Carbon: Devil's Rose #8

Chapter 3: Gabriella Jordan

"You live here."

"Yeah. It's not as bad as it looks."

"It's not safe around here."

"People live in worse conditions."

"Do you at least have a taser?"

"And pepper spray."

"That's good."

"You know, I never got your name."

"Roman. Roman Grant."

"I'm Gabriella Jordan. It's good to officially meet you."

"I wish to see you again."

"I'll stop by for lunch one day."

"I'm counting on it. You want me to walk you to your apartment?"

"I could show you around. I'm very proud of what I've done with it."

"Are you sure? I don't want to intrude."

"You're welcome to come up if you wish."

I pull out my key, unlocking the apartment door. A loud scream echoes down the street, and I turn in excitement. Roman catches my hips before I fall onto the pavement from swerving my body so quickly. These damn heels, I tell ya. 

I step out from his dominating stance, most definitely blocking me from the street, to see Hannah standing with three bags of sex toys from down the street. She and her boyfriend, Jack, are my next-door neighbors and they've always been sexually active. 

They moved in about two years after I got here, and there is never a dull moment. The amount of times I have to wear earplugs or put on music to sleep is insane.

Plus, their bedroom butts against my own - on the opposite of the wall of course - so I usually find myself sleeping in the living room on the couch to get a little bit of peace. The dude in the other apartment next to me likes to blast Megadeth every night, so that's kind of a problem, but I do kind of enjoy where I live. 

The seething man behind me holds my hips tighter, pulling me to his muscular body. Hannah glances hotly in curiosity between the two of us. She reaches into her bag, pulls out what looks like a vibrator, and places it in my hand. She winks before walking into the apartment building.

"Did she just...?"

"Yeah."

I hear a soft, rumbling chuckle erupt from the back of his throat. I walk forward, but he doesn't release his grip, and I'm not sure if I hate it or not. I chew on my bottom lip as my butt brushes against the tops of his thighs, his warmth enveloping me to send shock waves down my body. He tries to move to the elevator, to which I shake my head and giggle.

"Doesn't work."

"How many flights do you have to walk every day?"

"Depends how many times I have to go to my apartment, but it's five up, five down."

He eyes my shoes for a minute before moving his hands underneath my armpits to lift me into his arms. My legs latch around his waist as he begins climbing the stairs. I lean my head onto his shoulder, breathing in his rich, masculine cologne. My heart thumps rapidly, my mouth watering at his delicious scent, his sturdy body supporting me. 

His thumbs skim the soft skin of my upper thighs, and I breathe in relief at the comfortingness of him. I know I've only met him what seems like moments ago, and I have slept half the time, but I genuinely enjoy him. I like being around him, and he's taken good care of me the time we've been together.