Opposites Do Most Certainly Attract!

Stalemate

Was there anything worse than having to get up so early in the morning after spending the night awake, Dante asked himself as he walked out of the very spacious, very modern bathroom of his satisfyingly state of the art penthouse suite in the most exotic five star hotel in Manhattan- The Metro. Not even the lavish surroundings could help Dante escape the fact that he hadn't slept the night before. For the first time in his life, he was afraid of pinpointing exactly why that had been - because he knew exactly why he spent the night tossing and turning.

He threw the towel he'd been using to dry his hair onto a chair nearby and walked to his bed, why was he so captivated by a woman he'd just met, a woman with whom his family were fighting over a house in Cheshire county, a woman who didn't share the same social class as he did and most certainly didn't care. That was the beauty that was Scarlett Kane- she was larger than life! A lawyer, feminist and femme fatale all in one. All the things Dante should definitely stay away from. He had his time dating women in the past- ok, perhaps dating was an exaggeration of what it'd been, but he'd been with enough women in his life to know the ones he should avoid. Also, why was he thinking about avoiding a particular type of woman when he already had a fiancé? And before any confusion could be made, he had made the decision himself- it had been time he got married and extended the family line.

Problem was that now, he felt like an idiot for jumping into such a permanent, lifelong decision and then finding it so dissatisfying, empty, almost...shallow. More importantly, when had this feeling started? Also, when did he begin feeling? It was such an alien thing that Dante felt his head spin a little- he wasn't supposed to feel. His father had taught him that from an early age by keeping him away from him every opportunity he got- his mother never said much. Was it any wonder when his parents had died in a plane crash when he was sixteen, Dante hadn't felt anything other than that the strangers that had given birth to him had lost their lives untimely? Was it any wonder he treated relationships the same way - two strangers passing through life with a need to co-exist for a particular period of time?

The reason that had made Carmella Giorgio the perfect candidate- he didn't feel anything for her but a need to co-exist with her for the ultimate end of extending his family line. Maybe and her family's influence in those areas his influence hadn't reached yet.

How well planned.

How...empty.

And now, there was a woman making him feel! Great.

He'd almost embarrassed himself with his reluctance to leave her side, even when she'd made it clear she didn't expect him to stick around! He hadn't been able to take his eyes off her the entire time they were talking- him? Dante couldn't believe it! He had seen hundreds of beautiful women, women whom every single man who saw them, thirsted for them and forever dedicated themselves to doing everything they could to win them. Dante hadn't even been moved. And now, he was engaged and he found an American woman who made his blood zing through his veins.

This couldn't get any more dramatic!

Even now as he thought of the misgivings of his desire for Ms. Kane, Dante couldn't help but think back to how heavenly she'd smelt- like fruits in summer back in his country. That gorgeous cherry red hair that he'd imagined over and over all over his chest while she made a path down to his-

Knock Knock!

Dante stood up and walked to the living room to open the door- it was his bodyguards.

''Sir...'' one of the bodyguards drew to a halt and looked very self conscious for a second but then cleared his throat and continued, looking anywhere but his boss, ''sir, it's time for your meeting with Ms. Kane.'' he said. Dante knew that look- he'd never been late for anything in his life. For his bodyguards to find him not yet attired was the first sign he got that he had to get it together.