Ariel made stuffed peppers and Pappardelle with mushrooms for lunch.
I asked if she wanted to sit inside or outside for lunch while watching my woman move around the kitchen humming a tune.
A tune she likely dances classical ballet to.
"Outside?" She as if questioned. Her voice soft and timid.
So I picked out a bottle of chilled Chardonnay to go with our lunch under the peach tree of our new garden.
Ariel got the plates containing, home made food, a small smile resting on her lips, as she placed the ceramic on the table, one for me, the other for her and made a detour to get the rest of the food, in case a second serving was needed.
Pouring wine to both our glasses, I momentarily transport back to last night.
To say I was scared, would be putting it very mildly.
I grew up, trained to kill on sight, upon sensing danger.
I've never been as petrified of human guts as I was last night watching Ariel trying claw her flesh out from inside if her skin.
It- pained me to see her that way.
Her cries, her helpless screams and traumatized pleas drove me to a place full of guilt.
As I held her trembling, shuddering unconscious form on the bedroom floor, I couldn't help but feel like a man who failed the women he ever felt anything about.
Ariel, wasn't healthy mentally.
She hasn't been healthy for quite a while.
And the lack of her mental and self gratification was showing at intervals.
She needed a change.
She needed a lot of things to be changed around her.
She needed care.
And a lot more then she'd ever agree for.
She needed to take care of herself in ways that she only could.
Just in the same way she needed some body to care for her.
She passed some of the hardest moments of her life alone.
As far as I knew Ariel was always a lone army, always on her own, and it was about time her despondency took a toll on her.
After all, there is only so much a person can take.
Not everybody is built to ignore and move on.
Sometimes- most of the time the moments of pain come back and often, one looses oneself in it so entirely that consciousness fades away and darkness becomes their only company.
I wouldn't want that for Ariel.
The faster she gets better, the faster she heals emotionally and mentally, the better for her and for us.
I wouldn't want one night's event describe our future.
I've never wanted someone's presence in my life as I want Ariel's.
Something about her keeps me intrigued.
Something about her makes me circle back at her.
It might be the fact that, the woman can fight a hundred battles and still find a reason to smile over the smallest things.
Or it might be how she thinks it's more important to be a part of something than winning or loosing.
Or it might be that she can walk into a room and make everybody fall at their knees for her with just a flash of that lovely smile and tilting her head ever so slightly.
Or maybe that the pasta she makes, tastes like it just dropped from heaven-
"I almost burned the peppers." Ariel complained as she placed the ceramic bowl containing three more stuffed bell peppers on the centre of the circular table.
"The oven is too tricky, I swear." She sighed putting off the bright yellow oven mitts on the table.
Ariel had put her black silken blouse with her skirt after our lascivious activities in the bedroom.
Her ombre pink hair was pulled up in a bun on top of her head and she looked somewhat content of her achievement in the kitchen.
"What?" She smiled while our eyes met.
She knew that I was watching her.
And I knew she loved it when I watched but she made a damn good show about acting oblivious.
"What?" I asked back, my tone mirroring her, content. Playful. Relaxed.
"You're staring." She voiced with a smile lingering on the corner of her mouth as she filled the water goblets with iced water from the jug.
"So are you." I retorted unfolding my napkin over my lap.
She shook her bead putting another of the red stuffed pepper on my already filled plate.
"Eat." She urged gently. "I think I went a little bit cheap in the oil."
She didn't go cheap on the oil.
The pepper was perfect so was the the pasta and everything in between.
The food, the holding hand while we ate, the occasional exchange of looks that made her shake her head and smile gently at the same time.
"Do you want coffee?" She asked putting her napkin beside the plate, indicating the end of her meal.
Nodding I got up from the chair, to make myself useful.
"I'll get it." I say placing a kiss on her mouth feeling her smile against me.
"Okay." She whispers against my mouth, before I turn back walking inside the house to get my café espresso.
Crossing through the length of the pool room and living room rounding toward the kitchen I put the grounded coffee in the machine and wait for my two espresso shots.
Outside in the back garden of the house, Ariel sits on the grass covered soil cross legged with the tiny little mutt of hers on her lap.
That's one lazy dog. I think mentally as I make my way toward the pair of them.
"Hi." Ariel smiles as I sit beside her on the grass.
"Why, hello." I smile placing a kiss in her mouth. "How do you feel?" I ask.
"Gratified." She whispers leaning her head against my shoulder as her hand tickle her dog that makes those winey sort of noise.
Girls find tiny dogs cute.
"Is he okay?" I asked Ariel watching Coco with barely there enthusiasm.
"Hmm." She hums. "He's relaxing."
"He doesn't do nothing-"
"He is a doggie, Angelo." She giggles. "Give him rest."
Yeah whatever.
The fucking thing doesn't even move and yet needs to relax.
I put my free arm around her shoulder and pull her close to my me.
Ariel makes a hum of relaxation as she looks up to me.
"Don't you have work today?" She asks. "You're usually out of the door before seven-"
"I'm on a week off." I state.
"Sure." She teased resting her head back against my shoulder.
"This is nice, Angelo." She sighs.
"The view?" I ask as we overlook the property, basically in the middle of nowhere.
"Sí." She agreed.
"Do you think you could stay?" I asked, conscious of my tone.
Paranoid for her upcoming answer.
Ariel was unpredictable.
She changed her mind like the wind directions at sea.
"Sí." She agreed. "For long as you want."
I realised her was looking at me, a smile of contentment gracing her lovely face.
"I'd stay as long as you would." I said, relived.
No matter, what it was slightly hard to believe Ariel would stay.
Ariel never stays.
She's been her own person, living on her own term as long as I knew her.
If she didn't want to stay, nobody could make her.
And if she stays, it would mean that she wants to stay not that she has nowhere to go.
And right now, she wants to stay.
And that's all I'll ever ask of her.
To stay and to try, till we are what she needs us to be.
The phone on my pocket vibrated indicating a call.
Watching Roman's name flashing on the screen, I answered the call.
"Bo-"
"Hello, mother fucker!" Blaire's voice made it's way through the earpiece making me roll my eyes.
"What do you want?" I asked, not so pleased at her tone of approach.
"Don't be rude, Devil-o." She said, I could almost imagine the unhinged woman rolling her eyes on the other side.
"Why'd you call?" I asked, infatuated with her voice.
Ariel looked at me, a frown resting in her face.
Blaire is mad. Point.
"I'm just informing you very kindly that we're on our way to see your lovely new home- we're gift shopping as we speak-"
Jesus fucking Christ.
"Who's we?" I frowned.
"Us, obviously." She answered as if it was an absurd question. "Me, your mums and your dads and Roman-"
"Jesus-"
"I didn't know you prayed." She commented.
What the fuck is wrong with the woman?
"Anywhoo-" She sing songed. "We'll be there for dinner, let Ariel know and y'all better not be fucking around-"
I end the call unable to take her mindless bickering for a second more.
"Your expression is comical." Ariel said, her lower lip between her teeth.
"Comical?" I asked raising an eye brow.
She nodded, teeth clamped on her lips trying to stop the smile breaking out on her face.
"Are you implying that I look funny, tadpole?"
"I've never said that-" She shakes her head, now full blown grinning as I inch closer to her petite self.
Coco, the lazy mutt rolls off her lao and leisurely walks toward a butterfly by the olive groove, like he owns the property.
I ignore it, as my close proximity makes Ariel lay on her back.
I straddle her, palms on her cheeks as I slowly slide them down to the sides of her neck, down to her breast, feeling her nipples peak out from under her shirt as I caress down her body.
Ariel's breathing pattern changes, it goes from relaxed to excited as I feel her heart rate increase against me.
"You want this out here, baby?" I tease playing with the snap of her skirt, as I lean down to place a kiss on her cheek.
"Is this what you want, little tadpole?" I whisper against her ear as I kiss her other cheek.
"Angelo-" She breathes her hands going around my neck as kiss down her neck, she arches her body up to connect herself to me.
I pull away making her whine in frustration.
"You tease!" She accuses, pulling me abruptly back down to connect her lips with mine, massaging my bottom lip with her tongue.
She tastes of Chardonnay as she takes the access granted to her massaging my tongue softly with her, pulling mine up in an erotic, slow dance.
I'd say Ariel was the only woman to throw me off guard.
She did.
Abruptly pushing against my chest, she reversed our position on the grass land, her hair falling above us like a veil as I tuck one side behind her ear, her face flushed as she slowly grinds her bare core on my covered crotch.
Bringing me up while drenching me in her wetness.
"You want to ride me, baby?" I asked cupping her beautiful face in my palms, bringing our lips together, in a frantic kiss.
Ariel breathes deeply deliriously unbuttoning my shirt, connecting our mouths over again, her hands trailing down my bare chest, feeling the muscles underneath her warm palms before she reaches my slack restrained almost stretched crotch.
Pushing away from my lips once again to heave a lungful of air, like a starved women she undoes my fly and pushes away the flap of my briefs.
My erection springs free.
With her bottom lip between her teeth, my woman looks at me with eyes full of carnal need and desire, gathering her wide skirt on her fists, lowering herself on top of me.
I groan as she engulfs my hard girth with her warm wet heat.
Fuck. I can never get enough of her.
This.
Us.
"Jesus-" I moan as she takes me all the way up inside her as downs herself on my thigh, slowly rocking her hips back and forth while my nails dig into the flesh of her round bottom.
"Fuck, Ariel!" I groan as I feel her raise up slowly and push herself back down with a little humph and grunt.
"Fuck, baby-" I sigh deeply as my grip slowly loosens around her ass and she picks up her pace.
Frantic, fast, knees digging into the grass hands in either side of my head, breasts covered and hanging low from her chest as I lean up and run my tongue up her hardened nipple ever so slightly.
Her pussy clenches from my touch as she moans out out, rotating her hips between her bounces as rocking her ass back and forth, driving me mad.
With eyes closed, my hands trail up from her behind to her back, slowly inching toward her breasts, taking her taunt nipples between my fingers, harshly twisting them making she shriek and moan as her pussy spasms, clutching my cock, making the sensitive flesh throb and pound inside her.
I feel my dick swell inside her warmth as her pace becomes sloppy and slow, almost as if she can't continue anymore.
"Fuck baby." I curse out, my hands trailing down to her bottom again helping her move up and down on my shaft.
"Don't fucking stop, tadpole." I order, nails digging on her ass.
"Un-hmmhnnm." Ariel moans her eyes closed as he rides me, bringing me close to my orgasm almost loosing herself in the process.
"F-fuck!" She cries, her body dropping on top of mine, cock still buried inside her, as she slowly rocks her hips back and forth, slowly, out of strength.
I flip us over, bodies still connected as Ariel wraps her legs around my waist while I pick up my pace after a slow stroke, hitting her sweet spot, making her cry out.
Her head lolling from side to side, hands culling her breasts.
Good old missionary-
"I'm- I'm gunna cum-" She breaths, baby brown eyes glazed over as her whole body shakes with every push and pull of my dick inside her, while she pinches and toys with her nipples, wincing, moaning, crying out with every thrust and pull.
In. Out.
Hard and fast as I fuck her to oblivion.
Her eyes roll back, eye lids dropping as mouth open in a silent moan, core muscles spasm and her petite form shakes with tremors of utter sexual pleasure.
I watch Ariel come undone under me while riding out my own climax, emptying my arousal inside her, as I observe my woman with utter endearment and fondness.
Looking the most gorgeous and breathtaking with my dick buried in her, insides flowing with my essence, a mess.
My mess.
My gorgeous mess.
Ariel takes a second to calm her frantic breathing and train speed heartbeat before opening her eyes and looking at me with her glazed over eyes, cheeks flushed red and a smile on her face.
Gently pulling out of her I feel her body quiver slightly as she whines from the loss of contact between us.
After tucking myself in, I roll to the other side, laying beside her on the grass while she fixes her skirt down her body.
Seconds or minutes later, Ariel breaks out into a fit of giggles making me look at her.
A smile plastered on my lips as she shuffles closer to me, still laughing.
Her face buried against my chest as the sound of her laughter vibrates throughout my whole body.
"Outside, Angelo." She laughs some more, her hand going around my chest and sneaking itself around my neck as she snuggles me, one leg thrown over mine.
I chuckle massaging her head, she hums.
We lay, relaxing in the afternoon sun long after Ariel stops laughing about our ride outdoors.
"Family is going to be here, for dinner." I interrupt our silence as I watch Coco roam around the grass lands sniffing whatever bush he can find and what not.
"For dinner?" Ariel asks raising her face so her chin rests on my chest. "Tonight?"
"Sí." I agree.
She hurriedly sits up, gathering her hair in her hands and putting it into a knot bun.
"Why won't you tell me earlier?" She complained getting up and swaying on her feet slightly making me get up in case she topples over.
She grabs my hand steadying herself.
"Just muzzy." She reassures.
"You sure?" I ask concerned.
"Sí." She nods.
"I was almost asleep." She adds with an ignominious shake of her head.
"I am fine." She reassures.
I find it hard to believe her that she is fine.
Maybe if she lay down for a while.
"There is time for dinner." I say.
She waves me off with another,
"Seriously Angelo. I am fine."
I help Ariel walk in side the house after she adamantly clears off the outdoor table and carries the used cutlery and ceramic inside to wash them.
Ariel and I showered quickly in the bathroom, while she changed into a slip dress, looking modest the length going down her knee.
She braided her hair over one side so it was out of her face looking gorgeous enough and dashed to the kitchen, bare feet.
I didn't know of she felt excited or paranoid.
If it was the other, I will call and cancel this impromptu self invited dinner to the house.
However, the sight of the kitchen when I finally made my way down, relaxed, dressed in a pair of grey silk pajama bottoms and a whit T-shirt, I realised she wasn't paranoid.
Ariel was beyond excited and had already started taking out things from the fridge, the recipe open on her phone on the marble counter as she reads it and moves back and forth at her own comfort, a red apron donned over her black silken dress.
"If you'd just told me sooner." She complained again refusing my help.
I smirked pouring myself a glass of whisky from the decanter placed on a crystal tray as the center piece of the counter.
"Would you ask Alyssa or Donna Coralyn what they'd like for appetizer?" Ariel asks as she puts ladle full tortellini pasta onto boiling water on the cooking pot.
This family hoards woman who loose themselves in appetizer and become too full for the main meal but somehow finds space to eat desert.
So I reply Ariel, that appetizer isn't necessary.
If she wasn't already so worked up working between two dishes, I'm sure she'd find the time to question me why and why not.
But being as preoccupied as she was she either forgets it or ignores it and works in her own way to make the custard and the tortellini while I sip my whiskey blend.
"I'm home!" A yell coming from the front door makes me sigh.
There we go.
Ariel dims the stove to let the sauce simmer while she runs to greet her friend who's apparently 'home'
"Damn, this place looks good." Blaire said after she was done hugging and air kissing her best friend and examining her at arms length.
"You live here too?" She asks watching me enter the living room.
"How- dreadful." She rolls her eyes shaking her head.
I ignore her useless and senseless bickering.
Roman walks in behind her, carrying some bags.
I hug my brother, kissing his temple.
"You alright?" I ask holding him at arms length.
He nods. "Are you?"
"Sí."
The rest two cars pull on the driveway almost five minutes after Blaire follows Ariel into the kitchen, as the rest of the family makes their way inside.
Mama hugs me.
Mama Cora gives me a tight a smile on her face and pats my cheek lovingly before they too join the rest in the kitchen.
I make myself helpful getting the bottle of whisky and Cuban cigars from the living room cabinet.
"Good work they did overnight." Papa Marcus compliments pouring himself a glass of Macallan.
"How do you feel?" He asks.
"It's been only a day." I answer, swirling my drink. "It feels good."
"That's all that counts." He says.
"I suppose." I tilt my head in a thoughtful manner.
"Just so you know-" Lorenzo says with a smirk lingering on his face while he puffs the cigar.
I raise an eyebrow at the older man.
To say he was the father figure in my life would be me putting the situation mildly.
He was there for my ma since day one and here he is twenty nine years later.
Still by her.
The news of their engagement, took me by surprise.
Or shock rather.
However, I was glad that Lorenzo was being given the place she should've the moment he walked into our lives.
I acted like an asshole last night, for that I have no explanation, even though I apologized to the man personally and in presence of the family.
I was glad that ma found him.
And I am glad that he found ma.
"They've made a plan to stay overnight so they can go this cake tasting together, tomorrow." Lorenzo adds, still smirking smugly.
Jesus Fucking Christ. I think to myself.
"I still feel no fuss about it, it's not that of a major celebration-" He says leaning back against the white couch.
"My wife is the most persuasive women you'll ever meet, Lorenzo." Papa Marcus says, tone of adoration evident in his voice
"She doesn't know when to stop when it comes to the people she loves more then life itself." He adds
"Indeed." Lorenzo agrees. "Indeed."
"I feel they're excited." Papa Marcus says. "Even in the midst of what's going on- it will be a good change-"
"That reminds me-" Roman says pouring himself another drink of chilled Macallan.
I turn my attention toward him.
"Blaire suggested an absurd yet intriguing theory this morning." He says.
"I do not entirely believe her because for inescapable reasons it lacks physical evidence- however, I haven't been able get it out of my head."
"What do you implicate?" I ask sitting straight on my seat.
"Sí, do elaborate-" Papa Marcus just begun when, mama announces that dinner was ready to be served.
Well- after dinner meeting it is.
____________________________________
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
I fell like a broken record but I really have no idea what I am doing or writing.
This is a messy as fuck and a very badly written chapter.
Sorry if it wasn't up to y'alls mark👉👈
I am trying but it still doesn't feel good enough.
You're your worst critique I suppose~
And I am sorry for being an hour late.
Also
What's in your feeling about Angelo's slight change?
What did Blaire find?
And what is gunna happen next?
I love getting ideas *squeak! squeak!*
-November.