Chapter 21 Gemma

Darkness surrounds me when I open my eyes. My body feels at ease, warm, and I realize I’m no longer in Antonio’s arms. There’s a soft blanket on top of me. The moon is high in the night sky as I push myself up to sit. My phone is charging on the nightstand beside me. The time shows it’s close to six in the evening.

A quick swipe through my phone shows that nothing’s happened since leaving the clinic except for our test results coming through earlier than expected. At least we have a clean bill of health. An overwhelming sense of belonging and security washes over me as I stretch and yawn before swinging my legs over the edge to get out of bed.

The sun set nearly an hour ago and the large window closest to the bedroom has its curtain drawn shut. There are long rods holding the light fixtures above the living room to keep its light from streaming into the open bedroom area which is far cooler than any New York City apartment I’ve been in. I love it here.

The rough shuffling of furniture from over the railing draws me close to it. I peek over the edge of the loft to see Antonio standing in the center of the living room area scratching his head. His finger is wrapped, thankfully, but he’s in nothing but a pair of loose-fitting pajama pants. I realize it’s the bottom half of the shirt I’m wearing. He changed me out of my clothes before putting me into bed.

I didn’t realize how tired I was that I could be moved around, undressed, and reclothed without noticing. That’s scary considering both he and Casper believe the scar-face peeping tom has been inside my apartment. I would never know if I was asleep as heavily as I was this afternoon. The days are blurring, and my body is paying the toll for the excessive emotions warring inside of me. From rage and fear to lust and seduction, I’m all over the place.

Still, I put my own feelings aside as I watch Antonio quietly from above. His body is sculpted to perfection but from this angle, I can see them. It’s not just one scar, there are several laced across his back.

The biggest runs from the top of his shoulder, down his shoulder blade and across his spine. There’s another gash-like scar. It’s about the length of a coin slot but the raised flesh of the scar makes it look painful. There are several other abrasions to his skin and a fresh area of bruising on his lower back.

I walk downstairs and he doesn’t even flinch where I’d be easily startled.

“There’s soup on the stove, and some dinner rolls in the oven if you’re hungry. I’m sorry if I woke you,” he says.

“I shouldn’t have slept so long anyway. I’ll be up all night. Are you okay?” I ask him with my hand hovering over his bruise. The sexuality of his pain is absent. My concern is paramount as I didn't know he was moving around with this amount of damage.

Antonio glances down, almost with shock glossing over his face. “Oh, yeah, the detectives who did this to my hand left me with some parting gifts to remember them by. I’ve been lucky enough to attach a much better memory to my finger.”

This time he turns his face slightly with a wriggle of his devilish brows, making me smile and blush at the memories of his pained finger bringing me to multiple orgasms. The mutual satisfaction of that moment is nearly lost when I look at the scars and bruises along his torso. However, I don’t want Antonio to think they’re a turn-off to me. I just want him to be okay.

I push myself onto my tiptoes, kissing him softly on the lips. He reaches behind me, getting a firm handful of my ass before shifting the softness of our embrace into something carnal. His tongue and hunger is possessive. He picks me up so I have to wrap my legs around his waist.

The hardness of his dick is immediate, and I’m certain he’d gotten the same notification as me. Every nerve in my body lights up as we practically attack each other with passion. I tear away at his pants and drag my nails down the slender trail of hair until I have his pulsing cock in my hand once again.

I grip him tight and he growls, pulling away from our kiss.

“Tighter,” he snarls.

I oblige and whisper, “Like this?”

“Yes,” he strains.

While I’m grabbing the base of his cock as tight as I possibly can, I reach up to dig the nails of my other hand into the back of his neck. I let my intrusive thoughts take over as I ask, “Can I touch it?”

“Please,” he inhales sharply, “Do it.”

I drag my nails from the back of his neck to the scar on his back and press my nails into it. He lets out a short gasp, moves my panties to the side and I pull his cock to the apex of my thighs. When I lift my nails from his scar, I massage the area in small circles, slide my fingers down to a wider, fibrous patch of the scar tissue and dig my nails into it again.

“FUCK!” he shouts and slams his dick inside of me. “Don’t stop doing that.”

His words come with one grunt after another and force us to stumble back onto the couch. The motion of his uncovered cock in my cunt carries me to the edge of erotic bliss. The top of my back is on the cushion, but Antonio now has me by the waist. My ankles end up crossing behind him, but he dips and moves them up around his neck.

Antonio’s wearing me like a fucking chain as he pummels my pussy into submission. I have to grip the sofa to keep myself anchored while he moves in and out of me in beastly fashion.

We don’t stay in this position long as he pulls out of me and lowers himself to kiss me. When he moves away, he brings me with him, letting my legs fall back to his waist, his cock still nestled inside of me, and now I can reach his scars again. The minute my nails graze them, he thrusts into me harder.

The wall gives us more stability as he holds me around my back with one arm and uses the other to stop us from slipping. I’m able to loop my arm under his right shoulder to grab the bruise on his lower back, helping him attach a memory better than how he got it.

Every roll of his hips in and out of me is visceral, enthralling, and brings me to a powerful orgasm that makes me unintentionally plunge my fingers deep against the bruise and his scars. His cries of carnal satisfaction echo around the condo’s open space.

It gives me the freedom to let my own sounds blend with his because the thickness of his strokes are able to coax a paralyzing hold on my orgasm.

“Fuck me, yes, Antonio.” I find my voice as he drills himself into me for another few strokes that have me clawing at his back, desperate for a pause in his onslaught of writhing lust.

His arm moves slightly so he can grab a handful of my ass again. This time, he’s able to thrust inside of me and use his fingers to press against my other entrance. I even wetter with anticipation.

Antonio slides his fingers from my pussy, stealing the wetness of my previous climax and drags it up to my puckered hole. He slips a finger comfortably inside while continuing to pump in and out of my pussy. I don’t know how much more I can take as my body can no longer stifle the tremors of my climax.

“That’s right, Gemma, give it all to me. Make it hurt.” He growls before capturing my mouth in a kiss.

I do as he commands and lock my fingers and nails into his scars until I can feel his throbbing release inside of my walls. Sweaty and now in need of a shower, Antonio refuses to let my feet hit the floor. We fit in the shower together and take our sweet time going another round before washing up to eat dinner.

Antonio reaches for his phone while I reach for mine after we clean up the kitchen together. I have several calls and texts from Casper, but it’s not an emergency. He’s just annoyed that I’m not responding in a timely fashion.

“I was busy with my fiancé,” I tell Casper before he says anything when he answers my call.

“No thanks. I don’t want to know about that. I was calling to let you know the security system is in place. I have a pair of matching prints from your car and the window outside of your bedroom. If it makes you feel any better, I didn’t find any prints inside, but also Damien was cleaning the last time I was here.”

“Fuck, I told him to stop that.” I sigh. “It’s fine. At least it’s safe for me to go home. Are you still there?”

“I will be for a while just to see how the motion sensors work, but you did get a package,” Casper says.

“Who is it from? Does it look weird or anything?”

Casper pauses and I can hear him moving something before he comes back to the line. “No worries. It has Natalie’s name on it. Maybe she forgot something had her folks ship it to you out here?”

“Just leave it, I’ll be there in the morning. If you can meet me there tomorrow to show me how it all works, I’ll take you to my favorite breakfast spot. They have an amazing Fruity Pebble milk shake you’ll love.”

“I’ll see you in the morning then. Good night, Gem.”

“Night Casper.” I end the call and realize I’ve been walking around the condo while talking to my brother. I’m by the window when I hear Antonio in the loft.

That handsome face staring at me from above is menacingly alluring. The energy is palpable as he says, “Come up here so I can have you for dessert.”