His Confession

by S. Valentine

  Looking down at her under his dark lashes, she could see the fire in his irises. “I can’t dance…but I can strip.” His low, sultry voice was close to her ear, making her skin tingle. He took a step back, and slowly unzipped his jeans, his brows raised suggestively.

  Gabi threw her head back with laughter. She studied him closely, desperate to see his fit, firm arse, and strong, muscular thighs, not to mention the hardness in his trousers that was straining for release. She had never seen a man strip before. Judging by his cocky, arrogant attitude, and smug expression, she already knew that he’d put on a good show. And she already knew that he’d done it before. She was turned on, and he wasn’t even naked yet.

  Chapter

  Twenty-Eight

  Darion

  Darion woke with a loud groan. His body ached. He could still hear the music pumping in his head. He needed a few days out, to relax, that was for certain. As much as he loved the party lifestyle, he did appreciate a cosy night, chilling on the sofa, watching movies, eating junk, and talking about weird topics, usually with whatever woman he was sleeping with at the time. He could have that with Gabi, if he didn’t worry so much about falling for her, and possibly hurting her, and himself.

  Sometimes, he wished he weren’t so messed up and didn’t overanalyse everything. Kicking back the covers, he sat up. After he’d dropped Gabi home last night, he’d returned to the club, spent a couple of hours with the girls, and retired to his office.

  His vision could only take so much of the strong glare of his laptop screen. He’d put in more orders for personalised matches, flyers, and membership cards for The Black Door. He’d then stupidly gambled online, and decided enough was enough when he’d blown two hundred pounds in less than ten minutes. It had helped him sleep, though. He’d managed to doze off on the sofa, and actually slept peacefully, without needing the comforting disturbance of Gina, Lexi, or Marnie to check in. Perhaps his sleepless nights were slowly starting to become a thing of the past. He hoped so.

  Darion pulled on some black jeans, a white t-shirt, and slung his jacket over his shoulder. Helmet in hand, he realised he hadn’t taken the beast out in a while. The weather had been dire, but now that the roads were clear it was the perfect opportunity. Darion was a man who loved his boy toys: cars, bikes, electrical gadgets, the lot. He made his way toward his Yamaha R1, just as his mobile rang.

  “Yeah?”

  “Daz?”

  “Gina.” He sighed loudly. Lately all she’d done was bust his balls over not giving her enough attention.

  “Nice welcome,” she snapped.

  “Gina, I’m real busy today—”

  “With Gabi, huh? You’re wasting your time. Stop trying to be somebody you’re not, Daz.” She laughed lightly. “You can put on an act for a few months, perhaps. But you know who you are.”

  He tensed. “Stop interfering, Gina.” He groaned. “You don’t know what you’re talking about. Why are you being like this?” He rubbed his throbbing head with his free hand. “I thought we were good with what we had?”

  “We were. But we don’t even have that anymore,” she spat.

  “I’m sure you can survive without my once-a-week fuck.”

  “It was more than once a week,” she said sulkily. “And it will be tough.” She giggled.

  “I know it will.” He found himself smiling.

  “What if I don’t find someone like you?”

  “That’s the whole point. I’m no good for you, Gina. You’re too fragile. I’ll end up hurting you, and you know it.” She’d had quite a difficult past when it came to men, and he wasn’t about to be added to her list of disappointments.

  “Well what about Gabi? Do you think she can handle you?”

  “We’ll soon find out.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Look, you know how fucked up I am about Eva. Gabi’s good for me at the moment.”

  She was silent for a moment before finally saying, “You’re right. I’m sorry.”

  “Are we gonna be okay or not?”

  “I guess so.”

  “Look, you know I’m always here for you, G. Always.”

  “K.” She huffed into the phone. “I should probably give Johnny a call. I suppose he wasn’t all that bad.”

  “Yeah,” he agreed. “I think you should.”

  “I’ll see ya later.”

  “Bye, babe.”

  Now he definitely needed the drive to clear his head. There was nothing quite like the adrenaline rush he got from speeding down countryside lanes, the freedom his motorbike gave him. He put his jacket and helmet on, and climbed on the bike.

  He gripped the handlebars when the engine roared to life. Setting off, he drove down the main roads, ignoring looks of admiration from groups of young girls. Don’t even look this way, ladies—I’d fuck you all into next week. At the same time. They definitely wouldn’t be able to handle him.

  Twenty minutes later, he was racing down the quiet lanes. There was nothing or no one in sight, just the way he liked it. The breeze hitting him in the face, the air filling his lungs, was refreshing.

  Picking up speed, he allowed the roads to take him wherever. He didn’t know where he was going. He didn’t care.

  Gina had pissed him off. Didn’t he deserve to be happy? It was all he wanted, but sometimes it frightened him. But who was Gina to suggest that he wasn’t capable of ever having a normal, loving relationship? Just because he lived life on the edge didn’t mean that he wasn’t suited to someone like Gabi.

  He would show Gabi his true self. Reveal the club to her. He would let her know exactly what she was getting herself into by being with him. If she couldn’t accept him for who he was, he supposed he had no choice but to end it.

  ***

  Gabi

  It had been a tiresome day at work, but Gabi had still managed to drag herself to a dance class. Her moves were getting better, her confidence soared, and her abs, ass, and thighs were becoming firmer with each lesson. Exercise really did release feel-good endorphins, and she doubted anything could spoil her cloud-nine mood.

  She popped in her local supermarket to stock up on some groceries. She wanted to cook up a thank you dinner for Mallory and Steve for allowing her to temporarily live at their house. Mallory had given her some telephone numbers for apartments to rent. She had called them throughout the day, and was pleased that one sounded ideal, not too far from work, or from Westhaven. Bang in the middle of both, it was the perfect location. She was feeling a little excited at moving on, having her own independence, and being able to decorate according to her own taste.

  She filled the trolley with lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers, and wheeled it to the alcohol aisle. She scanned the bottles of wine on the shelves and picked up red wine. She carefully placed the bottle in the trolley. She would be sad to leave Mallory, as she’d gotten used to waking up with her, and starting every morning with having breakfast and a good gossip. Then again, they could always catch up at work.

  She spun around when she heard a familiar laugh. She came face to face with Lawrence. She froze for a moment, unsure of what to do. She felt overdressed in her tight black jeans, a low-cut white blouse, and Louboutin heels. Lawrence and his female companion were both wearing long coats. Gabi immediately looked her over, noticing her long, flowing brown hair and minimal make-up.

  “L-Lawrence,” she stuttered.

  “Gabi,” he said, his lips tightening into a thin line.

  She didn’t know how he’d react to seeing her for the first time in so long. Was he still mad at her? She waited with bated breath for his next move. She prayed he didn’t hate her. Although she should technically hate him for everything he had put her through, she had no ill feelings toward him at all.

  “How are you?” He shifted uncomfortably. His focus then landed on her clothes. His mouth parted, as if he didn’t recognise her anymore.

  Yeah, I’m twenty-seven, Lawrence, and aren’t I just dressing like it? she thought, relieved that she no longer ha
d to dress to his standards.

  “I’m getting there,” she responded, not wanting to shout from the hills that she was actually in a happy place. She didn’t want to rub his nose in it. “You?”

  “I’m…fine.” He glanced at her cleavage once more, and then turned to his companion. “Oh, this is um, this is Lorna.”

  “Nice to meet you.” Lorna waved.

  “Likewise,” Gabi said, wondering who the new woman was. Why did she even care?

  An awkward silence filled the air.

  “Well, nice to see you,” Lawrence said, breaking the tension.

  “You look well,” Gabi blurted out. It was true. His dark blonde hair was gelled, and underneath his coat he was wearing a black suit. Armani.

  “You too.” Admiration was visible on his face.

  What? “Um…well.” She inhaled. “I’ll um…leave you to it.”

  “Bye, Gabi.”

  Gabi slowly walked off, the stupid trolley wobbling from side to side, making a squeaking noise. Before she turned the corner of the aisle, she sneaked a look back. Lawrence had his arm around the woman’s waist. She felt a pang of jealousy. Then he peered over his shoulder. He smiled softy, which Gabi mirrored before vanishing out of his line of sight. She needed to get out of the shop and quickly. She felt hot, claustrophobic, and emotional.

  Although Lawrence had a temper, neglected her, bored her to tears at times, he had offered her things Darion didn’t—emotional stability, security. She knew that he had loved her. She knew deep down in her heart that he never would have left her.

  Could a woman ever have it all? Perhaps it was one or the other, stability and commitment, or exciting and risky. Maybe even heartbreak.

  Was she playing with fire?

  ***

  Gabi carried the plates to the table and set them down. She then filled each of the three glasses with wine and turned the stereo on, where the radio started playing pop music. She lit the candles and stood back, smiling. It looked intimate, and nice. Was it too intimate? She blew the candles out. It was a dinner for three, not for two. She heard the key in the lock, and waved at Mallory, who immediately took off her heels and hung her coat in the hallway.

  “Something smells nice.”

  “I wanted to say thank you for helping me out. I’m viewing an apartment next week.”

  “That’s great. You know you can stay as long as you like.” She entered the kitchen and looked around, grinning. “Wow. You really made an effort, Gab.”

  “It’s no problem.”

  Mallory lit a cigarette and collapsed onto a chair. “Long day.” She sighed heavily. “This is just what I needed.” She took a sip of her wine.

  “How did your meeting go?” Mallory had had her annual review meeting with their team leader.

  “It went well. How’s your day been?”

  Gabi sat down opposite her. “Dance class went well. Then I bumped into Lawrence.”

  “Shit. How is he?”

  “He seemed okay.” Gabi tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

  “Are you having second thoughts about him?”

  “I don’t think so,” she said, although there was a slight tremor of uncertainty in her tone.

  “Well, how are things going with Darion?”

  “I know he likes me, but I’m not sure how much. I don’t know if I’m wasting my time, Mal. I know I said I didn’t want a serious relationship, but I’m into him more than I thought.”

  “I knew this would happen.” Mallory shook her head. “What’s not to like?”

  “I’ve never met a man so challenging before.” A dreamy expression covered her face. “He knows how to press all of my buttons, and it’s like I’m addicted to him or something, it’s crazy. It’s stupid.”

  “It’s not stupid. You’re smitten with him. And who doesn’t want to tame the bad boy?” Mallory laughed. “I haven’t seen you this happy, this glowing, in a while. He might hurt you, he might not.” Her friend chewed her bottom lip. “But if you’re happy now, then enjoy the moment.”

  They heard the jingle of keys in the lock. Shortly afterwards, Steve walked in carrying a soaked umbrella. He closed the door, and the umbrella, and hung up his coat. Mallory stood up and kissed him lightly when he reached the kitchen.

  “Good day, handsome?” She beamed.

  “Busy. What’s all this?”

  “Gabi cooked for us. She’s moving out soon.”

  “Yes,” he joked, punching the air.

  “Hey. You’ll miss me.” Gabi giggled.

  “Like a hole in the head.”

  “Shut it, you.” Mallory slapped his bum. “Of course we’ll miss having you here, Gab.”

  “We will.” Steve sat down.

  Gabi set out dinner, and they ate hungrily, talking nonstop. It wasn’t long until Mallory popped open a bottle of champagne that had been sitting in the cabinet for months. Gabi watched as Mallory and Steve kept holding hands, him nuzzling her neck and making her giggle. She had that with Darion. The affection. The closeness.

  Her mobile bleeped. She clicked the inbox and opened the text message.

  Darion: Hey, baby. I want to take you somewhere tomorrow night. X

  She felt nervous, her stomach tightened. She hoped that it wasn’t anything to do with seedy swinging again. She looked up at Mallory’s concerned expression.

  “Everything okay?”

  “Yeah.” She manufactured a grin.

  She looked down as a picture message then came through.

  Darion: You’re beautiful. Always. Xx

  She peered closer at the picture of the woman sleeping, her blonde hair fanned out across the pillow, her eyes shut and a small smile on her face as if she were having a nice dream. It was her. Darion had taken a photograph of her when she was asleep. She was touched. He watched her sleep. She felt warm and giddy inside.

  Chapter

  Twenty-Nine

  Gabi looked in the mirror for the final time. She was wearing a tight fitting, khaki shirt dress, teamed with black heeled ankle boots, and her hair hung straight down her back. She grabbed her Chanel clutch bag and made her way outside. Darion had texted her a postcode where to meet him. She climbed into her car, entered the postcode into her satellite navigation system, and set off driving.

  She switched the radio on to hear a house song playing. She nodded her head along to the tune, belting out the words when the chorus kicked in. It wasn’t long until darkness fell. When the sat-nav read that she was five minutes away from her destination, she peered through the window, wondering where the hell she was. She could see nothing but trees and fields for miles. Had Darion gotten the postcode wrong? She turned several corners, driving up the winding roads of a hill, until she saw his Jeep parked on the grass.

  Gabi parked and climbed out, walking around the back of his vehicle. She stepped forward and looked over the hill, her mouth falling open. There was a spectacular view of the city, its lights dotted around under the full moon and twinkling stars of the night sky. It was beautiful. She could make out Darion’s silhouette sitting a few yards away.

  “Hey,” she called out.

  He eased himself off the ground, and slowly made his way toward her. His hair was product-free, tucked behind his ears. His jawline was unshaved, and his emerald eyes shone beneath dark, long lashes. He was dressed casually in navy jeans, and a matching hooded coat. He brushed his lips lightly against hers.

  “You’re not planning on killing and burying me up here, are you?” she joked, again surveying the deserted area.

  “I’m not ready to kill you just yet.” He smiled playfully and lazily. “There’s a nice restaurant back here,” he informed her, interlacing his fingers with hers. “Not many people know about it.”

  They walked for a few minutes, until they came to a little secluded restaurant, tucked away in the trees. With its wooden decked terrace, populated with tables and chairs, it had a perfect view of the city. Darion led her inside, where it was warm and modern.
The white tiled floor glittered under the dim spotlights, creating a romantic and intimate vibe. Black tables and chairs filled the room, facing the floor-to-ceiling windows, which didn’t restrict the stunning view of the nature surrounding them. The restaurant was empty, bar two couples in both corners of the room, who were eating and talking. A few waitresses and bar-staff also stood, observant, waiting to tend to their customers’ needs.

  “Right this way, please.” A waitress led them to a table by the window, overlooking the terrace. “I’ll give you a moment.” She sauntered off.

  Darion didn’t sit opposite Gabi, as most people would have. As always, he sat on the same side as her, as close as possible. She loved Darion’s affectionate side.

  “What’s this about?” she asked, picking up the menu, trying to ignore the leaping sensation in her stomach. Her mind was whirling with the mixed signals he was giving her. She thought he’d given up on romance a long time ago.

  “I’ve been thinking…” He reached out and stroked her hand. “If we’re gonna be seeing each other, we may as well make the most of it.” He paused for a moment. “Like you said, who knows how long this will last?”

  Her heat sank, but she hid her disappointment with a tight smile.

  “May as well make some good memories.”

  They were silent for a moment as they both scanned the menu. “I already ate before I came, so I’ll just have a drink.” She closed the menu.

  “Yeah.” He nodded. “Me too.”

  The waitress appeared again, and took their drink orders. They didn’t speak until she had returned with a bottle of wine and two glasses.

  “If you need anything, let me know.” She beamed.

  Darion reached for the bottle, and filled two glasses. “To meeting you, Gabi.” He passed her one.

  She clinked her glass against his. “To meeting you, Darion.” Her mouth curled at the corners, before she took a sip, and set the glass down.