Chapter 7 - The Heat
The kiss wasn't gentle, but it wasn't cruel either. It was deep, possessive, and electric, consuming Frankie’s senses in a single, breathless second.
Gabriel’s lips were warm and firm, tasting of rich espresso and cold night air. His hand tightened in her hair, pulling her head back slightly as his other arm wrapped around her waist, lifting her right off the barstool and dragging her against his hard chest.
Frankie let out a soft, buried gasp against his mouth, her hands instinctively flying up to tangle into his dark, soft hair. She pulled him closer, kissing him back with all the pent-up rage, fear, and desire that had been building inside her since Tuesday afternoon.
Gabriel groaned low in his throat, a deep, primal sound that sent a jolt of liquid heat straight down Frankie’s spine. He backed her up against the edge of the granite kitchen island, his large body pressing her tightly against the cold stone, his dark eyes black with absolute hunger as he pulled back just an inch.
"Tell me to stop, Francesca," Gabriel rasped out, his breathing heavy and ragged against her lips. "Tell me right now, or I won't be able to."
Frankie looked up into his stormy eyes, her chest heaving, her hands gripping the soft wool of his sweater. "Don't you dare stop, you arrogant bastard."
Gabriel smiled—a fierce, wild, dangerous smile—and claimed her lips again.
He lifted her effortlessly, setting her down on the high granite counter. Frankie wrapped her legs around his hips, pulling him flush against her body. Gabriel’s hands slid down her back, slipping under the hem of her faded flannel shirt, his warm, calloused palms burning against the bare skin of her waist.
Every touch was explosive. He kissed her cheeks, her jaw, trailing hot, feverish kisses down the side of her neck, finding the sweet spot right where her shoulder met her neck that made Frankie arch her back and cry out his name softly into the quiet kitchen.
"You're driving me insane, bella," Gabriel murmured against her heated skin, his hands gripping her waist tightly, holding her anchored to him. "Every minute you spent down on that pier, wiping grease off your face, looking at me like you wanted to hit me with a wrench... it took everything I had not to carry you into my office and do this."
"You should have," Frankie panted, her fingers digging into his broad shoulders, pulling him back up to her lips. "You wasted four days."
Gabriel let out a dark, breathless laugh before capturing her mouth again, his tongue exploring hers with demanding, possessive skill.
For the next hour, the dark world outside, the debt, the Moretti family, and the rusty auto garage ceased to exist. There was only the warm fire crackling in the corner, the dark stone house, and the intense, blinding heat of two fierce souls colliding in the dark.
When Gabriel finally carried her up the grand oak staircase into his master bedroom, placing her gently onto the massive king-sized bed, Frankie pulled him down with her, surrounding herself with his strength, his scent, and his unyielding protection.
May you like
As she drifted off to sleep hours later, wrapped tightly in Gabriel's powerful arms with her head resting on his warm chest, Frankie knew her life would never be simple again.
She had fallen for the mafia boss. And there was no turning back.
