It must be specialized soap, something to entice and entrance, because god knew that was exactly what it was doing to me. I took a second to just breathe her in. I wanted to bite and nip all over her body, leave my marks so everyone knew she was mine, but right now she needed sweet and slow, and I was going to give it to her. With that, I leaned in and gave her the first lick from top to bottom. It set her off, and she lifted off the bed, moaning. She was so responsive, and I wanted to see more.
She tasted so sweet. I went in for more. Slowly, achingly slow, I traced the seam of her lips to find that clit and gave it a tiny suck. Nothing major, I just wanted to make her go a little crazy. She panted into the pillows, so I went in with a gusto. Long, soft licks, repeatedly, until she was vibrating, practically screaming and thrusting herself on my face for more. More friction, and her nails found purchase in my scalp. I gave a low grunt from the pain but didn't let up. Clearly, I was doing something right.
I inserted my pointer finger inside her to find how wet she was. She was dripping, but I knew she wasn't ready for me. After last time, I wanted to make everything good for her. So, I kept eating her like she was my last meal. I thrust my second finger in, scissoring her to get that tight pussy to open more for me. Katima unexpectedly slammed her thighs against me, trapping my head, and screamed down the house with her pleasure. I was looking into her eyes so intensely, I hadn't paid attention to the flutters that were happening around my fingers until she gushed. Her back hit the mattress as she panted like she had run a marathon.
"That was… oh my god." I felt high from her release. "I want more." Her husky voice came across my ears and I almost cried, happy, knowing she didn't want to stop. I almost grabbed a condom but changed my mind. I wanted to lay claim to this woman, making her completely and irrevocably mine in every way. After this job, Katima had better get ready, because I wasn't going anywhere ever again.
