Amelia
Another day on the road, and all I can think about is the intense fire I see whenever Frankie
looks at me. It’s planting a seed of doubt in my mind over my decision never to forgive him. To give him a second chance.
We stop at another hotel that night, making good headway on our trip.
“We’re going to dinner, and then maybe we can see what else we can do,” he says, setting his luggage on the bed. “We need to shake things up, so we’ll leave tomorrow night instead of the morning.”
I nod. “That’s fine. I’ll just have a shower, and then we can go eat.”
The hot water does little to soothe me. In fact, it makes the butterflies in my stomach fly harder
and faster. I imagine his lips on my neck, his hands on my breasts and between my legs. I want to groan out loud, but I know he’ll hear me, and that’s the last thing I want. I just wish he’d stop looking at me like he wants to devour me.
We walk in silence to the dining hall downstairs, and once we’re seated, I try to give him a
small smile. I’m really trying to make the most of this shitty situation we find ourselves in, but he just can’t seem to relax.
“Oh, garlic snails,” I say. “I haven’t had garlic snails in forever. I think I’ll have that as a
starter and then some steak and maybe dessert after.”
He nods to me, though it doesn’t feel like he’s actually paying attention. When his eyes meet
mine, though, there’s that fiery passion I can’t deny. It makes my body hot and makes me wet. I’ve never felt so desired before, well, I have, but it was with him when we were first together.
I have to keep reminding myself that this can never work and that it will lead to more
heartbreak. I need to keep myself in check.
The waitress comes over to take our order, and he speaks, “For starters can we get garlic snails and some prawns? For the mains, she’ll have the steak, medium well, with a side of vegetables, and I’ll have a steak, medium well, with a side of salad. Please bring us a bottle of Roxton black and two glasses.”
The waitress writes everything down, takes our menus, and leaves.
“Roxton black, you like good Italian wine,” I try and make small conversation, trying to get
him to settle into the amicable relationship we agreed upon.
“Lord knows I need a drink,” he runs a hand through his hair. “You certainly drive me to it.”
I grin. “Good, that’s my job. To drive you insane!” I fiddle with my cutlery. “Can I find out where we’re going yet?”
I don’t expect him to tell me, but he nods. “Pennsylvania,” he says. “There are some
businesses there that need to be checked on.”
I smile. “I’ve never been there. It could be fun.” I grin. “Maybe we can see some sights when you’re not busy working.”
“I’m going to be very busy, and it really isn’t a good idea to go out too much,” he says. “I
know you want to plan a fun road trip, but you can’t forget we’re on the run, trying to stay alive. If anyone sees us or gets wind of where we are, we place ourselves in a lot of danger.” My heart sinks. “I know, but one or two places can’t hurt. Right?” “I’ll see how busy I am,” he says, looking away from me.
I don’t know what else to say. I was hoping to treat this more like a holiday than a prison
sentence since that’s all I seem to be dealing with lately.
We sit in silence until the food comes. At least now, I have something to preoccupy myself
with. The food, at the very least, is delicious and Frankie made a good choice in wine though I don’t drink as much as I normally would. I’m worried I might make some more bad choices if I become too intoxicated. The main meals are served, and Frankie glances at me every now and then. He probably thinks I don’t notice, but every time he does, it’s like a jolt of electricity surges through me.
The waitress brings back our menus but only I take one. I scan the page and say, “I’ll have the
death by chocolate.” I hand her back the menu, and she turns to Frankie.
“Whiskey, neat, something high-end,” he says. “That’s all I want.”
Such a man, I think, can’t even indulge a sweet tooth. I remember the cringy jokes he and Papa made when we were cooking. I wish it could be fun like that. He has a sense of humor. I know he does, he just won’t let loose. I think that’s because I don’t return his feelings.
The death by chocolate is an orgasm in my mouth, and the chocolate leaves a delicious
lingering taste once I’ve scraped the bowl clean. Frankie pays the bill and stands, offering me his arm.
I take it, and he escorts me out of the dining hall and to the elevator. Once we’re in, I let go of his arm and stand awkwardly to the side.
“Are you okay?” he asks softly.
I shrug. “Yeah, just a bit tired, is all. It’s been a long drive.”
He nods. “I’m taking us a long way in case someone tries to follow us.” He stretches slightly,
and I hear his spine click into place. God, that is sexy.
We walk into the hotel room, and I rummage through my luggage to find my nightie and
toiletries. “Once we get to Pennsylvania, I’ll have to find a laundromat to wash our clothes.”
“I’ll have someone take care of it,” he says. “I don’t want you out on the streets more than necessary.”
I frown. “So, I’m going to be cooped up all day?”
He sighs. “Amelia, don’t make this more difficult than it already is.”
I look up at him. He’s not that far from me. Since last night he’s been looking at me as though
he would take every inch of me and worship it. I can’t help but lean up to him and press my lips against his. It might be the wine, but I need to taste him. We kiss softly at first, small kisses over and over again, until I press my lips firmly against his and swipe my tongue over his lips to gain entry.
His tongue slides out to dance with mine, and soon, he pulls me against him, gripping my
waist. I can feel his semi-hard dick against my upper leg as the kiss becomes more passionate. I slide my arms around him and run my fingers through his hair, messing it up as I grip it and tug, silently begging him for me.
He pulls away slowly and looks down at me with an expression I can’t translate.
“Amelia are you sure you want to do this?” his eyes are searching mine, and I lean up again, but he stops me this time. His burning gaze holds mine, and he murmurs, “Do that again… Kiss me again, lean into me and beg for me with your body and I won’t ignore it like I did in Maryland. Submit to me, and I will consider you mine again, that you want to be mine again. That this won’t just be a transactional marriage, we will be lovers.”
I bite my lip and stare at him, thoughts racing through my mind.
“I’ve told you what I want. You can’t tease me like this. Make your choice, kiss me or back
away.”
Frankie
There is no going back from this, not this time. I’m not going to let her toy with my feelings
just because she has an itch she needs to scratch. The reality of the matter is that she’s either mine or she’s not, but one way or another, this game needs to end.
If she chooses me, I will not let her go, not this time. I will possess her in every way, and I
will protect her. She will be mine, my wife, the love of my life. She knows how I feel. I can’t be any blunter than I have been. It’s up to her now.
The night we slept together in Maryland was everything to me. I felt as though a piece of my
soul that was missing had been stitched back together with me. It might sound sappy, but it’s the truth. I felt like I was home in her arms, with her in mine. It’s meant to be, or it’s not.
She pretended it was nothing, and I allowed that. I allowed her to act as though what we had
meant nothing, and I won’t let that happen again. If she wants me, she has to commit. There are no two ways about it.
I step back and watch her. “If you want to be mine, then come here and declare it.”
This isn’t going to be a one-night, every now and then thing. If she wants this, truly wants this,
she’s going to have to come over here and kiss me. Then I’ll finally know it’s meant to be and that we can start our lives as one, together, forever.
I see a look on her face as though she’s come to her senses. It unsettles me, but she blushes. She turns away from me and goes to her bed. No word, not even a goodnight. I get into my bed and turn off the light.
It’s her decision. I will never force her to be mine. As much as it hurts now, at least I know for
sure, and I can now guard my heart and my feelings. This is just a marriage of convenience, and that is all it will ever be.
I try to sleep, but there’s a dull ache in my chest. It’s like I’ve been spurned, and now only half
my heart resides in my chest. The other half is asleep in the bed opposite mine.
I eventually fall asleep, and when I wake up, she’s already dressed. She’s sitting on the bed,
reading a book. She looks so beautiful, but that’s not the sort of thought I can think of anymore.
The decision is made.
I get up, go to the bathroom, and prepare for the day.
I take out the secured laptop and check on my emails. Alessandro has explained where I need
to go first and what he needs me to sort out.
It feels so weird not to be able to make these decisions for myself. I’ve worked hard for my
position in the family, and now I’ve lost that as I’ve lost her. And it’s all because of her. Ever since I bumped into her, my life has turned upside down, and nothing has gone right.
Maybe this decision is for the best.
We spend the day mostly in silence. She asks me if she can order room service and if I want
anything, but that’s about it, really. I respond to Alessandro about some emails and work that needs to be done and then I take a nap. I’m driving at night this time and need to be rested. Before I do, I tell her not to leave the room, and she doesn’t seem to because when I wake up, she’s still there. “I’ve ordered dinner,” she says. “So, we can eat before we hit the road.” “Did you get some sleep?” I ask, trying to play it cool.
“No, I’ll sleep while you drive.” she shrugs. “That way, if you’re too tired to drive tomorrow,
I can.”
I nod. It makes sense. Logic, I can deal with. We pack our things and wait for dinner. She’s ordered us toasted sandwiches, and I scarf mine down with a soda from the minibar.
She seems too quiet, and I sigh. “Do you want to talk about it?”
“There’s nothing to talk about,” she says quietly. “We’ve both made our decision.”
I nod. “We can still be amicable, try and make the most of what we’ve been given.”
She nods. “I will, just… stop looking at me like I’m a piece of meat.”
I fluster slightly but nod. “Okay.”
We finish our food and take our luggage down to check out. Once I’ve paid the bill cash, I
walk her to where I parked the car the night before. We load the luggage, and I slide into the driver’s seat. I check around us and drive out, driving to the freeway where there is almost no traffic this late. We pass a car every now and then, but mostly it’s just us on this long road.
She does as she promises. She props her head up on a travel pillow and falls asleep, snoring
slightly because of the angle she is lying at.
My mind is exploding with doubt, wondering if I should have been more forceful, if I should
have begged. If I have made a terrible mistake by marrying her.
The thoughts keep me awake, along with the bright truck headlights that pass me by now and
then. One comforting thing about driving at night is that it’s easy to tell if you’re being tailed.
I’m alert to any cars that come up behind me, and I move onto the shoulder of the road so they
can overtake me. I don’t want to come off as suspicious, and through the night, there’s no one that stays behind me or seems determined to tail me.
I stop at a gas station and shake Amelia lightly. “Do you want to stretch your legs and grab some snacks while I put in gas?”
She nods sleepily, and I hand her some cash. I go to the pump and fill the car, keeping a wary
eye and looking around for any suspicious activity.
I think we may just have made it out of New York without detection.
Alessandro has mentioned that some of Jose’s men have been outside my place and his and that they follow some of our people around as though hoping they’ll be led to where Amelia and I are. So maybe we got lucky, and we got out right on time.
I finish pumping the gas and go inside to pay. Amelia is at the counter chatting to the cashier
about interesting things to see along the highway.
“Yeah, you’ll find many of these cute little towns along the way which have an attraction of
their own. It’s to generate business,” he says as he rings up her snacks.
I come up behind her and raise an eyebrow at her.
She falters slightly and pays for her goods. “Thanks so much for the advice.” “Have fun in Pennsylvania,” he calls.
My blood boils, and I pay for the gas quickly. I wait until we’re back on the road before I round on her, “This is why I didn’t tell you where we’re headed and why I won’t be giving you any more information.”
She looks at me wide-eyed. “He’s just a cashier.”
“Jose has men all over the country. You can’t trust anyone,” I raise my voice slightly. “Don’t
be a naive little girl, Amelia, because you will get us both killed.” She huffs and turns her back to me, hugging her travel pillow.
I stare straight ahead, wondering what to do next.