"Don't do this to yourself Destiny. It's wrong. You know that. Stop letting him get under your skin. Stop. You are strong. You are independent. You are morally-upstanding."
I repeated that mantra as I looked at my reflection in the bathroom mirror. My cheeks were still burning a bright red. I shifted, and felt the wetness in my core. "Goddammit." I slapped the counter as hard as I could, hoping to calm my nerves. "Don't. Give. In." I chastised my reflection before splashing cold water onto my burning cheeks.
When I returned to my desk, I noticed a hot cup of tea waiting for me, along with a folded note and a single rose. The rose was still fresh when I sniffed it. I opened the note and read it,
I crumpled the note and threw it into the wastebin under my desk. As if a note would fix the mess we made. Bastard.
The elevator doors ringed open, to which I immediately stood up and bowed to greet the guest. It was him, in his tailored blue suit, printed shirt, and the pale blue silk tie I bought him. Bastard. I wanted to stare him done, but I needed to be professional, that and there was a group of excecutives behind him. I bowed to greet them all again as he guided them to his office. I moved quickly to fetch refreshments for the executives.
I walked into the large grey and black office that over looked all of Manila, a netbook and refreshments in hand. After serving all the guest, minus the Bastard, I took my seat to the right of him.
"We need to get a hold on the situation with Moretti Industries."
"It's getting worse, if we hold on any longer, Antonioni Conglomerates will be pulled through the mud as well."
"President Antonioni, we understand it's your wife's family, but we need to reason with the business side first."
"You don't need to chastise me, Miss Bethilda, I understand the severity of the situation. Destiny."
He turned everyone's attention to me. Fucking bastard. I turned my best not to give him a worst glare, but the best I could manage was a tight smile.
"What do you think?" He grinned at me.
"I really don't think my opinion will be of any consequence."
"Nonsense girl," one of the directors, Mister Armani Vitto smiled at me, "You're an asset to this company, how you handled the Lee dilemmna proved so."
I heard the rest of the directors hum their agreements.
"Well..." I didn't know where to start, "The Moretti case...it's a bit sensitive seeing as President Moretti is President Antonioni's father-in-law,"
I saw the bastard wince,
"But all personal feelings aside, the best solution, from my inexperienced viewpoint, would be to cut a percentage of the financial backing under the guise of the recession's afermath. Pull out a percentage of the stocks the company has and sell them to the highest bidder. That way, we wouldn't necessarily be turning our back on them, salvaging President Antonioni's relationship with his wife's family. And if Moretti manages to recurrect the company in the near future, we would still be profitting, without the financial suicide staying with them now would entitle."
"Decrete, necessary, and right to the point." Director Armani summarized for me.
"I like it," another director added.
"How much would the percentages for each entitle?" the directors went off into their own dicussions, leaving me to glare back at the grinning bastard.
"Thank you for today Miss Vergara." Director Armani smiled before entering the elevator with the other directors. I bowed until I heard the elevator door closing. I turned adruptly to find the bastard leaning on my desk.
"Did you get my note?"
"The one sitting at the bottom of my garbage can?" I spoke nonchalantly as I walked pass him to my desk.
"Destiny."
"Please call me Miss Vergara, Sir." I didn't bother looking up to see his reaction; I knew he'd be angry.
"Not this bullshit Destiny."
"Miss-" he got up and whipped my chair around to face him.
"Destiny, I've apologized already, please just-"
"It doesn't change a thing, at the end of the day you're still married."
"Destiny..." I saw the pain in his eyes, but it just drove me to anger. How dare HE feel hurt?
"No. Just drop it. We're done, I told you that last night. We're over. And if you can't accept that, than-" I was stopped when I felt his lips hit mine. My lips moved on their own, as if my body had no resistance against him. I felt him lips coaching mine to part, but I couldn't give him the satisfaction of winning me over, again. I pushed him off me roughly.
"Expect my resignation letter on your desk tomorrow morning." I stood up and gathered my purse and coat.
"Destiny...please..."
"Damn you Gabriele!" It was times like this that I was thankful Gabriele's office occupied the entire top floor of Antonioni Conglomerate's head office.
"I don't deserve this. YOUR WIFE DOESN'T DESERVE THIS." I pushed past him and made my way to the elevator.
"Please D," he grabbed hold of my wrist, but I fought him off and quickly ran into the elevator, praying the doors would close before he got in. But he didn't run after me. He stood there, looking as if he was on the brink of tears. I was both disappointed and relieved.
I made it to my officetel in due time, right before I broke down in tears. I heard the purring of Kiff in the distance. I got up and continued my break down on my couch, with Kiff comforting me silently on my lap.
"I did good, right Kiff? I'm not a homewrecker, and he made me into one. He should have told me about his wife before we started all this. Here I was thinking I found love, when in reality, I was just a mistress to keep him warm at work. I'm stupid, aren't I Kiff?" I heard him meow in reply; I took that as a yes. I pushed him off me in annoyance and got up to get changed.
I ended up breaking down in the shower, long enough to turn the hot water cold. I continued my pity party in my bed, as I pulled myself into a tight cacoon of misery and self-loathing. I heard the Manila rush hour traffic slowly dying outside. This was the earliest I got home after first starting out as the bastard's secretary. I was working at Antonioni Conglomerate since I graduated from university, and worked my way up. And now, here I was, twenty-seven years old, the youngest head secretary the company's ever had. Twenty-seven years old and officially a mistress. I've turned into the very sterotype that haunted my profession.
I dozed off at some point. I was awoken by the constant banging at my door. I looked at my cell. Not only was it four in the morning, but I had over a hundred missed calls and twenty-three messages. All from the Bastard, who I assumed was the one destroying my door at this very moment. I groaned before getting up to my door.
"What do you want Gabriele?" I spoke through the intercom.
"Open the door, please baby."
"I already told you we're over, go home. Your wife is probably looking for you."
"I left her."
His words stopped me immediately. I felt the cold shiver running up my spine. The bastard has officially upgraded me to Homewrecker.
"Go home Gabriele, you're not thinking straight."
"NO! Listen to me! I wasn't thinking straight when I agreed to marry her. I should have fought against it; I knew it was wrong from the beginning. But I didn't have you back then, so I didn't see the point of fighting it, but baby, I regretted it the moment I saw you, the moment you walked into my office completely oblivious to my gawking and stuttering. You were so...so...so you. I started falling for you the moment you told me that you weren't just some pretty piece of meat to eye when I was bored. For once, someone called me out on my shit, unafraid of who I was or the family I came from. Baby..." I heard the pain in his voice,
"Please...just open the door...I need you."
"I'm not just your mistress or some home-"
"NO! GOD NO! D, you have never been that to me. Never! Can't you see? You were my everything the moment you walked into my life. Please...just open the door..."
"Gab-"
"Please baby..."
I sighed heavily, knowing I already lost my internal battle. I slowly opened the door and let him in. He rushed in and embraced me with so much need it was almost suffocating.
"You're not some mistress. You didn't wreck my home. You are my everything. You are my home." He whispered into my ear. I felt my insides melt.
"Bastard..." I heard him chuckle as he caressed my cheek and stared into my eyes.
"I love you Destiny Rose Vergara." Damn. There was no looking back; he had me now.
"Gab-" I was immediately silenced by his kiss. It was like every kiss we ever had, full of need, lust, compassion, desire, and happiness. We were complete in each other's arms. I felt his tongue force my lips apart as he pulled my head in closer. Our tongues danced, grinding with each other. I found myself pressing my core into his thigh, begging him for more.
He reached down and pulled my legs up to wrap around his waist. I locked them tight, relishing in the closeness of our sexes. His hold on my arm was intoxicating, sending shivers down my spine and into my core.
He moved, and I knew in no time he'd find his way to my couch, the voyage was one he knew with blind confidence. He eased my onto the couch, never once breaking our connection. I pushed his blazer off his shoulders, begging him for more. He replied with a moan as he parted our lips momentarily to pull his blazer off. I ran my hands to the top of his shirt, untieing his tie, whipping it across the room, and slowly unbuttoning his shirt. He reached down to the hem of my shirt and hastily pulled it over my head. The latch to my bra sprung free before I felt his hand squeezing my breast ever so delicately. I moaned into his mouth, appreciating the fact that he knew exactly how to turn me on.
His hand reached down under the hem of my sweatpants, lingering above my underwear, teasing my folds gently.
"Gab-" I could hear the lust in my voice. His lips le! mine to trail harsh kisses down my jaw. His fingers found their way into my underwear, rubbing my clit.
"Harder..." and the man didn't disappoint. He palmed me harshly as his fingers moved further south. First one, then two, in...out...in...out. They curled everytime he pulled out, rubbing my sensitive g-spot directly. The stimulation was mind numbing.
"I love you Destiny..." he whispered before licking my lobe. I'm sure his words were what eventually sent me to my first orgasm of the night. As I panted heavily, trying to even out my breathing, he stared down at me. I felt him pull my sweat pants off and pull my limp body to the edge of the couch. He grinned before kneeling infront of my sex.
"Gab-Oh!" His hot breath on my overly-sensitized entrance felt so good. I reached down and ran my fingers through his hair, keeping him in place. He ran his tongue up my sex, running through my asshole, my entrance, and my clit. I felt him grin when I moaned.
"Babe...I love you..." he whispered before invading my entrance with his tongue. He knew exactly how to stimulate me. Twisting his head every now and then to enter me with different angles. His fingers were rubbing my clit in sync with his tongue.
"Oh. My. GOD! GABRIELE!" my second orgasm was harsher than my first. He held my ass in place, allowing his tongue to continue playing with my sex while I withered in ecstasy.
"Gab..." I managed while trying to even out my breathing again. He got up, giving me his signature cocky grin. He bent down, caging me between his arms, and kissed me. I could taste my cum on his tongue, and it only turned me on more. He pulled away and started stripping slowly, never once breaking our eye contact. I found my self touching my self while he grinned. My nipples were upright and very, very sensitive. My cunt was dripping, and I was once again happy I settled on a leather couch. I heard him growl as his member saluted me. I broke our stare to admire the beast below him. I still couldn't figure out how he managed to put that inside me. He began stroking his dick, slow and steady. He reached down and squeezed my other nipple. I hated how his cocky grin could make me so wet.
He bent down to position my body flat on the couch. He licked my sex one last time, ensuring I was still well lubricated, before spreading my legs wide open. I settled one leg on the back of my couch, while the other was wrapped around Gabriele. He grinned while he teased my sex with his hard dick.
"Gab..." I moaned with so much need.
"I love you Destiny," he growled before roughly entering me. He grabbed on to my hips as he thrusted into me.
"AH!"
"You're. Still. So. Tight..." he growled between thrust. The man was relentless. I rewarded him with repeated squeezes to my cunt. The man knew how to work the beast he was gifted with.
I stared at him, while he stared at me. I found myself biting my bottom lips, trying to keep myself from having another orgasm. I wanted to keep our connection for as long as I could.
His grin sent me to shivers again, but he just growled before bending to devour one of my nipples. My fingers reached up, running wildly through his hair. He took that as his cue to go faster, and he got me screaming his name in vibrations.
I felt him readying for his release. His body stiftened for a moment before I felt his hot seman shooting into my dripping cunt. The sensation sent me into my orgasm, beginning the cycle between us. My cunt would squeeze in, milking his dick, sending more cum into me, signalling my cunt to squeeze harder. We screamed each other's names in unison until I managed to milk him limp.
Now we were both panting, our foreheads to our sexes joined together. Our bodies were trickled with sweat from our heavy lovemaking. Sex with Gabriele was always like this, hot, steamy, and intimate.
"Destiny," his eyes were hooded with desire, but this time it was desire for sex I saw in them, it was something different.
"I love you. I mean it. It's you; it always has been, even if neither of us knew it. You own me, mind, body, and soul."
"You're so cheesy..." I tried to lighten the mood, but he wasn't having it.
"I love you Destiny, and I would do anything to keep you in my arms, to have you by my side."
"Gabriele."
"I love you." I smiled, because for once in my life, I believed that someone, him, could love me.
"I love you too Gab." I whispered. He grinned his cocky smile before leaning in to kiss me.
Several rounds later, we were sitting on my windowsill, watching the sunrise. I was nestled inbetween his legs, both of us still naked, but wrapped in a sheet he brought out from my bed. I felt him nuzzle his nose against my neck, and the action made me smile. It was moments like this that made all the bullshit worth it.
"I left her Destiny," Gabriele's voice interrupted my bliss.
"We're divorced, well I'm trying to divorce her."
"But you're still married."
"I signed the papers, it's just that she won't." I shifted, uncomfortable with everything he was telling me.
"And before you start anything, we were never truly married."
"What?"
"On paper yeah, but we consummated it. Even though I'm sure her side will fight me against that until the end."
"What do you mean?"
"Well we never had sex."
"Why not?"
"It didn't seem right, never has."
"So for the past two years, you guys never..."
"Yes D, that's what no sex means."
"But...how? Alessandra is, well she's beautiful, why didn't you...you know..." He chuckled behind me, his laugh vibrating throughout his torso.
"Alessandra is a nice girl, she was a good enough wife...in public. But when we were alone, we didn't have anything to talk about except for our families and the companies. We were strictly business."
"Than why did you marry her?"
"You were at that meeting today. Before the recession, Moretti Industries was the leading electronics distributor in Italy. When they decided to break into the Philippine market, my father jumped at the chance. We needed them to open up our own electronics market, and they needed us for our financial backing. It was, at the time a win-win situation."
"So you used Alessandra? And now that her family's company is falling apart, you're just going to leave her!? The poor girl!" I tried to pull away from him, but he refused to let me go.
"Alessandra was the one who suggested the divorce to begin with, long before I met you."
"What?"
"She hated the idea of an arrange marriage, but was forced into it by her father. It's her father who's fighting the divorce. She was happy when their company wasn't doing so well in Philippines. They're only staying afloat because of us. Anyways, right after we got married she suggested we get an annulment. We spent the past two years trying to get one, but each time her father found a way to stop it. But now that I have you," he grabbed my hand and kissed it, "I'm more determined than ever to get out of this mess."
"Gabriele, what will Alessandra and her family do without you? What would become of them? I just don't want the guilt to linger between us."
"Alessandra will continue what she's been doing this whole time. She's been living in Italy for the past year, working for a subsidary company of ours. She actually enjoys the job and it's liberated her from her father. As for her father's company, well you were at the meeting, we'll do what we can, only out of respect."
"And your father? Didn't he arrange the whole marriage?"
"I talked to him, and he's letting me sort this out. I told you I was going to handle everything."
"So...we're free. No secrets, no lies, no cheating?"
"We were never cheating babe."
"Legally we were."
"Details. Minor details."
"I can't believe it Gab. We can finally be together."
"Not yet, something is still missing."
"What?" I turned to face him. Our hands were still joined, but I felt him toying with my fingers. Eventually I looked down to find that he had placed a ring on my ring finger. It was a thin rose gold band, decorated in tiny diamonds. The huge rounded diamond, encased with more tiny diamonds, shined rose in the sunlight.
"Gab..."
He pulled my in closer and nibbled at my ear.
"Marry me Destiny Rose Vergara. Marry me so we can finally be complete."
A million things were rushing through my head, but it didn't feel like any of that mattered. The one thing that matter was wrapped around me.
"Yes," I breathed without an ounce of regret or thought. I loved this man; I loved him with all my heart. And regardless of the bullshit we faced, and will always face, being by his side through it all, made everything worth it.