Song: Second Night
Artist: Mansionair
Good Time
Our lips moved in sync with each other. Her lips were so soft and tasted sweet yet juicy. I felt her palms running up my chest and around my neck. I finally got a hold of her and pulled her onto my lap. Even though my eyes shut I could visualize her lips moving against mine, her hand caressing my cheek while the other gripped my hair.
We pulled away to breathe, and I felt her chest rise and fall against mine. Her breaths were long and tense. I opened my eyes to see her lips parted and eyes shut. I put of a lock of hair behind her ear then tilted my head and kissed her again.
The audible voices of the television played in the background yet blocked out by Gabriella's moans and my breaths. I ran my tongue across her lower lip then deepened the kiss. The taste of watermelon lingered on my tongue.
She pulled away causing my eyes to snap open. Her hazel eyes stared, wide-eyed at me as if a deer caught in headlights. She let out a shaky breath then shook her head. I reach out to comfort her but she leaned back then got off my lap. She got off the bed then started pacing.
"We shouldn't have done that." She whispered as her back faced me.
"Why not?" I raised a brow. "I thought you were comfortable around me."
She buried her head in her hands as her shoulders tensed. I straightened my posture and hopelessly watched. She stood in that position for a while, and I could hear her heavy breathing.
"I-I am but..." she trailed off then turned to me. "This is wrong."
My jaw clenched as she wrinkled out her robe then tightened it. My eyes traveled down to her long, gorgeous body that I just wanted all to myself. We were young, she would be twenty-one soon, and I was twenty-three. There's this strange feeling when I'm with her that makes me feel like I'm a teenager again.
"We're here for work, Mr. Clarkson." She said as her face reddened. "Just work."
I let out a dry laugh then raised my arms. Gabriella seemed confused by my reaction as she tilted her head. I shook my head in amusement then ran a hand through my damp hair. She wrapped her arms around her body then curled up her toes.
"You're acting as if we're a couple or something..." I laughed. Her left eye twitched as she dropped her arms.
"Well excuse me Mr. Clarkson for not screwing every man in my way." She spat.
"Don't start that shit." I shook my head, tired of hearing those words. Those words on how she sees me as.
"I'm not like that Mr. Clarkson, this is my first project that I'm doing alone and I don't want to fuck it up. This is important to my father hence why we can't get too comfortable around each other."
"FUCK OUR FAMILIES, FUCK THEM! I DON'T CARE!"
"NO FUCK YOU!" She yelled then stepped towards me. It was a big difference since I looked down at her and noticed how her cheeks turned pink. "I CARE!"
"Now you can either stay here and watch the fucking movie with me or get the hell out of my room." She said through gritted teeth.
My knuckles must've been white by now from clenching it. My jaw tightened as I stared down at Gabriella. She didn't seem phased by my intimidating look as she glared right at me. My eyes traveled down to her robe and noticed from my angle I saw a bit of her exposed cleavage.
I looked away and rather up at the flat screen where the movie played. The setting was in a library yet soon changed to many people dressed in black, looking down at a woman. "What are we watching?"
From the corner of my eye, I saw her take a few steps back. She let out a sigh then walked towards the bed. I followed her to the other side and sat down.
"You're such a pain in the ass." She said as she sat down beside me.
"I've never heard of that movie." I raised a brow. "What genre?"
"Horror." She rolled her eyes, yet I noticed the corner of her mouth pull up. She turned to me with her eyes squinted, clearly annoyed by my presence. I leaned back into the headboard and turned to the flat screen.
"We're watching The City of Angels." She said after a while. "It's Dominique and I's favorite movie."
"Nicolas Cage," I said looking at the young Nicolas Cage dressed in black as he looked at the sunset along with the rest of the Angels on the beach.
"Yep." She said then sunk, further into the sheets. She then grabbed a bag of candy from the bedside table. She offered me some, and I looked down to see that they were sour candy. I took the bag from her then held it up.
"You like this sour shit?" I raised a brow at the sour gummy worms. Gabriella scoffed and grabbed the bag from me.
"It's not even that sour...there's just a lot of sugar." She shrugged then took one out. I looked down at the purple and pink gummy worm in her hand. She raised it to my lips, and I could feel it brushing against my lips.
I looked at her to see her taking out another one with her other hand. She held it close to her lips as she pushed her other hand closer to my mouth. I rolled my eyes and finally opened my mouth. She dropped the gummy worm in my mouth and immediately squinted my eyes as I began to chew.
Gabriella must've noticed because when I looked at her, she laughed. She put another gummy worm in her mouth and chewed as if it was normal. I didn't like it, it was sour and made my tongue numb.
"First you like gum, and now it's sour worms." I pointed out. She nodded with a grin then continued to eat the candy.
We continued to watch the movie, and I remember watching this movie when I was younger with Alicia and mom. They loved the movie because it consisted of drama and romance. Henry and I found it boring and ended up falling asleep.
"Dominique said the door is locked," Gabriella said as she read off her phone. She turned to me with her eyebrow raised.
"Doesn't he have his card?" I asked then turned back to the television.
"There it is." She pointed, and I followed her arm to the table where my towel was.
"Oh well." I shrugged then continued to watch the movie. From the corner of my eye, I saw Gabriella shaking her head in amusement.
...
The air lingered with a unique fragrance. I let out a massive yawn and slowly opened my eyes. I was met by the sunlight burning through the glass window and onto the sheets.
I finally regained vision and noticed Gabriella in front of me. Her long brunette hair covered her face as she snored. I put a lock of hair behind her ear then ran my hand down her cheek. She stirred then groaned.
I buried my face in my pillow and watched as she started to wake up. Her eyes fluttered open which displayed her hazel brown eyes. Her eyes finally met mine and their widening. A flush crept up her face as she brought the sheets up to her chin.
"Morning." She mumbled, and I noticed how soft and delicate her voice sounded.
"Morning." I smiled.
"Did you enjoy the movie last night?" she raised her brow then let out a yawn.
"I can't even remember...I fell asleep." I shrugged in which she rolled her eyes at.
"I know, and it was hard to wake you up, so I just left you, even though you reeked of sweat. I just sprayed you with my perfume." She said then scrunched up her face. "Hopefully you smell good now."
"Why don't you find out?" I grinned in which she shook her head to then sat up. She took her phone and started typing on it while I turned on my back. I rested my hands behind my neck and stared up at the ceiling. It was quiet, and I took in the peace by closing my eyes. I could feel my heart beating as my chest rose then fell.
"Shit." Gabriella broke the silence, and I felt a weight lift off the bed. "Shit, shit, shit."
"What? You ran out of gum again?" I chuckled.
"No, get up," she said then I felt something cool been thrown at me. I opened my eyes and realized it was my towel. "We're late."
"What happened?"
"My uncle, he wants to meet us for breakfast." She said as I sat up.
"What's the time?" I yawned.
"9:45 and we need to be there at 10:30." She said then walked into the bathroom.
I swung my legs over the bed then ran a hand through my hair. Gabriella walked out of the bathroom with a toothbrush in her mouth. She raised her arms and gave me a questioning look.
"GO!" She exclaimed. "My uncle is a very studious man."
"Okay, okay." I sighed then took my towel and got up. I walked out of the bedroom and waved to her. She rolled her eyes then walked into the bathroom and shut the door. I strolled out the room and into the hallway.
"Fuck," I muttered as I saw the maid cleaning my room. I let out a groaned and walked into my room. She was cleaning the bathroom, and I noticed that the rest of my room was clean. I grabbed a casual outfit that I decided to wear today then left my room.
I walked down the hall and back into Gabriella's room. The shower was running, and I sat down on the messy bed and waited. I scrolled through my phone and noticed the numerous messages from Nick. Most of them were telling me that I had breakfast with her uncle today yet my phone was in my room so I couldn't see.
I decided to charge my phone in her room while I waited. It was only us today since yesterday was spent flying. Our assistants had the day off yet I assumed Nick would just hibernate in his room.
I heard the shower stop and Gabriella walk out a few seconds later. She had a towel wrapped around her loosely yet when she noticed me her grip tightened.
"Wha—what are you doing her—"
"The maid is cleaning my bathroom," I said then awkwardly rubbed the back of my neck.
"Oh." She said then stepped to the side. She raised her hand and motioned to the bathroom. "Go ahead."
I nodded in response then walked into the bathroom. I shut the door behind me then turned on the shower. All her cosmetics sprawled out on the table and I slowly pushed them aside and placed my clothing down.
My shoes, as well as the rest of my clothing, were outside. I got into the shower when I heard Gabriella yelling at me. I shook my head in amusement as I stepped closer to the showerhead. The steaming water trickled down my body as I closed my eyes.
Five minutes later I stepped out of the shower and grabbed a towel from the rack. I wiped down my whole body then wrapped the towel around my waist. The mirror fogged so I pressed my palm against it and wiped until I saw myself.
"Are you done yet?" she knocked on the door. I let out a sigh then unlocked the bathroom. She pushed the door open then eyed me up and down. I did the same and noticed that she wore a blue top with a camel color belt, olive green pants, and camel color boots. She placed her hand on her hip causing me to look at her face.
"You didn't shave?!"
"I don't need to," I stated as I looked in the mirror. I had a little stubble growing yet it was barely noticeable.
"Adam, we're meeting my Uncle." She said then took off her shoes. She stepped into the bathroom and crouched down and opened the cabinets under the sink. "Need I remind you that we're staying in his building."
"Why are you committed into this breakfast?" I asked as she stood up. She looked at me, and I noticed how her eyes darkened.
"He was the one who always believed in me," she said, and I glanced down at her hands. She had a razor as well as shaving cream in her hands. "He's a brilliant man...you'll like him."
"Now let's get that odd hair off your face." She said then opened the shaving cream. As she got ready with the razor, I grabbed my vest and slipped it on.
I felt her fingertips against my chin as she turned me to her. She forced my chin down then applied the cream. I raised a brow at her actions because I'd never thought she'd something like this especially to me.
"Have you ever done this before?" I asked as I felt the stroke of the razor down my jawline. I looked down and watched her. She drew her lower lip between her teeth as she focused on my skin. Her eyes moved along with the razor, and I couldn't help but admire her concentration.
"Yes, whenever Federico had dates with Kendra." She said then shook the razor in the sink. "He's awful with time, so we'd multitask, just like this."
I let out a chuckle as I slipped on my shirt. Thankfully it was a blue button up, so it didn't affect her from her work. I could feel the little hairs moving from my face. She'd use her hand and touch my chin around to get to the right spots.
"All done." She said then washed the razor. I turned to the mirror and looked at my naked chin. I ran my fingertips along my smooth skin and pursed my lips in satisfaction.
"Not bad," I said as she began to clean up.
"Thanks," she said then walked out. I quickly put on my boxers, and just as I was about to reach for my jean shorts, she walked in again.
This time she was more concerned with herself as she grabbed lipstick. Her rosy, plump lips were soon coated with a dark red shade lipstick to keep them soft. Watching her lips, made me think of last night.
The kiss was slow. It's as if whenever we're alone time wouldn't matter, who we are to the world wouldn't matter. We were just Adam and Gabriella. The material things didn't matter, neither did the commotion going on with our families.
Her lips were soft and somehow always sweet because of the things she lusted for. Mine were thin and hard always hungry, and somehow, I always wanted her now. Her lips against mine yet with both of us being stubborn and the consequences afterward it was evident. Us would never work out.
No matter how much I craved for her, wanted her and how much she wanted it from me. It would never work yet being here, in this luxurious bathroom, watching her lips slowly distanced those thoughts.
"Come on then Mr. Clarkson." She snapped me out of my senses. I continued to gel out my hair as she packed her things away. She looked at me in the mirror and tilted her head.
"I assure you," she said as the corner of her mouth curved up that showed her dimple. "you will definitely like my uncle."
...
As Gabriella said, Jacob Smith was likable. He'd make a ton of jokes in between breakfast yet he was also very observant. I watched as his deep-set cocoa brown eyes moved from me to Gabriella as if he tried to figure out something.
"So how long are you deciding to stay here?" he asked then placed his big cup of coffee on the table. We sat in a café not too far from the self-catered apartments. With the Californian spring, which started to kick in, the café was cool with its conditioning. It mixed in with its bright colored wallpaper and shiny tiles. Customers sat and talked while the front door swung open and brought in the heat.
"Well we have a few meetings, and we're checking up on the team so not too long, Uncle," Gabriella said then continued to eat her breakfast which consisted of golden waffles, sausages, and eggs.
"Your dad's not pressuring you, are they?" he raised a brow which made his golden skin flaky.
Gabriella turned to me with a grin. The corner of my mouth curved up as I gave her a knowing look. I straightened in my seat and turned to Jacob. "No, sir. They're strict and straightforward as always."
"Is that so?" he smirked. "I heard you two, playing Sherlock Holmes for the past few days."
This time Gabriella laughed. I joined in too because something told me that this man uses his dry humor and intelligence to his advantage. His eyes slanted as he stared at Gabriella and I. He began to twist the wedding ring on his finger as he stared at us.
"So, what if we are?" I asked, and from the corner of my eye, I saw Gabriella's stare on me. "We deserve the truth."
"I-I have to agree with Adam on that one, Uncle J," Gabriella said after a while. I turned to her and nodded in which she sipped her coffee.
"Me too." He smiled yet I could see the hard look in his eyes.
Gabriella scrunched up her face in confusion while I raised a brow. Mostly when we spoke to our relatives they'd brush us off but this man who sat in front of me. With broad shoulders that made his structure lean, agreed that we should know the truth.
"Well, Uncle..." Gabriella trailed off as she picked at her nails. "Are you going to tell us something?"
"What would you like to know my beautiful niece?" he tilted his head then took another sip of his coffee.
Gabriella turned to me with an expressionless look on her face. Just like her, I didn't expect this, but now we had our opportunity to get some answers finally. I turned to Jacob Smith and noticed the spark in his eyes through his little glasses.
"Why is there such rivalry between our families?" I asked and saw how she gave me a dirty look.
"Well, it's quite evident." He said then rubbed his fingers together. "Wealth, recognition and opposition, for many years and it seems like your brothers are continuing the tradition."
Gabriella looked down at her half-eaten waffle while my jaw clenched. It's quite scary how word travels so fast. If her uncle knew about Cole and Henry, then it should get to the media soon about us.
"Uncle was there at mom's funeral, right?" Gabriella spoke up.
"Of course, Amara Montero Smith." He sang then adjusted his purple and black tie. "She was a beautiful woman and will be missed by many."
"She definitely will," Gabriella whispered.
"Now, what about her funeral?"
"My dad was there too, right?" I spoke up and watched as the corner of his mouth quirk up in interest.
"Indeed, he was, there were a lot of people there." He said. "From all over, her birthplace Cuba, America, Europe, and Asia. She knew a lot of individuals."
"She died on her way to Cairo," I stated. "Do you know why she would go to Africa? As you said, she knew a lot of people."
Gabriella and I watched as her uncle leaned back in his seat and laughed. He found it very humorous as he took out a handkerchief and wiped his forehead. Once he finished, he stared at me with those dark brown eyes.
"Don't you know, Mr. Clarkson?" he tilted his head. "Amara was going to meet your father in Cairo."