Chapter 16

Gemma

We were glaring at each other. Despite the fact that I was angry, I couldn’t help but feel like the breath had been knocked out of me. He looked absolutely perfect. It was hard to imagine that he had just woken up. Even though his hair was tousled and he had a darker shadow on his chin, he looked like a million dollars. Casual and comfortable in his jeans and shirt, he was devastatingly handsome, and I would have run into his arms if I wasn’t determined to never see him again.

“I didn’t think that you would want a formal farewell,” I said, feeling self-conscious in my lack of clothing. I could see him studying me… my legs, my messy hair. He had noticed the scratches on my knees.

“Why does it have to be a farewell at all?” he asked, breathing in harshly through his nose.

“I saw the magazine, Vincent. You don’t have to pretend anymore. You got what you wanted from me; you should let me go now,” I snapped, tucking in a few curls behind my ears nervously.

The look in his dark eyes changed again. His gaze softened. Just like the previous day, his temper went from red hot to lukewarm. He seemed to have an immense control over his emotions, an art I had not yet mastered.

“And what is it that you think I wanted from you?” he asked, crossing his arms over his expansive chest. I knew how easy it would be for him to grab me and pin me down to the ground. I couldn’t believe I was still lusting after him, after all this.

“You wanted to get into my pants, and you managed it very smoothly. So, bravo to you. But I have to leave now,” I spat the words out at him. I could feel my hands shaking from the onslaught of emotions coursing through my veins. What was this hold he had on me? Why couldn’t I just turn around and walk away from him? What was holding me back?

“Please,” he said softly. “Don’t go. Let’s talk about this.”

“What is there to talk about? You lied to me! You didn’t even tell me your real name!” I yelled, getting angry all over again. “Do you give a false name every time you go on vacation and want to put one over on a stupid local girl?”

“I did that because I didn’t want to spoil anything. I wanted a shot at an ordinary relationship with you. I was trying to get away from who I am, but now I know it was wrong. I should have been honest with you from the beginning,” he said, coming closer to me. His voice sounded hoarse and guttural. His eyes had narrowed and his face had darkened as he focused on me. I wanted him to touch me, but I didn’t want to make the first move. I didn’t want to break my resolve, but I knew that if he touched me I would melt. I would give in.

“So, you were using me to experience a small-town ordinary life, as you put it?” I snapped, and he shook his head silently.

“I wasn’t using you, Gemma. I hadn’t planned on it. But when I met you, I didn’t want any of the LA nonsense to ruin the connection we had,” he continued in that same quiet calm voice. He had come up very close to me now, and I had to crane my neck to look up at his face.

“And what about those rumors? They can’t all be false,” I said in a meek defeated voice. I knew that it was over. Whatever anger I had felt toward him had all been washed away. All he had to do was turn up.

“No, they’re not,” he said and my heart stopped for a second, “I led a frivolous life. I couldn’t commit to one woman.”

I could feel my cheeks burning up; my eyelids had grown heavy, I could barely continue to look into his eyes anymore. I was going to buckle at my knees and simply fall into his arms.

“What about your engagement?” I said in a small voice that was choking up.

He shook his head. “Those are just rumors. I’m not engaged. Whatever else I may be, Gemma, I’m a man of my word. I wouldn’t be unfaithful to anyone. I’ve never done that,” he said and now he was standing directly over me.

His breath was falling on my face, making the dark curls on the sides of my cheeks flutter. He was looking down at me with seriousness. The smile had disappeared from his face. We had come so close to losing each other, so quickly. I wasn’t sure what he was feeling as he held my gaze, without making a move to touch me. All I knew was what I was feeling; something I had never felt before. Like I could do anything, that I was capable of absolutely anything.

He placed his large hands on my shoulders in silence. Just his touch was enough. I was already wet between my legs and when he touched me, I felt like I was going to explode.

He spun me around, so that now I was facing the tree trunk. My palms pressed into the coarseness of the trunk and I felt his hand on the back of my head. He was pinning me to the tree. I felt a rush of excitement in my belly, just as I heard him unbuckling his pants.

“I’m going to teach you a lesson for running away from me again,” he said gruffly, sliding his jeans down to his ankles.

Without him asking, I parted my legs, sticking my butt out toward him. He stepped forward, grazing my butt with his erect throbbing cock. He was so hard for me already. How long had he been hard for me?

“Stop running away, Gemma,” he growled again, and encircled my waist with his hands. He was holding me in position, with no preparation this time. He was going to take me in broad daylight, against this tree. And I was all but begging him to.

I could feel the dampness between my legs, and I couldn’t wait any longer. He was stroking my butt with his cock, teasing me, while holding me in place. All he would have to do was lift the shirt…

I felt his hands on my skin. His fingers were searching out my panties. When he found them, he slid them down with one quick flick of his wrist. I moaned, biting down on my lip. I could feel my insides knotting and unknotting with every brush of his cock against my skin.

Now his hands were caressing my butt, slowly, feeling out my flesh… squeezing with his hand.

I had my legs parted already, so when he slid into me, he fit inside me tightly. I gave out a loud groan when I felt him there. He was holding me by my waist, and I was holding the tree for support as he drove into me. He pumped in and out forcefully. Our voices were harsh, and we were both moaning. He grunted with every thrust. He really was teaching me a lesson… only the wrong lesson. I was definitely going to run away more often if he was going to do this to me as punishment!

Within just a few minutes, I knew I was going to come. He reached so deep inside me. With his cock, he stroked that spot that made me come quicker. He felt strong and masculine standing behind me, our bodies stuck together as he made me orgasm.

Something seemed to explode deep inside me. “Luke,” I screamed as I came.

“My name is Vincent,” he growled, as the contractions swept through me. “Say it, Gemma. Say my name.”

He kept pumping into me; he didn’t stop. Instead, he increased his pace so that my body bounced and shook as I had my orgasm.

“Vincent,” I sobbed weakly. “Oh, God, Vincent.”

“Gemma,” he said and I felt him explode inside me, too.

He growled as he came, his grip on my waist tightening. We were both out of control, especially me, because I was going to come again. What was happening?

We orgasmed together, Vincent shooting inside me while I screamed again. My body was soaring, my heart was beating out of my chest; there was no escape.

He remained inside me for a few moments longer, draining himself into me completely. When he started pulling himself out of me, I threw myself against the tree trunk, completely spent.

I could barely move a muscle. Orgasming twice, consecutively, was exhausting, although I had a wide smile on my face. It was like every time we had sex, Vincent made me experience something new. Something I didn’t even know my body was capable of.

He was pulling up his pants as I remained leaning against the tree trunk.

“Ready for a nap?” he asked with a laugh, and I finally turned to look at him. I couldn’t stop smiling, and I also couldn’t keep my eyes open.

“I’m hungry,” I said lazily, letting my eyes drift shut. Suddenly, I felt Vincent’s hands on my hips again. Only this time, he was lifting me up in the air.

I yelped in surprise as my feet left the ground and then he threw me over his right shoulder and started walking. My yelps turned into loud laughter as he continued walking toward his parked car.

“Put me down! No, put me down!” I yelled, while lightly punching his back with my fists. We were both laughing by now. My black curls fell in a cascade as he held me, my head turned over. I was flailing my legs in front of his face, but Vincent had me pinned to him.

“I’ll put you down when we get to the cabin. You’re a serious flight risk,” he said with a laugh, carrying me past the car… carrying me like that all the way back to his cabin.

I was literally flying.