INSATIABLE CRAVINGS
Insatiable Cravings - Episode 19
Subtitle; {Loving You Is A Loosing Game}
TAGS: Age-gap, Mafia, Forbidden Love, Drama, Tragedy and Betrayal.
Settings: United Kingdom, Russia and others.
★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★
~ Genevieve ~
I really didn’t want to be here on a Saturday evening, yet here I am at a party my mother insisted I attend.
I should be at home right now, studying, so I can beat Dominic at his own game, but instead, I’ve been dragged along. Just because I’m here against my will doesn’t mean I didn’t dress to kÃll.
Whenever I wear a dress that my mother disapproves of, I know for certain that it’s a kÃller outfit. She ought to be grateful I even donned a dress this evening instead of my usual attire.
Kyle Walker and Mariah King were chatting and laughing with the other British elite while I stood there, utterly bored out of my mind.
Adrianna was meant to be here, but she claimed something came up at the last minute, which I’m certain is a ruse. She did what she had to in order to escape this madnéss.
As soon as I noticed my mother’s attention had drifted away from me, I slipped away from her side. Grabbing a drink from one of the numerous waiters circulating, I leaned against a wall to observe the party from a distance.
Suddenly, my gaze landed on an equally bored Dominic. He looked just as reluctant to be here as I was. Those smiles he kept flashing were anything but genuine; they were all fake, and it was amusing that no one seemed to notice.
I pushed myself off the wall to approach him when a woman beat me to it. I found myself rolling my eyes in utter disgúst at her pathetic attempt at subtle flirting.
What would he do?
Would he flirt back?
What if he did?
There’s nothing stopping him from doing so. After all, she isn’t a “kid,” unlike me. God help me if he returns her flirtation.
"We meet again, Mr Morozov," she said, her flirtatious tone nearly making me gag, but Dominic flashed his signature smile, which made my fists clench in irritation. "Do you remember me?"
How dare he smile? And for her?
He only smiles at me like that.
His smile didn’t falter as he replied, "Ah, yes. You're Ms Carlton."
Ms Carlton, is it?
Her supposed subtle flirting was quickly losing its subtlety. Ms Carlton, as Dominic referred to her, was now fully on the prowl.
He was clearly aware of her advances but chose not to say a word about it. His cool demeanour was starting to wear on my nerves sooner than I had anticipated.
"So, you do remember. I thought you might have forgotten," she purred.
"I could never," he said, adding fuel to my already simmering anger. "We are business partners, after all."
"Is that the only reason?" The way she gazed at him made it seem as if he were nakéd.
Has she seen him n+ked?
Is she one of his liaisons?
If she doesn’t stop eying him like that, I swear I’ll march over and yank those extensions out of her hair.
No, no, no, calm down.
I inhaled deeply, trying to reclaim the oxygen my anger was stealiñg away. It was then I noticed that Dominic wasn’t interested in whatever she was doing, and that finally brought a smile to my lips.
"What other reason could it be?" he said, sounding thoroughly bored.
Good. He better not enjoy her company.
"I don’t know, you tell me."
Ms Carlton made the grave mistake of brushing her hand over his arm as she said, "You look exceptionally handsome today, Mr Morozov."
"Thanks." Dominic subtly removed her hand from his, though he made his own error by adding, "You don't look bad yourself."
She looks dreà dful, if you ask me.
And because I was being unreasonably irate, I deliberately let my glass, still half-full, slip from my fingers, sending it shattering to the floor. The noise garnered unwanted attention, but I didn’t mind, as long as it captured Dominic’s gaze.
He looked a little taken aback, but that expression barely lasted a second before he turned back to her.
Ignoring the murmurs from the other guests, I spun on my heel and left the scene. I felt his eyes on me as I headed for a more secluded spot.
If he doesn’t come over in ten seconds, I swear everything is off.
Ten.
Eight.
Six.
Four.
Two.
At the last moment, he strode over to me and asked, "Why are you here?"
"Why do you care?" I snapped.
Dominic’s expression morphed into one of confusion, as if he were a doppelganger who had just complimented that woman moments ago. "Are you really going to act like a brat right now?"
"Is there a reason I shouldn't?"
"What's the matter with you?"
How dare he ask that question?!
"You’re what’s the matter with me."
"I’m the cause of your tantrum?"
Tantrum?!
He really thinks I’m a child, doesn’t he?
I’m throwing a fit, aren’t I?
Rolling my eyes with a sigh, I tried to sidestep him, but he held my wrist. His scent enveloped me, almost making me forget my anger.
"What did I do to make you upset?" His voice was firm yet soft. "Please, tell me."
"You do know she was flirting with you, right?"
"Yeah?"
"Yeah?" I repeated. "Is that all you have to say? Yeah?"
"What do you want me to say?"
"Anything, but that, Dominic."
"She’s a business partner." He said it as if that would make it any better.
It didn't.
"I don’t care."
"Well, from the looks of things, you do."
"I care about who flirts with you; what I don’t care about is what she is to you." I explained, since he seemed too thick-headed to understand. "I don’t like her."
"Me neither, Vixen. But what can I do?"
"Drop the partnership."
"I can’t do that."
Why?!
"Why not?"
"That’s none of your business."
I jerked my wrist out of his loose grip and walked away, not before hearing him mutter something in Russian.
The annoyance he had stirred up simmered with the intent to blow up as I realised I couldn’t leave this party without my parents.
Brilliant.
Just perfect.
"None of my business," my foot.
He has a problem with me flirting with Liam but has no issue with Ms Carlton flirting with him; such double standards.
Ugh, I know he didn’t flirt back; however, letting her flirt without saying anything to her is what enrà ged me.
And as if I wasn't mà d enough, someone collided into me, prompting me to snap my head up to look at the unfortunate victÃm of my wrà th, only to see Liam.
Fantastic.
My night just got better.
That was sarcasm, in case you didn’t know.
I let out a low groan that he heard and laughed at. "Why are you so upset?"
"Go away," I told him, but like always, he didn’t listen. "Liam."
"Genevieve." He grinned his boyish smile, causing me to scrunch my face in distaste.
"Get out of my way."
"No. You look like you need a drink."
I do need a drink.
"Let’s go get you a drink," he added.
His hand moved closer to take mine, and I glared at its movement. I chuckled darkly and said, "Touch me and dÃe." His movement ceased, and he once again laughed it off.
"I don’t want to stay here." The words left my mouth before I could stop them.
"Let’s go outside then. It’s stuffy in here."
It was.
Moments later, we were leaning against his car, drinking from juice boxes while he tried to make me talk to him.
"You seriously won’t say anything to me?" It wasn’t a question, but I nodded anyway. "If you weren’t this beautiful, I would have given up a long time ago."
All of a sudden, Dominic was standing in front of me, not even caring about the odd look Liam was giving me because all of his attention was on me.
"Let’s talk." He made it sound like an order, and when I scoffed, he quickly added, "Please?"
That’s much better.
I left Liam without a moment’s hesitation and followed Dominic to his car. I almost felt bà d for Liam.
Almost being the keyword here.
Folding my arms across my chest, I snapped, "What do you want now?"
"For one, stop snapping at me," he replied. My breath hitched as his hand snaked around my waist, pulling me closer. "Look at me." I didn’t. "Genevieve, look at me."
His fingers brushed against my cheek, causing my eyelids to flutter closed at the sweet sensation. Dominic pinched my chin with his index finger and thumb to tip my head up.
This is getting unbearable.
How can he do this and expect me not to read differently into his words?
"Ms Carlton doesn’t mean a thing to me. She doesn’t matter, but you do," he said in a low voice.
"How?"
"We're friends, right?"
I suppressed an eye roll, fully aware of the type of person he is. I twitched my lips but remained silent.
"Genevieve."
"Break it off."
"I can't."
What could possibly be so important about this partnership that he refuses to dissolve it?
"You can't or you won't?" I pressed.
"Try to understand me, Genevieve."
I shook my head. "No."
I’m not being unreasonable, am I?
If they continue as partners, she’ll keep flirting with him, and who knows? He might eventually fall for her games.
Dominic let out a breathy sigh and tucked a stray strand of hair behind my ear. "Vixen, will you stop being upset if I promise not to meet her again?"
That would help.
Though, it probably won't change anything since they are supposedly business partners.
"But..."
"Shhhh," he interrupted, anticipating my next words. "I just said I will do it, right? Why can’t you accept that?"
"You can’t blame me for wondering," I defended.
"Whatever. Now, put on a smile for me. Don’t you know it’s unhealthy to frown after being challenged?"
That made me laugh, but I quickly reverted to a frown, not wanting to give him the satisfaction just yet. "Says who?"
"Says Dominic Morozov."
"I hà te you, you know that?"
"No, you don’t," he replied before doing something that literally took my breath away—he kissed my forehead.
TBC📖✍️
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