Caught In The Crossfires - Spinoff

54

Chapter 54

Lola

On my way to Cristiano's place, I couldn't avoid feeling anxious to see him. It had been a few weeks since the attack, and I was finally healed and feeling like myself again. I couldn't wait to see him, to be near him, to feel his arms around me. The man refused to touch me until I got the okay from the doctor he had set me up with.

Coming to a stop at the congested red light, I let out a deep sigh and tapped my baby blue acrylic fingernails against the steering wheel, feeling the frustration build up inside me.

It seemed like it had been so long since we had been really intimate, and I couldn't stop myself from wondering if he was getting his needs met elsewhere. He was a sex club owner, after all, and although I knew Alessandro was the one with the reputation for being a ladies' man, I couldn't help but feel like I wasn't fulfilling his desires as a Dominant in some way.

Absolutely not. I shook my head and pushed any thought of Cristiano being with someone else out of my mind, along with any thoughts of Alessandro. I couldn't stand the guy, and even though he had saved me from the attacker, our kiss had been a colossal mistake.

It would never happen again—I continued to lie to myself as the light turned green.

The Miami traffic was heavy, and it was taking longer than usual to get across town. I fidgeted in my seat, trying to calm my nerves as my car slowly inched down the jammed highway, and my mind wandered back to my best friend, Catalina. She had just gone through a tough break-up with her scumbag boyfriend, Liam.

Today I was with her when she caught that grade-A loser in bed with her roommate Katie. I felt terrible for her, but at the same time, I selfishly couldn't help feeling a little relieved that I wasn't in her shoes.

Catalina had decided to stay at my place, and I couldn't lie. I really enjoyed the thought of having her around. But I knew it was going to be tough keeping my relationship with Cristiano a secret from her. Thankfully my cuts and scrapes were nearly gone by the time I picked her up this morning.

I honestly hated keeping things from Catalina, but I didn't want to risk her telling anyone else. So it was better to keep it to myself for now.

On the bright side, I knew I was in ship shop shape to get fucked again based on the ass whipping I delivered to that dumb bitch Katie while my best friend was crying her eyes out over an asshole who didn't deserve her tears.

Finally pulling up to Cristiano's, I took a deep breath and reminded myself to enjoy the moment. "You're happy with the way things are, Lola. You don't need more than a Dom/sub relationship," I breathed out. Despite feeling the exact opposite of the words, I kept recycling to myself over the past couple of days.

Truth was, I felt safe with him, and nothing else mattered, not even our stupid fight.

As I parked my car in the long rust-colored brick driveway, I sat for a moment and stared at the front door. I was nervous about spending the weekend with Cristiano again, even though he returned home the night after my attack, and we spent the following day together. He and I had been so busy, with him constantly traveling and me with school and running the coffee shop, we'd barely seen one another.

I truly did miss him, but I couldn't dispel the nagging notion that things had felt different between us now, especially after my indiscretion.

But I knew I couldn't let it consume me. I had to try and move on, and getting back to the way things were with Cristiano was the first step. I took a deep breath, grabbed my belongings, and exited the car.

Walking up to his front door, I could feel my heart pounding in my chest. I hummed to myself and rang the doorbell, and waited, my palms growing sweatier by the moment. When the man of the hour finally opened the door, I nearly couldn't withstand the rush of desire that washed over me. He looked so handsome, so sexy, so...mine.

"Hey," he said, curiously smirking down at me as he tugged the corner of his bottom lip between his teeth. Damn him. He knew exactly what he was doing.

"Hi," I replied, trying to keep my cool even though the little voice in my head was screaming at me to throw myself into his arms and kiss him until we were both breathless. But I had to be strong. I had to show him that I wasn't just some needy, insecure little girl. I wanted him to see that I was a woman to be desired and that I was confident in my own skin.

"How was your trip?" I asked, trying to sound nonchalant.

Cristiano's smile faltered slightly as he replied, "It was fine. Just a lot of work as usual."

Humming under my breath, I nodded, not wanting to push too hard but still eager to reconnect with him. "I brought us some dinner," I said, holding up two bags from my favorite Chinese restaurant near my college. "I decided to grab something since I was coming straight from school. Thought we could...uh, Netflix and chill?"

I suddenly felt my cheeks flush as I took in the way his salt and pepper hair fell across his forehead, the cream blue of his eyes glinting mischievously in the low light of the hallway. And as he crossed his arms over his chest, I couldn't refrain from shamelessly watching as his muscles flexed and bunched beneath his white button-up, making my mouth go dry.

"Netflix and what?" Cristiano repeated, his voice deep and smooth, sending shivers down my spine.

Clearing my throat, I made a quick effort to regain my composure. "Oh...geez, old man, your age is really showing tonight," I laughed, trying to play it cool even though I was anything but. I then playfully attempted to push him into the house, but his large hands came to wrap around my wrist, sending a rush of heat that flowed from him through me.

Cristiano chuckled, his eyes glinting with an amusement that I knew he reserved only for me. "Watch it, young lady. I can still show you a thing or two."

"Is that a promise?" I peered up at him innocently through my thick lashes, blinking a few times as I did.

"Lola," he warned.

"Yes, Sir," I taunted, wanting to see if I could break him and trying to hide the flutter in my stomach that his words caused.

As I tried to keep a playful expression on my face, Cristiano's eyes narrowed at my disobedience. "Do not tempt me, Lorella," he said, his tone now firm and commanding.

I raised an eyebrow, challenging him. "Oh, I'm not afraid of you, Cristiano. I know you're all talk...or at least you have been for the last few weeks," I taunted, daring him to prove me wrong.

Cristiano's face darkened as he leaned down, and for a moment, I thought I had pushed him too far. "Keep on, and I'll put you over my knee and send you to bed hungry," he muttered darkly against my cheek before snatching the takeout bags from my hand and turning to walk into the house. I swallowed the lump in my throat as I watched him go, and a part of me couldn't help but feel disappointed that he hadn't taken the bait and followed through on that little threat.

Entering the house, I quickly shut the door behind me before setting my bag down in the foyer. "Oh, and don't think I didn't notice that guy you have following me around," I called out after him, unable to resist needling him a little further.

Cristiano paused, his back still turned to me, before slowly turning around to face me. "What guy?" he asked, his voice low and dangerous.

I shrugged, trying to act nonchalant. "Oh, just a familiar big, burly man in a suit who seems to be everywhere I go. Luca was his name, wasn't it?"

Cristiano's expression didn't change, but I could see a flicker of irritation in his eyes. "Hm, if he's bothering you, Lorella. I'll make sure he keeps his distance."

"Luca is fine." I smiled, feeling a sense of pride at having rattled him, even if only slightly. "So there's no need, Cristiano. But I can take care of myself, and I don't need a hired gun on my back."

Cristiano narrowed his eyes before turning back to plate our food. "Don't be ridiculous, Lorella. He's there for your protection," he declared, his voice stern.

"I know, I know," I said, holding up my hands in surrender as I moved around the island to face him. "It just...feels weird, you know? Like I'm being watched all the time."

"You are being watched all the time," Cristiano replied, his eyes intensely boring into mine. "Like it or not. You are connected to me now, Lorella, and someone with not the best intentions may know that. I can't risk anything happening to you, especially after I had my men look into the man that attacked you, only for them to find nothing. Not a name, not a birthday, not anything."

I nodded, knowing deep down that he was right. "I know, I know," I repeated. "But I just wish I could go back to normal, you know? Back to a few weeks ago when I could go out without having someone follow me around all the time."

Cristiano's expression softened a bit, and he stepped closer to me, his hand reaching out to cup my cheek. "I know, cara mia. But we both know that's not possible. You just had to be stubborn, and now I'll do whatever it takes to keep you safe."

I leaned into his touch, feeling a wave of warmth spread through me. "I know," I whispered. "Thank you."

Cristiano's lips curved up into a small smile, and he leaned in to press a soft kiss to my forehead. "Now, let's eat before the food gets cold."

After we finished eating, Cristiano and I settled onto the couch; as he scrolled through Netflix, I couldn't prevent my mind from wandering back to my college classes and my other living ex-boyfriend, Professor Mullins.

Even though I had broken things off with him as soon as I found out he was married, the asshole had still kept hitting on me relentlessly. And the smallest portion of my mind couldn't eliminate the suspicion that my attack had something to do with him because he couldn't take a hint, but I didn't want to tell Cristiano. I didn't want to cause any problems between him and Mullins, and I couldn't drop the class.

So instead, I decided to investigate that suspicion on my own, though it was proving extremely difficult with the tale Cristiano had put on me.

As the movie started playing, I felt a sudden chill in the air, but I knew it wasn't just from the temperature in the room. My mind was still stuck on Mullins, and I needed a distraction. So, I decided to playfully pretend to be cold, hoping Cristiano would take the hint and get us a blanket to share. But he wasn't fooled.

"The blankets are in a closet down the hall, cara mia," Cristiano said with a knowing smile, his hand running up and down my arm in a comforting gesture as he pointed in the direction of the wardrobe without taking his eyes away from the television.

I couldn't resist pouting a little, feeling slightly embarrassed at being caught. "You're no fun," I grumbled with a groan before getting up to grab the blanket myself.

As I walked down the hall, I couldn't hold back feeling another twinge of anxiety in my chest at Cristiano's earlier words: only for them to find nothing. Not a name, not a birthday, not anything.

Back when he and I were together, Nathaniel had always claimed he was connected. What if Mullins really was behind the attack? What if he was watching me right now? I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts and focus on the present moment.

When I returned to the couch, I settled back into Cristiano's embrace, feeling his warmth and comfort wash over me.

But as the action movie played on, I couldn't resist the urge to touch and tease him, hoping to distract myself from my worries. I ran my fingers through his peppery hair, feeling the soft silky strands slip through my fingers. I then leaned in to place a teasing kiss on his neck, making him groan sexily. I could feel him tense up at my touch before relaxing into it, his arms wrapping tighter around me and pulling me closer to him.

A fluttering sensation started in my chest, and I felt a surge of adrenaline rush through me as my pulse quickened. As I shifted to straddle Cristiano's lap, I felt him adjust himself beneath me with another sexy groan. I slipped my tongue into his mouth, and his large hands roamed up and down my back, the heat building between us.

Though before things could get any further, someone annoying strutted into the room with two beautiful women on his arm, interrupting us.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" he said with a smug grin. I rolled my eyes, not in the mood for his games. "Just watching a movie, Alessandro. Don't you have somewhere else to be?" I replied, trying to keep the irritation out of my voice.

"Oh, I could say the same to you, my dear," he replied, his eyes flickering over to Cristiano. "Isn't it a bit early for you two to be getting so cozy? Or did I interrupt something?" His insinuation made me bristle.

"Although, I suppose it's not the first time you've had to turn in early over the last few weeks, is it?" he continued, his voice low and suggestive as though he knew Cristiano and I weren't having sex.

My heart skipped a beat as I remembered the passion I felt from the kiss I had shared with Alessandro, a moment of weakness that I have regretted ever since. But I quickly regained my composure and shot back at him, "You know what they say, Alessandro, curiosity killed the cat."

"And satisfaction brought it back. Isn't that right, little Lola," he replied, his words dripping with a double meaning that made my stomach churn. I bit my lip, feeling a flush creep up my neck, not wanting Cristiano to know about the kiss or about the fact that we were hiding it. So instead of responding, I simply looked away, hoping Cristiano wouldn't notice how easily I had backed down to his brother.

Alessandro chuckled again, clearly enjoying the power he held over me. "Well, I'll leave you two lovebirds to it," he said, turning to leave with his women in tow. "Don't have too much fun without me."

And as soon as he was gone, I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding, and I hoped that the moment hadn't been ruined. Yet, I couldn't shake the feeling that things between us were more complicated than I had initially thought.

"So, are you going to press play or what?"

Suddenly, Cristiano's gaze shifted to me, and he successfully killed what was left of the mood with his next words entirely. 'What happened between you and my brother while I was away? And I want the truth, Lorella. Now."

ツ    hope   you enjoyed  it.

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