TW: MENTIONS OF RAPE and DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
DANTE MANCINI—AUGUST
THE NEXT TWO HOURS of the flight flew by, filled with nothing but temporary animosity towards one another and uncomfortable silence. I couldn't help but wonder if Lauren had the same reaction when Khalil revealed the surprise to her.
Thinking back, I figured that I could have probably went about this in a completely different way, yet I still felt that her reaction was a bit dramatic. She couldn't even be grateful until I called her out about it.
Still being a gentleman, I picked up her carry-on bags for her and followed her off of the jet where a car was waiting for us at the bottom of the stairs.
Surrounding us were mountains and expansive fields and I could tell they had captivated her, especially with the small sigh she let escape. Our luggage was being loaded into the trunk so we simply climbed into the backseat of the car with our carry-on luggage in tow.
We were still giving each other the silent treatment—and I was determined not to be the first one to crack—so when she sat on the complete opposite side and faced the window, I kept my lips locked. Even if I did want her to be right by side.
I agreed with Naomi that we were at a great point in our relationship—or were a few hours ago—and I found that it was becoming easier for me to return the affection that she also enjoyed as well. For weeks, I've felt bad that she would be so comfortable hugging and kissing me without second-thought, while I struggled to do so.
We left the airport and headed towards the villa that I had rented for the four of us where Lauren and Khalil were already waiting. After passing through the mountains filled with greenery, we finally reached the coastline. Although our villa was outside of the town, we still had an excellent view of the brightly colored homes and buildings, as well as the cerulean hued Mediterranean Sea.
"Nous sommes arrivés (We've arrived)," Our driver spoke from the front seat as the car came to a stop before a iron gate held up on two cobblestone posts.
I passed him a card I was sent when I rented the villa and as soon as he scanned it, the gates opened to reveal the cobblestone villa before us, ivy lining the magnificent exterior. The front lawn was expansive with the most vibrant, green grass I had seen in a long while.
Glancing over at Naomi, I watched as a grin grew on her face at just the sight of the home, her eyes scanning everything that was within our viewing range. It was a shame that we had argued on the plane because otherwise we would have been sharing our exhilaration together.
"Merci Monsieur (Thank you, sir)," I spoke to the driver as he gently placed our luggage down as he pulled it out of the trunk.
The front door of the home flew open and Lauren rushed out, her arms spread wide open as she ran towards Naomi. She engulfed Naomi into a hug before the two began gushing all about the home while Khalil and I focused on dragging the luggage inside.
"Was she excited to find out we were coming here first?" He asked once we were inside of the home and out of their earshot. "Lauren wouldn't stop jumping up and down on the plane. The co-pilot had to tell her to stop."
I laughed at his explanation, a bit downcast about the fact that Naomi had had quite the opposite reaction. "No...she was actually pissed about it because she hadn't packed for Saint-Tropez."
When Khalil shook his head with his lips pressed tightly together, I could practically feel the lecture about to come on. "That was your first mistake, Mancini. You should have told her that you were taking her somewhere special first so that you could tell her what to pack. She wouldn't know where you would be taking her...it would still be a surprise."
In hindsight, I completely wish that was what I had done because it surely would have made this whole situation much less tense. But at the same time, this was my first time even planning something like this for a woman—I didn't know how to do it correctly. Sure, I had flown out dozens of women to whatever location I was in, yet it was never a surprise and they knew exactly what to wear. In this case, I had no idea how the surprise should have went and really wished I had consulted Khalil.
"This place is a-may-zing," Naomi shouted as she and Lauren bursted into the room, now taking in the interior that they had yet to explore. "The backyard is even bigger and that pool is so nice."
We joined the girls on the tour they wanted to take of the five bedroom home. Our first stop was the living room we were currently standing in, furnished with cream and black colored decor that was reminiscent of a French style, yet more modern. Beyond that was a dining room of the same decor which then led to a kitchen with off-white cabinets and counters and sleek appliances. Through the kitchen, we stepped out onto a terrace that led directly to the backyard where the heated pool was situated, as well as rows and rows of olive trees and cobblestone fountains.
The home was on just one level so we followed Naomi and Lauren down yet another corridor that led to three of the fives rooms, stumbling across the one that Naomi and I would be in. Like the rest of the villa, it was decorated in muted tones that still held onto the Mediterranean decor. Our bathroom was expansive as well, with stone detailing on everything, a clawfoot bathtub, and a shower along the wall with glass surrounding it.
"You picked the perfect place, Dante," she complimented me once we had stepped out of the bathroom, standing just mere inches away from one another.
"I'm glad you like it," I replied, sending her a tight-lipped smile as I tried to ignore the tension and awkwardness still lingering in the air. She looked up at me with soft eyes and I could practically see that tough exterior she had put on crumbling by the second.
"I'm sorry for how I acted on the plane. You were right, I should have been grateful for this instead of complaining about my clothing."
"No...it was justified. I should have at least told you what to pack so that you would have been prepared. I'm sorry for the way I acted as well," I told her, being brave and taking the step forward towards her, placing my hands on either side of her hips. "Sometimes you have to call me out for being an oblivious man, Naomi."
She chuckled as I pulled her flush against me, gazing down into her hazelnut hued eyes while she looked up at me softly. "I'll keep that in mind. And I really enjoyed hearing you speak in French. I want to hear even more."
"You will when I take you out shopping before dinner tonight," I remarked with a quirked eyebrow as her smile grew trifold and she rested her head on my chest.
It was a relief to me that we were able to get over our little quarrels quite easily, letting me know that they were normal and fixable. From what I've heard, it normal for couples to argue and although we aren't one, I figured that we had just hit that stage earlier than others.
***
"I CAN'T EVEN FIND the words to explain how gorgeous this view is," Naomi sighed as we neared the city, the view of the mountains to our left while the vibrant town and the coastline were to our right.
As promised, I was taking Naomi out to do some shopping before dinner as my way of apologizing for not giving her advanced notice about the detour from Paris. She insisted on paying for all of her clothes with her own money, but there was no way I would be letting that happen.
"I mean...look at how colorful all of these houses and buildings are. Why can't America be like this?" She continued dreamily, resting her head on the back of her seat.
"In the place where my mother grew up in Italy, the buildings look just like this. It almost feels like none of them are the same color," I admitted to her, reminiscing on the few times I had visited her hometown and been enchanted by the architecture.
"You never talk about your parents. Do they live in America or back in Europe?"
Her question instantly made me regret my previous statement about my mother, as this wasn't the conversation I wanted to be having at all. I never wanted to have a conversation with her about my parents unless it was me telling her what horrible people they are. I could practically feel my body tense up, my knuckles turning white where they held the steering wheel as my nostrils flared.
Finally, I managed to reply with, "America," not wanting to expand on the situation anymore. If she picked up on my reluctance, I was glad that she didn't push any farther and changed the subject.
Minutes later we were walking into a boutique that I picked out for Naomi since she had no understanding of the French language whatsoever. She could barely say bonjour correctly.
She insisted that we go our separate ways so that I could choose some outfits I would like to see her in during the vacation. I would honestly be content with seeing her dressed in anything—or nothing—but I complied and went to a separate section to search.
I slowly browsed through a few of the aisles, glancing over at Naomi every once in a while who had a serious expression on her face and a growing pile of clothing. After I while of searching, I finally put in some effort and picked up a dress that I could already visualize her in.
Slinging it over my arm, I decided that this one article of clothing was enough and made my way over to her for opinion.
"Just one thing, Dante?"
"Yes. Because I would really enjoy seeing you in this," I told her, lifting the dress so that she could view it.
She reached her hand out to feel the fabric as her eyes scanned the dress. I was a bit nervous she would have something negative to say, especially since I had never been shopping with her before, but I was relieved when she said, "I love it! You really do have a fashion sense, huh?"
"I try," I remarked, patting myself on my back just as one of the boutique employees approached us.
"Souhaitez-vous un dressing (Would you like a dressing room)?" She asked Naomi who immediately glanced up at me for a translation. I really wished we had practiced her French a little more.
"She's asking if you would like a dressing room."
She pondered for a second, glancing between the woman and the clothing before replying with, "Oui."
The woman led us to another part of the store where Naomi could try on the clothing while I waited and critiqued. This would undoubtedly be my favorite part of this little outing.
She tried on a few outfits that I liked as much as she did, encouraging her to get it each and every time she reconsidered her decision. I knew she was indecisive, but this took that to a whole new level.
When she finally stepped out in the dress I had chosen for her, I was taken aback by just how magnificent she looked—almost like a goddess. I hadn't doubted that the dress would look wonderful on her, but even that seemed to be an understatement.
"You don't think it's too much? Does it show too much skin? I don't know..."
I stood from the loveseat and walked over to where she was standing before the mirror and observing herself. I wrapped my arms around her waist, pulling her in against me as a minuscule grin took over her face.
"You look absolutely stunning, sweetheart," I whispered sweetly in her ear, watching as that grin grew trifold and she leaned further into my hold. "Look at yourself and how good you look."
I unraveled one arm from around her and gently lifted her chin so that she was gazing back into the mirror, raking her body in. And then the next thing I knew, her eyes were glassy and she was trying her hardest to hold tears back to no avail.
Before I could make sure she was okay, she choked out, "No one has ever made me feel the way you do, Dante. I used to never think I was beautiful and even though I love how I look now...no guy has ever spoken to me like that and it's just so reassuring to hear."
Still behind her, I raised my hand from her chin and gently wiped away her falling tears as she continued to stare at herself. I couldn't understand how any guy in the past could have been with her and not compliment her in that way.
"They must have been blind, Naomi, because each and every time I look at you all I can think about is how stunning you are," I admitted to her. "Okay...I do think about a few other things, but I don't want to ruin the moment," I added jokingly.
She choked out a laugh, stepping out of my grip and spinning around so that she was now facing me. She delicately placed her hands on both of my cheeks as she stared up at me with an unreadable expression in her eyes. I was so used to being able to gauge what she was feeling that now that I couldn't I was lost as to what she would do next.
"You are amazing, Dante. Truly. I couldn't dream of being here right now with anyone else...you just constantly make me feel so...good."
It was like realization dawned on me at her words although I should have realized this long ago. I was falling in love with Naomi—fast—and for the first time in my life. Love was an emotion I truly don't think I've ever felt for anyone other than Anna, which was of course different from what I was beginning to feel for Naomi. With her, I didn't want to be the one to always control the situation, I wanted to know everything about her, and I wanted her to know more about me. What I liked, what I hated, what made me happy. I was a closed off person by nature, so feeling the need to open up to Naomi let me know that this was love blossoming within me and I could almost feeling it growing day by day.
***
WALKING INTO OUR BEDROOM, I watched as Naomi kicked off her heels with a sigh before flopping back onto the bed with her eyes closed.
After finishing up our shopping earlier in the day, we came right back to the home and got dressed to go to dinner. This time, I had let Khalil choose the restaurant—a risky choice due to his lack of good judgment—and was pleasantly surprised that he actually chose a wonderful place. It was right on the Mediterranean and our table was on a platform just feet away from the water, giving us a straight view of the setting sun on the horizon.
I had been to Saint-Tropez more times than I would like to remember—and probably more times than I can remember—but being there with Naomi now made it feel like the first time. Watching her fawn over the French language, her excitement about all the architecture, and how in awe she was at the beauty made me feel like I had never been here before.
"You tired, sweetheart?" I questioned as I began to unbutton my shirt in the mirror looming over the dresser. I glanced back at her to see that she was now sitting up on the bed, staring at me intently as I shrugged the shirt off my shoulders.
"I was," she remarked sultrily, standing from the bed and approaching me enticingly. "But you look too good."
"Oh yeah? Is it your turn to dish out the compliments?"
She hummed, moving to stand in front of me and running her hands up my torso as she stared up into my eyes. My breath hitched in my throat when she instead began to move them down towards my belt.
And just as she began to unbuckle it, a sound from down the hallway stopped her in her tracks, hindering whatever was about to happen.
"Ugh...that just killed the mood," she groaned at the sound of Lauren's loud moans down the hallway. This house was not big enough.
"There's always a next time," I said with a wink, proceeding to finish taking off the clothing I wore to dinner. "We could try out that pool."
"Wonderful idea," she remarked, holding her hands over her ears as she moved across the room to her suitcase. She came back out with a bikini and I watched closely as she stripped out of the dress and into that. "You ready?" She questioned, motioning to the swim trunks I had just put on.
With our ears covered—even though the house was so silent we could still hear them—we ran out to the backyard, bursting into laughter once we were out of their hearing range.
"Are we that loud when we have sex, Dante?" She giggled as we approached the pool with one another, the moonlight shining down and illuminating the path for us.
"Trust me...we're not."
At the edge of the pool, I watched as she dipped her toe in, pulling it back out as a shiver ran through her body. There was no way I would let her not get in this pool because she claimed it was too cold—so I did what was only right. I wrapped my arms tightly around her waist and pulled her into the pool with me, only letting go when we swam to the top.
"Fuck you," she sputtered, splashing water in my direction as I could barely catch my breath from how hard I was laughing.
"At least the water isn't that cold anymore," I retorted, flipping over onto my back and beginning to back float.
She followed suit, moving to be beside me as we swam like this along the length of the pool. Staring up at the moon above us, I just felt such peace that I hadn't felt in years. Of course, I still had the stress of running a multi-billion dollar company, deciding whether or not I would sit down and speak to my parents, and networking at the charity—but I still felt tranquil. And I had a feeling that it was because of the girl beside me—even if we did argue like we've been together for years.
"Come here," I spoke to her when I was leaned against the edge of the pool, beckoning for her to approach me.
I watched as she swam over to me gracefully, her braids trailing behind her before she came to tread water before me. I forgot she couldn't stand in this deep of water.
"What do you think we should do tomorrow?"
As if she had already had this planned for days, she instantly replied with, "Explore the town during the day and go to one of the clubs at night. Maybe one of the slightly touristy ones."
I chuckled, snaking my arm around her waist and pulling her towards me while she wrapped her legs around my torso. "You've been doing your research, huh? That's hot."
She brought her lips to mine, capturing me into a soft kiss. It was slow and sweet, both of us wanting to savor it before our lungs betrayed us and we had to pull away.
"I know I said this before," Naomi began, resting her forehead against mine. "But I truly think this trip is going to be good for us. I think there are some conversations we need to have and being away from our normal lives will make that easier."
I was a bit worried about what conversations she was wanting to have because there was always the possibility that these important conversations could turn south very quickly. While I agreed that we did in fact need to have some in depth, essential conversations, I just didn't want that to be the downfall of whatever relationship we were beginning. It was wrong of me to want this whole 'honeymoon stage' thing to last even longer, but at the same time I was comfortable with it.
And that was the problem. I had never made it to this point in a relationship and it put me completely out of my comfort zone. It was great that I was taking this chance for not only her, but for myself as well.
"I think we do too. I'll let you take the lead on that."
She nodded, followed by a yawn and before I knew she it she was resting her head on my shoulder. With her legs still wrapped around my waist, I walked us over to the stairs of the pool and carried her back into the house. After a quick—and tame—shower together, we laid in bed for our first night of sleep in Saint-Tropez.
***
IN THE MIDDLE OF the night I rolled over only to discover that the other side of the bed was empty. On the other side of the room, I could see that the lights in the bathroom were on and I figured Naomi would be out soon—until I heard the sound of retching.
Standing from the bed, I rushed over to the bathroom door and pushed it open to see her on the floor in front of the toilet getting sick.
"Sweetheart, are you okay?" I questioned as I rushed over to her side, pulling back her braids for her as she got sick yet again.
"Yeah...I think it was just the food from the restaurant," she replied tiredly, leaning her head back against the wall and giving me a full view of the tears that were running down her face as well.
She was lying. Nothing was wrong with the food, we had shared the same exact dish and I was perfectly fine. However, I didn't want to force what was wrong out of her until she was feeling better.
"Do you still feel like you need to get sick?"
When she shook her head, I reached out to help her up, only for her to flinch away from me. I shot back from her, my eyebrows furrowed as she adverted her gaze and stood to her feet. She was worrying me endlessly; she wasn't acting like herself at all with how silent she was and the sullen expression on her face.
"Sweetheart, why don't you brush your teeth and we'll talk when you're done?" I suggested hopefully, feeling relieved when she nodded her head and began to do just that.
I stalked back out into the room, leaving the bathroom door slightly ajar. Sitting at the edge of the bed, I rested my head in my hands and ran them through my hair roughly. It was starting to seem like we would have a few great hours together before some like this happened and changed the entire trajectory of the evening. And it was neither of our faults, I just wished it didn't happen.
Moments later, she was walking back into the bedroom looking much more refreshed than she had just moments ago. I almost assumed she would move far away with how much she had flinched just moments ago, but she instead sat right beside me, curled into my side.
"I guess I didn't want us to have one of these important conversations so early," she began, laughing dryly. "But I had a dream and I don't know...it just made me get sick," she added as though she could just be nonchalant about this and not go into anymore detail. She wasn't being as honest as she could be.
"What happened in this dream?"
Her eyes began to water again as she stared up at me, attempting to hold them back only for them to spill out.
"It was of me and my ex...and...he was," she couldn't even get the words out, struggling to catch her breath. I rubbed her back soothingly, assuring her that she could take her time. Finally she continued with, "Dante...my ex abused me physically, emotionally and...sexually. That's what the dream was about."
And then she was sobbing again as my heart felt like it was being shattered into millions of little pieces while my blood boiled simultaneously.
a/n (please read and respond): left ya'll with KIND OF a little cliffhanger
so, like i said on my instagram, i have good news...I'm planning a sequel for this story!!!!! of course, this one isn't close to being over yet, but i've already plotted out the whole thing and feel like a sequel is needed and it will still revolve around naomi and dante!!
for that reason, i want to hear you guys' opinions on different tropes so i have your input for the sequel. please comment your thoughts on each one:
enemies to lovers?
second chance love?
accidental pregnancy?
grumpy guy/sunshine girl?
love triangle?
i hope you enjoyed the chapter and i can't wait to see your opinions on these tropes!!