"When are you planning on waking up," he whispered into my ear, his warm chest a huge mass against my back, his arm tight around my waist.
"Can't I just stay in bed with you for the day," I asked, grabbing his hand and bringing it to my lips as I left a kiss to the palm and then intertwined our fingers.
"I have a few people I'd like you to meet," his words reminding me of the guests in the house.
I sighed, wishing I could live in this moment forever, this blissful state of comfort, love, and protection.
He kissed my shoulder, "Come on, Princess. Let's go get ready for the day and we'll have some breakfast. You can't tell me you aren't hungry."
As if right on cue my stomach let out the loudest growl I'd ever heard.
"See," he teased, "I told you."
I sighed again, "Fine."
I heard him chuckle and slither his arm out of my grasp before throwing the cover off of us and leaving the bed. Once he was fully in the bathroom I grabbed the cover again and pulled it over my head.
"Genevieve," he called after a moment from the open door but I remained silent.
"What are you— I thought we were getting up?"
I whined loudly, not moving.
He sighed before coming to my side of the bed and moving the cover down to my shoulder, "How about I make you a deal, hmm? We'll spend the rest of the day with my family and then I'll send them home tonight and I'll take this week off and stay in bed with you the whole time. How does that sound?"
I moved the hair out of my face and rolled on my back, "The whole week, you say?"
He smirked, "The whole week. We can spend it in bed or we can spend it doing what you want, maybe going to get a few things from your apartment?"
A thought crossed my mind that had me sitting up, "My parents!"
"Shit," he hissed. I guess he hadn't called them to let them know what had happened.
"Maybe we shouldn't tell them," I whispered after a moment of thinking.
"Is that what you want," he wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me to him on the edge of the bed.
"Well, I'm okay now. I kind of feel like there's no need to worry them and they would only just want me to move back home..."
He stilled against me before squeezing me tighter, "I won't allow that to happen. I was serious when I said I can't lose you again."
I turned my head to look up at him, "So, no telling them?"
He shook his head, "I don't think so, but it's up to you."
All this decision making and he wants me to do it!
"Ugh," I groaned.
"What?"
I pushed his arms off of me and stood up from the bed before pacing around the room, "I need you to tell me what to do. I'm not used to having this much freedom with you. It's... it's not a feeling that I like. I can't be trusted with this stuff. What if I make the wrong decis—"
"Hey, hey, hey," he whispered and hugged me, "It's okay, Genevieve. There are no major decisions you need to make right this moment. I can go get you a morning-after pill to ease your mind on that, and we don't have to make a decision about your parents right now. I just want you to take today to breathe, relax, and be comfortable with me."
With him all day? I smiled at the thought but still felt anxious at the thought of the unknown.
Did I want a baby right now? Did I need a baby right now? What about making a name for myself? Did I want to be a stay at home mom and housewife at 22? Would he want me to be?
And what about my parents? They deserved to know, right? Or would that just cause more trouble? They most definitely would try to make me move back to New Orleans, but my life was here...my love was here.
All the questions and uncertainties swirling around my head were causing more anxiety to build on top of the anxiety already in place.
I took a deep breath, "Tell me what to do, Dominic," I whispered.
He pulled away before looking down into my eyes, "Go get ready to meet my siblings. I grabbed some clothes from your apartment while I was also grabbing your bathroom stuff and I already put your clothes in the closet so take your time and try not to worry about anything else for a moment."
I nodded, "Okay."
***
I heard a soft knock before a light, "Genevieve?"
I look over to the bathroom door, "Come in."
He opened the door and the first thing I noticed was that today, instead of a suit, he had on khaki pants and an emerald green long-sleeved shirt with two buttons opened at the top, a bit of his dark chest hair was on display and I had to look anywhere but there to rein in my thoughts.
He had a glass of water in one of his hands as he walked up to me, "Take this."
He held, between his fore and middle fingers of his other hand, a small white pill.
I looked into his eyes, "Is that—"
"Take it," he said sternly.
He was helping me to make the decision. He wasn't being malicious about it, but I remembered what he said last night...well, earlier this morning.
He wanted a baby with me but knew that the decision was best saved for a later date when it wasn't forced upon us.
"Thank you," I whispered and opened my hand.
I took the glass of water from him and threw the pill to the back of my throat, taking a sip and letting both wash down. I finished the glass, not realizing how thirsty I was, and then handed it back.
"I've also decided that we won't tell your parents—not yet, anyway."
I nodded and turned my attention back to the mirror. I put on a long light black sweater and a pair of black leggings along with a pair of black fuzzy boots. I pulled my hair into a messy bun and applied a few coats of mascara, but this was the most I felt like doing at the moment.
"Do I look okay," I asked, turning back to him.
He smiled and leaned down to kiss me, "You look amazing like you do every day. You've gone a little...dark, though, I see."
I shrugged lightly, "It's what fits the mood, I think."
I saw sadness pass over his face before he nodded.
No matter what happened between us last night, and all the decisions I was faced with that he helped make, the past two days still happened, and it was weighing heavily on my mind.
I didn't feel safe being alone. I didn't feel strong like I usually did. I wasn't feeling confident, I wasn't even feeling at the moment.
"I'm scared, Dominic," I whispered, tears welling up in my eyes.
His face fell again before he pulled me into his embrace, "I know, baby, but it's okay because you can cry all your heart desires and I'll still be here. You can scream and break a few plates too if that's what will help, but I will always be here. You will live with me, you will work with me, you will be with me every day until you get tired of seeing my face. Is that understood?"
I smiled slightly as I swiped the tears from my cheeks, "Yes, Sir."
"I love you, Genevieve. I honestly love you so much it hurts and I'll do anything to make you happy again."
I wrapped my arms tight around his middle, "I love you too, Dom. Thank you."
He held me for a moment, "Are you ready?"
I took a deep breath and pulled away, "I think so, yes."