ELENORA

"Is all of this necessary?" Rico questions as I make a dividing line with the extra pillows in between us. "I mean, we've slept in the same bed before, a couple of times now."

"That was before you decided to finger fuck me." I stand back with my hands on my hips, admiring my work.

"You think this will stop me?"

I scowl at him. "If you want to keep your fingers."

"What about you?" He folds his arms over his chiseled, tattooed chest. "You got a glimpse of the jewels, who's to say you won't try to cop a feel."

"I wouldn't touch you with a ten foot pool. Who knows what diseases that thing is carrying after all the women you've slept with and all the men they've slept with." The thought almost makes me gag. "Let me paint you a picture, okay? We'll use your friend who was drying humping you at the club. Think of all the men she's slept with and then you stick your dick in her and now you've got all their shit on you, too. Yeah, no thanks." I head to the bathroom.

"Are you calling me a man-whore?" He calls out.

I hide my smile before I walk out using one of the hotel toothbrushes and toothpaste. "I'm not saying you're a man whore, but your penis should be wrapped in a biohazard bag." I turn on my heel, walking back into the bathroom to finish brushing my teeth.

"So, let me get this straight, because I like sex, I'm the equivalent of a male slut?" Rico asks as I sit on my side of the bed, rubbing some lotion on my hands and elbows.

"No. I never said that and a slut has a completely different meaning. Liking sex has nothing to do with it, Rico. Regardless of what you said in the restaurant, you and I both know you have sex with multiple people for your own gain without thinking about the affects it has on the person you are with."

But then I stop myself. "You know what, forget it. You have your reasons for using sex as a way to express or fulfill whatever 'human need' you're missing and that works for you. Who am I to judge? All I'm saying is that when and if I sleep with someone I want it to mean something. That got taken away from me when I was...raped." I take a couple of breaths to not dwell on that awful fact. "My first time was something no one should ever go through, it was violent and...."

I pause, not wanting to go off the deep end, I take another deep breath before I continue. "The silver lining, I suppose is, I don't remember it, because I was unconscious, but that also bothers the hell out of me—not that I'd want to be present in that horrific moment, but how can someone get off on that?"

The look on Rico's face infuriates me. His expression is a mixture of worry, anger, but it bothers me more to see the clear look of pity on his face. "Don't look at me like that Rico."

"Like what?"

"Like you feel sorry for me. I don't want or need your pity." I climb into bed.

He turns off the lights and the bed dips when he climbs into his side. I wipe the silent tears from my eyes.

His voice fills the dark room. "I don't feel sorry for you, Elenora."

"Please don't lie to me. I know that look well, Rico. After I woke up in the hospital I saw it in my family's eyes, Clara's eyes, nurses, Dr.'s--everyone." I sniffle. "I'm tired, goodnight." He doesn't say anything in return.

I lay wide awake for a long time; Wide awake. I glance at the clock; it's almost two. I change positions several times, tossing and turning, trying to get comfortable but continue fixing the wall of pillows between us.

"Rico?" I whisper but he doesn't respond. I lean over and try to see if he's breathing heavy or not. "Rico?" I try again; still no response. He's out. Must be nice.

I sigh as I look up at the ceiling and begin talking out loud but quiet. It's something I do when I have a hard time falling asleep. It started after the attack and it got worse when Leo left. 

"That's the most I've talked about the attack in a long time. It made me realize I have something in common with Angela. I mean, our circumstances are different but I can understand her fears of feeling used, and how no one would want to be with her."

"Being raped is not something you can bring up on a first date, you know? And then by the time it comes to being intimate with someone, I worry they'll be like, 'why didn't you tell me sooner?' I think that's why I've avoided dating this whole time. Who wants to deal with all of that baggage, am I right?"

I sigh. "I never thought I'd say this but I admire that you do things without a care in the world. Like who gives a shit attitude. I wish I could be more like that and there are times, I feel like I'm getting there, especially when I'm around my nonno."

I let out a loud, drawn out yawn. "I wish I knew what ran through your head sometimes, Rico. You seem to hate me most of the time and then other times, you can be sweet, even vulnerable. That first night I met you, you were arrogant—still are, but I know you have some deep pain inside of you. I saw it again tonight." I turn to my side to talk to the wall of pillows.

"Maybe it has to do with your parents. You never mention them other than when you told me they were killed. It must have been bad; most people want to talk about their parents after they died, maybe you didn't have a good relationship with them though. But something tells me that isn't the case."

"I would never tell you this, because it would just inflate that huge ego of yours, but you're incredibly handsome, you seem smart, but then again you don't open up about what it is you do. You're the best kisser I've ever experienced and it bothers me how much I like how you kiss me because it doesn't mean anything to you, just like sex." 

"And then I think about what you did to me at the restaurant. How weird is it that I'm not a virgin, but the only orgasms I can remember are the ones you gave me? I can never tell anyone about that. I didn't even tell Clara and I tell her everything. I should tell her though, then I wouldn't be sitting here talking about it, in a dark room, in the middle of the night."

"You know what? This is going to be one of those stories where you end up with Angela; two broken souls finding solace in a throng of passion. Throng? That's not the right word, but you know what I mean. You realize you were there for each other all along and then you both confront one another about your true feelings for each other and live happily ever after. Watch you'll see, it'll happen."

"My nonno says I'm broken. Even though I had love in my life, not from him but from my dad, mom, my nonna and sisters. He says I'm broken in the sense that I just bring everything bad in life on myself and I'm not worthy of love or anything good in life...I wish I knew why he hates me so much."

"My nonna loved him despite his flaws. He treated her well, too. I just tell myself everyone deserves love, even him. That includes you...everyone. Even me, someday, I hope." I yawn again.

"Oh shoot, I forgot to tell you, my mom invited us to dinner tomorrow well, later today, I guess. I'll just tell her we can't, because you're busy--spare you from that hot mess I'm sure it will be, but then again, maybe I'm sparing them from you, too. Knowing you, you'd do something to humiliate me in front of them. I do that enough on my own. I don't need your help in that department. Alright, I'm tired now, goodnight."

__________________

The next morning, I wake up feeling hot and heavy. I try to roll over but I can't. My eyes flutter open and the natural light of the sun streams into the large room. I look down and find Rico is laying on top of me. His head is on my chest and his leg is over both of mine.

"Rico." I mumble half asleep.

My right arm is pinned under him and my left arm is under his. I try to slide it out from under him, but the angle causes my shoulder to hurt. I huff out in a whine. "Rico, I can't breathe."

He doesn't move so I wriggle underneath him, hoping to jostle him, but it doesn't work. "Rico!"

He sits up. "What? What's wrong?"

"You invaded my side of the bed. Where are all the pillows?"

He lays his head back on me. "Who cares?" He snuggles up against me more.

I lay there for a moment, wondering if I should shove him off or wait until he wakes up. Maybe he likes to sleep in on the weekends and it's going to be a while before he wakes up.

I look down and realize I'm running my fingers through his hair. It's softer than I thought it would be, and it's long enough to run my fingers through it all.

His phone rings and he turns his head, groaning into my stomach. The vibrations against me cause an eruption of butterflies. He leans back and grabs his phone. I lift my arm that was pinned under him and stretch my arms above my head, but then he lays back down over me. "Keep doing what you were doing."

"What?"

"Play with my hair." His voice is thick from sleep and then he adds. "Please." A small smile comes across my face as I use both hands now and he answers his phone with an impatient tone.

"What?"

"No. I'll check it when I get in the office," He says. "No. I slept in."

"Since I felt like it," He says petulantly. I can't help chuckling and he lifts his head to look up at me. "There's a first time for everything, I guess."

"Yeah, I'll call you later." He hangs up and tosses his phone on his side of the bed and lays down over me. "You stopped doing it."

I smile. "You moved."

"Keep going." And then after a moment he again adds, "Please."

I sigh as I run my fingers through his hair and then use my nails to scratch his head. I do it for a while longer when I know I need to get up.

"Rico, I need to pee and you're putting a lot of pressure on my bladder." But he doesn't move.

"Rico!"

"Fine," he mutters as he leans away from me. I try not to laugh at the way his hair is sticking up all over the place now, but I fail.

"What?"

"Your hair; it's all over the place," I tell him, chuckling.

He smiles back at me. "Yeah, well your's isn't any better and I can see your boob." I focus on fixing the shirt that shifted during my sleep.

I head to the bathroom to do my business as well as my normal morning routine. I brush out some of the wildness from my hair by wetting it and braiding it to the side. When I step back out, Rico is at the desk in the room typing away on his laptop and drinking coffee.

"I ordered breakfast and some clothes for you, too."

"Thank you, that's considerate of you."

I start making the bed. "Stop doing that. Someone will come in to do it, Elenora."

"I don't mind." I shrug and finish off by placing the mounds of pillows on top. "See, took less than two minutes."

He narrows his eyes at me, but when we hear a knock at the door, I start walking out of the room to answer it. I make it as far as the bedroom door before he wraps his arm around my waist to stop me. "No one's going to see you dressed like that."

He walks ahead of me, setting his laptop on the table. "But you're in your underwear."

He doesn't respond and opens the door as several staff come in greeting him. The first people set out an array of food on the dining room table and then another group walk towards me, setting out several bags and other clothing items on the bed.

"Whoa, Rico; this is too much." I look over all the bags and clothes.

"Says who?"

"I just need clothes to go home in, not a whole new wardrobe."

"You're staying with me for now on," He says, matter of fact.

I whirl around to face him. "I'm what?"

"Staying with me." He repeats what I was hoping I didn't hear the first time.

"The hell I am." Feeling my temper on the verge of exploding. He excuses the staff; tipping them on their way out of the room and then returns back to his laptop.

I walk over to him, trying to contain my anger. "Rico, you don't get to make a decision like that without talking to me, first. I am not moving in with you. I have my own place."

"And you'll keep it, but for now, you stay." He sips his coffee and continues working on his laptop.

"No. I'm not going to drop everything and become glued to you like some side piece, Rico. I have a life, I have a job."

He slams his coffee cup down and I'm surprised it doesn't shatter. "Maybe you forgot the warning my cousin gave last night, but I'm not taking any chances."

"He was serious? I thought he was just spouting off shit to make you angry."

Rico laughs and turns away running a hand through his hair. "I promise you he was serious, Elenora and I'm not going to let you out of my sight until he's taken care of."

The blood drains from my face. "You're going to kill your cousin?"

"Not necessarily," He says it so casual, yet the cold look in his eyes sends a shiver down my spine. He takes a deep breath. "I'm fucking kidding. Angela is going to talk to him. Smooth things over."

I sit down and start serving myself from the delicious looking platters laid out on the table. "So...how many hotels does your family own?"

"In New York?" He begins plating himself some fruit and some bacon, sausage links and an omelet, then sits down next to me. "Ten, we have a few on the west coast and others in Europe."

"So...you're like rich-rich?" I take another bite of the delicious french toast I'm eating and close my eyes enjoying the flavor.

"Rich-rich, is that even a word?"

"Yep, look it up," I tell him before sipping my orange juice.

"I would say I live comfortably."

"Classic rich person response."

He eats a piece of pineapple. "Your father is a lawyer, you've lived comfortably your whole life, princess, yet you choose to live a life of...."

"Of what?" I set my fork down, interested in where he's going. He chews his food, taking his time before he responds.

"Less than?"

I chuckle at the look of apprehension on his face. "I work for what I have and what I want, Rico. It's one of the reasons I moved away from home. I don't want my father's shadow following me everywhere."

"I work for what I want."

I look back at him as I chew my food. "I'm sure you do."

He keeps watching me as we keep eating. "Well, I'm finished. You're going to have to take most of the clothes back by the way." I begin walking away, but he pulls me over to him and I stumble onto his lap.

His dark eyes hold mine for an intense moment. "You're staying with me, Elenora. You can do what you need to do during the day, but you will come back to me every night."

"And if I don't?"

"I'm glad you asked, patatina. I'm realizing you love to defy me, and it seems Mostro will get a lot of practice using his pressure point techniques on you." He smiles at me, and then runs his finger down my face. "So, what are your plans today?" (little potato)

I try to focus on answering his question but his other hand has slipped under the shirt and is trailing up my back and then back down. "Um, I have a wedding I'm doing later today, but first I...I need to develop some..." His hand is now moving to the front and is tracing the loose band of his boxer briefs I'm wearing.

"Develop some?" He prompts, with his lips against my neck as he starts kissing my skin, taking his time.

"What?"

"You were saying you have to develop something." He uses more pressure on my neck with his kisses and starts sucking on my skin.

"Rico..."

"Hm?"

"What are you doing?"

"Being an attentive boyfriend, amore." I gasp as his hand travels up and caresses my bare breast, keeping the pressure light.

I'm breathless. "Wait."

"I've been waiting, Elenora." His voice is husky as he continues to kiss my neck. "It's been a few months since we've met. This is the longest time I've waited to be with someone." His hands start working the buttons of the dress shirt. "I want to see you, all of you."

"No, Rico," I tell him but he keeps kissing me. "Rico, stop!"

He stops immediately and I pull away from him, standing. "You and I...we...we aren't dating. I...I won't deny I'm attracted to you, but I'm not going to sleep with you."

He walks over to me and I try to ignore the obvious bulge in his boxer briefs. "We're both adults, Elenora. I know you want me and I want you and the more you keep pushing me away....it's...it's driving me fucking insane."

"I'm not going to apologize for not wanting to be another conquest of yours, Rico. You don't want me, not really. You just have to scratch an itch and once you do, you'll be done with me, arrangement or not."

His eyebrows furrow, a pensive look on his face, but doesn't say anything.

"I'm going to get dressed and then I'm going to go."

"You're coming back tonight," He states with determination.

"We'll see."

*****

A/N: Is Elenora breaking Rico's walls down?? Or is it the other way around??