Chapter 18

As soon as they were inside the villa Louisa endeavored to extricate herself from Gabriel's hold, but her fiancé's hand was like a steel manacle, cold and unyielding. She could sense anger beneath his quiet mien and it somehow infuriated her as well. Her anger was further stoked when she saw that the room he had prepared for her was the same room that they had occupied earlier, the room where she almost completely gave herself to him.

Burning with shame at remembering her wanton display, she twisted violently against Gabriel until he finally yielded and let go of her arm. She tried to flee from the room, but the door was barred by Gabriel's bulk.

"Please, Gabriel. I don't want to stay in this room. Let me stay with Papa in the guesthouse," she pleaded, painfully swallowing the anger that was simmering underneath.

"Is there something going on between you and Angelo?" Gabriel asked in a voice so cold and calm it sent shivers down her spine.

Louisa wanted to assure him that Angelo was just a friend, but her anger at being reminded of what had transpired between them in this room made her reckless. And so, she just smirked at him and tried to push her way to the door. Gabriel, however, was not to be dismissed so easily. He took her arm and dragged her towards the bed where he deposited her unceremoniously.

"Well?" he asked, his face now a mask of pent-up emotions.

"What if there is? What are you going to do about it?" she answered, her upturned face defiant and challenging.

She'd expected him to rant and rave, to throw things around and act the wounded lover but Gabriel's reaction was one she'd never even thought he was capable of. Gabriel was laughing! She edged away from him, seriously fearing that he'd finally gone mad.

After a couple of minutes, his laughter wound down to a few soft chuckles as he turned back to her, wiping the corners of his eyes nonchalantly. His face no longer bore the fury that had darkened it earlier. In its place was an emotion so naked even she, confused as she was with Gabriel's behavior, could not mistake it for anything else – genuine happiness!

He moved towards the bed and sat beside her, cupping her face and planting a soft kiss on the tip of her nose.

"Oh, chica! You are such a delight. You made me so happy!" he said, his eyes sparkling with the truth of his words.

Louisa made a fast rewind of the previous events in her mind and for the love of the Most High could not find anything that she had said or done to warrant Gabriel's mirth. She tried to pull away from Gabriel but he only wrapped his arms around her pulling her closer to him. She could feel his soft chuckles rumbling inside his chest as he continued to embrace her. Louisa could not take anymore and used all her strength to push Gabriel away.

"Are you still drunk? Or are you on drugs? You're starting to scare me, you know?"

Gabriel only smiled at her, turning her legs to jelly. Louisa swallowed hard and tried to stay focused on her annoyance at Gabriel's startling demeanor.

"I just asked you what you would do if there's something going on between Angelo and me and you're delighted about it?"

"I'm delighted at you, not at your question."

"Why?"

"Because you gave me the answer that I was looking for."

"As I remember, I did not give you an answer. I asked you a question."

"Yes, but your question answered mine."

Louisa shook her head, more confused than ever. She looked at Gabriel and tried to read his expression, to see if he was jesting or leading her on but she saw nothing but joy and contentment on his handsome face, his eyes shining bright and oh, so seductively!

Stop it! Focus, will you? she reprimanded herself.

"I still don't get it. Forgive me if I'm a bit slow, but can you please explain how my question answered yours?"

"I asked you if there was something going on between you and Angelo, right?"

Louisa nodded, not trusting herself to speak, her heart thumping painfully in her chest as she continued to gaze at Gabriel's mesmerizing eyes.

"Well, had you denied that there was indeed something going on between you and my brother I would've known that you were hiding something. But since you did not, and instead asked me what I would do if there was, I immediately knew that there was nothing going on between the two of you," Gabriel answered.

"Huh?"

Gabriel smiled and pulled her back into a tight embrace. He kissed the top of her head and sighed.

"You're the most guileless person I know, chica. Your honesty seeps through you and I'm so happy for it. It would make things easier between us," Gabriel said, his fingers caressing her arms, sending shivers down her entire being.

She tilted her head up at him and his lips came down on hers with a gentleness that made her curl against him further.

Then, he started raining kisses on her eyes, her cheeks, her nose, her neck. She'd half-expected his kisses to grow more demanding and passionate but was thankful that they remained tender and almost innocent.

He cuddled her close, rocking her in his arms like a baby, his hands softly stroking her arms which have now gone around his waist, her own fingers lazily tracing circles on his back.

She was blissfully getting comfortable with Gabriel's ministrations when a sudden thought burst the bubble of her contentment. Pushing Gabriel with all her might, she jumped to her feet and rounded back on him.

"Easier? I don't think so! I haven't forgotten what happened between us in this very room. You almost took advantage of me just because you had too many beers! I may be guileless and honest in your eyes. But what I really am is naïve and stupid!"

All the hurt that she'd felt when Gabriel abruptly pulled away from her earlier came bubbling to the fore. Before Gabriel could react, Louisa spun on her heels and ran out the door, leaving her confused fiancé gaping at her retreating form.

Gabriel remained stuck on the bed, battling between going after Louisa and calming his now frayed nerves. He'd never met anyone as contrary as her. One minute she was soft and pliant in his arms, the next she was hissing and spitting like a stressed-out tigress. He tried to go back to the things she'd said before she stormed out of the room. But all he could remember was her reference to what had transpired between them in this same room earlier.

He closed his eyes, lying back on the soft bed. Was it only just an hour ago that he had her in his arms, willing and ready for his loving?

He could still feel her sweet, soft body beneath his, deliciously open to his exploration. The taste of her mouth, her breasts, still lingered on his lips. Her perfume still clung to his shirt and just thinking about how eagerly she accepted his pending invasion made his body respond in frantic longing. She was ready. She was willing. And it took all of his strength and willpower to stop the inevitable.

Because he knew that although she responded with equal passion, she hadn't been fully initiated to what really took place between a man and a woman in bed. In spite of her tantalizing participation, she was still a virgin.

And much as he wanted to claim what was by rights already his, he still wanted their first time together to be pure and legitimate, something she'd remember and look back on with pride and joy; not something to be ashamed of because it was done in secret and in the heat of the moment.

And so, as soon as he felt that he was at the brink of losing what was left of his self control, he pulled away from her, apologizing that he'd just had too much to drink, that he would not have done it had he been thinking straight.

Gabriel almost jumped out of bed when a sudden realization struck him. Was that what's upsetting her? That he said he'd almost made love to her only because he had too much to drink? That he wasn't thinking straight at all?

Por Dios!

How coldhearted that must've sounded to her! No wonder she felt so offended! But then again, couldn't she tell that what he did was so difficult for him it was actually physically painful? God! Couldn't she tell that what made him almost lose control was not the drink but his insane desire for her?

All these questions did nothing but confuse him more. But at least they gave him the initiative to go after his fiancée. He must speak with her before he lost whatever ground he'd already gained in her heart. He must clear up this confusion between them before everything got muddled up again.

If he had to go down on bended knees and confess what he's feeling for her then that's what he was going to do. Because now, he knew that he wanted her more than he'd ever wanted anything or anyone before.

And he would do whatever it will take to have her, not only in name, but also in body, heart and soul – and everything else in between.