Arianna’s POV
“Arianna you don’t understand! Gabriele has you rolled up around his fingers, I am only trying to help here. You don’t love him… You don’t mean that…” He said desperately.
At this point I was no longer angry, I just watched him calmly. He needed help.
“I am sorry Brett but you have it all wrong and I will really appreciate it if you stop. It isn’t worth it,” I said slowly.
His eyes darkened and he raised his fists in the air. I just watched him -he couldn’t touch me because Mike would gnaw off his head before he got any closer.
“Arianna, this is terrible. You are a captive yet you defend your captor? Let me help you!” He insisted.
I realized that he wasn’t going to stop and I did t have time for this. I held on tight to my purse and let out a deep breath.
“As I said earlier, you can’t understand Brett. Anyway, you have taken enough of my time. Enjoy the breakfast,” I said and made for the door but on second thoughts, I paused.
“One more thing Brett,” I said and he perked up at me. “I will prefer it if you stay away from me. Gabriele won’t appreciate it and neither will I,” I said in a firm voice.
His mouth tightened as if he wanted to howl out words from the depth of his heart but I wasn’t interested in them. I turned away swaying happily with my confidence in check.
Mike immediately joined me at the door and together we walked back to the office building without exchanging words. He saw everything that happened and I couldn’t help but feel good at the proud smirk that sat on his face.
“Arianna!” Lim shrieked the moment she saw me walking to the office.
Her voice made me forget about Brett and his comments. A smile sat on my face as I walked through the glass doors. She came bashing into me with a smile so big it covered her entire face.
“Arianna, you didn’t text me last night. Gosh! I was so worried. I thought you won’t be able to make it anymore! Oh my God, I am so excited! And damn!” She paused taking a good look at me.
I laughed and walked on, leaving her behind me.
“Wait a minute, you look so hot!” She shrieked as she came after me.
“Oh Lim, if you keep shrieking like that, you may lose your voice,” I told her as we walked into the main hall.
“Good morning ma’am.” They chorused as we walked through. I responded to each greeting with a smile.
“Okay, I won’t scream anymore. You are here now.” Lim breathed holding her heart.
I sat on my chair and stared at her. “Okay, so what do we have pending?” If I didn’t initiate the start of work, she was going to keep feeding me with her excitement till the day was over.
She snapped back into work mode and moved to my cupboard and brought back a large file.
“Here,” she said placing it on the table. “You need to go through these and sign them. We got another solicitor yesterday but the meeting with him is next week. We have all the time in the world,” She said and I gaped at her and the large file.
“It was only yesterday that I missed work. Why do we have so much pending?” I cried out.
“Because we are making money,” She said between giggles.
I groaned but I had no choice. I got into work determined to cover as much as I could. I even forgot about breakfast until Lim brought me a fresh cup of coffee from my favorite coffee shop. It must have been Mike that told her about my stomach situation.
By the time I finished, it was exactly four o’clock and the guys were already waiting. I packed up my things before Lim came by and stepped out of the office
“Oh, I was just about to come to you,” Lim said with relief.
“Are we ready?”
“Yes, Arianna!” They chorused.
We filed out of the office and separated in the garage. They took the company’s minivan and I went in my car -of course, Lim came with me. Jerry also tagged along with us.
The lounge we headed to was a newly constructed fresh spot. The music was soft and the ambiance was perfect.
They had already booked a section and it happened that we were the only ones present.
“Let’s have a toast!” Jerry called out.
I sat in my corner enjoying my drink. I hated to admit it but in the end, I missed Gabriele. I wished he had come with me or something.
Maybe it was also coupled with the fact that he had refused to talk to me but as I sat there in my corner, I felt a longing for him. I felt an empty void within me that could only be filled by him.
“Arianna? Come on, let’s have a dance!” Lim yelled above the music.
I completely zoned out and didn’t even know they had picked up the music volume. They were all dancing and laughing while I remained in my corner.
“Me? I don’t dance!” I replied waving at her.
“No way!” She said with a frown and came to pull me to my feet.
“Lim!” I laughed but she already got me to my feet.
I started moving to the beat of the song and before long, I let the alcohol drive away my loneliness and I started enjoying myself.
Jerry came behind me and we started dancing. He wasn’t touching me but whoever watched from a distance would think it was too close to be an innocent dance.
It was no surprise when Gabriele suddenly burst into the lounge and grabbed my arm.
“What the hell do you think you are doing?” He growled.
It warmed my heart that he was there but I also felt angry that he thought I would do something inappropriate with Jerry.
“Mr. Gabriele!” Jerry stuttered.
Gabriele didn’t as much as spare the poor man a glare. He grabbed my hands and pulled me out of the lounge.
“Gabriele, stop!” I hissed pulling my hand out of his hold but he held on tight.
When we got outside, he pushed me to the car and Mike opened the door at once
“Get in!” His eyes were burning with anger and I couldn’t help but feel the same way.
Why was he acting like this? It was just a stupid dance and nothing more!
“I will not tolerate this kind of behavior from you!” I hissed pointing a finger at him. “I am not your property! I can go wherever I want! Do you understand!”
His eyes darkened like my words were a slap upon his face.
“Arianna!” He roared and I felt my throat instantly go dry. “Get in the car right now!”
From the corner of my eye, I could see Mike pleading with me to do as Gabriele wanted but not in a million years would I give in to him so easily.
“I am going back to that party and I will continue dancing. Guess what?” I retorted with a mischievous grin playing on my face. “There is nothing you can do about it, Gabriele!”
I made just two steps before I felt his strong arms on my waist. He howled me to his shoulders and took me into the car, dropping me on the back seat.
We both glared at each other as the tension got even stronger. His eyes faltered to my lips and I couldn’t deny the wave of desire that flooded down my core.
He lowered himself above me and I felt my lungs freeze as I forgot how to breathe.
“You belong to me, Arianna. No one can take you away. Do you understand me? Brett is a fly and I will crush him!”
So this was what this was about?
“You are angry because of Brett?” I asked narrowing my eyes at him.
His eyes faltered to my lips and then back to my eyes again before he replied through gritted teeth.
“I am angry you left the house looking this way, what were you fucking thinking?” His voice became hoarse and I found my traitorous body arching into him.
“I was thinking about what you will do if you found me…” I whispered biting my lips.
“Arianna…” He growled in a warning. He was reaching his limits and I was loving it.
He wasn’t the only one who had the right to play games.
“What? Are you scared now? Has your cock lost its strength?” I teased glaring at him.
“Oh, you are just scared I will run off with Brett because you have lost your touch…”
This was the last straw for him. He pulled the car’s door suddenly shut and then grabbed unto my neck.
“I am not scared of shit!” Those were the last words he said before his lips crashed against mine.
Like a silent command, the car drove into the evening air as we kissed each other senselessly in the back seat.
His hands grabbed unto my breasts and he squeezed them through the dress. I cried out but the sound got engulfed in the feverish kiss.
His hands found the slit on my dress and he moved higher till he felt my lingerie.
He pulled away from my lips and as I tried to catch my breath he moved to my earlobes.
“Can a scared person do this?”
Before I could make out what he was saying, the sound of tearing fabric filled the car and I knew I had woken up the devil -and I loved it.