A Gift of Passion (Lover's Gift Book 1)

by Adom Sample

  “What the hell is going on, Dante? Do you live here?”

  “I can explain everything. Please come inside,” he said. Gaspard pulled out of the driveway and drove off. I stood there shocked. Was he a part of this mess too? We went inside, and I sat on the couch in the front room, waiting for an explanation.

  “Would you like some tea?” he asked. Tea was the last thing on my mind right now, but I said yes anyway. He poured me a cup and sat next to me, preparing himself to tell me whatever it was he had to say. I could tell he was nervous, which made my anxiety that much stronger. He took a long, deep breath and sipped his tea. His palms were red, and I began to see little droplets of sweat had formed on his forehead.

  “Dante, it’s all right. Just tell me the truth. Did you and Nathan share women here or something? Was your plan to seduce me so Nathan could have his way with my cousin?”

  His eyes opened wide. “Of course not! Is that what you think of me?”

  “Come on, Dante. Tell me what’s going on. You never told me you lived so close.”

  He placed his tea on the table near the couch, turned to me, and looked me in the eyes. “Isabella, I’ve lived here for about eighteen months. I’ve been watching you for the last two years. I fell in love with you long ago. It wasn’t until I found out your husband was cheating that I decided to purchase this place so I could be closer to you. I didn’t want to interfere with your marriage, so I kept silent. I wanted you to find out your husband was cheating on your own.

  “To express my love for you, I started to write you letters. Every letter you received was from me. It was the only way I could convey my feelings for you. Since I’ve been here, I have seen Nathan do some of the most sadistic acts. So, I took a more forceful approach and decided to help your company. It was all a pretense to get closer to you. My patience was running thin, and you were no closer to finding out what type of man you married. It tore me up inside that we couldn’t be together, which was why I accompanied you to Korea. It was my time to show you what life could be like if we were together.

  “I never suspected my love for you would grow that much stronger the night I held you in my arms. It was maddening. What was even more maddening was when we got back. When you told me Nathan had abused you, I wanted to kill him. But I knew his actions would eventually lead you to leave him. It wasn’t until your cousin Valentina came knocking on my door after Nathan had been torturing her that I decided I’d had enough.

  “I had no idea she was your cousin until she confessed everything to me after I told her I was going to call you. The night Valentina called you she was here. I told her to tell you everything. I couldn’t take the silence, the lies, and the cheating any longer. I did what I thought was right, and if that caused you pain, I hope that you will be able to forgive me.

  “Remember that day in your hotel suite you asked me if I loved you? My answer is yes, Isabella. I love you with all my heart. I’ve waited years for you in the hopes we would find a way into each other’s lives someday. I love you truly, and I love you only, dancing my dance and singing my songs,” he confessed.

  I had no words. I stared into his eyes, and there was no doubt in my mind that he was telling the truth.

  “Why didn’t you just come to me? Why the secrets, Dante? Two years is a long time to wait for someone. It’s as if you’ve been stalking me this whole time. Why not just come to me outright?”

  “You were married. What could I do? It wasn’t my place to tell you your husband was cheating on you. I’m sure your friends told you about him many times, but did you believe them? How would it look if some guy you didn’t even know told you your husband was cheating? You’d hate me for even bringing up such an allegation.”

  “What about the letters, Dante? Why didn’t you tell me about the letters? Why keep them a secret?”

  “You never directly asked me if I was sending you these letters.”

  “And if I had asked you, would you have lied?”

  “Probably, only because I don’t think it would have been a good idea to reveal my love for you while you were still married. I couldn’t hold back my love for you. I had to express to you how I felt, even if you didn’t know it was me.”

  “I don’t know, Dante. This is all a bit much. I really do care for you. You’ve shown me things that I never knew, and you’ve guided my feelings on the road to bliss as well as on an uncontrollable waterfall.”

  “Just tell me you love me, Isabella.”

  “Dante, I’m sorry, but I don’t know if I believe in love anymore.” He stepped close to me and touched my chin with the side of his index finger.

  “Believe in this.” He then kissed me with his soft, warm lips and embraced me in his muscled arms. It felt like the first kiss I ever had as I melted in his embrace. He kissed me as if he had never kissed anyone as passionately in his entire life. My tongue slipped into his mouth and his into mine. As he hugged me tighter, I could feel his heart beat and his body shake. The answer to my question that I’d asked myself in South Korea was revealed—

  The heartbeat of someone nervous or someone in love? And yes, he was in love. We laid on the couch and continued this gift of passion. This kiss lasted over half an hour before we stopped to look each other in the eyes, for breath, only to start again. I had never kissed anyone like this. He gave me the feeling I had been waiting for my whole life.

  “Do you love me, Isabella?” he asked again.

  I was hesitant to say it. What if he hurt me the same way Nathan did? I didn’t think I would be able to take such heartbreak again. First, he was afraid to say it, and now I had taken his place in reluctance.

  “I can’t be hurt again. I just can’t be.” Sorrow flooded my eyes.

  “I’d sooner leap off my helicopter into an exploding volcano than hurt you. You are my everything. I’ve sacrificed so much just to be closer to you.” The look on his face was sincere, and I could tell he meant every word.

  “Yes, I love you, Dante. I was going to tell you the day you came into my hotel room. I fell in love with your letters. I fell in love with your soft touch in Seoul. And I fell in love with your sweet kiss just now. You are everything I could want. It’s amazing that a guy like you exists, let alone has fallen in love with someone like me. You’re like a dream. I can’t begin to understand how all this could be real.”

  He brushed the hair out of my face, as he always did, and kissed me on the forehead, holding me tight. This man was a multi-billionaire with the world at his fingertips. To think he had been pursuing me for two years. I didn’t know if what he was saying was true, and I really didn’t want to be hurt again.

  I also didn’t know if I should jump into another relationship before my divorce was even finalized. I just didn’t know. All I did know was this felt real. He felt real. I was still confused, so I hoped he didn’t hate me for what I was about to tell him.

  “I’ll give you whatever you need as long as you promise to trust me and give me your heart—I’ll do the same.”

  “Dante . . . I have something to tell you,” I said nervously. He hugged me tightly. I think he knew what I was going to say.

  “Yes, Isabella?” His voice cracked a little.

  “I’m not sure how to say this, but . . . I think we should wait a while.”

  “What do you mean?” I noticed him attempting to hid his displeasure.

  “I need time to find myself, to rediscover who I am. Nathan hurt me so much, and I’m not sure I’m ready for another relationship so quickly. I need time.”

  “But we love each other. You told me you loved me.”

  “And I do, so much. But I just need time to figure things out. I don’t want to rush into something and start bringing my insecurities from Nathan into our relationship. I need time to figure out where my head is at. Nathan was the only man I ever opened myself up to. I just need time, Dante. Can you wait for me?”

  He looked me in the eyes, and I saw tears starting to form. He stood up and turned his b
ack toward me.

  “Please don’t be that way. I love you, I really do,” I said, hugging his waist.

  He sighed. “I could never hate you or be upset with you for what you just said. What you’re saying is completely reasonable. It’s also exactly what you need. I’ll wait for you for as long as it takes. My heart will always be here when you’re ready—no matter what. If I have to prove my love’s resolve for a while longer, then that is what I’ll do.”

  He turned around to face me and held me tight, picking me up off the floor. I promised him we would be together once I had my mind sorted out and I was free of Nathan’s mentally abusive grip on me. I loved this man more than he would ever know and hoped he would be here when I was ready.

  Chapter 32

  Isabella

  “So, what happened? Did you see Dante?” Maya asked.

  I wavered. “Yes, I saw him.”

  “And . . . what happened?” She had just got back into town from New York and was anxious to know everything. It had been a week since Dante confessed everything to me, and I’d finally settled on a temporary place to stay. Moving from hotel to hotel was making me weary, and I needed something more permanent. We were at my condo at Pacific Star in Beverly Hills that I’d decided to rent a few days ago.

  It was fully furnished and a long way from my old neighborhood, which helped me in my new start. I didn’t know anyone here and I could be a ghost in the crowd if I wanted. The view from my balcony at night gave me time to think as I overlooked the high-rises and scenery of Los Angeles.

  I stared into the sky outside my glass wall and poured Maya and myself a glass of Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Montrachet of the Chardonnay variety. I thought I’d earned the right to splurge a bit. I placed the glasses on the table in front of the couch and sat next to her. I was still upset that Dante waited two years to approach me. If he had come into my life sooner, I might have been spared the heartbreak I now suffered.

  She took a sip. “So—” she queried again. I grabbed my wineglass and drank its contents all in one swing. Wiping my mouth, I poured myself another. After I downed my second glass, I turned to her and I told her everything Dante had told me. That he’d been watching me for two years and that he loved me deeply. Maya looked just as stunned as I did. Her face flushed with disbelief.

  “Two years? Wow. He must really care for you to wait that long. Or, he’s a psycho stalker,” she joked.

  I snickered.

  “Are you two together now?”

  I took it that she didn’t quite understand the hurt I felt when Nathan told me the truth about how he felt about me. It was as if a dagger had slit open my heart and lungs. It was a terrifying feeling I didn’t ever want to experience again. I needed a break from everyone and everything, and I was hoping she’d understand.

  I’d been taking care of everyone’s needs but my own. Dante helped me to see I could be loved the way I should be, but first I must find a way to love myself. For years, Nathan demoralized me and put me down every chance he got. I never thought I would hate someone who I used to love so much. He was such a bastard to me, and I hoped he would rot in prison.

  After her initial shock, Maya got down to the real reason for coming to my place and gave me a few names for consideration to replace Oliver as CFO. I was probably going to leave it up to her after I had chosen my top two picks. I wanted to hire internally so the person running our finances knew our company inside out.

  She handed me six names—four CPAs, two CFAs. The one who stood out to me was Julianna Fay. She was a CPA with a master’s degree in finance and information systems, and she had been with us for ten years, currently working as the Director of Financial Services in the Acquisitions Division. Of all the choices, she was the only internal candidate.

  I gave Maya Julianna’s name and one other and instructed her to conduct interviews with each tomorrow. Once we met with them and chose a new CFO, I would start my journey. We also had to put a formal reporting system for the COO and CFO in place so the problems of the past didn’t repeat themselves.

  Our stock value had dropped significantly when the news of Oliver’s accounting fraud broke. That gave me second thoughts on whether I should be leaving now. Maybe I should stay here to fix my company’s image before going on a trip of self-reflection.

  “Isabella, I just received a message from Dante,” said Maya.

  Why would Dante be messaging her? “What does it say?”

  “It’s a message for you. Or a message about you, actually.”

  “That’s strange. Why wouldn’t Dante just message me directly?”

  “No idea. Here, take a look.” She gave me her phone.

  The message Dante wrote so eloquently asked Maya to tell me he knew what I was thinking. He said I shouldn’t be worried about the company because he, Gaspard, and Maya would take care of the business until I got back. It reflected what I was thinking at that moment. Did he have a bug in my phone or something? It was as if he was reading my mind.

  “Until you get back? Is there something I should know?” she asked after reading the message herself.

  “Yes, I’m going on a trip. I need you to run the company until I get back. Can you do that for me?”

  “How long are you talking about here?” She looked at me in puzzlement.

  “As long as it takes,” I said, much to her surprise.

  At first, she looked concerned about running the company in my absence, though that worry turned to sympathy when she recalled the night we confronted Nathan.

  “I understand, Isabella. You take as long as you need. I’ll be sure to keep you in the loop while you’re gone,” she said with an empathetic gaze. I smiled and kissed her on the cheek.

  “Thank you, Maya. I don’t know what I’d do without you.” That’s when I received a text from Dante on my phone. He asked me to stop by the hotel I’d stayed in when I was hiding from Nathan. Also, he said there would be a surprise waiting for me there.

  The months we were apart when I was going through hell with Nathan and Oliver must have eaten him up inside. It seemed as if he wanted to make up for lost time. We’d enjoyed each other’s company every day since he’d confessed his love for me. Nothing romantic, just as friends, for now.

  Maya looked over my shoulder and saw the text. “Well, I guess the question is . . . why are you still here?” she said jokingly. Without further hesitation, I stood up and proceeded to the door to put on my shoes. “You mind if I crash here?” she asked.

  “Sure. Just don’t drink all my Chardonnay,” I warned.

  She poured herself another glass and chuckled. “I won’t.” A devious grin formed on her face. I snickered at her before I left.

  ***

  It took me an hour to get to the hotel—traffic was such a pain this time of day. When I finally made it there, to my surprise, the same host who’d taken me up to Dante’s helicopter in South Korea greeted me again.

  “Nice you see you again, Mrs. Williams.” He was polite and formal just as before.

  “What? Wait a minute. What are you doing here? I thought you worked for that hotel in Korea.”

  He laughed. “I work for Dante, Mrs. Williams.”

  “Please, call me Kam. Ms. Isabella Kam. I don’t want to hear the name Williams for as long as I live.”

  “Yes, of course, Ms. Kam. I do apologize. Right this way.” He took me to the presidential suite again, where Dante was waiting with a bottle of Krug Clos du Mesnil, champagne. He looked so handsome and elegant. The host took my coat and hung it in a nearby closet before leaving.

  “What is this, Dante?”

  He looked at me and smiled. I turned my gaze to the table next to him. My heart skipped two beats, and my palms began to sweat. That couldn’t be what I thought it was. Please, someone tell me that wasn’t what I thought it was. Dante came closer, grabbed my right hand, and planted his soft lips on my fingers.

  I was nervous as hell. I wasn’t ready for this. He poured me a glass and held h
is own up toward me, motioning a toast that had yet to be made. I dared not ask him what was in the little box on the table, so I shrugged it off. I hoped things wouldn’t lead where I thought they were going to. We touched glasses, and I took a sip, all the while staring into his eyes. He never took his passionate gaze off me, and each time I saw the love-stricken look on his face, it filled my heart with peaceful serenity. It was as if I could be anything with him.

  I felt completely safe in his eyes, which was why I needed to be without him for a while. I wasn’t ready to give myself over to someone so quickly and absolutely. Even though it would kill the both of us to be apart, I couldn’t rush into love the way I did with Nathan.

  What he said the last time we were in this hotel was indeed true. I was and still am in an emotionally fragile state, and until that state was cleansed from me, I would not be able to love him the same way he clearly loved me. Dante inched closer to the table, and I took a deep gasp, dropping my glass on the floor.

  “Are you okay?” He kneeled to clean the mess I had just made.

  “Y-yes, I’m all right,” I stuttered. He could sense something was off no matter how hard I tried to hide it. He went into the kitchen for a rag. As quickly as I could, I ran to the table and opened the box to see what was inside. It was a box within a box. The smaller box was what made my heart tremble. It was a bright pink ring-bearer box with rose petals surrounded by small sweet-smelling white jasmine flowers. How did he know so much about me? Jasmines were my favorite.

  I put the lid back on the first box and fell to the floor, heart racing. An overload of bliss ran through me, and I wondered how such a man could have ever fallen for me. I stood up and turned around to see Dante looking me over. He had a rag in one hand and a sponge in the other.

  “So, it appears that you have seen my surprise,” he said, smirking.