War for Love: A New Battle Rages

CH 6: Confrontations

**Gia's POV**

I pushed the food around on my plate as I stared at the empty seat across the dinner table. Jeremiah has been keeping his distance from me since I told him I was a virgin. That was two days ago, and I am starting to worry that I may never see him throughout the rest of our trip. Some part of me should be relieved. Isn't this why I wanted to marry Isaiah? But now, after being around Jeremiah, I can't think of anything worse. I understand his shock, but I didn't expect this coldness from him. I had thought he was so different from the reputation that preceded him. Maybe I was wrong.

My body felt cold again, remembering the way he left me in the pool alone. My throat felt like it could explode with the lump that was stuck there, wanting so desperately to call out his name. But I wouldn't dare. The rejection was painful enough, to have him see me cry or hear my voice crack. That would be too much for me to handle. I walked to my room with my chin high, trying to hold onto the last bit of pride I had left. No matter how much I told myself I shouldn't be ashamed, I couldn't shake the feeling. I hated it. I went to sleep crying, telling myself he just needed time to process the information, but I found that his things had moved out of the master bedroom the very next morning.

Jeremiah avoided me, he even went through the great lengths of having his meals delivered by the staff to his door so he wouldn't even risk the possibility of seeing me in the kitchen. Is this going to be the rest of our honeymoon? Or worse, the rest of our marriage? I slid my chair away from the dinner table abruptly, the sound echoing in the large empty room. My footsteps slammed against the hardwood floors, maybe a touch dramatic, but the anger in me was palpable. Without knocking, I flung the door open, and it slammed against the wall. Tears threatened to spill over, but I didn't let them. He wasn't going to see me break.

I watched as he closed his laptop slowly and moved it away. He still couldn't look at me. "Do I disgust you that much?" His head finally snapped in my direction, but not for long. I couldn't read his expression. "You haven't said anything to me since that night, and now you avoid me in the house. You don't eat with me, and you can't even look at me! Is this what I have to look forward to in our marriage? Are you going to find a w***e to warm your bed because your virgin wife is just too inexperienced for you to f**k?!"

"ENOUGH!" Jeremiah shouted. He took a few breaths, and then finally had the nerve to look me in the eye. "It is no secret that I have been with a lot of women." I scoffed at the obvious fact. "I don't want your first time to be just me f*****g you. You deserve more than that. You deserve patience and intimacy."

"And what? You don't have the patience, or you just don't care enough to-"

"I've kept my distance because I wasn't sure if I was pressuring you. It felt wrong, like I was a villain trying to steal away your innocence. I just needed to take a step back, and give you space to think clearly without me influencing you in any sort of way." Jeremiah stood up and walked around the bed towards me. He stopped to sit at the end of the bed frame, still keeping a distance. "Gia, I've never been with a virgin. Even when I was one, the girl I was with for my first time was already experienced. The only thing I have ever known how to do is f**k, and I don't want that for you."

"Sooooo, am I supposed to let someone else-"

"Don't finish that sentence." Jeremiah warned. His fingers raked through his hair in frustration. That is when I noticed the dark circles under his eyes. He hasn't slept much. I looked round the room and saw the disarray. "I don't know how to be the man you need or want. This isn't just my first marriage, this is my first committed relationship. I've never been a boyfriend. I've never had to be considerate of any woman's feelings or needs. I don't know what is expected of me other than, don't disrespect you and never be unfaithful."

"I don't know how to do this either. My father never allowed me to date because he thought marrying off his virgin daughter could get him a good deal." I rolled my eyes and let myself sink to the floor and I laid on my back, staring up at the ceiling. "I'm just as clueless as you as far as relationships go. I never even saw my parents in love. They just seem like they tolerate each other, but their marriage has no laughter or affection."

Jeremiah stood over me, and then finally sat by my side, wrapping his arms around his knees. "And is that something you want? Laughter and affection?"

"I want passion. I want someone to want me so badly they can't keep their hands to themselves. And not just in a s****l way, but like they always want to hold me, or hold my hand. I want random kisses and an occasional smack on the ass." We both laughed. I found some hint of bravery and looked into his eyes. He watched me, curious. "I want a happy marriage, not just a contract. I want a healthy s*x life. A good one, hopefully." I giggled trying to joke, but I watched as his eyes darkened with want.

I reached out my hand and I rested it on his forearm. I loved how strong every part of him felt. I caressed down until I came to his hand and I intertwined our fingers. He raised our hands to his lips, and planted a soft kiss on my knuckles. Without looking away, he moved his lips further up, to my hand, then my wrist, my arm. Jeremiah sat up on his knees, and hovered over me, holding my hand above my head. With his other hand, he moved my right knee to the side, and opened my legs slightly, and then kneeled between them. His dark eyes held me in place. I couldn't move or look away.

"Tell me to stop." He whispered. But I said nothing. So, he leaned down and kissed me softly, just once. Jeremiah sat up again, and whispered, "Tell me to stop, Gia." I shook my head 'no', and raised myself up to kiss him back. He moaned into my mouth, deepening the kiss.

He pulled away, standing quickly. I thought he was rejecting me again, but instead he hauled me up to my feet before I could blink. His hands grabbed my face, and he pulled me into another hot, breathless kiss. This kiss was different. It was hungry and demanding. I could barely keep up. Our hands roamed each other's bodies, grabbing, and pulling on each other. "Tell me to stop."

"No." I whispered, my hands pulling at his shirt desperately.

He started walking me backwards towards the bed, and when I felt it behind me, he didn't hesitate to lift me up by my waist and sit me on the edge. Jeremiah stood between my legs and I pulled his shirt off over his head. My mouth watered at the sight in front of me. The muscles, the tattoos, the combination of both was lethal. He lifted my chin up with his index finger and there was a smug grin on the corner of his mouth. I bit my lip, looked in his eyes and leaned forward to kiss his chest.

"Tell me to stop." I teased him with his own words.

"You think you're funny?" Jeremiah's voice was deep and low. I looked in his eyes and could see that this was another side of him. "Don't play a game you're not ready for, baby."

"Maybe it's you that isn't ready." I spoke aloud without meaning to. I know Jeremiah isn't a man that you taunt, so I knew better than to push my luck, but I couldn't help myself.

He wrapped his hand around my face and pulled me closer to him, our noses almost touching. "You want to say that again?" I know it's a warning that I should heed, but I was determined to be stubborn. I opened my mouth to speak, but he cut me off. "Don't do it, Gia."

I bit my bottom lip again, slowly. "I said," He lowered his eyes at me, another warning that I disregarded. "Maybe it's you that isn't ready to play."

"Then let's play, baby."