Desperate (A Contemporary Romance)

by Katerina Winters

  It was always people like this that Salene truly admired, to be able to have such a powerful talent of charisma. The type of easy-going personality that coaxed and eased people into thinking you could be lifelong friends despite just meeting. Derek Cipriani was the poster boy for charisma.

  "You were looking for me?" She dared to ask.

  Grabbing two plates, Derek handed her one as he reserved her with a stirring look. The smile he gave her told her everything she needed to know. Walking together down the impossibly long buffet table they filled their plates as they spoke. They found a table with the familiar faces and sat down.

  "I don't think I have said it aloud to you," Derek leaned over and whispered in her ear while the people at their table were speaking to a couple that stopped by. "Though I have been saying it in my head since the moment I saw you enter the ballroom. You look amazing."

  The compliment was whispered in such an intense, earnest Salene didn't have the urge to make eye contact. Feeling her face heat up she whispered her own thank you in return. Salene was taking a bite of the delicious canape when the chair next to her was pulled out. Smoothly Gabriel sat down at the table giving her a cool unreadable look before greeting the other members of the table—ignoring Derek completely.

  "Here you are sweetheart," Gabriel gave her a small smile that Salene couldn't be sure if it was genuine or not. "I was looking for you."

  Treading carefully she replies neutrally. "I got hungry."

  Picking up the salmon mousse canapé, she held it gingerly in front of his mouth. The hard glint that was in his eyes when he sat down evaporated as he gave her a half smile. Obligingly he opened his mouth for her to feed him the hors d'oeuvres. Lost in his gaze, Salene knew they were secluding themselves from the table, giving her a wink he ate the canapé.

  A short woman with a red dress and stylish black bob stopped at their table to greet them.

  "I'm glad you guys are having fun, I just wish someone would go out there and dance. "She moaned as she leaned to the side trying to see through to the other side where the ballroom was.

  "Salene this is Trish," Gabriel introduced her. "Trish this is my beautiful Salene."

  The possessive compliment made Salene's face heat in silent embarrassment. Salene shook the woman's hand as Gabriel continued, "Trish here organized everything tonight."

  "Yes and I also organized a huge band," Trish huffed. "And not one person is dancing." The complaint was a not-so-subtle attempt to gain volunteers.

  "Don't look at me," Gabriel laughed handsomely as he sipped Salene's drink. "Dancing is not my strong suit."

  "I can dance," Derek chimed in with a suave grin. "I am actually skilled at ballroom dancing. But I will need a partner."

  The look of hopeful excitement on Trish's face tugged at Salene's conscience.

  "Actually," Salene barely had the word out of her mouth when she felt Gabriel's body stiffen beside her. Looking directly at Trish, Salene ignored the man next to her. "I took ballroom dancing as an elective in college."

  Gabriel didn't get a chance to interject before Trish was pulling out her puppy eyes in silent begging. Excited about the prospect of seeing her and Derek dance the other occupants of the table urged them on.

  "May I have this dance?" Derek asked with a gleam of laughter in his eyes.

  Knowing there would be complete hell to pay if she just accepted and walked off Salene finally turned back around to face Gabriel. Nothing needed to be said, his grave expression told her everything she needed to know—he wasn't happy. Kissing him quickly and fully on the lips she stood up and accepted Derek's arm.

  Salene wasn't sure why Derek loved playing with fire when it came to Gabriel, but she refused to let that get in the way of having a good time tonight. Tonight she felt beautiful, and she really did want to dance.

  The crowd of conversing people seemed to part like magic once the band fired up. With deft grace, Derek pulled her close. All eyes were on them now, the heavy sense of being stalked by a predator amongst the jungle of people surrounding them only came from one man, however.

  "Foxtrot?" Derek confirmed happily.

  "Sure," Salene agreed with a laugh.

  Starting with the music Derek led her gracefully across the shiny floor. Naturally, as if her body had never forgotten Salene stepped perfectly in time with the quick steps. The occasional applause only made them both smile as they turned and dipped performing for the crowd. Salene was rather surprised by the strength in Derek's lean build, there was never a moment she didn't trust him not to support her firmly.

  The round of applause was thunderous. Two by two people slowly started to fill the dance floor. Salene was positive Trish was somewhere amongst the crowd sighing in relief. The band played a slow song for the new guest to the dance floor, allowing her to catch a much-needed breath. Feeling a bit awkward about the silence Salene tried to come up with a topic of conversation while secretly eyeing their position to the edge of the dance floor. It might have been her imagination, but it seemed Derek was intentionally keeping them in the center of the large dance floor, making it nearly impossible to break away from him politely.

  "How are you liking the new job?" Derek asked casually.

  "I love it I… Wait how did you know I had a new job?" Salene had never really had a real conversation with Derek. So it was more than a little unnerving he knew such a fact.

  "I'm sorry, please don't look at me like that," he laughed. "I am not a stalker or anything I just happened to ask a colleague about you, who went to the picnic, and she mentioned you worked at a coffee shop. So…" He let the word hang in the air suggestively.

  Shocked, she pinched his shoulder to urge him to continue. "So? So what?"

  "Ouch," Derek pouted before shrugging. "I made a call to a friend for you to get an interview at the magazine, technically we own the magazine, so it was easy."

  Salene was utterly shocked, there were so many thoughts going through her head she wasn't sure which to settle on.

  "Are you mad?"

  "Yes… No, I don't know Derek," she confessed. "I've never been in a situation like this before."

  "I'm sorry Salene," his normally cool gaze passed over her with a heated look. "I just wanted to make you happy."

  She should be grateful, this job was absolutely perfect but to know that she got the interview and maybe even the job because of Derek, it felt terrible.

  As if reading her mind Derek added helpfully. "Know that I just got you the interview Salene. You still got the job on your own merits." Smiling broadly he added. "I might have some connections by I don't have that kind of power."

  That was a relief she thought, her heart lightning a bit. A tiny bit.

  "Well thank you, Derek I really appreciate it," Salene notice they had reached the edge of the dance floor. Now was her chance. "If you'll excuse me."

  Stopping at a clear spot, Derek looked as if he was going to say something else but his eyes moved beyond her, stiffening immediately at the sight.

  "It's been a pleasure Salene," kissing her hand Derek gave her a dazzling smile before walking away.

  Knowing there was no other that could cause another man to blanch like that Salene turned to see Gabriel standing there. Taking note of his brooding face, Salene reached for his hand with a little tug.

  "Dance with me." With the grace of a large cat Gabriel answered by pulling her into his arms onto the dance floor.

  Along with the other slow dancing couples, they became lost on the floor. In his arms unlike Derek's, she felt as if they were the only ones. Not able to see past his broad frame she simply rested her cheek against his chest letting Gabriel take the lead.

  "Are you mad?" She asked as she listened to the heavy, steady thumping in his chest.

  With the deep intake of breath, Salene felt his chest rise and fall. "I'm trying not to be."

  "We only did it for Trish really."

  The grip on her waist tightened, pressing her closer to his frame. Looking
up she met his serious gaze.

  "To see the woman you would happily kill for dancing happily in the arms of another man—is challenging, to say the least."

  Salene opened her mouth for rebuttal, but Gabriel continued.

  "Especially considering that woman has felt like she is distancing herself from you for the past two days." His voice was a harsh whisper while his eyes only searched hers pleadingly for answers.

  In that moment Salene knew she wasn't being fair. Their relationship was only a few months old. The man had just come out of a disastrous marriage. And considering how he grew up Salene wasn't sure if this beast of a man truly understood love. From the moment he set his sights on her Salene never felt more cherished and protected, he loved her she knew it deep down she just had to make him see it. It wasn't to fair foist her worries off on him like this.

  Wrapping her arms around his neck, she brought her lips to his. Sensing the silent surrender of her nameless frustration Gabriel answered her kiss hungrily. Smiling against his lips Salene could feel the iron restraint coursing through him as his hand stopped just above her ass.

  "God my sweet Salene you have been driving me out of my mind all night," he growled in her neck, letting his teeth scrape against the tender flesh. "First, you look so fucking good in this skin tight dress, I have had to physically stop myself from punching a few dudes for staring. Then I find you have run off with that bastard Derek. Woman, you have tried my patience in the worst way tonight." Even now she could feel the frustrated fury pulsing through his taut muscles. "But then I thought you might have been mad or something, frankly sweetheart I am exhausted."

  For a reason, she could never explain her body grew so hot watching and listening to the torment she caused. To know that she could put this man, a man that at one point fought with her like cats and dogs, through so much turmoil turned her on immensely.

  Seeing the obvious heat in her eyes, Gabriel stopped the dance near the edge of the dance floor giving her a bewildered look.

  Pulling his face down with both hands she whispered in his ear. "Take me home so I can ride you and show you that you're the only one."

  They didn't say any goodbyes that evening.

  Chapter 26

  The airplane was eerily quiet, all the main lights in the cabin were shut off leaving only a low blue ambient glow just enough for sight around the plane. Looking around at the sleeping passengers Gabriel felt like he was the only one awake. The trip was sprung on him last week, though a free trip to Bora Bora could never really be an inconvenience. Since his company bought one of the resorts, he and a few other colleagues were assigned to go out and "experience it" firsthand.

  Looking over to the sleeping woman next to him all tucked into her first-class seat wrapped in his and her blanket. Gabriel couldn't help but smile when he thought of her excited face when he told her the good news.

  Stretching in his seat Gabriel stretched his feet out before him and relaxed deeper into his seat. Turning back to Salene he blinked in surprise to see the familiar honey brown eyes staring back at him in the opaque darkness.

  "I thought you were asleep sweetheart." Pushing some of the brown curls from her face, he gave her a mischievous smile. "Or were you wanting to secretly fool around, because if we use the blankets, I'm pretty sure I can slip…"

  Pinching his arm she gave him a reproachful look through her silent laughter. "No I don't, I just couldn't sleep. I guess I'm too excited."

  Lifting the arm rest between them, he put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer to him. Immediately her soft sweet body snuggled against him relishing in his body heat. It was a little habit he noticed she did at home too, Gabriel called it being a "heat vampire" not that either one minded in the least. Actually, the cute little habit had him looking forward to the winter.

  That made him think. "Hey, so Christmas will be in a couple days when we get back," three days from when they landed to be exact. “Did you want to go visit your family?"

  Instantly he could feel her tense up against him at the suggestion. Judging by the clues he has picked up here and there regarding her siblings Gabriel was well aware it was a touchy subject.

  "I hadn't really thought about it." She said in a small voice against his ribs.

  "You know, you're going to have to talk about this one day with me."

  "I know," she moaned nuzzling deeper into his shirt. "But it's really just so infuriating. It boils down to my older brother and older sister trying to dictate everyone in the family and as usual my parents just let them. I told myself I wouldn't go back until I was super successful so I can rub it in those two faces."

  "I still feel like I'm missing crucial details," he probed patiently.

  Squirming in frustration he felt her push at him to sit up in her own seat, he just tightened his grip keeping her in place. The squirming struggle against him eventually ended in a frustrated sigh.

  "Fine," she groaned. "When I first went off to college my parents wanted me to go to the same in-state universities my siblings went to. I told them respectfully not a chance." Hearing the frustration in her voice he began to massage the base of her skull, slowly he could feel her relax—slightly. "Every since that those two jerks have taken it upon themselves to say something snide every time I go back home and last time I blew up and then they blew up... Oh Gabriel I don't want to talk about it anymore. Not while we're going somewhere amazing. Can't we just deal with all of that when we come back?"

  This was the first time he heard her say "we" as if it were they instead of just her were facing the problem. The deep satisfaction welled within him at the subtle change of her pronoun. The old Gabriel would not have even have noticed the slight shift in speech, however everything about him was different with Salene. Lately he found himself craving for any type of clues as to where her head was that when it came to "them." On some points he felt like he knew the woman one hundred percent, but when it came to the topic of the longevity of their relationship Gabriel was at a loss.

  Pulling her closer he told himself for the millionth time not to rush things, the last thing he wanted was to scare her off.

  "Of course sweetheart," he obliged soothingly. "We will handle all that later."

  ***

  This had to be one of the most beautiful places on earth. So beautiful in fact Salene could happily die here. Everything was absolutely spectacular, the perfect seventy-five degree weather, the vibrant colors of the crystal water, and countless other postcard worthy sites. There room was a suite of dreams. Technically it was an over-water bungalow that had a private hammock over the water, a mini dock to dive in and out of the ocean, and a glass floor for staring at the tropical fish. They had been there only two full days now, and Salene had already pretty much exhausted all of the resort activities. They snorkeled the base of the dormant volcano, jet skied, and para-sailed.

  Tonight they were sitting at one of the many restaurants on the resort. This one was completely outside with only a thatch style roof to cover them. Sitting off in the corner of the open-air restaurant Salene sat across from Gabriel listening to one of his college stories. The bright moon filled the sky with a beautiful nocturnal glow almost making the candles at each table useless. Forking the last bite of cake into his mouth, they both got up to go back to their bungalow.

  "It's a pretty long walk back," she glanced suspiciously at the long pier like bridge that branched off to all the various bungalows. "I think I will pop into the hotel to pee."

  Grinning Gabriel laughed. "Yeah that is a pretty long walk, I would hate to see you break out running midway down in that pretty little dress."

  The picture of her hiking up her lime green and white maxi dress displayed perfectly in their minds.

  "Yeah I bet you would." Salene laughed. "Be right back."

  The main part of the hotel that housed the lobby, restaurants, staff and etc was also done in an open-air design. White breezy modern furniture littered the floor around the large glass bar th
at sat in the middle allowing the few bored couples to drink and mingle with other couples. The bathroom was done in the same design as the bathroom in their bungalow. Large white quartz infinity sinks while the rest of the bathroom was covered in various matching white tiles.

  Pulling open the heavy door to the bathroom Salene began walking back towards the exit when she heard a familiar voice. Standing at the bar wearing a pair of white shorts and a blue shirt was Derek Cipriani. There were a few other faces she recognized from Gabriel's office. Something felt off, she wasn't surprised to see the other people but not Derek, she was more than positive Gabriel would've warned her Derek was coming.

  Ducking behind a large potted plant Salene watch covertly for Derek to turn back to the bar so she can make a quick dash for the door. Quick walking towards Gabriel who gave her a quizzical look as she grabbed his hand and pulled him behind her down the path.