The Brightest Star

Chapter 13

True to his word, Marco is knocking on my door at precisely 12 o'clock. I scurry over and open the door. He's leaning against the wall beside my room with a smirk on his face.

"It's good to see you out of bed," he says as I step into the hallway.

"Thanks for last night," I reply, gaze dropping to my shoes.

"I already told you," he says, his hand resting between my shoulder blades, "if you need me, I'm there."

I bite on my lip as a smile creeps it's way onto my face, "thank you."

"Now, c'mon," he urges me forward, "Dominic had them make your favorite."

"He did?" I question, brows furrowed.

"Yeah," he laughs, "now let's go before it gets cold."

He guides me through the house to the dining room. The smell of melted cheese and toasted bread wafts through the air as we pass the tables of men. In the most uncoordinated moves I've ever seen, Dom jumps from his chair to pull out mine. I take a seat and smile up at him.

"Here," Dom moves quickly, putting a slice of pizza on my plate, "your favorite."

"Thanks, Dom," I reply as I reach for my water.

"I uh," he rubs the back of his neck, a nervous habit, "I want to show you something when we're done."

"What is it?" I hesitantly ask.

I watch him carefully as he fills my water cup. He's jittery, almost twitchy in his movements. He's nervous about something.

"It's a surprise," he smiles, his hand finding my thigh under the table, "I promise you'll like it, mia stella."

"Okay," I reply softly.

I bite into the pizza and close my eyes. It's absolutely delicious; the perfect combination of fresh mozzarella, homemade sauce, and crispy crust.

"You still do that, huh?" Dom chides.

I furrow my brows and take another bite, "do what?"

"Your little happy food dance," he replies, gesturing to me, "you just kinda...shimmy in your seat."

"I don't do that," I reply firmly.

"Yes, you do," Marco says, his mouth full.

I lock eyes with Leon and all he does is shrug. Embarrassment begins to creep up my neck until my cheeks are burning. I turn back to Dom and stick my tongue out. He smirks and goes back to his food.

After four more slices, I sit back in my seat. That was possibly the best pizza I've ever had. And now I'm almost too full to move.

"That was really good," I declare.

"We hardly use the pizza oven," Leon says, "it's such a waste."

"I'm glad you liked it, little love," Dom dabs at his mouth with a cloth napkin, "you ready to go?"

I sigh heavily as I stand, "yeah, I'm ready."

Dom smiles and takes my hand in his, leading me out of the dining room. We come to a stop in front of large French doors that open to the backyard. Two men are posted there and hold open the door for us.

Dominic continues to lead me through the back garden. It's beautiful. There's a maze made of tall hedges that surround a stone waterfall. All different kinds of flowers are in bloom, arranged carefully. A greenhouse comes into view and Dom comes to a halt.

"I know this isn't going to fix everything," he starts as he cups my cheek, "but I want you to have a place that's just yours. Away from the house and the men and all of our fucking guns."

His pine colored eyes search my face. My heart is hammering in my chest and butterflies flurry in my stomach. The way he's looking at me is causing my walls to falter; making me forget why I was ever mad at him in the first place.

His hand drops to my lower back and he urges me forward. The doors to the greenhouse are wide open and I walk right inside. My eyes go wide as I look around.

The entire building is covered in plants and flowers. Large, draping plants hang from the ceiling while little seedlings sit on a tray. There's a small bench with tools and a watering can next to a deep sink.

"Check out the back," Dom instructs.

I listen to him and continue through the bright room. At the back of the greenhouse is a plush loveseat and matching armchair situated on a small rug. There's a small bookshelf beside the couch and a glass paned table in the middle of the rug.

I turn around with a smile and wrap my arms around his neck. Dom chuckles as his arms snake around my waist. I pull back, my hands sliding down to cup his cheeks.

"You like it?" he questions.

Dominic flashes a boyish smile; all dimples and bright eyes. I act on utter impulse. I push up on my toes and slam my lips against his.

His hold on me tightens, pulling me flush against his chest. Our lips move feverishly, desperately. My hands slip into his hair and he groans into the kiss. We separate, both breathing heavy.

"I-" I start.

But before I can get another word out, his lips are on mine again. He pushes me back until I fall onto the loveseat. He shrugs off his suit jacket before hovering above me. His knee settles between my legs on the cushion and there is nothing gentle in the way that he grabs the back of my neck before pressing our lips together again.

My hands tangle in his hair and he swipes his tongue along my lip. I happily part my lips for him and his tongue delves into my mouth. Our tongues stroke and caress one another in a futile fight for dominance.

He breaks the kiss but doesn't move. He's barely a breath away and I gaze into his eyes. They've glossed over in lust and his hand moves to cup my cheek.

"I'm glad you like it," he says softly.

"Dominic," I breathe out, shaking my head.

I don't entirely know why but I feel utterly guilty right now. He's only barely called off his engagement and I'm the reason why he did so in the first place. Not to mention the fact that, according to him, he hasn't kissed anyone in four years. His intense stare makes me squirm and he must see this internal battle in my face as he takes a step back.

"I'm really happy you came back into my life," he says softly, stuffing his hands into his pockets, "I think I forgot what I was missing."

"I shouldn't have-" I start but he cuts me off.

"You're right," he nods, "I should have kissed you. Not the other way around."

"That's not what I meant," I reply.

"Do you regret it?" he asks.

My brows furrow, "no."

"Good," he smiles, "neither do I."

I nod, still trying to catch my breath. He grabs his jacket from the floor and brushes it off before putting it on. His gaze falls back on me and I shuffle to stand up.

"You can come here whenever you want," he says, "there's no cameras and I'll make sure the men know it's off limits."

"So this whole thing is for me?" I ask, gesturing around.

"Yes," he replies simply.

"Thank you, Dominic," I say earnestly, "really. It means a lot."

"I'd do anything for you, mia stella," he says, "you know that."

He leans down and presses a chaste kiss to my forehead. I breathe in his familiar cologne mixed with the blooming flowers.

"Why don't you look around," he suggests, "and come back inside whenever you're ready."

I have nothing else to say but, "grazie mille."

He smiles before turning on his heel and walking away. I drop back onto the love seat and brush my fingers against my lips. I kissed Dominic. Shit, he kissed me.