Love is Patience

Chapter thirty five

Rose's POV

In my world, scoldings were as familiar as the air I breathed. I grew up enveloped in the warmth of my mother's love, cocooned in her embrace that knew no bounds. But when she departed, the gentle breeze of her affection was replaced by the storm of my father's rage. His leather belt became the conductor of punishment, leaving its mark not just on my skin but etching itself into the fabric of my being. A mere ten-minute delay to dinner transformed into a night of solitary confinement, locked away in a closet where darkness gripped my mind.

With each lash of the belt and every click of the lock, his fear wrapped itself around me like a suffocating vine, squeezing tighter with each passing day. Darkness was lurking in the corners of my mind, ready to engulf me at the slightest provocation.

I heave out a deep breath, mesmerized by the way Adrian's lips move. He is on a call but his rich voice and texture of the smooth Italian words makes me bit the inside of my lip. He has summoned me and Tony to his office first thing in the morning. But this is lunch time, because I was super late today. I got up at noon with missed alarm and two missed calls from Adrian. My head was hammering, so with just two advil, I dressed into shaded green and red slip in spaghetti dress.

Reached club at lunch time and now before going to my cabin, I am here with Tony in front of Adrian, sitting like two school kids getting scoldings by their teacher.
Tony's whispering breaks my naughty thoughts about Adrian and focus on him,
"You're looking at him like he's the first batch of cookies."
Immediately a giggle leaves my lips to which is recived by Adrian's glare.
"How was your night?" I whisper back.
Throwing his head back with a deep humming, I get my answer.
"Got it." Showing him a thumps up, I sit straight as I feel two pair of intense eyes on me.

Ending his call, Adrian bounces his gaze between me and Tony,
"What I told you, not to make her an alcoholic in just one night."
Tony remain unfazed by his brother's strick tone.
But now, amidst the echoes of Adrian's scoldings, a new sensation arises within me. His voice, thick with the richness of his Italian heritage, reverberates through the air, sending shivers cascading down my spine. Yet, unlike the terror that once gripped me in my father's presence, there is something different about Adrian's admonishments.

Biting my lip and unconsciously clenching my thighs under the table I gaze upon his rolled up sleeves and thick muscled forearm. Jesus! He is such a piece of art. I find myself drawn to him in a way I never thought possible.
He reassures me with his words and made me believe that his anger will never manifest in violence. And for the first time in my life, I dare to believe in the possibility of safety within the confines of another's arms.

"Come on brother, that was just a drunk night." Tony shrugs totally unfazed by his brother's harsh words.

His scoldings, once a source of dread but now they hold a strange allure. Adrian is like a magnet. With each reprimand, I find myself captivated by the intensity of his gaze, mesmerized by the passion that simmers beneath the surface. And though his words may be harsh, they are tempered by the tenderness in his touch, leaving me strangely unafraid in his presence.

"Look what Bella has brought for you." Tony brings up the cookies jar and cake box.
Opening the jar, he takes one and eat like a starved man.
"Umm, delicious Bella."
Adrian pinches te bridge of his nose,
"Leave."
We both pout and stand to leave,
"Not you, Rosa."

I pause in my movements and stand still, where in the background I hear Tony's low teasing whistle. Hearing the door close, I ignore the intense blue gaze and place a piece of cake on the plate. I walk upto him and place myself on his lap. His warmth spreads across my spine, with the spoon I feed the first bite of cake to him. He eats it slowly relishing the chocolate flavour and as he finishes I wait for his response but just his stare is enough for me give another spoonful of cake to him. Slowly I feed him the whole slice without a word being exchanged. His gaze hasn't dropped for a second, but his hand on my thigh drawing random circles which makes me calm and even more turned on than I was earlier. Finally I get a reaction out of him.
"Delicious," squeezing my ass in a wise grip, "but I bet you'll taste even more heavenly."
I smile wide at his words,"What?? Have you tasted me yet?"
Suddenly his eyes darken, the turquoise blue I've been waiting for.
"cazzo tesoro, voglio assaggiarti. sto morendo di fame come un pazzo."
(Translation : fuck baby, I so wanna taste you. I am starving like a mad man)