Page 17 of Humility

That was certainly a lie.

“What are you….” The rest of my concern was swallowed down as he kissed me. It was the first kiss we had shared since the villa, and he commanded my mouth this time. Unable to help it, I moaned and opened my mouth for him, tasting the dark whiskey flavor on his tongue.

Every nerve ending came alive, and all my problems and worries flew away as the jittery excitement and passion soared around my body. Angelo made it hard to think. I should be objecting, and yet I couldn’t remember why.

My back pressed harder into the pillar as he deepened the kiss, and my bones felt like they were liquifying throughout my body. I was lightheaded when he broke away and bent down. I gasped and swatted at him as he stood, but his hand was under my long dress, pulling it up.

“Stop it,” I argued and put my hands on his chest, but his finger rubbed over my panties, and I shuddered.

“You don’t really seem like you want me to stop. Tell me, Tiger, has anyone pleasured you before?” No mirror needed—I knew I was blushing from the tips of my toes to the tops of my ears. My cheeks flamed so hot that I wished I had a fan to wave at myself.

“I’m not answering that,” I said. I’d never been kissed, let alone what he was talking about.

“They better not have,” he said. His voice was growly, like he was pissed off, as he continued to run a finger between my legs. Staring into his eyes wasn’t a good idea. It was like being hypnotized by a snake charmer.

“Angelo….” I protested feebly, but he captured my mouth again, and my heart pounded faster. I hated that I hoped he wanted me. It made me feel weak that I still wanted him after everything he’d done. I was no better than Rosa.

With each passing second, he made it more difficult to put a single thought together, and my legs shook as he swirled his finger. I’d touched myself late at night, but this felt different. His strong fingers pressed right where I liked, and a little moan tumbled from my mouth.

“Fuck, I’ve missed you. I want you so bad, Tiger,” he said. He’d graduated a couple years before me, and it had been blissfully bully free. Which was why I couldn’t understand why I would stare at his vacant seat and wonder what he was doing. I’d secretly grown fond of our battles of wits and wills.

An entire storm of butterflies took flight in my stomach, but the image from the bar was rooted in my brain. I knew he’d started dating and having sex several years ago. Girls whispered tales of how good he was, and every time I heard it, another pin of pain stabbed me through the heart.

“You miss me? Just like you’ve missed all the other girls you bed,” I said and turned my head to glare at him.

His blue eyes had only gotten brighter as he got older, and they were now the color of the ocean on a sunny day. The hungry look in them made my heart race faster.

“Who I sleep with is not your concern.”

“Oh, but it is when you pull me into the bushes to assault me like this.” I pushed the arm between my legs away and was surprised he let me. My long dress fell to the ground once more.

“Please, you’ve been looking at me all night,” he said, and I came very close to kneeing him in the balls. But instead, I smirked.

“You are mistaken. I wasn’t looking at you. Dario has really filled out,” I said, and he narrowed his eyes, his lip pulling up into a snarl.

“You’re mine, Tiger. I will marry you, so you better get used to the idea.”

I did shove him away with that comment. “Ha, I’m not property, and that is not likely to happen, my papa will make sure of it.” I glared into his stupid blue eyes that made my heart race. “I will never marry you.” I marched for the opening, but he grabbed me again and pulled me back against him. His hard chest pressed into my back, and I felt his breath on my neck, a shiver racing down my spine.

“Yes, you will.”

“No, I won’t.”

“Why are you so stubborn?”

“Why are you such a whore?” I glanced over my shoulder as he chuckled. “I wasn’t joking.”

“I love your jealousy,” he said, kissing softly along my skin.

“I’m not jealous.”

“You’re lying. I can feel the heat under your skin. You’ve always belonged in my arms.”

Summoning all my strength, I pulled away, and he let me go. Yes, he was sexy, and I found him attractive. I couldn’t deny that I wondered what it would be like to sleep with him. I secretly hoped things were different between us, but as I looked him up and down, I knew it couldn’t happen.

“Whether I’m attracted to you is irrelevant. I won’t be your stay-at-home sloppy seconds begging for attention like poor Rosa. We both know she will end up angry and bitter. Eventually, she’ll take a lover at great risk to herself before becoming a shadow of who she was. Nothing more than a bitter version of the woman she could’ve been.” I shook my head. “I want something different for my life, which doesn’t include becoming one of the laundry list of girls that have rolled around in your sheets.” I smoothed down the front of my dress. “No, I will not be marrying you, Angelo, because I want someone who will love me for more than the powerful son I can offer them as a princess—someone who will want all of me and only me like my papa did with my mama. Pick someone else. Dozens of others lust after you and would fall at your feet, but I’m no one’s puppet.” I turned away and looked back. “I’m honestly confused why you’d lie and say you want me. You made it perfectly clear our entire lives how you feel. Stick with that, we are much better off staying away from eachother.”

I marched away, deciding it was safer at the party where more eyes could see me. No matter what, my mind would never be able to forget that kiss. It was my first real one, and my lips still tingled from Angelo’s touch. So did the spot between my legs that only my fingers had ever been.