War for Love: A New Battle Rages

CH 4: The Truth Comes Out

**Gia's POV**

After the intense moment between Jeremiah and I, he led me up the stairs to the house. There was so much room, his family and mine could stay here comfortably. It's a nice thought that maybe we could vacation together like one big happy family. Could we ever be that? A family? Jeremiah isn't anything that I expected, but it wouldn't be wise to completely ignore the information I had heard about him. Maybe while we are here, I can get some clarity about who he is, and maybe we could leave here at the very least as friends.

The house was magnificent. Bright with picture windows everywhere. Open space, and high vaulted ceilings. It wasn't just a house, it felt like it could be a home. I saw some of my paintings on the wall, and was surprised. I remember some of them selling at the gallery in Italy, but I never looked into the buyer. I guess now I know. Why didn't he say anything?

"I could have painted something for you if you asked." I smiled at him from across the living room where two of my paintings were displayed. There was another in the foyer, and I saw another in the hallway.

"But I loved these." Jeremiah tilted his head, studying me. It made me nervous. If he looked too closely he may find out all of my secrets. "I can tell you painted this series when you were probably at your happiest. The bright colors, the flowers reaching up to the sky. A girl dancing in a meadow."

"You can tell what it is?" Most of my work is a little abstract with the real picture hidden, and sometimes, unless you knew what you were looking for, you couldn't see it.

"Of course. I love art. I'm no good at it, but I collect it. I usually have a darker taste, but I didn't want our first home together to be anything but happy." My heart warmed at his words. He is so confusing. The complete opposite of what everyone said. "It's getting late, are you tired?"

"The complete opposite actually," My smile touched my eyes. "I want to see everything." I saw how his eyes darkened, and he looked at me from head to toe. "I mean I want the rest of the tour. Of the house." My voice shaked, and my volume was low. How could he make a simple sentence seem like it had a double meaning?

"Well, there is a lot to see, but it is getting late. How about we go for a swim, and then I can show you the rest of the grounds tomorrow? We have two weeks here, I promise you'll see everything before we head back to New York." That same smirk played at the corner of his lips. I felt my mouth go dry at his insinuation. He wasn't going to make this easy for me. I had to find a way to tell him the truth.

I changed into my bikini, kind of regretting packing only twopieces. It wasn't very flashy, a simple green color that complimented my skin tone and eyes. After I clipped my hair up, I grabbed a towel from the bathroom cabinet and walked out of the master bedroom. Jeremiah waited for me in the living room, his eyes immediately scanning over my body when I came into view. I couldn't peel my gaze off him either. He stood there in only black swim trunks, his glorious body teasing me. God, please let this man stay shirtless on this whole trip.

We walked silently to the pool, the house seeming to be completely empty. "Everyone left after our bags were unpacked. We will have the place to ourselves most of the time. The staff will come in the mornings to prepare breakfast, then leave and return to prepare dinner and do any cleaning that needs to be done." Jeremiah opened the door for me, and let me go first. I immediately felt his eyes on my ass as soon as I walked past him. When the door shut, I jumped slightly. "You're all alone with me." I turned slowly, seeing him lean against the door. I looked around and saw that was my only exit.

I tried to keep my composure and put my towel away. I could feel him watching me as I walked down the steps into the warm water. He followed behind me soon after, and I moved away from him to the other side. "Scared of me?" I couldn't find my voice. So I nodded once, his eyes burning into mine. I couldn't read his expression. He was purposely not giving anything away. "What are you scared of?"

I watched as Jeremiah slowly walked towards me. He looked like a predator stalking his prey, waiting for me to run, so he could catch me. It was both terrifying and thrilling. A part of me wanted to run away and hide, but the winning part was making me stay so very still to see what he would do next. The anticipation of his touch, of his next words, was eating me alive. Why did he have to drag this out so long? No matter how many steps he took towards me, he seemed so out of reach from me.

"I'm scared you'll consume me. Change me." I admitted. He stopped in the middle of the pool, thinking about what I said. It wasn't just that he would be my first. It's that he would mean so much to me immediately, and I had the risk of never meaning anything to him. Even though I don't think he is completely heartless, I can't be sure that he is capable of loving me. I can't be sure that he is capable of being loved. "Like you said, I took a huge chance of marrying you. What happens after I give you... everything?"

"Because of my reputation, you worry that having s*x with me would mean nothing?" Was I that easy to read, or did he have some direct channel into my thoughts? "Were you always in love with the people you slept with? It was never just a little bit of fun?" There was no judgment, he seemed genuinely curious.

"I have never been in love. I, um, didn't really date."

"Then why would s*x with me be any different?" Jeremiah started walking towards me again. "I mean, I don't know how it was with them," I could see his playfulness start to come out. I didn't want to ruin his mood, but I knew I had to say something soon. "But I can promise it will be very enjoyable with me." His confidence in himself was both sexy and irritating. He knew the effect he had on women, the effect he had on me. "Is there anything you don't like? Something you want to try, but too shy to ask? Was it all vanilla or do you have some secret kinks?"

I looked away, starting to feel really embarrassed. I am not ashamed that I am a virgin, I'm happy I didn't just give it to some loser. But the way he spoke, like s*x was just so easy. It made me feel pathetic for wondering if I built it to be something it isn't in my head. I remember what he whispered on the plane. If I wanted it on the floor, on the bed, or in our seats, so the flight attendant can watch. s*x really was nothing to him. Will he hate me once he realizes the truth? He is going to think that he made a mistake marrying me, and for some reason that thought really hurt.

"What's wrong?" Jeremiah sounded genuinely worried, and quickened his pace to me. "If I made you uncomfortable, that wasn't my intention. I am just trying to know you a little better, and I was attempting to make it as lighthearted as possible, so this conversation wouldn't be awkward."

"Jeremiah, I don't know what I like or wouldn't like. I don't know if there is anything I want to try, and I honestly don't know about any kinks." His brows furrowed together, his expression focused like he was trying to figure out a really difficult calculus problem. "I don't know anything about s*x. I've never been touched."

He took a few steps back, and the water suddenly felt cold. I wrapped my arms around my body, feeling the pain of the rejection that was coming. Why else would he walk away from me like I had a disease he could catch? "You're a virgin?" He looked so angry, but he didn't yell at me. "Seriously?"

"Yes."

His chest rose and fell, and after a few tense and suffocating moments, he turned his back to me. The tears fell from my eyes as I watched him walk away, the door slammed behind him, and he was gone.