Because I Love You

Chapter Fifteen: Security

Gino sighed heavily and ran a hand through his hair as he pushed the door to the apartment building open.  His eyes itched and his shoulders felt sore, but he was looking forward to being with Alana for the rest of the night.  She had told him that she would be going out with her friends to a party that night, and of course, he was disappointed that he had to work late despite the fact that it was a Friday night.  His boss had told him the meeting was crucial to Solux considering their choices would impact Lee Inc. and Sakura Corporations.

He shook his head and yawned, turning to give a weary smile at the man at the desk in the lobby, who nodded back.  Gino entered the elevator and slouched against the side of the wall as the doors closed, and began shrugging off his jacket.  He didn’t remember being this exhausted, but at least his shoulders weren’t as tense as before.

His lips curled into a smile.  Alana had been seeing to that.  He briefly remembered tantalizing glimpses of her soft fair skin and dark silky hair fanned out against the pillow as he made love to her.  As tempting as it sounded, he felt that he just simply didn’t have the energy to do that tonight.

The elevator doors slid open and he trudged his way to his apartment, fumbling with the keys for a brief moment.  He stepped inside and closed the door, making sure to remain rather quiet.  It was rather late, and his girlfriend should have been back, but perhaps equally as debilitated as he.  She should be in bed by now.

Gino was just slipping off his shoes and throwing his suit onto the couch when something caught his eye.  A pair of black patent high-heel sandals was sprawled out next to a pair of casual loafers.  And those weren’t his.  He glanced over at the other couch, and saw two coats draped across it, as well as a man’s shirt and a dress.  That shirt wasn’t his either.

His heart leapt in his throat, and as quietly and slowly as he could, he meandered over to the bedrooms.  A pair of white socks was outside one of the doors, and when he moved a little closer, he could hear the unmistakable moaning and gasping inside.

Gino had never felt so sick; his heart seemed to plummet to his stomach and his throat suddenly felt exceedingly dry.

Alana?

The door was most likely locked, so he mutely turned around and was just starting to make his way back to the front door when he heard a voice.

“Gino?  You’re back?”

He turned around to see his girlfriend.  She was dressed in one of his large shirts, and her dark hair tumbled over her shoulders in soft waves.  Her hazel eyes looked startled and her pink mouth looked as plump and inviting as ever.

Then who the hell is in that room?

Gino took a step forward, his throat tight.

“Babe?” he asked hoarsely.

She rubbed her eyes and yawned.  “I thought I heard the door close,” she remarked, and smiled at him.

He promptly crossed the short distance between them and embraced her as tightly as he could, burying his face in her neck and inhaling deeply.  Almost immediately, her scent and lotion seemed to calm him; his heart rate slowed.

“What’s wrong?”

He smiled weakly at the sound of her muffled voice.  Gino pulled away to cup her face in his hands, staring earnestly into her eyes.  “I…”

His voice caught in his throat, and he struggled to say the words on the tip of his tongue.  It was just too horrible to say.  Finally, Gino laughed, almost hysterically, and pointed to the closed door from where he heard the moaning sounds and choked out, “I thought… that was... you."

Alana raised an eyebrow and gave him a pointed look.  She pursed her lips and huffed.  “Really?  You know I wouldn’t do that.”  Her hands slipped beneath his dress shirt, lightly tracing his muscles before they finally settled over his pounding heart.  “I broke up with someone else because I love you, Gino.  Don’t know why you would think that of me.”

She sighed and began to move away, but he swiftly caught her wrists and placed them back over his pectorals, wrapping his large hands over her own. 

So warm and soft, he thought, gently pulling her back so that their pelvises were intimately pressed against each other.

“I don’t know why either,” Gino said honestly.  He cleared his throat softly.  “I think it was probably the late meeting.  And the shoes at the front door.”  He paused for a moment.  "Who is in there anyway?"

“Well, Daniela is the same size as me,” Alana said, her eyes twinkling up at him, and he knew that he was back in her good graces.  It was hard for either of them to stay mad at each other.  “It's her and her boyfriend.  But that’s not our room.  It’s the guest one.  Looks like that meeting really messed with your head, huh?  You’re not even thinking straight.  You were probably too distraught to focus.  This is your apartment, so you’d think you could recognize which rooms were yours,” she playfully waggled a finger at him, and Gino chuckled. 

He looked over at the room, and then returned his gaze to the room from where Alana had emerged.  The sounds had indeed come from the guest room.  How could he be so stupid?

Gino sighed again and ran a hand through his hair.  “I’m really tired.”

She laughed gently.  “Clearly.”

He allowed himself to be led back to their room.  “Why are they here anyway?”

She stopped by the bed and began to unbutton his shirt.  “They got really drunk at the party, so obviously they couldn’t drive.  And they couldn’t walk very far either, so I volunteered to take them back to our apartment since it’s a lot closer.”

"Huh.  I'm gonna have to talk to Pierce about using the guest room properly."  He smiled down at her.  “You’re a pretty good friend.”

Alana giggled.  “No one else wanted to,” she said, and Gino made a comical attempt at making his face fall.  Her fingers glided across his skin as they worked his shirt off, and she set it on top of the drawer before making her way over to their bed.

He shucked off his pants and followed in his boxer briefs, then slipped beneath the covers with her and drew her to his chest, relishing her smooth skin and soft figure pressed against his body.

“Yeah.  I wasn’t thinking properly.”  He wrapped his arms around her and heard her mumble, “God, I hope they wash the sheets.”  He grinned and leaned down for a kiss.  Her lips were supple and plump, and her breath and tongue tasted and smelt incredibly fresh.

He pulled away and frowned slightly.  “You taste really clean.”

Alana blinked up at him and smiled.  “I just finished brushing my teeth when I heard you come in.”

“Mmm,” an approving sound rumbled in Gino’s chest as he bent down for another kiss.  After a moment, he pulled away and entered the bathroom to freshen up.  Within ten minutes, he was back in bed, massaging her waist and thighs and leaving a trail of kisses along her jaw and neck. 

She sighed softly, relaxing into his hands and giggling.  He resisted the shudder that ran through him when he felt her fingers slide up his bare chest and caress his muscle.

Alana hummed when he continued to shower her with kisses and massage her body.  Gino had never realized how grateful he was, knowing that she was faithful to him and hopefully would remain so.

“What’s with all the attention?” she asked him, thrumming her fingers in his hair and arching her elegant brows.

“Nothing,” he mumbled against her neck.  He wasn’t going to mention what was running through his mind. 

 Finally, he pulled away and, glancing at the clock on the bedside table, suggested they go to bed.