Ariana’s POV –
His lips are firm yet soft, pressing into mine with the perfect amount of pressure. I desperately want him to deepen the kiss but he doesn’t, his lips continue moving against mine, so perfect. I feel his large hands rest against my waist, the skin heat-ing up with flames underneath my shirt. A rush of heat flares through my body as I melt against his lips, soaking in his in-toxicating scent.
“Alex,” I pull back, his name coming from my lips in a breathy moan. He keeps his eyes closed, chest rising and falling heavily. A low groan comes from him and I can feel my insides melt completely.
“Alex,” I repeat again, my voice desperate. I want him to kiss me again, I want to feel his hands roam my body. His eyes spring open, hooded over with passion.
“Fuck hermosa, I’m trying to be a gentleman but you’re not exactly helping the situation,” he murmurs, his hands twitching as he holds on to me. Despite the urgency I have for him, I can’t help but smile at his words.
“You’re a sweetheart Alex,” I whisper, resting my forehead against his. I watch as his jaw clenches, his fingers pressing deeper into the skin on my hips. My eyelids flutter shut as a rush of pleasure soars through my body.
“Trust me, it’s taking all I have not to grab you and have my way with you,” he whispers down my ear, his words sending a shiver running down my spine. I arch my body into him and he groans again, a deep low throaty rumble.
“What are you waiting for?” I ask him, unable to think straight. All I can feel is his hands on my body, the pleasure he’s giving me from a simple touch.
“I told you, I’m a gentleman,” he responds but his voice sounds strained, his words raspy. My eyelids flutter open and I place my hands over his, guiding them down to my bare thighs. The moment his fingers touch my skin, I gasp, feeling the electricity. It curses through my blood, lighting me up from the inside out.
“You don’t need to prove anything, I trust you.” I whisper, unable to keep my eyes open. His fingers continuously brush against my bare skin, goosebumps erupted all over me. The moment I tell him I trust him, he pauses, freezing against me. Within a split second, his warmth leaves me.
I frown and open my eyes, finding Alex a few feet away from me. He’s turned around as he faces the wall, his arms lifted up as his hands pull at the strands of his hair. I immediately regret my words, biting down on my lower lip.
Why did I say I trust him?
I’ve scared him away.
I press myself against the kitchen counter, the cold feeling of it pressing against my warm skin. The skin that was burning with flames mere seconds ago. Regret fills me and I grit my teeth, angry at myself.
“Look Alex, I didn’t mean – I s-shouldn’t.” I stutter, unable to get my words out correctly. I pause, taking a deep breath. Opposite me, Alex is leaning against the wall, his bare chest rising and falling heavily. His eyes are trained on the floor, beautiful features twisted with confusion.
“I shouldn’t have said that.” I say quietly, dropping my eyes to the floor. I can hear his heavy breaths as he remains silent for the next few minutes.
“You shouldn’t trust me, you should never trust me.” He says firmly, his voice causing me to jump slightly. His tone is se-rious, dangerous. As I look up into his eyes, he’s looking at me intently, pleading.
“Don’t trust me Ariana,” he whispers, pain filling his features. I can feel the fear building up inside me, my hands trem-bling by my side. He never uses my actual name.
“Why? It’s t-true Alex.”
“No! Ariana, no!” He yells in response, his hands tugging hard at his hair. He looks up at the ceiling, letting out a heavy sigh. I feel my throat close up, the oxygen inside the room almost disappearing. It’s a struggle to breathe as I digest his words, his rejection.
“I don’t understand, w-why, why can’t I trust you?”
My question is quiet, barely above a whisper. Alex snaps his head towards me, his eyes burning through mine intently. He suddenly strides towards me and my eyes widen as I realise I have nowhere to run.
“Alex!” I press myself further into the counter, creating as much distance as I can between us. The familiar feeling of pan-ic fills my stomach and I whimper, squeezing my eyes shut tightly as he stands directly in front of me. His bare chest is broad, his height almost twice of mine.
I close my eyes as I wait for the punch to the side of my head or his angry words spitting in my face. I let out a small scream as I feel his hands make contact with my body.
“Stop it, stop it hermosa. I’m not going to hurt you. God, I would never hurt you.” He says firmly, his arms wrapping se-curely around my waist. I fall limply against his chest, visions of my father clouding my mind. I feel him bury his head into the side of my neck, his breaths hitting the tender skin.
“I would never hurt you. Imposible.”
He continues to repeat the same words over and over again as he lifts me up from the floor, effortlessly. I want to open my mouth to protest but no words come out.
“Please don’t be scared of me, it breaks my heart when you act like you’re scared of me.”
I suck in a breath at his words, feeling myself being placed down onto his mattress. I sink into it and Alex hovers over me, his eyes clouded with distress and pain. I continue to focus on my breathing because if I don’t, I’ll have a panic attack from what’s going on inside my mind.
“I’m not scared of you,” I tell him, closing my eyes. “I’m scared of the nightmares inside my mind. I’m scared of my nightmares coming to life, again.”
He leans down, planting a kiss on the side of my neck. His lips are warm, gentle. I shiver, the fear inside my body com-pletely dissolving from one simple touch.
“Promise me something hermosa.”
I remain silent, waiting for him to continue.
“Promise me if I ever become your nightmare, you’ll walk out of this door and never look at me again.”
I nod slowly, pushing my demons back inside the box they escaped from. I mentally try to lock them up and throw away the key but I don’t get that far.
“I promise Alex, I promise.” I whisper, reaching out to tangle his fingers through mine. He holds onto me just as tightly, his breathing becoming shallow.
“You still trust me, don’t you?” He asks quietly, his words strained. I respond immediately, my reply truthful as I wear my heart on my sleeve.
“Yes.”