Chapter 9

Gabby

Past

I'm standing at one of the high-top tables in the ballroom, resting my feet for a few minutes. I have danced the night away. Adriana keeps making her way to the band to make song requests. It's her sixth or seventh trip. She has her sights set on the lead vocalist, and she will find any excuse to go whisper in his ear. God only knows what she is whispering other than song requests.

"I have come to collect," a voice demands from behind me.

I turn to find Dante standing there with his hand outstretched to me.

"Collect?"

"Yes, ma'am. I do believe the birthday princess promised me a dance."

I stand there for a moment, debating on whether or not I should take his hand. There is just something about him that raises the hair on the back of my neck. Ever since that night in the woods, he has found reasons to unexpectedly show up where I am, and he always looks at me so intensely. I'm sure it's just my imagination running wild because he has always been perfectly nice. Maybe it's my own embarrassment from that night that bothers me, and I'm just projecting it on him. As the first notes of my favorite Ed Sheeran song start to play, I decide to just let it go, and I take his hand and follow him to the dance floor.

"You look stunning tonight." He gives me a quick twirl before pulling me in close to his body.

"Thank you. You clean up nice yourself."

He is a really good dancer, which is a relief. I have had the hardest time following the lead of most of the guys here tonight, and in some cases, I had to take over the lead. My poor toes have suffered greatly.

"To be fair, the last time we spent any time together, we were in the woods in November. Hoodies and jeans aren't my usual attire. If you would agree to go out on a real date with me, you would know this."

"I told you, I don't date."

"And why is that exactly?"

"It's called an overprotective papa and four large, scary big brothers." I laugh, but it is oh so true.

"Your brothers don't scare me, Gabby."

"Then, I worry about your sanity because they should."

"I am perfectly sane. I'm just not afraid to go after something when I want it." He moves my hair and brings his mouth close to my ear. "And I very much want you. I haven't been able to stop thinking about you since that night."

The song ends as he makes his declaration, and everyone starts to clap for the band. We separate, and he gives me a little wink and kisses my hand before he turns to walk off the dance floor. I'm a little taken aback by his boldness.

I turn to return to my table, and my eye catches what appears to be a very unhappy Cross standing against the wall, watching me. I begin walking toward him, and he stands up and puts his hands in his pockets. He glares at my approach, and then he walks right past me and out the door.

What is wrong with him?

I follow him out and down a dark hallway leading away from the ballroom and stairway. He darts out of sight, and I hurry after him. About five feet in, a hand reaches out and grabs me, pulling me into a room about the size of my bedroom. It's dark, except for the faint glow of the Exit sign above the door. He shuts the door hard once he has me inside and whirls on me.

Angry. He is angry. Why?

I open my mouth to ask, and he starts to advance on me before I get a single word out. He wraps his hand in my hair at the back of my head and tugs hard. Then, he slams his lips on mine. This kiss is not like the one before. This kiss is wild and claiming. I open to him, and he starts to back me up until my back is against the far wall. He bends, and I follow as he places his hands on my waist and hoists me up. My legs instantly wrap around him. We are all hands and mouth and friction. I can feel his weight between my legs as he pushes deeper into me. I don't understand what is happening, but I do know that I don't want it to stop. I never want it to stop.

He wrenches his lips from mine, and he watches as his hand moves down the front of my halter top and across the silk bodice at the top of my breasts. My chest is rising and falling to meet his hand. He gently tugs the ribbon that is tied around my neck, holding the top in place, and it falls, exposing my lacy corset bra. He bites his bottom lip as he runs his knuckles across the swell. Then, he hooks a finger into the edge and pulls it low enough for my breasts to spill over the top. He dips his head and gently takes a nipple into his mouth. Oh my. I groan as pleasure shoots through me at the contact. He licks and then lightly blows a hot breath across each breast until my nipples are hard pink peaks. Then, he nips and sucks one breast as he kneads and caresses the other. He switches his attention from right to left. I am lost. No one has ever touched me this way.

I'm writhing in his arms. I can feel pressure building in my center and a fierce need pulsing through me. I arch my back, and I start to move back and forth, reaching for connection where I need it the most. He places his hands under my ass and lifts me higher till we are hip-to-hip, and finally, I'm where I want to be. I can feel him hard beneath me, and I start sliding against the seam of his trousers, using the wall at my back as support. He still has his mouth at my breasts, and the combination is mind-numbing. I start moving faster, reaching for something else and not knowing exactly what that is. He feels my need getting more and more urgent, and he moves his hand around and under my skirt.

He growls, "Fuck, Gabby. You are wet for me, baby."

For a moment, I wonder if that is a bad thing, but I'm too far gone to care. I start moving against his hand and whimper. I need his hand to move. I need him to touch me. I need. I need. I need.

"Shit, baby, it's okay. I got you," he whispers as he pulls the hem of my panties aside and glides his finger through my folds.

It feels so good, and I think I might come right out of my skin. Then, he moves his thumb to the bud that is throbbing and gives it the attention it is seeking.

"Yes, Cross," I say shakily, "right there. I need you to-" My words die on a moan as he applies more pressure.

Then, he slides a finger inside me and starts to swirl it so deliciously. I rock on his hand. Reaching for something. My entire body is reaching. Then, he adds another finger, and it happens. I crest the wave that I have been riding. All of a sudden, my legs start to shake around him, and an explosion of sensations starts rocketing through the lower half of my body.

"That's it, baby. Take what you need," he says softly.

Then, he covers my mouth with his as I scream out his name in pure pleasure. Nothing has ever felt this good. Nothing could ever feel this good again.

He holds me tight against him until the quaking subsides.

We stand there, quiet, with nothing but the sounds of our racing hearts and the mingling of our heavy breaths.

"Fuck," he murmurs into my hair. Then, after a few heartbeats, he leans back and booms, "FUCK!" as he drops me on my unsteady legs.

He backs away and starts to pace with his head down and his eyes closed tight.

"Fuck, this can't happen, Gabby."

Tears prick the backs of my eyes as I take in the panic on his face. This did happen. Did he not want it? Does he not want me?

"I shouldn't have pulled you in here. I saw you dancing with that asshole from the springs, and I just lost it. He had you in his arms. He was holding you way too fucking close, and you were letting him," he accuses.

"We were just dancing," I whisper into the room as he continues pacing and ranting.

"I didn't like it. I don't like other men looking at you like that. I don't like them thinking they can touch you that way."

"He wasn't touching me in any way, Cross. We were just dancing."

"He wants to touch you."

"Doesn't mean he gets to."

"But he can. He can ask you out and take you to dinner and the movies. He can hold you, dance with you, and kiss you when he brings you home. I can't."

"Why not?"

"Because you are seventeen and I'm twenty-five and your brothers would kill me and I wouldn't blame them."

I can feel my lips quivering as the weight of what he is saying settles between us. He thinks I am a child, and whatever this was, was just his reaction to Dante.

I have to get out of this room. I have to get out of the room right now.

I fly toward the door as he tries to stop me, and I burst into the hallway. I need air. I need somewhere private to let the tears out. I run toward the back stairwell and down to the ladies' locker room. It's empty, so I let my emotions loose. I sob for what feels like forever, and I realize I'm too exhausted to go back out there.

I went from elated to broken in a matter of minutes. I think I am partied out, and I just want to go home and curl up in my bed. I gather myself and fix my hair and makeup as best I can. I head back upstairs to find Adi and tell her I'm leaving.

I silently make my way toward the front of the club and back around to the staircase. I want to get in and out as quickly as possible, and hopefully, if I keep my head down, no one will notice my disheveled appearance. As I get to the bottom of the steps, I see a group of my brothers' friends congregated together.

Great. So much for getting out without being seen.

I dart to the side, out of sight, to come up with a new strategy when I catch a hint of their conversation.

"I don't know, man. That kiss looked like more than just a friendly Christmas kiss to me."

"Yeah, it was pretty hot. Looked like you were into it. For a minute there, I thought you might throw her over your shoulder and carry her out of the place."

"Hey, that's my sister you're talking about," I hear Stavros interject.

"Come on, Stav; you saw it. Your little sister doesn't look too little anymore in that dress, and I think our man Cross here noticed, too."

I know they are just teasing, but it's dangerous to tease one of my brothers. They can be volatile, and I worry a brawl is about to break out.

"Shut up, Conti. I only kissed her to save her from embarrassment after you jackasses pointed out that mistletoe. You guys know, she is like a sister to me, too. And don't get it twisted. I know she is just a little girl playing dress-up in that dress. Stop being stupid and acting like it was more. The thought actually makes me sick."

Every word out of his mouth hits me like a physical blow. I move slightly, so I see them better to make sure it is actually him saying these horrible things. His eyes fall on mine as I step out of the shadow, and I freeze. Just for a few beats. I stare at him, and the mortification washes over me as my heart breaks in two. I turn calmly on my stilettoed feet and make my way to the entrance of the club.

I have to get out of here right now.