Lovers Of The Night

12: A hint of jealousy

Chapter 12: A Hint of Jealousy

After the men had dispersed, Tom made his way to the kitchen. He filled a glass with cool water and headed back upstairs. As he entered the room, he found Odette sitting on the bed, her gaze distant.

"Here," he said, offering her the glass of water. "You must be thirsty."

Odette took the glass, her fingers brushing against his. "Thank you, Tom," she said, her voice soft. She took a sip of the water, her gaze studying him. "Is everything alright?"

Tom nodded, forcing a smile onto his face. "Of course," he said, his voice steady. "Why do you ask?"

Odette set the glass down on the bedside table, her gaze never leaving his. "You seemed... upset," she said, her voice careful. "Downstairs, with the men. You seemed... jealous."

Tom was taken aback, his surprise evident on his face. He quickly tried to hide it, forcing a laugh. "Jealous?" he echoed, his voice filled with disbelief. "Why would I be jealous?"

Odette shrugged, a small smile playing on her lips. "I don't know," she said, her voice teasing. "Maybe because they were all staring at me?"

Tom felt a flush creep up his neck, his gaze dropping to the floor. "I... I wasn't jealous," he stammered, his voice unconvincing. "I was just... protective."

Odette laughed, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "Protective, huh?" she teased, her voice soft. "Well, I appreciate it, Tom. It's nice to know you care."

Tom looked up at her, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "Always, Odette," he said, his voice sincere. "I'll always care about you."

                              *Time skip*

Tom descended the grand staircase once more, his mind filled with thoughts of Odette. As he entered the drawing room, he found the five men deep in conversation. As he approached, their voices became clear, and what he heard made his blood boil.

"She's a real beauty, that one," Ivan was saying, a smirk on his face. "So sexy."

The other men laughed, their gazes filled with amusement. Tom felt a surge of anger, his fists clenching at his sides. "Enough!!," he growled, his voice filled with fury.

The men turned to him, their laughter dying down. "Tom," Carlo began, his voice cautious. "We were just..."

"I don't care what you were just doing," Tom interrupted, his voice icy. "Odette is not an object for you to ogle and make crude comments about. She deserves your respect."

The men were silent, their gazes dropping to the floor. Tom's anger was palpable, his gaze hard. "If I hear any more comments like that," he continued, his voice deadly quiet. "I'll throw you out myself."

The men nodded, their faces pale. "We understand, Tom," Rafael said, his voice shaky. "We apologize."

Tom nodded, his gaze still hard. "See that it doesn't happen again," he said, his voice firm. And with that, he turned and left the room, leaving the men in stunned silence.

As he walked away, he couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction. He had stood up for Odette, had made it clear that he would not tolerate any disrespect towards her. And that felt good

                              *Time skip*

The tension in the drawing room was palpable as Tom's anger flared. His fists were clenched at his sides, his gaze hard as he glared at the five men. He was a hair's breadth away from lashing out, from letting his anger loose.

But just as he was about to take a step forward, a hand landed on his shoulder. He turned to find Bill standing behind him, his gaze filled with concern. "Tom," he said, his voice steady. "Don't."

Tom looked at him, his anger still burning in his eyes. "They need to learn their place, Bill," he growled, his voice filled with fury. "They need to learn to respect Odette."

Bill nodded, his gaze never leaving Tom's. "I understand, Tom," he said, his voice calm. "But violence isn't the answer. It won't solve anything."

Tom was silent, his gaze shifting back to the five men. They were watching him, their faces pale, their gazes filled with fear. He could see the impact his words had had on them, could see the regret in their eyes.

With a final glare, Tom turned away, his anger slowly subsiding. "Fine," he said, his voice filled with resignation. "But if I hear any more disrespectful comments about Odette, I won't hold back."

Bill gave his shoulder a reassuring squeeze, his gaze filled with understanding. "I know, Tom," he said, his voice soft. "And I'll make sure they know it too."

And with that, Tom walked away, leaving the five men in the drawing room with Bill. His anger had been averted, his confrontation avoided. But the message had been sent, loud and clear. Odette was not to be disrespected, not while Tom was around

                             *Time skip*

As the tension in the drawing room subsided, one of the men, Rafael, cleared his throat. His gaze was fixed on Tom, a question burning in his eyes. "Tom," he began, his voice hesitant. "Why do you care so much about Odette?"

Tom turned to him, his gaze steady. "Because she's my girlfriend" he answered, his voice firm. "And I don't tolerate disrespect towards my girlfriend."

Rafael nodded, his gaze thoughtful. "But it's more than that, isn't it?" he asked, his voice careful. "You two... are you lovers?"

The room fell silent, all eyes turning to Tom. He was silent for a moment, his gaze dropping to the floor. Then, he looked up, meeting Rafael's gaze. "Yes," he said, his voice filled with conviction. "We are."

The room was silent, the men exchanging surprised glances. Rafael nodded, his gaze dropping to the floor. "I see," he said, his voice soft. "I... I didn't know."

Tom nodded, his gaze hard. "Now you do," he said, his voice firm. "And I expect you to respect that."

Rafael nodded, his gaze serious. "Of course, Tom," he said, his voice sincere. "We all will."

And with that, the conversation was over. The men dispersed, leaving Tom alone in the drawing room. He was relieved, glad that the truth was out. He loved Odette, and he wasn't afraid to admit it. And he would protect her, no matter what