24. Blake

CHAPTER 24

Blake

A couple hours after dinner concludes, Gin, Lexa, and Sam are dancing on top of a table to a Taylor Swift song, while Liam showers them in champagne. They started this party off with tequila shots and Ginevra telling Yve to shut up when she protested and tried to get Lexa away. The stunned look on Yve’s face will live on in my memory forever.

The girls closed ranks around Lexa, and once Yve realized she was outnumbered, she took Franklin and skulked off into the shadows. Her hooks are obviously firmly planted into him. They’ve been carrying on like lovers this entire trip, right under Lexa’s nose. So why the fuck does my step-sister want to go through with this wedding? There’s something she’s not telling me. She’s hiding something, and I want to know what it is.

I sit in a club chair, Guy across from me, and drink my scotch. We don’t talk—Guy’s almost as anti-social as I am, which makes him fine company—preferring to watch the younger people have their fun.

The way Gin not only stood up to my step-mother, but has also taken Lexa under her wing does something funny to my chest. I can’t put a name to the sensation because I don’t believe I’ve felt it before today.

It could be gratitude.

Pride? Maybe I’m proud of my fiancée?

I’m not sure what I’m feeling, but I’ve determined it’s nothing bad. Quite the contrary.

“You’re a lucky man.”

My attention snaps to Guy, and the light sensation in my chest evaporates. He’s staring at Gin, watching her hips move as she dances on the table. I don’t like it. I hate the way other men gaze at my fiancée.

“Keep your eyes to yourself, Guy, or I’ll pluck them out and feed them to you.” My threatening tone leaves no room for misinterpretation.

His gaze lands on me, the blood drains from his face and he gives a curt nod. “I… need to make a call anyway. Excuse me.” He leaves the room, and my pounding heart calms.

I spend the remainder of the evening watching Gin, Samantha, Lexa, and Liam party, while nursing my scotch. I doubt I was ever that carefree, even in my early twenties. Life had already forced me to grow up quickly. With a step-mother’s manipulations to navigate, a father to fight with over everything, and Liam to take care of, there wasn’t time for much silliness.

Watching Ginevra let go and have fun, seeing her live, so innocent and carefree, constricts my heart. She’s turning out to be nothing like I expected. Which begs the question: was I wrong about my assumptions of her? She’s far more naive and vulnerable and sweeter than I thought she'd be. That girl has a heart of gold hidden beneath that sassy, sexy kitten facade, doesn’t she?

By blackmailing her into this arrangement, I thought I’d be punishing a heartless, conniving, gold-digger, someone like my step-mother. But Gin is nothing like Yve. They’re polar opposites in every way that counts.

I should end this, call off our deal and let Gin go. She deserves someone better than me. But I can’t and won’t free her, and not just because my inheritance is on the line. Now that I have Ginevra within my grasp, who, in all honesty, I’ve been sneaking glances at for the past two years, I want to make her mine. I want to possess her body and soul, to twist her innocence into something sinful, to devour her sweet nature like ripe fruit.

Every night when I come to bed, she’s already asleep and I leave before she wakes up. Gin has no idea the agony she puts me through every single morning and night. The feel of her soft body against mine, her warmth, the way my cock strains, desperate to have her, yet I deny myself that pleasure. Every single day, I resist. But I’m done holding myself back.

“ I didn’t know you could fly!” Ginevra gasps as we take off. My gaze slides to her, triple-checking that she’s securely fastened in the helicopter’s passenger seat, then we gain altitude.

The yacht docked early this morning and I had our things brought to our villa. The rest of my plan for today was hatched late last night while Gin enjoyed Lexa’s bachelorette party. We have the entire day to ourselves and this helicopter ride around the islands is only the beginning.

“Hold on,” I teasingly warn her. “I’m a little rusty.” Tilting the helicopter, I maneuver us over the ocean’s glittery blue-green waters, and Gin squeals with excitement. Her laughter sends liquid heat through my abdomen. I love making her smile.

For the next two hours we fly over expansive waters, sandy beaches, and tropical hills. From above, we see all the wonders these islands have to offer. None of it is as beautiful as the wonder sparkling in Gin’s eyes.

I land on a wide expanse of deserted beach, then help Ginevra out of her seat. Taking her hand, I lead us around a jutting rock to a quiet cove where a lone table and two chairs sit under a cabana. Various rugs and carpets cover the ground, and a hearty lunch, complete with champagne, awaits us.

“Oh my god, Blake, what have you—? How did this get here?” Gin sits on the chair opposite of me, grinning like this is the most magical moment of her life. I have to admit the setup crew did an excellent job.

“You wanted a boat ride on a lake. Which I couldn’t give you.” I open the champagne and pour us each a glass. “I hope that this lunch on a beach might make up for it. If we stay long enough, we’ll catch the sunset.”

“Do we have anywhere else we need to be this evening?” She sips from her glass, then starts uncovering the numerous dishes of little sandwiches, shrimp cocktail and caviar on ice, and of course an assortment of desserts.

“We don’t need to be anywhere but here, magpie, so eat up and enjoy yourself.” For a moment, I simply sit back and watch her nibble on a piece of fresh fruit. My gaze focuses on the sweep of her pink tongue as she licks her lips, then down to the smooth column of her neck when she swallows. I’ve never enjoyed watching a woman eat before. There’s something extremely sensuous about it.

Of course, if anyone told me a few months ago that I’d arrange for a romantic lunch on a beach just to see a woman happy, I’d have scoffed at them. Then probably have shot them for being so fucking ridiculous. Yet here I am. Here we are, together, enjoying each other's company for an entire day.

“Why aren’t you married?” Gin’s question startles me, and I blink at her for a second before answering.

“Marriage is overrated at best. Most of the time it’s simply a terrible, soul-sucking arrangement between two naive individuals. Why would I ever want that?”

Gin sucks cocktail sauce off of a piece of shrimp and my cock stiffens, expanding in my trousers. She’s so fucking sexy with her small sounds of contentment and that innocent look in her chocolate brown eyes. Fuck, I want to corrupt every inch of her.

“My sisters seem happily married,” she points out.

I nod in agreement. “They are both lucky. But do keep in mind that this is Roman’s second marriage. I remember his first wife and the hell she put him through. In my youth, I witnessed my father’s two gold-digging wives before Yve, who’s the worst of them all, but it was Roman’s marriage that made me vow to never marry. That woman destroyed him.”

“But Sophia put him back together.”

“True. Lucky bastard.” I down my champagne. “But they are the exception.”

“So once our charade is over, you’ll go back to being a bachelor for life?”

“That’s my plan.”

“Sounds lonely to me.” Gin pops a caviar dolloped cracker into her mouth, chews, and swallows. “I’d like to marry and have children someday. I like the idea of sharing my life with someone who loves me.”

My mind paints a vivid picture of Ginevra in the arms of another man, them smiling at each other as a mini version of her plays nearby. The man sweeps a blond curl behind her ear. Crimson quickly paints over the mental image as rage and jealousy roil in my gut. No man should touch her like that except me.

As if to prove the point to myself, I reach across the table and glide my fingers through her hair, tucking the strands behind her ear. She glances at me and our gazes lock. My hand slides to the back of her neck and I tug her to me, my lips crashing down on hers. She tastes divine. I don’t know if I’ll ever get enough of her. But she’s only temporarily mine to have, so I’d best indulge. I’m a glutton for this woman.

I take my time devouring her mouth, my tongue sliding against hers in a languid dance. Her small hands brace against my shoulders. I’m about to pull her into my lap so I can feel the rest of her, when thunder rumbles in the distance.

We break apart, gazing up at the darkening sky, just as the heavens open up on us. The shade awning won’t survive for long. Shit, I hadn’t planned for a storm.

Gin takes my hand, then we’re running across the sand to what I realize is a small cave in the cliff face. We’re drenched by the time we get there, but for some reason I’m not pissed off about it, because we’re laughing. I tuck her beneath my arm as we watch the storm from under shelter. It should pass soon.

“That came out of nowhere!” Gin wrings out her hair. “I’m a mess.”

I glance down at her. “You are. You’re a beautiful mess.”

Her gaze searches mine, I’m not sure what she’s looking for, but I guess she finds something she likes because she reaches up and crushes her lips to mine. I lift her up, her legs wrap around my waist, and I press her back to the cave’s smooth wall. Our kiss grows frantic, desperate, a silent plea for more. With one hand I grip her ass, and the other I wrap around her neck, my thumb on her fluttering pulse point.

“I want to fuck you, our agreement be damned. Tell me you want that too, Gin.” My raw voice speaks of my desperation.

She releases a shaky breath, then nods. “I want that too. B-but I have to tell you something first.”

“What is it?” My thumb draws circles on her silky smooth neck. “Tell me.”

“I… I’m not as experienced as you think. In fact, I don’t even know if I’m any good in bed.” She glances away.

“Look at me, magpie. Use your words. You can tell me anything.”

Her gaze reluctantly drifts back to mine. Self-doubt and vulnerability shine through her eyes, and I’m nearly overwhelmed by my need to protect and possess her, all at the same time.

“Okay.” She licks her lips. “I don’t fully remember any of my sexual experiences because I’ve always been very drunk. When I’m trashed is the only time that I can handle someone touching me. If I’m not drunk, being touched makes me feel sick to my stomach, and I panic. M-my ex used to get angry with me when we tried to…” She’s shaking in my arms and I’m sure it’s not from the cold or her memories.

I ignore the part about her ex—for now. Later I’ll be sure to hunt him down and make him pay for how he treated Gin.

“But I touched you. I touch you all the time.”

“I know. You’re… different. I don’t know why it feels different with you, but it does. I want you to touch me, Blake, but I’m also afraid.” Her confession wrenches my heart. “I don’t even know if I like sex.”

I tangle my fingers in her hair, pulling her into a soft kiss. “Believe me, you’ll like sex. Give yourself to me and I’ll take care of you, baby girl.” I can tell by the look in her eyes that she wants to trust me, but she’s scared. “I promise to make it good for you. I’ll treat you like it’s your first time, okay?”

“D-do you promise not to hurt me?” She asks in a small voice that shreds my heart. Why the fuck would she ask that question? Unless…

“Did someone hurt you? Besides the ghost?”

Her gaze drops to my chest.

“Gin,” her name comes out in a warning tone. “Who hurt you?”

She shakes her head, closing her eyes, and obviously refuses to answer me. One day I’ll get all the secrets out of this gorgeous, broken woman.

“I’d never hurt you unless you wanted me to.” My words bring her attention back to me.

“Why would I want you to hurt me?”

“You liked it when I spanked you. Didn’t that hurt?”

“I guess so. But… you weren’t being cruel. That was a pleasurable kind of pain.”

“Exactly.”

Her cheeks grow pink. “Oh.”

“Since we’re on the topic of confessions, you should know that I don’t only want to fuck you, Gin, I want to worship your body. I want to possess every inch of you, mark you as mine, and steal every shred of your sweet innocence until all you crave is me and my dark desires. If you let me have you, I’ll ruin you for any other man. Do you understand?”

“Yes.” She swallows hard. “I want you. Please.” Gripping my hair, she claims my mouth in a passionate kiss.

I warned her. She had the chance to get away and she didn’t, which means now she’s mine. All mine .