{unedited}
Gabriella's birthday party was in full swing, Geneva had her eyes fixed on the long table filled with a delicious variety of delicacies. She was in search of one particular food.
Dates
She remembered telling Dante precisely to buy the fruits in plenty.
Ignoring the warm breeze that caressed her skin, and the chatter by family members and friends out in the backyard compound, she carried on with her search.
"Hello, beautiful."
A deep voice she had heard before sounded behind her. Mindlessly, she shrugged it off as one of Gabriella's friends and simply hummed.
"Hey."
Geneva stopped searching for the fruit immediately her butt connected with warm hard muscle. A muscled arm held her waist and she straightened then stilled.
"What are you looking for that has your undivided attention, Geneva."
A shiver run down her spine at the same time goosebumps broke out on her skin as the voice whispered beside her ear. His voice deep and smooth affected her.
She frowned and then turned around. Ready to question the unknown man's confidence to touch her so and her eyes widened at the sight before her.
It was Marcelo.
Dante's, her brother figure's close friend. She had glanced his way a few times. Saw him for the first time five days prior to Gabriella's birthday party.
They had locked eyes for a whole five seconds before Dante stood in front of him, blocking their stare. He later warned her in the night to stay clear of Marcelo.
She guessed he was in the drug business as well. It was no secret to Geneva that Dante was involved in a business of sorts. He hadn't hidden it from her and Gabriella his sister when he entered the business. Both she and Ella decided to mind their own business though warned him to be safe and not die.
He assured them both it would never come to that and explained the business only got bloody when betrayers were involved.
"Marcelo."
She said his name taking in the fact he was in front of her. With not much personal distance between their bodies.
"Geneva."
He smiled down at her and she stared at how handsome he was. White pearls show casing surrounded by his edible-looking lips. His defined jawline, then green entrancing eyes.
She had checked him out from afar. Took head to her brother's warning however and didn't approach him. She had never known how he looked until five days ago when he visited the house.
Geneva had only heard his name spoken over the phone, Dante's phone.
"What are you doing here?"
She questioned, snapping out of her trance and trying to get his hand off her so she could move. He pressed up on her and she panicked. Her hormones jumped in excitement, her brain remembered Dante's stern warning.
"I wasn't welcome?"
"I don't ..."
She didn't remember the mention of his name when she wrote down the guest list with Gabriella ."
Dante made it his goal to never bring over his business partners. Not even Marcelo who he had been friends with for years. So why was he here?
He pushed forward and Geneva retreated, nearly falling into the food on the table behind her.
" Am I making you nervous?"
He teased with a side smirk. Holding onto her to keep from falling.
"Don't fret amor. I won't do anything in public."
He released her and Geneva quickly left his presence. She could feel his stares pricking her skin and fought hard not to glance around for him. She was nervous.
Time to cut the cake arrived and she was among those who helped serve the cake. Avoided Marcelo who she couldn't see and soon later allowed herself to enjoy the party.
She searched for Dante and entered the empty house and still couldn't find him. She wanted to talk to him about Marcelo. She had heard gruesome stories about what he was capable of and how powerful the Rodriguez family was.
She let go of her search and retired to her bedroom. Marcelo was nowhere in sight and neither was Dante which could mean they had both headed out.
The thought brought relief to her mind and she took her shower with a free mind.
Towel wrapped around herself and another wrapped around her dark curly mane, she headed to her bed and back to the door.
Her door opened and she thought it was Gabriella. Her best friend and sister figure.
"Is the party over?"
Geneva absently asked.
She felt a presence behind her and straightened when she caught a whiff of the masculine cologne she hadn't yet forgotten.
"No, it's not."
His deep voice sounded. She knew who it was without turning. His cologne surrounded her.
He lightly tugged her towel and she leaped away from him onto the bed, turning after reaching the other end.
"What are you doing here? This is my room, you're not my supposed to be here.?"
She panicked and picked up the glass lamp stand as a weapon.
Marcelo observed her state and his head tilted to the side amused.
"You're scared of me."
Who in their right mind wouldn't? Dante had been precise, people didn't mess with him and yet, she'd found herself repeatedly fantasizing and thinking of him in nearly every which way.
" you were rather confident before."
He pulled up the sleeves of his shirt and she saw the familiar ink on both his arms that trailed upwards and disappeared into his black folded sleeves.
Marcelo slowly rounded the bed and she took steps behind, her back hit the wall and she tightened her hold on the lamp stand.
"What do you mean?"
He stopped, standing in her line of view, and faced her fully.
"I've seen you check me out countless times. Thinking I wasn't aware, I am aware of it Geneva. Where your concerned, I'm aware."
What did he mean by aware?
"Have I done something wrong?
She didn't know if she did but she was going to apologize. She heard he wasn't keen on forgiving but she'd try and fight her doom so she began apologizing profusely. Why else would he be here and in her bedroom for the matter? He was indeed bigger than her much so effortlessly and her thoughts continually concluded with alarm and danger.
"You haven't done anything wrong Geneva. You'd be dead by now"
What was it then? Did he think she knew too much? Think Dante told her about his classified information?
"I know nothing of your business deals and if I did I wouldn't tell."
Geneva went at it again fighting tears from streaming down her eyes. What was going to happen to her? Dante told her they didn't deal in any sexual business of sorts when she had asked once. At least she wasn't going to be dragged and made into a forced prostitute.
She didn't want to be forced into anything she didn't like. She was only twenty-two and wanted to explore what life had to offer. That's why she decided to leave her parent's house for a period of time and discover it with her childhood best friend Gabriella.
"Don't cry, Geneva."
His hand touched her cheek and she flinched back frightened, only then had it registered that he had closed the distance between them leave alone actually shading a few tears at her possible demise.
She fought to escape him and he held her still then proceeded to wipe away tears with his hand holding her face in place.
"Don't cry, Geneva."
His eyes held hers, he wanted her to listen. And she did listen to his words like a moth drawn to the light.
"I haven't done anything to you. Yet."
Her heart twisted and pounded at his statement and she fought with the sob and a few tears that rushed back with a vengeance and the very possibility of a horrible outcome occurring to her because of the dangerous man that stood before her.
"That's it." He praised her when her harsh breathing subsided.
His head slowly dropped and she panicked, pushing him away and lifting the lamp to hit him which was dropped when he painfully held her wrist.
She cried out immediately after the glass broke on her bare foot, she tried to look down but his hand held her face upwards by the chin.
"Were you trying to hit me?"
His grip tightened below her chin and she shook her head as tears streamed down her face. In pain because of the sharp sting in her foot and wrist that was painfully held in a lock.
His grip below her chin where her neck joined tightened as his eyes took a dark eminence.
"I hate lies Geneva. Don't lie to me. Understood?"
She nodded her head.
His head lowered and he captured her lips in a kiss that cut her oxygen supply she fought when her lungs cried out due to her inability to breathe.
He released her from the punishing kiss and held her from stumbling. She felt faint.
Marcelo helped her sit on her bed and left heading into her bathroom.
Her teary eyes glanced at her foot and she saw blood oozing out at the top. Her skin was cut open.
Marcelo returned with her first aid kit. He glanced up, crouched and at knee level. She fought the next sob and lowered her head willing her tears to stop. Cursing the petty will that complied to her more than evident fright.
He tended to her wound and bandaged the cut area. She knew why it had to be bandaged. She was a ballet dancer not immune to accidents but she didn't know how he knew to do so. Him tending to his wounds after a fight?
Her crying stopped to shaky intakes of breath.
He lifted his dark eyes and they met hers. She shut her eyes not wanting to see the handsome features of the man she had fantasized about but knew not to get close to. He frightened her. His aura was dark, and the warnings she received made him forbidding.
He was in her room, her privacy, her bed and she was this close to him, she could smell him and she was both anxious and scared.
Scared because she knew Dante's reason to warn her far from him was true.
"Don't shut your eyes, Geneva."
She felt him stand and opened her eyes when he pushed her down onto the bed his large frame hovering above her.
"I'm not going to rape you."
He held the opening on her towel together that she had felt loosened.
"But we're going to fuck."
She trembled as she looked into his eyes. The towel on her head had fallen off and she felt the wet strands of her hair against the nape of the skin on her neck.
" do yourself a favor and avoid men that want you, Geneva, because I'm coming back for you."
He kissed her forehead and whispered beside her ear.
"Goodnight beautiful. Dream about me."
AN
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There'll be random updates, frequent ones, aligned ones, in short, there's no particular timetable I'll use to update this book.
If I take long, I haven't forgotten about the book, just doing or going through stuff.
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