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Tea Room

Note: Rewritten but not triple checked for spelling and grammatical errors. If you see one feel free to comment

The tea room was a place I had not yet explored to. It was just as extravagant as the rest of the castle. It's rich velvet walls were decorated with ancient, glorious paintings of battles and fairy tales. Princesses, swords, honor, it was all transcribed with elegant stokes of a paint brush. They were a lot like the ones in my bedroom, and the dinning room, and the halls. The content was different but the style and technique was the same. All the paintings seemed to be done by the same person. Which was impossible because the castle held millions of them.

The room, matching the gothic theme of these paintings, comprised of a single common area surrounded by dozens of circular tables. The lights were low, dimmed to complete the ambience. I could barely see my feet as we made our way to the center of the room where a den of pillow topped sofas sat around a low oak tea table. It had a lone candle in the middle, its wick dancing in the darkness. I almost wanted to wave back.

"What did you want to talk to me about?" I asked. He still had a hold on me, guiding me so I wouldn't fall. When he took a seat, I did the same on the couch across from him. I wasn't sure why I put so much space between us but I thought it was for the best. After all, the butterflies were already tickling my lungs, making it hard to catch my breath.

"I'm looking out for your safety when I say I don't want you to be alone with Giovanni or Renee. I'm not saying you can't take care of yourself, don't misunderstand me. It's just-" He looked utterly exhausted, as if being near those evil twins sucked the energy right out of him. "I would feel a lot better if you could just stay by my side while they are here. I know you can't, though. That's what makes this so hard."

His big hand rose to ease the tension on his face. It rubbed rather roughly between his eyes and along the scruff he had forgotten to shave away amongst all the chaos. 

"I'll be fine." I was flattered that he was worried about my wellbeing.

Taking a deep breath he leaned his head back and looked at the ceiling. "They are going to try to go after you, you know that right?"

"Dominik, I'll be fine. I'll make sure we never end up alone." I may have sounded confident but I wasn't so sure. Giovanni was a sneaky person and if he wanted to get me alone, I'm pretty sure he could make it happen. With there being two of them, I wouldn't really have a chance of escape, even if I tried. I wasn't trying to deject myself because of my gender but the cold hard truth of the matter was that in the minimal amount of physical contact I had had with the twins, it was evident they were strong. Back in the office, Renee had been so quick, so ruthless in the way he had gripped my hand. If they had meant to, they could have hurt me.

"I know you may think I'm overreacting but I've seen what they can do. They are dangerous." His eyes found mine causing a warm chase to begin in my chest. "I don't want them anywhere near you."

"I'll be fine." I said a little to loudly, losing a little bit of my confidence the more thought.

Suddenly, I realized just how scared I really was. It had been hard enough coping with what Giovanni had inflicted alone. I didn't know if I could handle double the cruelty, double the mental strain. I could still hear his voice in my head. It taunted me when I became doubtful, like sin nagging on my morality.

As if reading my thoughts, Dominik watched me, giving me the saddest look his gentle green eyes could muster. 

"I'll be fine." I was trying to convince myself more than I was him. To be honest, it wasn't working.

I saw just how many holes had been in my voice when he stood abruptly, his hand shooting up to angrily smooth back his hair. For a moment, he paced. His heavy steps were long, meaningfully loud. He looked at me. He looked away. It all churned in his mind as he thought by himself for a moment. When he had come to a decision he didn't give me time to persuade him otherwise, he simply headed to the door and shouted into the room.

"That's it, I'm canceling the meeting." He voice rumbled throughout the room, shaking the paintings scared and inciting a panic in feet. I ran after him, catching him by his arm. "They are leaving right now."

The look in his eyes was stern and harder than the core of the earth. There wasn't a doubt in my mind that he would kick them to the curb with his boot strapped in metal spikes.

But this wasn't an answer to my terrors. This was interference with his company. I couldn't come between him and business partners. I wouldn't be a parasite. I refused to let Giovanni get to me anymore than he already had. I wouldn't let him make me into the monster that he insisted I was. 

"No." I squeezed his arm for emphasis. 

"I'm not going to just sit back as they torment you in your own home, in my house!" He growled looking over my head rather than at me. He suddenly seemed full of chaotic energy, something he had lacked earlier. "I don't want them anywhere near you."

"I can't let you cancel this meeting." I argued. "Yes, I admit I'm scared of them! But what about your business? What about your families name?"

He snapped, looking me directly in the eyes with the most wildest expression. "I don't care."

There was a moment of shock in me, at his bold declaration. Though I knew it was a lie, it filled with this gushy sensation akin to excitement. It made my face hot and the hand that gripped his bulging bicep felt weak. I nearly released him from my hold to throw my arms around his neck instead. 

But I caught myself swooning and stopped it before I could give in. I jerked his arm, pulling him closer so he could hear the severity in my voice.

"I do." I spoke loud and with as much authority as I could muster. "Do not cancel this meeting."

I saw how my words sunk into him. They penetrated his anger, turning into someone new, something hot. I had half expected him to shout at me, to put me in my place. He eyes told me that would never happen. Rather than finding my overstep as offensive, I realized he valued my input. 

What I hadn't realized though, was the passion wafting off of him like pheromones. That is until he grabbed me and pulled me to his chest, his lips lunging for mine. It was hard and rough, like the explosion of a million stars shooting beneath my skin. It burned me up inside, my body going weak against his as if I were being absorbed into him. His mouth pressed to mine in an amazingly desperate lock. And as quickly as he had taken the step, he pulled away, breathing hard into my face, his words dark and alluring.

"I have two conditions." He groaned.

I couldn't open my eyes to look him in the face, the feeling of our kiss still pulsating through my face.

"Keep Vera with you at all times." I felt him hover, aching for him to do it again. "And get dressed. Your practically naked and I cant take it."

I didn't have enough time to take in his words before he released me and left in a hurry. When I opened my eyes, I stood in the tea room alone.