Caught In The Crossfires - Spinoff

35

Chapter 35

Cristiano


It was well after 4 am when Lola and I arrived at my home. She had fallen asleep halfway through the ride, and I didn't see the point of waking her.

Getting out, I rounded my parked vehicle, retrieved her overnight bag, then picked her up and carried her into the bedroom that I'd had one of our maids make up for her.

'I've never wanted something so badly. Please, I wanna be your good girl.'

I hummed, recalling her desperate pleas at the club, and despite wanting to give in, I held firm.

Laying Lola onto the bed, I removed her dress and pulled the blanket over her naked body, then kissed her forehead before making my way towards the door. "You're leaving me." Her sleep-filled voice stopped me dead in my tracks.

I closed my eyes, inhaled slowly through my flared nostrils, and when I opened them back up, she was staring—waiting for me to say something. This wasn't the argument I wanted to have right now.

Another reason why I chose to avoid waking her. Because we hadn't discussed the situation any further than me mentioning it the first time we were together.

And tonight, I was too distracted by her dismissing me while at the police station.

Lola let the whole no-sex thing slide because she was exhausted from her punishment, but this, I was afraid, was an event she might argue even if the sun was damn near up.

"I don't do that."

"Do what."

I sighed and turned to face her. She was now sitting up, piercing blue gaze focused on me, and her long silky raven hair framed her flushed face, resting over the hills of her small breast. God, that woman is gorgeous. I cleared my throat. "Sleep in the same bed as my subs. That isn't part of the agreement. Never has been."

"Oh," she said, sounding defeated, and her weary face fell slightly for a moment before she caught herself. Then she glared up at me. "So you can sleep with me but not sleep with me?"

"Yes...No...I mean..." I shook my head, frustratedly raking a hand through my hair. Jesus, this woman was infuriating. "I could stay in here until you fall asleep, then go to my room."

"Well, doesn't that negate the very thing I'm asking of you?"

"Lola," I sighed exasperatedly as I brought my hand up to pinch the bridge of my nose before looking back at her.

Lola shook her head, threw the comforter off herself, and got out of bed. "No. Don't Lola me. You do that anytime you're trying to keep me at a distance. It's Lorella to you." I hadn't realized until now that I had even called her that. She was right, though. I'd always intended to keep her at arm's length.

"You know what, forget it," she huffed, scanning the room instead of looking at me directly as she spoke...maybe to get under my skin as she tore into me? It was working. "It's fine. If you're going to treat me like your other subs, I'd prefer to sleep in my own bed if you don't mind. Our business transaction for the night is complete, so I can go now, right?"

Where the hell was all of that coming from? She knew the arrangement. She agreed to the terms, yet here she was fighting me on them...always fighting.

Raising a brow, I crossed my arms over my puffed-out chest, trying to appear unfazed. I'll admit I was taken aback by the words that had just flown out of her spiteful mouth.

"Excuse me?" I asked, holding an even tone.

"You heard me." She scowled before marching over to the foot of the bed, snatching up her dress and throwing it over her head with urgency. "The scene is over, Cristiano. I don't wanna play anymore. I want to go home." She turned her back to me, adjusting her clothing, still obviously scanning the room, and I could only assume she was searching for her things.

She truly believed she could leave me just like that? Isn't that what you wanted? Yes. No...I don't know.

"Calm down, you're being ridiculous, and furthermore, Lorella, I've never once treated you like a goddamn business transaction," I barked out, enraged, making her flinch as my grizzly voice reverberated around us. I was sure I'd woken up anyone sleeping in a two-mile radius, but I didn't care. That was what she wanted—a reaction, so I gave it to her. "It's just a bed."

She spotted her bag and yanked it off the floor, tugging it onto her shoulders. Without even giving me a second glance, and for some reason, I felt a sudden surge of panic hit me out of nowhere, yet said nothing. I just silently observed as she made her way towards leaving the room. Not before stopping just short of the closed door, she mumbled something I couldn't quite make out and shook her head before turning around to face me with fury in those icy blue eyes of hers.

"So, I'm being ridiculous?" She threw her hands up in a fit of rage; her face pinched in anger. "You take no issue being inside of me whenever the mood strikes you. Like I'm some toy and not a person."

I felt my stomach drop at the realization of her words. I had no idea she thought that that was what I was doing with her.

Had I made her feel that way? 

"Lor—"

"I'm not done, Cristiano. So I'm good enough to have sex with, but you can't sleep next to me? And if it's just a bed, then what's the problem, huh? Her glare burned right through me as she attempted to hide her hurt, but that didn't hide the break in her voice. "If I wanted to be alone in bed all night after being used, I would have called my ex.

"So. Take. Me. Home."

Closing my eyes, I counted to ten in my head, willing myself to understand where she was coming from. If it were anyone of my other subs, I would have taken them home and never seen them again. But it wasn't, was it? It was her. I swallowed my venomous pride and walked to the desk in the corner of the room while undoing my button-down. I shrugged my shirt and folded it over the chair before continuing to undress until I was only in nothing but my black boxer briefs.

I quietly walked over to the left side of the bed, yanked the comforter down, and climbed in before looking over at her. "Let's go, Lorella; I'm exhausted and don't want to fight with you all night."

She looked at me as though I had grown two more heads before a sullen expression flashed over the features of her stunned face—like she'd never expected someone to stay for her. Because that's what she was fighting for, and now we both knew it.

With her poor excuse for brothers never being around, I guess her feeling that way would be the effect of growing up with only nannies and house staff. No one was ever a permanent fixture in her life. Employees came and went...and maybe they'd keep in touch.

But they didn't—not since I'd been watching her, at least.

That's a lonely way to live.

Lola still hadn't moved from the spot she was standing in. I could see her anger slowly dissipate, and her tense shoulders began to relax. "You want to sleep, let's sleep," I told her, and she nodded as I spoke, eating up my every word. "Now, get in this bed with me before I change my mind." My tone was less demanding, and I could tell she noted the change in the air between us. 

Without another word, Lola dropped her bag, stripped back out of her clothes, and made haste to join me on the queen-sized mattress. I personally preferred my California King, and if I weren't so tired, I'd have made us sleep in mine, but we were here, and I was truly on the verge of passing out. It had been a long day, night, and morning apparently.

I needed rest.

The mattress dipped, and I calmly watched her as she unhurriedly crawled onto the bed. I had to remind myself to remain in control despite it being the furthest thing from my mind at the moment. No words were spoken when she laid her head on my bare chest and snuggled up to my side.

A sharp breath caught in my throat when our eyes made contact as she peered up at me with admiration mixed with something unrecognizable. It flared throughout her breathtaking azure eyes holding me captive.

She was the most beautiful woman I'd ever laid eyes on—even if she looked as drained as I felt.

"Thank you, Sir." Her words were barely a whisper.

The smell of her coconut shampoo completely enveloped me, and I hummed in contentment. A heady feeling washed over me when her warm lips made contact with my hot flesh as she planted a small kiss on my left pec—over my thudding heart. Offering me the sleepiest smile, she made my chest tighten with a foreign warmth as her heavy lids fell shut.                               

I wrapped her in my arms and nestled her small frame closer to me as she draped a leg over mine and almost immediately found sleep.

It honestly killed me because no matter how badly I wanted it, I could never be that person for Lorella. So our little arrangement would have to suffice for the time being. I tried to convince myself, drifting into a deep slumber next to the only woman I had allowed myself to sleep in the same bed with in six years.

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