Page 80 of Because I Need You
“Isabel.”
“What?” I stopped fidgeting with my clothes.
“Let me touch you.”
My eyes widened, snapping to his. “What?”
“Let me touch you.” He closed the distance between us and held his hand out, turning it over again, waiting for mine, the way I had when I’d wrapped his hands that night.
I stared at it for a moment. Alarm bells went off in my head, telling me to back away, to not give in, but my need for him screamed louder, tearing all of those warnings apart. As terrified as I was, something inside of him called to me. I knew giving myself completely to him meant he’d keep large pieces of me forever. I’d end up broken and alone once he was done with me. I knew I would.
“I told you my secrets,” I whispered, still staring at his hand. “Isn’t that what you wanted?”
“I told you I want everything.”
“You can’t.” I met his eyes again. His hand was still there. “I can’t.”
“Give me a reason.” He dropped his hand.
“One?” I scoffed. “I have a lot.”
“Start with one.”
“You’re not a boyfriend kind of guy.”
“You can’t know that. We haven’t tried. And for you? I’d fucking try every day, I promise.”
I inhaled sharply at that, my eyes growing wide again. I knew he meant that. I felt it deep in my core. “Do you think you can be a one-woman kind of guy, though?” I swallowed, looking down. I hated asking that question. Hated the silence that followed it.
“Look at me.”
I did.
“In the past, I haven’t been, but now I know that I’m a one-woman kind of guy.” He searched my face. “I need you to trust me. Do you think you can do that?”
“I don’t know,” I whispered, searching his eyes. “Will you trust me?”
His eyes widened slightly. He wasn’t expecting that. After a beat, he said, “I trust you completely.”
“Even when other men say or do things that you don’t like, you’ll trust that I’m yours?”
His eyes darkened. “You’re mine?”
“Isn’t that what we’re discussing? Me being yours and you being mine?”
“Fuck.” He let out a harsh laugh with an exhaled breath as he looked up at the ceiling for a moment. “Now I really need to touch you. Is there anything else on this ridiculous list of yours?”
My heart skipped. “Yes. You don’t know me, not really. And vice versa.”
“I know everything I need to know.” His eyes dropped to my mouth and moved back to my eyes. “Whatever we don’t know, we learn together.”
“Oh my God.” I laughed, looking up at the ceiling for a moment. “This is insane.”
“That you’re considering it?”
I met his gaze again and nodded. I wasn’t even considering it anymore, and he seemed to know that. He lifted his hand again, turning it over. This time, I put mine in his and he pulled me into him with such a force, my cheek hurt as it crashed into his hard chest. His arms engulfed me as he squeezed and breathed me, inhaling me deeply.
“Thank fuck,” he said against my hair. “God, I needed this.”
“A hug? All this time and what you wanted was a hug?” I smiled against his chest.
“I want everything.” He exhaled against the top of my head, letting out a chuckle that permeated through me. “I guess William Hamilton will live to see another day, after all.”
“He didn’t do anything, Gio.” I laughed against his chest.
“He had his arms around you.” He pulled away slightly, setting a finger under my chin to tilt my face up. “If Natasha walked over here and gave me a hug like that after I told you that you couldn’t touch me, how would you feel?”
“I’d want to stab her between the ribs.”
“Fuck, Isabel.” He shook his head as he looked at me for a moment before stepping forward. He brought his mouth to mine and kissed me then, a slow, thorough kiss, his tongue exploring my mouth and teasing my tongue. I moaned against him, pressing into him even more. He pulled away, keeping his lips against mine. “You’ll be the death of me, I swear.”
My exhale came out shuddered as he pressed his lips back to mine, his fingers skating down the sides of my body. I lifted my arms for him to pull the camisole over my head. He took a step back, closing his eyes and groaning momentarily before opening them again, a new fire blazing in them.
“It should be illegal for you to walk around wearing this underneath your clothes.” He shook his head slowly as he tugged the thin straps of my bra, letting them fall over my shoulders. He reached behind me and took it off. He pinned me with his gaze. “Any other night, I’d make you keep this on and fuck you in it.” He started working on my shorts, letting them pool over my feet, biting his bottom lip when he saw the white lace matching thong. He brought his eyes back to mine. “Any other night, but I’m starving for you, desperate to have you again.” His hand dipped into my panties, his head lowering to catch a nipple in his mouth.
