“Selam,” she says, a bright smile on her face.
“You look happy about something,” Emre mentions.
She glances at me, a knowing look in her eyes. “I am. I saw something last night and hope it means wonderful news is coming soon.”
Fuck. She saw Lara and me and is probably planning the damn wedding.
“What?” Emre asks, looking confused as hell.
“Just something.” She waves a hand in the air. “What’s taking Nisa so long to bring the food?”
“Nisa only has two hands,” Nisa mutters as she carries a tray of dishes to the table. Lara follows behind her with another tray.
They set everything on the table, then Nisa says, “Eat before you all starve.”
As Nisa and Lara take their seats, Murat comes in. He nods in my direction, and taking a seat next to Lara, he murmurs, “Selam.”
I pick listlessly at my breakfast as I keep stealing glances at Lara.
From the moment I set her down on the side of the pool and saw the wet material clinging to her breasts, everything went wrong.
Fuck, her breasts are exquisite.
I shake my head, shoving some eggs into my mouth.
Swimming with Lara was a new experience for me as well. I enjoyed her company. Holding her in my arms didn’t feel weird, and it pleased me to learn she trusts me.
Then she fucking looked at me with interest, and I could see the appreciation in her eyes as she kept stealing glances at my body.
Holding her against me and having her hands on me was a rush I couldn’t prepare myself for. I was hard as fuck and almost claimed her right there and then.
But everything else was a fucking shit show. After I told her to not confuse her emotions, the rejected expression on her face didn’t sit well with me.
My eyes land on Lara, who’s eating so fast she’s bound to get indigestion.
“Slow down, Lara,” I order, my tone harsh.
She swallows hard on the bite, and keeping her head lowered, she obediently murmurs, “Yes, sir.”
Christ almighty.
Throwing the napkin down, I stand up and walk around the table. I take hold of Lara’s hand, tug her up, and drag her after me.
“What did I miss?” Nisa asks as we leave the dining room.
“Hush and eat,” Babaanne’s voice caries after us.
I pull Lara to the study and shut the door behind us before turning to face her. Her eyes are wide on me.
“Things went wrong last night,” I say. “I didn’t mean to make you feel rejected.”
She nods, her full attention on me.
I exhale and let go of her hand. Locking eyes with her again, I continue, “You’re free to feel whatever you want.”
Her tongue darts out to wet her lips. “Just to make sure and I don’t get in trouble, is it okay for me to like you?”
Her question takes a swing at my heart.
“Yes, Lara. You feel whatever you want. Just make sure it’s not for the wrong reasons.”
“Okay.” The corner of her mouth lifts. “Thank you.”
“Jesus, don’t thank me,” I mutter. I take hold of her shoulders and pull her against my chest. Wrapping my arms tightly around her, I press my mouth to her hair, and close my eyes.
She feels so fucking good.
I don’t know how Lara did it, but she has me wrapped around her little finger.
I’m starting to feel things for her, I haven’t felt in a long time. Protectiveness for someone that’s not family.
Possessiveness that makes me want to selfishly claim her innocence.
I want this woman to obey only me. I want her to live to please my every wish. I want to dominate her.
It’s fucked up.
My arms tighten around her as I take a deep breath of her fresh scent.
When I met Lara, she was definitely not the most beautiful woman. But, during the past month and a half, that all changed. The more I got to know her, her beauty surfaced.
She has zero experience. She’s nothing like the socialites I’ve dated in the past. But she has a heart of gold and her inner beauty shines through. She’s refreshing, and I can’t stop the need to possess her from growing inside me.
Her innocence is fucking intoxicating, and it’s starting to drive me insane.
Slow down. You need to think about this.
Letting go of her, I put some distance between us, then mutter, “Go finish your breakfast.”
I wait for her to leave, then shut the door behind her.
Letting out a frustrated sigh, I walk to the window. I cross my arms over my chest, and not taking in any of the scenery of the backyard, I start to dissect my feelings.
What I thought was compassion has changed into something else.
It’s that pure heart and fucking innocence of hers.
Christ, it makes me want to force every ounce of submission out of her so I can devour it. Lara makes my dominant side flare to life like nothing else has been able to do.
So what are you going to do it about? With a snap of your fingers, you can have her kneeling at your feet.
That’s not what I want.
I don’t want her pleasing me out of fear. That does nothing for me.
I want her eagerness.
I want her to melt beneath my touch and seek strength in my arms.
And all of that will take time.
First, she needs to be ready, and I have no idea how long that will take.
In the meantime, I’ll have to be patient, and I’ll encourage her whenever I get the chance, so it feels as natural as possible for her.
So you’re really doing this? You’re pursuing Lara?
I let out a humorless chuckle, thinking I don’t have much choice in the matter.
The heart wants what the heart wants.
Chapter 27
Lara
After I was sick and the intense conversations with Gabriel, things seemed to have calmed down.
It’s been a week since he gave me his permission to like him, but I haven’t seen much of him.
Every day Nisa teaches me how to make something, and in the afternoons, I either sit and knit with Alya Hanim or we walk through the garden.
I no longer rush to clean the house as fast as possible but take my time with each room.
Standing in Gabriel’s room, I dust all the surfaces. When I’m done, I pick up his laundry basket to take it downstairs. His woodsy aftershave wafts up from the basket. I take hold of the shirt at the top, and bringing it to my face, I take a deep breath.
He smells so good.
As if my imagination conjured him from thin air, he appears in the doorway, catching me red-handed sniffing his shirt.
Dear God, now you look like a stalker.
I shove the shirt back in the basket and walk to the door. Gabriel doesn’t move out of the way, and my eyes dart to his face as I squeeze by him.
His fingers wrap around my arm, stopping me from making a quick escape.
“Wait here.” He lets go of me and walks to his closet, pulling a dress shirt off a hanger. I watch as he squirts some of his aftershave onto the fabric, then he brings the shirt to me. There’s a hot as hell smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “At least this one is clean.”
“Ah…” I take the shirt, bunching the fabric to my chest. “Thank you.”
He leans his shoulder against the doorjamb and watches me as I walk down the hallway.
I’m not sure what to make of the interaction, but I feel it was a good thing. Right?