Deluca

TEN

Giselle had a concentrated look on her face as she mussed over Eleanor like a doting mother. It had been last minute when Francesco requested for her to attend a dinner with him that evening. The day had been long and arduous enough and yet she still found herself being dressed and observed like a doll.

Only this time Eleanor found herself more nervous than before. She hadn't realized where she went wrong. It probably had been asking Giselle for a dress, because Eleanor had nothing made to impress the crowds, she imagined Francesco to be in.

The only problem had been Giselle hadn't been as endowed as Eleanor and her American diet. The dress, while fitting, hugged Eleanor tightly. When Eleanor complained Giselle had told her it was a good thing. Meanwhile, one wrong move and Eleanor would be giving them dinner and a show.

The dress was simple. It was a strapped dress that naturally hugged around her waist making her hourglass figure even more prominent. At the same time, it pushed her cleavage up. Given that Giselle was a few inches taller than Eleanor her feet, including the pointed stilettos, were covered. Only flashing when she took a step.

With such a short amount of time, Giuseppe helped with Eleanor's hair, doing large curls with a curler, and flipping Eleanor's curtain bangs.

By the time she was done, she felt like Cinderella, but she couldn't exactly call Giuseppe and Giselle her mice. They were done in two hours, giving them only enough time to leave.

Eleanor was nervous but she couldn't tell if it was Francesco's reaction to the dress or nerves from her unpleasant time spent with his mother. As she descended the steps, both Giselle and Giuseppe followed behind her chirping away like eager birds for Francesco's reaction.

Just like a storm, Francesco walked in. He was wearing a tightly tailored suit, showing off the physique that Eleanor had been well aware of. His hair was still wet from the shower, but it had been combed back out of his face giving Eleanor a full view of something she found herself longing to see.

"There you are, you know I cannot be late too," Francesco's scolding stopped when his eyes found Eleanor.

His gaze devoured her as his eyes slowly drug down to her feet. The gaze was one she hadn't seen in his eyes so glaringly before.

Lust.

Eleanor felt her skin grow hot and her nipples tightened against the dress, and she had to grip the stair rail to remain steady. She continued down the steps, not letting her gaze leave Francesco until she was by his side.

She took his hand.

"Okay, be home before midnight!" Giselle said.

"And stay safe!" Giuseppe added as they began to walk out the doors. Francesco moved stiffly as though he was still recovering from a great shock.

"And if you have sex in my dress, keep it!" Giselle called back, immediately being scolded by Giuseppe who shoved her before closing the doors loudly. The pair could still be seen arguing through the opaque glass.

~*~

Francesco found his usually well-compartmentalized mind completely flooded with his senses. When he had first seen Eleanor standing on the steps, he felt as though he had suffered a blow, knocking all of the air out of his lungs.

From the moment he first saw Eleanor, he found her beautiful. Perfect, even. They were thoughts he had attempted to keep at bay, knowing that his end game had been to get her out of this situation as fast as possible.

Try as he might, Francesco always found his body reacting to Eleanor. Whether it was mirroring a smile she was giving him, feeling a surreal relief when he woke up next to her, or feeling a tightening in his pants when she had managed to snake her way onto her side of the bed.