INSATIABLE CRAVINGS
Insatiable Cravings – Episode 42
Subtitle; {Loving You Is A Loosing Game}
TAGS: Age-gap, Mafia, Forbidden Love, Drama, Tragedy and Betrayal.
Settings: United Kingdom, Russia and others.
★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★
Genevieve’s POV
He kissed me.
Dominic Morozov, the man feared and respected by everyone here, kissed me on the forehead, right in front of all of them, his hand possessively around my waist. My cheeks nearly caught fíre from blushing, but I quickly composed myself under all the watchful eyes.
I wasn’t the shy type, so I made my way over to the group playing pool. They acknowledged me in different ways—some waved, others just nodded.
“Mind if I play?” I asked, scanning the room for Dominic, who had only been gone for a few minutes.
“Relax, we don’t bite,” came a voice.
I turned to see a guy, a couple of years older than me, giving me an appraising look with a smirk that wasn’t exactly charming. Maybe he mistook my glance for nervousness—or worse, shyness.
A mocking laugh escaped me as I gave him a once-over in return.
“What’s so funny?” The fact that he even asked made it funnier.
“You,” I replied flatly.
A girl with sleeve tattoos cleared her throat, grabbing my attention. Her style was similar to mine, though a bit more gothic. “You look familiar. Have we met?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Hmm, I swear I’ve seen you somewhere.” She studied my face like she was trying to solve a puzzle. “Are you famous or something?”
How do I answer that without sounding like a brat? “Oh, just mega-rich parents and, you know, being the Duke’s granddaughter,” doesn’t exactly sound modest.
I shook my head and took the pool cue she handed me. “I remember now,” she said suddenly. “I saw you on TV.”
“Now that you mention it, yeah, I’ve seen her too,” the guy added. “You were with some family.”
“The Kings?” I offered, deciding to help them out. “I’m Mariah King’s daughter.”
Recognition flickered across Tattoo Girl’s face, but the guy still looked clueless. Another guy smacked him upside the head, muttering something in Russian.
“So, you’re the Duke’s second granddaughter,” Tattoo Girl remarked. It wasn’t a question, but I nodded anyway. A faint smile touched her lips. “Cool outfit. And nice necklace.”
My fingers instinctively touched the dove pendant around my neck, a grin spreading on my face. “Thanks. Dominic gave it to me.”
Everyone at the pool table stopped to stare at me like I had grown an extra head. My blank expression wasn’t enough to get an answer from them.
“Dominic?” the guy echoed, like the name was some unheard-of anomaly. “You call him that?”
“What else would I call him? He’s my friend.”
Tattoo Girl chuckled. “Friends don’t kiss.”
Right. Friends definitely don’t kiss on the lips like we do. Does that mean we’re not just friends?
“So, you’re a princess, and you call him by his name. Wow.”
I ignored him, focusing on waiting for my turn, but he still didn’t get the hint. He came over, standing just close enough without touching me.
“Should I call you Princess?”
“Please, don’t.”
Not only was it untrue—I wasn’t a princess—but it irked me. “Princess” felt more like an insult, like I hadn’t worked for anything in my life.
“Well, that’s what I’ll call you from now on.”
I turned to glare at him, catching his smirk. My frown deepened as I spoke low and sharp. “Do you have a deàth wish? Because I can make that happen.”
“I like you.” Tattoo Girl laughed. “I’m Echo, by the way.”
“That’s a cool name.”
“You think? I always thought it was weird.”
“Not at all.”
“Name’s—”
“Don’t care,” I cut him off. He frowned, clearly annoyed I didn’t let him finish. “What?”
“Careful now, Sal. She’s the boss’s girl.”
I couldn’t help but smile at that. The boss’s girl. I liked the sound of it.
“And speaking of the boss, where’s Dominic?” I asked.
“He doesn’t like being disturbed when he’s working,” Sal said, knocking a ball into the pocket and winning the game.
“Good thing I’m not a disturbance. Now, where is he?”
“No.”
“I don’t like you.”
“Me neither, Princess.”
“Watch your mouth.”
“Or what? Gonna go run to him and complain?”
“I don’t need Dominic to handle you.”
“Oh, I’m shaking.”
“You—”
“Enough, Sal,” the other guy intervened. His tone commanded respect, but not the kind that Dominic demanded. “Echo can take you to him,” he said to me.
“Thanks.” I shot a final glare at Sal. “You should listen to him more often.”
“Sure thing, Princess.”
I stopped in my tracks, turned, and glared at him one last time before walking alongside Echo as she led me up some stairs.
After a short walk, we arrived at a door. She gestured toward it. “Here you go.”
“Thanks,” I said, watching her leave before turning the knob.
Inside, Dominic stood with his back to me, rifling through a shelf of files. The sound of the door closing made him turn, his gaze softening as he smiled.
“Missed me?” he asked.
A smile crept onto my face as I slowly made my way over. “Oh, very much.” As I reached him, his hands wrapped around my waist, pulling me close. “What are you doing?”
“Right now? Holding you.”
A laugh bubbled up, but it faded as his lips brushed my shoulder. “You smell incredible,” he murmured.
“Yeah? You like it?” I prayed for the answer I wanted.
As if reading my thoughts, Dominic nodded, burying his face in the crook of my neck. His hands tightened around me, and I tilted my head slightly, giving him better access while I wrapped my arms around his shoulders.
I’ve never been a hugger. Raised by distant nannies, with busy parents who barely paid attention, I quickly got used to not needing affection. Even my friends had to fight for a hug from me.
But right now, it’s shocking how much I don’t want to let go. I loved the feel of his heartbeat against me, his scent enveloping me, his arms holding me as if I truly belonged to him.
After a long sigh, Dominic reluctantly pulled back, his thumb caressing my cheek as we locked eyes. Something shifted between us, something deeper than before. I knew it. Did he?
He kissed my temple, then my forehead, and finally pecked my lips. “Come with me. I have something to show you.”
TBC
