INSATIABLE CRAVINGS
Insatiable Cravings – Episode 26
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 have never shared a bed with a male before. Well, apart from my brother, if I should even count him in the equation. However, Dominic Morozov has a way of turning my life upside down—in a lovely way, of course.
I was still trying to get over the fact that I saw him shirtless for the first time last night, and, mind you, it was a rather appealing sight. He then decided to engage in my flirting game, but trust me, I didn’t let him win. This morning took an interesting turn when I woke up and didn’t find him anywhere on the floor, so I figured he might be up.
I certainly wasn’t prepared for yet another stunning sight when I stepped in, though. There he was, expertly swimming in the pool as if he were competing in the Olympics, yet somehow managing to look relaxed at the same time.
I know, it sounds odd to me too.
As Dominic dried off his glistening body, I gawked at him without a shred of shame until he glanced up at me, his brows damp and knitted in confusion.
“You hungry?”
For you? Yes, more than ever.
I allowed my eyes to roam over his beautiful form for a moment before replying, “Yes, I could eat.”
Dominic Morozov didn’t want to show a reaction to my flirtatious words as always, but the thing about him and me is that he can’t hide his feelings from me.
“Right. What do you fancy for breakfast?”
The words were about to leave my mouth when he pinned his warning gaze on me. I first scoffed, then rolled my eyes dramatically, and finally let out a groan.
“I don’t know, you choose,” I murmured back.
“Sure.” Dominic chimed, a calm smile settling on his gorgeous face. “How about bacon and eggs?”
I could barely wait for him to finish the question before I blurted out, “That you’d taste better.”
Seeing that I had gotten the reaction I wanted, I giggled, enjoying this far too much.
“Run.” He simply said.
“What?” I replied, feigning ignorance while preparing to bolt.
“Run, Vixen, and don’t let me catch you.”
A hum escaped my throat, just to annoy him. Tilting my head slightly, I asked, “And if you do?”
“You’ll find out when I catch you.”
“Yeah, if I let you catch me.”
Dominic’s amber eyes darkened with a hidden promise I couldn’t help but want to explore. A smirk slowly formed on his face, and I watched as his eyes lit up with maniacal excitement.
It made me indescribably ecstatic that I was the reason for that reaction.
In a low, menacingly seductive voice, he growled, “Run.”
And I did. It was thrilling, you know, that a man capable of eñding my life in an instant was chasing me with his intentions still unknown to me.
I know, it sounds absurdly strange that I would enjoy that, but I have always been drawn to madnéss, so yes.
After running around the pool for a mere two minutes, I dashed to the living room, careful not to trip on the stairs. But that seemed to slow me down, as the moment I stepped off the last step, my back hít the cold wall, eliciting something between a hiss and a m0an from me.
Peering up through my lashes, my gaze collided with Dominic’s as his palms slapped the wall on either side of my body.
“Genevieve,” his rough voice now low with suppressed desires, rumbled. “You n+ughty girl.”
Want simmered deliciously within me, desperately urging me to make a move, but I didn’t. “Yeah? What are you going to do about it?”
His hand came closer to my cheek, stroking it gently, causing my eyelids to flutter shut. The tension and restraint in his gorgeous eyes became even more pronounced. Dominic puffed out a single breath, letting it hít me directly in the face.
What will he do?
The questions racing through my mind came to a sudden halt when his thumb brushed my lower lip, his eyes yet to decide whether they wanted to remain on my eyes or my lips. “Genevieve, you should know better than to want a dangeroús man.”
Oh.
“But then, where’s the fun in that?”
“Everything doesn’t have to be fun.”
“It does; otherwise, life will be dull. I don’t do dull.”
Dominic’s lips were just there for me to kiss if I wanted to, and only God knows how badly I wanted to. But I am absolutely serious about wanting him to make the first move; that’s how it’s done in my book.
“I don’t understand why you keep resisting; don’t you get tired of pretending not to want this—want me?”
I could see it before he said anything. He was about to don the self-control I despise so much. So, before he could utter that infuriating sentence, I placed my index finger on his lips.
“Think carefully about that before you say it.” I warned, my voice firm. “Making me upset on a trip wouldn’t be pleasant for either of us, especially you, Dominic.”
His golden eyes gleamed with what looked like exhaustion as he stared intently at me. Soon, Dominic let his head drop onto my shoulder, clasping his fingers around my waist.
No man is more confusing than he is, and it’s playing hàvoc with my mind far more than I care to admit.
“You…” Whatever he wanted to say remained stuck in his throat, then he changed his mind and blurted something in Russian, instantly piquing my interest.
I turned my head to look at him, but it was pointless because he was busy inhaling whatever the hell he could smell on my body. Nevertheless, I asked my question anyway, “What does that mean?”
How dare he do that?
Is he trying to show off his bilingual skills or something?
And why do I feel like it means something I would really love to know?
Dominic didn’t move an inch away from me; instead, he buried his face in the crook of my neck, sighing in utter relief.
Do… do I calm him?
“I’ll make breakfast.” That’s what he said when he pulled away, placing a kiss on my forehead before leaving me there to wonder what he had said.
✧✧✧✧
By now, it should be well known that I love dangeroús things, you know, living on the edge of life. So, my first activity for today was to jump off a mountain.
Don’t fret, I’m not trying to kíll myself; I know the world needs Genevieve King to be stable. I’m only going bungee jumping.
I was dressed in a black crop top that read, “don’t talk to me,” and a pair of black jeans, paired with my ankle boots. I also let my hair down today without Dominic having to tell me to do so.
“You ready?” The voice of the chap who looked just a couple of years older than me made me lift my head from the stunning view below. “You’re one of the few people who actually look excited to do this.”
A smile spread across my face as the cool breeze gently hit my face, blowing my hair back and sometimes into my eyes. I brushed it behind my ear each time. “That’s because I am.”
“There’s no bungee jumping centre in England?” I cocked my head to the side, surprised that he knew where I was from. He chuckled at my reaction, then said, “Your accent gave it away.”
“Oh.” I’m not usually this nice or polite, but his vibe doesn’t seem off-putting. “Are you from here?”
“Doesn’t it show? I’ve got this calm, island boy energy, haven’t I?” He was teasing me, and perhaps flirting, but it wasn’t anywhere near as bad as the other advances I’ve received. “You don’t think I have it, do you?”
He does have the aura. The unbuttoned floral shirt, the blonde hair, the blue eyes, and the boyish grin—everything was there. But I wasn’t going to just tell him that.
“Nope.” I replied, letting the ‘p’ pop.
He clipped the harness around my waist, not letting his hands linger on my body for a second longer than necessary.
Okay, I like him.
“Your hair.”
“What about it?”
“Would you like to tie it up?”
“What would you recommend?”
With the realisation that I just flirted with him, I beamed a smile at him, to which he responded with an equally bright grin.
“Tie it up.”
“But I don’t have any hair ties.”
That was the truth, not a means to flirt, but it worked either way.
“I have one. Would you like it?”
I looked over my shoulder to find the person whose eyes had been on me since this conversation began. He looked like he was about to explode with anger, yet there was this odd calm surrounding that same anger in his eyes.
Weird? I know.
“Sure. Would you help me with it?”
That was taking it too far, but it had to be done to teach a certain someone a lesson. His back and forth is really starting to get on my nerves to the extent of wanting to call it a day.
But that isn’t me – I don’t quit. Even if I have to do things I’ve never done before, like chase after a bloke, I will do it because a King doesn’t ever give up, especially not me.
I turned my back to the chap whose name I still didn’t know, facing Dominic, who was barely six feet away from me. I inhaled deeply as I felt the guy’s hand in my hair.
Although his touch was gentle, all I could focus on was the way Dominic looked at him. He glared at him as if he was about to put bullets in his head, and I loved that I evoked such a feeling of jealousy from him.
I do love a jealous man.
“You’re ready,” the bloke said, gesturing for me to stand at the edge of the mountain, and when I did, he cut the rope that needed to be cut.
I was swinging back and forth in the air; a rope was the only thing holding me from falling to my death, but I adored the thrill.
The next dangerous thing I wanted to do was jump out of a plane, and even though Dominic was furious with me, he still paid for it.
“Will you flirt with him too?” I glanced over at the chap he was referring to, and a smirk instantly formed on my face. “You probably will, because that’s what you do, isn’t it?”
There he was, finally voicing his displeasure, and of course, I was delighted.
“Why not? It’s not like I’m with anyone, am I?”
Dominic rolled his eyes, stuffing his hands in his pockets. Isn’t he adorable, acting like a petulant child?
“Don’t do that,” I pulled his hands from his pockets. I stood on my tiptoes, leaning in to whisper in his ear. “And don’t worry, I only have eyes for you, for now.”
His eyes darkened when I pulled away to mutter the last two words, and all I did was ruffle his hair, which I’d forced him not to style.
Four hours later, I could proudly say I’d done every dangerous activity I could think of and was now utterly knackered. Dominic suggested we go home and have a late lunch before any more adventures, but I insisted we eat out, to which he begrudgingly agreed.
Yes, he can’t say no to me; I’m that special.
The lunch went in a flash and also in a blur because a certain someone was still in a mood, and I refused to be the one to make him talk if he didn’t want to.
Silence is fine; I don’t mind.
Actually, I do, but he doesn’t have to know that.
“Do you want to take a walk?” He finally decided to break his silence himself as I was about to enter my room to freshen up.
Say no.
Say no.
Play hard to get, Genevieve; it’s more fun that way.
I stared at him, my brows knitting together. “Really?”
“Yeah, why?”
How dare he play the clueless card when I was certain he remembered what happened earlier this morning?
“You…” I changed my mind about what I wanted to say and opted for something different instead, “Go on your walk yourself.”
I turned back to enter my room, but he was in front of me in an instant, towering over me as usual and enveloping me in his scent.
“Vixen,”
“Don’t call me that; we’re not friends right now.”
“I thought you didn’t want to be friends with me.”
See? He’s doing it again. I’m confused; does he want me, or am I hallucinating? Whenever I feel like he doesn’t, he says things like that and flips my world upside down, and the worst part is that I’m not complaining.
Well, except when he confuses me like right now.
“I don’t,” I told him flatly. “And I know you don’t either. I also know you want me, but you’re not acting on it. You get upset when you see me talking to other blokes while you won’t bloódy make a move when I’m right here with you. It’s messing with my head.”
“And you think it’s not messing with mine?”
“If it is, you’re not showing it.”
It was a lie. I could always see how hard he fights to control himself, just like how he’s fighting right now to keep his hands to himself.
“Genevieve,” that felt like a warning that he was about to snap in a good way, but he was trying to hold himself back.
I want him to want to want me; if you know what I mean. I don’t want him to act on it just because I’m pressuring him to do so, so I exhaled a single breath.
“Let’s drop it,” I said, pocketing my phone. “Let’s go for our walk.”
Dominic’s initial look was one of confusion before it morphed into understanding, and then he nodded. “I’ll get you a jacket.”
His jacket?
When he returned from his room, he had a black hoodie that he handed to me. I put it on but didn’t zip it up. I felt Dominic’s gaze on me, and when I looked up from the hoodie, he was glaring at my ponytail.
Yes, glaring at my ponytail.
His hand inched closer to remove the hair tie, and I didn’t even realise I’d taken a step back. Hurt clouded his face in an instant, and he made no effort to hide it.
Maybe he didn’t know he was showing it.
He looked bitter when he questioned, “So, he can touch your hair, but I can’t?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“Yeah, not with words.”
“Dominic, I didn’t mean to move away.” I returned to my former position, taking his hand in mine. “Of course you can touch my hair.”
He was being really adorable since this morning, and even though it was a bit strange and I was still partly miffed, I had to admit that I liked it a lot.
★★
When Dominic suggested a walk, I knew we were heading to the beach. What I didn’t expect was for the beach to be this stunningly beautiful.
The ocean was such a deep blue; nothing could compete with its beauty. The waves were dangerously gorgeous, and as a non-surfer, I found myself wanting to surf so badly as I watched them.
“Do you want a coconut drink?” I asked Dominic after walking for a few minutes in comfortable silence.
“No. Do you?”
“Only if you want.”
“Then I want it.” I felt a grin tugging at my lips. “Let’s get it.”
I watched him as he purchased the coconut and how it was broken open for a straw to fit inside; however, I expected two straws and there was only one.
“Two straws, please,” I said.
The lady behind the table looked at me and smiled politely. “Sorry, love, the straws have run out.”
I turned my head to look over at Dominic, only to see him say that he didn’t want it anymore, yet he still paid for it and took it from the woman.
“Do you mind if we share straws?”
What?!
What?!
Is he asking me if I want to share straws with him?!
Isn’t that an indirect kiss?!
I’ve never shared straws with anyone, not even my siblings or Julianna, but right now, I want to so badly.
Before I could compose myself and act like I had any sense, the words flew out of my mouth without shame. “Yes. I mean, no. I don’t mind one bit.”
He chuckled and nodded, then handed it to me. “Have the first sip.”
••
“My head hurts,” I murmured to myself as I sat down on the couch after coming back from the walk.
“What?”
“I think I have a headache.”
“You think?” Dominic sounded annoyed in a caring way, so I pouted sadly with a whine for dramatic effect.
Why? I don’t know.
I let my eyelids shut because it seemed to lessen the thudding in my head and had to reopen them when I felt a presence around me.
A grimace spread across my face, and the immediate urge to throw up overwhelmed me as I came face-to-face with a pill.
“Stop being a baby and open your mouth. I’ve washed my hands.”
No, I hàte pills.
“Genevieve.” I whined for real this time, shaking my head. “Genevieve.”
“You don’t get it; I don’t like pills.”
“Then don’t fall ill, so you won’t need it.” He retorted. “Open up.” I did, and he dropped it on my tongue, then handed me a glass of water. He must have seen my hesitation because he frowned. “Swallow, Vixen, now.”
I stifled a laugh as I swallowed to avoid choking on the water. “Did you realise what you just said?”
“Yes, I said swa…” A pause. “Seriously, Genevieve?”
If you know, you know.
I took my shower, and Dominic offered to wash my hair as a means of massaging my scalp. If it would work, I had no idea, but I agreed anyway.
Seated on a stool with my head tilted back over the sink, I felt myself relaxing into the surprisingly good massage from a màfia Dón.
His calloused hands, which had eñded many lives, were massaging my scalp so gently that my eyes rolled back. It was unbelievable that he could be that gentle.
“Where did you learn this?” I asked.
“My mum always did it for me when I had headaches, too.”
“Well, your mum is brilliant because I feel great.”
Dominic smiled sadly. “Was. She’s deád.”
Oh.
I think I remember seeing that when I looked him up months ago. Both of his parents are gone, leaving him with his father’s brother, who raised him.
“I don’t want to intrude or anything, but how did they díe?”
All of his movements came to a halt, making me regret asking that question—not because of the stúpid massage, but because I think I reminded him of a bàd memory he doesn’t need to revisit.
But being Dominic, he pushed through it. The way he shoved it aside and continued the massage almost made me hàte myself for not being able to keep my mouth shut.
I didn’t expect him to answer the question, so when he did, I was beyond surprised. “They were killéd.”
That’s terrible. Who would do such an awful thing?
“Do you know who did it?”
There my mouth went again, blabbering on and on.
“Yes.”
“What did you do to them?”
“Nothing.”
I felt like he had other things to say, but he didn’t want to share them for reasons unknown to me.
It’s hard to believe that Dominic Morozov would let the person who killéd his parents walk away freely without doing anything to avenge their deàths. I know I would, even if I had no power.
“Really?” I pressed. He nodded stiffly, washing the soap out of my hair with carefulness so water wouldn’t get into my eyes. “Whether or not I had the kind of power you do, I’d make sure those people paid a heavy price for what they did.” I felt him pause the rinsing for the briefest moment. “But it’s fine if you’ve decided to let it go.”
Neither of us said anything after that, and the silence was far from comfortable.
Once he was done, I changed into his hoodie with a tank top underneath because I didn’t want to zip it up. Pulling Dominic to sit beside me on my bed, I rested my head on the pillow I’d placed on his lap and closed my eyes to sleep.
“Good night, Dominic.”
He didn’t object or protest against my action; instead, he tucked a piece of my hair back, looking down at me. “Good night, Vixen.”
