“You ready to go?”
“More than ready,” she purred, facing him and falling into a sloppy kiss.
“I’d say tonight was a success,” he said, redirecting her to the exit where other guests were starting to pile out.
“More than that. I think our future looks very bright. So… thank you.”
“You can thank me all night.” He traced kisses along her neck before crushing his lips against hers once again.
He smelled like alcohol and cigar smoke as he fed her his tongue. The two of them reached the curb outside the building, and the valet brought him his Porsche right on time. Alonzo opened the passenger door for her and almost slipped off the curb. Giselle observed that he was more intoxicated than she thought.
“How about you let me drive?” she suggested, snuggling up to him and wrapping her arms around his waist.
“Oh yeah?” Alonzo cuffed her ass and took his bottom lip between his teeth sexily as he fell against the side of the car.
“Yeah. You’ve had a lot more to drink than me.” She pecked his lips and helped him into the passenger seat.
When she rounded the front of the car, she had to use the hood to hold herself up until she reached the driver’s door. She settled in the warm leather once she was inside and glanced his way. Alonzo was captivated, studying her with glossed over eyes and a lopsided grin.
“What are you looking at?”
“The finest woman in the world,” Alonzo slurred.
“Pssh. You’re drunk.”
“Drunk in love.” Alonzo replied cornily.
“Lay off the coke, baby.” She reached out and playfully smacked his cheek and puckered her lips at him.
“Marry me, Giselle.” Alonzo grabbed her hand, his eyes locked on her face.
“Yeah, you’ve exceeded the limit tonight, Mr. Maynard.” She cackled.
“I’m serious.” He sat forward unsteadily. “You would make the perfect wife. You’re fine, ambitious, and everything I need. You make me better, baby.”
She saw the sincerity in his eyes, along with need. Sometimes Alonzo was like a little boy. He was damn sure putty in her hands, and she hadn’t even flexed any kind of real power with him. She was glad she had something to throw herself into. Part of her missed Southwick, or maybe what could have been there with her family. The only person who hadn’t reached out to her was Gem. Guilt sometimes plagued her when she thought about it. Her father, although was the cause for this current rift, he wouldn’t want Giselle to turn her back on her blood.
“Let’s get home.” Giselle pulled her hand away from Alonzo and prepared to pull off as a slow pattern of rain hit the windshield.
“You don’t want to marry me?” Alonzo queried, thick brows furrowing together as Giselle checked her mirrors before whipping into traffic.
“I don’t want to talk about this when we’re both intoxicated. It’s been a good night, Alonzo.”
“And I’m trying to give us a good life, Giselle. The fuck you think I’m doing all this for?” He sat up in his seat and glared ahead. “You think this shit is a game? After everything I’ve done, I deserve to get what I want.”
“You’re tripping.” Giselle shook her head and focused on the road.
She hadn’t even realized she was going over the speed limit, and the rain had picked up. The wipers on the windshield were doing their best to keep up with the downpour.
“Nah, I ain’t tripping. I’m the only thing you have left in this world. Nobody cares about you.”
Unsure if he was trying to be mean or just stating the obvious, it left her feeling a way as her hands tightened on thewheel. She’d seen a whole new side to Alonzo tonight. One that was ruthless and callous, all in the blink of an eye.
“And you do? I’m not just some little trophy you can tote around in front of all your middle aged friends? You really want to sit there and tell me you give a damn about me aside from making you look good?” Giselle swung her head angrily in his direction, and he gradually did the same.
“I only want what’s best for you, Giselle.”
“Yeah,” she scoffed. “Everyone says that, and what it really means is what they think is best for me.”
