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The car was mostly quiet, the only sounds were the pebbles on the highway, because Dominic and I hadn't spoken in three days.
We ended up keeping our word and staying relatively clear from each other throughout the week. To start off, our conversations were short, dinners were quick, and any sort of contact was minimal; then as the week advanced, nothing.
It felt strange to the point where I couldn't even explain it. After everything we had done, him standing just a few feet away from me everyday and us not being able to do anything about it felt like some cruel deprivation.
I had dreams, strange, lustful dreams about that man, with images of things we had never even done before racing through my mind in the middle of the night. Half of the time I couldn't even remember what had happened, I just woke up flushed with an ache of need in my core, and I knew it was Dominic's doing.
The fabric of my dress hitched up my upper thighs, reminding me just how short it was. I was beginning to think that maybe it might have been a good idea to change. The dress was a light cream colour, with full sleeves, and a sweetheart neckline. It was nice and sophisticated, not too revealing, and not too over dressed.
I paired it with deep red pumps, along with an assortment of gold necklaces, and a wine red leather jacket. If my father was going to be near me, I knew I had to do something to spite him, and he had a certain hatred for leather jackets like these; something about improper mannerism.
I had been reading for the majority of the ride, sometimes going on my phone, or just glancing out the window. My family never really went on road trips, even if it was only for forty five minutes, so I had never really seen outside of the city.
Most of the travelling we did was major, going to Europe or South America by private jet, so I got a nice view of the oceans sometimes. But the outside of the city was nice too— it was calm, and vast, and a lot quieter than inside the city.
I leaned against my elbow that was propped up against the window sill, gazing outside, then briefly allowed myself to glance at Dominic.
His hands tugged at the edges of his cuff links while he drove. He wore his classic white button up shirt, a few buttons undone towards the top, and a sleek black blazer.He stared straight ahead, his profile so focused, it was almost cute.
I think I had a thing for men in suits, because every time I so much as stole a stare at Dominic, my heart started to pulse just a bit faster. "You don't have to be nervous," he commented, somehow sensing me looking at him.
"I never said I was."
He kept one hand firmly on the wheel, the other allowing itself to tap the back of my hand gently. "Your hands are in fists."
I looked down to find that, yes, they were subconsciously in fists, gripping myself so tight that my own knuckles were white. My fingers had dug into the palm of my hands without me even noticing, an attempt to stay focused and push back my anxiousness.
I was nervous, very, but I still pushed, curious as to how Dominic knew in the first place. "And that displays nervousness?"
"For you it does." Dominic's eyes swept over mine, speaking without hesitation. "In minor occasions, you play with your ring. You spin it, or slide it up and down your finger, but when you're really anxious, you clutch your hands in fists."
I blinked.
"You were doing it while signing the contract, you did it while in the car to the auction," he continued, eyes avoiding me and planted on the road. "And you're doing it now."
I watched him diligently as he spoke, and I realized how calm he was now. Whenever he talked, he spoke evenly, sometimes even softly. When we'd get into arguments he never even raised his voice, his tone was always the same.
My eyes fluttered away, not saying a thing, not even acknowledging Dominic's observations. Though I had no idea he had paid such close attention to me from day one.
"You have nothing to worry about tonight, we'll be okay. Celeste is very welcoming, you'll like her," he eased. "And Antonio won't lay a finger on you."
He turned his gaze toward me, eyes filled with a deep and genuine concern that was impossible to ignore. It was as if his entire focus had shifted to me, leaving no doubt that he actually cared about my well-being. His brow furrowed slightly, "We can still turn back."
My lips pursed into a thin line. "It's okay."
I watched as his chest fell heavily, his eyes drifting from my face, down to my hands. He delicately unraveled my tensed up fist, his thumb smoothing over the palm of my hand where nail marks had dug into. They were slow, reassuring motions, before he closed his hand over mine, lacing our fingers together.
He was holding my hand.
His hand was drastically bigger than mine, a lot tougher too; I could feel it in his palms. They were so firm that if he were to squeeze too hard, they'd probably shatter.
There was something comforting about the small gesture though. Even though his hands had untraceable blood stains and stories of pain and violence, they were still filled with the ability to melt the coldest ice.
Neither of us said a word for the next several minutes.
"Oh," I whispered softly, my fingers reluctantly releasing their grasp on Dominic's. "I almost forgot."
As I reached into the pocket of my jacket to retrieve a small box, my heart skipped a beat when I caught a glimpse of Dominic's hand. His fingers and the muscles of his hands had subtly outstretched, tensed, and then relaxed again before tightly gripping his knee.
He had just flexed his hand.
"What—" I began, then stopped, suddenly aware that some things were better left unsaid. "Never mind." I turned my attention back to the black box hidden away in my leather jacket.
I watched as Dominic's attention shifted from the road to the unknown object in my hands while I opened it. The box contained the ring that I had bought for Dominic while with Lena.
It was a dark grey titanium band, with several small black diamonds, and a brushed and sleek finish. The total was a decent five grand, but I ended up paying for it on my own card with the money that was given to me before my father had cut me off.
"I had to get you a new one after I made a certain discovery."
"What was your discovery?" He toyed with me. He definitely already knew.
I bit the inside of my cheek, trying to fight off a smile. Handing him his new ring in between my fingers, I responded. "D.G.D, pretty subtle, I'll give you that."
While I had taken off my ring to have a shower the other day, I took a moment to actually examine it. That was when I came across his initials engraved into the band of my wedding ring, and it took me a that long to even notice.
"You aren't upset?"
"No, I'm pissed actually. You let me prance around like a dog, willingly wearing your name on my body," I admitted.
"My initials," he corrected, as if it made a difference. "You wore my initials on your body."
"Whatever. My point is, now we're even." I stated, because inside the band of his ring, I had my own initials engraved, V.C.D.
He accepted the ring, eyes scanning the inside of the metal where the engraving was placed. "Your middle name is Chase?"
It was.
My eyebrows furrowed. I didn't remember ever mentioning that to him, and for him to guess that and be right was impossible. "How the hell do you know that?"
He carefully slipped the old ring from off of his ring finger, replacing it with the one I had bought for him. "Thank you for the ring, Violet."
His sentence might have effected me more than it should have, because he actually used my name. Don't get me wrong, he had said it before, but he said it sincerely this time. I don't know— maybe I was making a big deal out of it. It was probably just because we hadn't actually had a proper conversation in a while.
I shot him a glare when he ignored my question. "Fine, if you won't tell me, then we aren't even," I told him. "You owe me."
"I owe you?"
"Mhm."
Dominic's grin spread to his eyes, his lips curving upward. Amusement. "Alright," he nodded, agreeing to some unspoken arrangement, and the pull between us remained undeniable. "In what way should I repay you?"
My response was equally charged with desire as I met his gaze, our eyes locking for a fleeting moment before I turned to watch the passing scenery.
"However you want." The words lingered in the close quarters of the car, heavy with possibilities, even as the miles rolled by.
We didn't talk for the rest of the way.
_______
I gaped up at Celeste and Antonio's house—no, mansion. It was a sprawling architectural masterpiece. Made with white bricks, and other rustic features, it also had delicate vines that crept up its walls, as if nature itself was attempting to embrace the structure.
Tall, arched windows, framed in ivy, and crimson flowers spilled from window boxes, adding a splash of vivid color against the pristine white backdrop.
I had never been to Italy, but I could swear it looked like it had been transported straight from there.
Dominic knocked on the large forest green double doors with force, and they quickly flew open, revealing a beaming blonde woman, who I could only assume was Celeste.
"Dominic, sono così felice di rivederti. (Dominic, I'm glad to see you again.)" She exclaimed with a bright smile, brushing Dominic on the arm before turning her full attention to me.
She had short blonde hair that swept over her shoulders, light blue eyes, and looked to be in her late forties. An assortment of pearls hung around her neck, and her posture was bubbly and, as Dominic mentioned, welcoming.
"You must be Violet. Oh, you are simply beautiful, my dear." She held me by the both of my shoulders, examining every little detail of my face.
"Thank you, Ms. D'Angelo."
"Oh, Celeste is perfectly fine." She smiled.
"Though red seems to suit you fabulously, Rita will gladly take your jacket, if you'd like." She gestured to an elderly woman who was conversing quietly with Dominic. She looked to be in her mid-sixties, her hair greyed and lines on her face. I assumed she was their maid, or something along those lines.
I did as requested, slipping off my jacket and handing it to Rita with a polite smile. "That dress is gorgeous on you. Mallory Prior, is it?" Celeste immediately complimented.
"Yes, it is." I smiled at her keen eye for the designer. Mallory Prior had been all of the rave for bridal wear over these past few months, though she had made a few casual pieces for her spring collection, which is what I wore.
"A beautiful girl with beautiful sense in fashion, I hope you've been buying her nice things, Dominic. Now, we were just about to sit down for dinner, is that alright?" Celeste said all at once. She spoke very quickly, almost in a rush.
"My parents are already here?"
"This way."
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"So, have you two thought about extending your family?" Celeste asked, politeness and curiosity in her tone.
We had just been served a fine plate of an Italian pasta that I wasn't able to pronounce, and so far questions were rolling smoothly. Dominic and I were able to respond without resistance, especially since Antonio apparently wasn't able to make it to dinner.
I managed to make out Dominic sigh of relief when Celeste had mentioned that.
Her question still hung in the air, and she obviously meant well. However, Dominic and I shared a moment of silent confusion.
"Children?" Celeste clarified, her voice gentle, but the question still sent shockwaves through our dinner conversation.
The surprise on our faces was evident as both Dominic and I nearly spat out our food. I glanced at him, who was clearing his throat, as I tried to maintain my composure while choking on a cut of a bite of pasta.
After a brief moment of disbelief, I managed to respond before Dominic. "No," I said, my voice carrying a hint of awkwardness. "No, we haven't thought about that yet."
"Well you're both still very young. There's plenty of time yet."
"Plenty." My father added. Of course he did. He had made it crystal clear that I wasn't to have children until I was successful.
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The past forty-five minutes had consisted of interrogation, and vivid lies. Most of the questions involved how Dominic and I met, how he proposed, the wedding, the honeymoon, the idea of kids. Honestly, I was surprised that I had even lasted this long without breaking into a smile; that was one of my very obvious giveaways.
However, Dominic was a natural. All of the responses he gave practically rolled off of the tip of his tongue without a second thought.
"Lucian, I hear the firm has been well." Celeste mentioned, and it was the first time we had mentioned business. I knew that somehow, my father would manage to find a way to scold me when that subject was brought up.
My father responded gruffly. "A little slow for my liking."
Dominic placed a hand on my thigh, almost instinctively, as soon as my father opened his mouth. He did this all throughout the night, and his touch always carried the same warm and reassuring feeling. His fingers lightly grazed my leg in a gentle way, soothing circles in my inner thigh.
I didn't know if it was supposed to be in a comforting or sexual way, but it definitely had some sort of effect on me, because every time he inched higher up my leg, it felt like a thousand fireworks were exploding throughout my body.
"I'm sure it'll pick up in no time," my mother commented, her voice soft and shy.
"Yes, well there would be a great deal of stress lifted off of my shoulders if my daughter would hurry on and get to school."
Dominic's hand continued to smooth up and down my thigh. "Dad, I don't want to do this here," I said, but was ignored.
"You could be brilliant, Violet, but you've decided to give up. You've given up and given nothing back to this family, after all I have done for you."
"Lucian-" My mother tried to interfere, but my father didn't let her. "Your daughter needs to know her place."
My mother sighed, wiping the palms of her hands on the knee length black dress she wore. "Excuse me." She got up from the table silently, and made her way down a hall.
This is what normally happened in my house before I moved out. Whenever my father and I got into arguments like these, she would excuse herself and made sure she played no part in the disagreement.
"It's been weeks, Violet, and I haven't heard a word from you since your 'moving in' with Dominic."
I bit the inside of my cheek, feeling the tension building between us. "Oh, I know," I replied, my tone tinged with defiance. "How does it feel to be cut off?"
"Don't you disrespect me," my father shot back, his anger palpable, our disagreement escalating quickly.
"Calm yourself," Dominic warned sternly, his grip on my leg tightening with possession.
"I am done with you dragging your feet about this decision, when it isn't yours to make. If you didn't want to have this conversation in front of your in-laws, you should have thought about that before you decided to not attend school."
I nearly laughed. "What do you mean this isn't my decision to make? This is my life, is it not? I'm married now, and we're financially stable. This is what you wanted, after all," I reminded him, because all of this anger and annoyance that felt was his own doing. "Isn't it?"
I would have gotten my degree if it wasn't for him and the arranged marriage. Hell, I'll probably still go to University and get a degree, but there's no rush for it now, and I especially wouldn't do it for my father.
"Are you mocking my decisions?" He demanded, expression stern and unimpressed.
"Decisions?" I scoffed, trying to hide the fact that he had nearly blown Dominic and I's cover. "Mocking? No. I'm simply stating that I have spent these past eight years devoting my life to please you. I'm no longer a naive little girl who you can play fucking puppets with, I make my own choices."
"Curse at me again, daughter, and I-"
"I'm afraid you've forgotten who's in control of your firm; why it's even able to hold up in the first place." Dominic had interrupted my father, his tone stern and deep.
"Yell at my wife again, Lucian," he warned, his tone carrying a veiled threat. His jaw had clenched, and I could see the tension in the muscles of his arms. "Yell at her again and see what'll happen."
My father had no reply, he was unable to speak after the husband he had arranged for me had threatened him and his most prized possession.
"Lucian, I find it very interesting how your daughter has better manners than you. It's a shame how proper etiquette is only taught to girls, hm? It seems as though it should be taught to full grown men as well." Celeste had carefully folded her lap handkerchief and placed it on the table. "You've overstayed your welcome," she told my father.
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Dominic and I left Celeste's about thirty minutes after both of my parents left. They managed to leave just before the storm had hit, but unfortunately, we weren't so lucky. We needed up having to turn back around, because the conditions of rain were too extreme.
I attempted to open my door once we rolled into the driveway, but Dominic stopped me. "Stay," he said softly, his hand gently pressing on my thigh to keep me in place as he stepped out of the car. The rain was pouring relentlessly, and by the time he circled around to my side, his hair was already drenched.
He tugged the car door open with a determined pull, extending his rain-soaked hand to assist me. I hesitated for a moment, feeling the deluge of raindrops soaking everything in sight.
Stepping out into the downpour, I felt the icy cold rain drenching us both. The car door closed with a loud thud, and Dominic quickly ushered me by the small of my back to the front of the house.
He was being very touchy today— but that wasn't a complaint.
He tugged the front doors open with force, and we were met at the foyer by their maid, Rita, bearing towels and a warm smile. "Oh, you poor thing." She spoke to me, offering a towel.
"It's only rain," I smiled sweetly.
"But you two must be freezing, hm? I told Celeste that she should force you to stay, but did she listen?" She shook her head with disappointment. "Antonio has just arrived as well, but come along, I'll show you upstairs."
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A/N.
guys pls tell me yk what the hand flex means
words (3400)