The Lions Den

Chapter Nineteen Part II: When the Lioness Makes Her First Stride

Kashera

Once Katerina and I pulled away, I locked eyes with Matteo through the mirror who leaned against the door frame looking absolutely sinful in his blacked out attire. The only thing on him that wasn't black was his deep rose gold tie that matched my dress perfectly.

Nobody had the right to look that good.

Suddenly I was regretting this whole going almost bare thing. These 'panties', if you could even call them that, wouldn't hide a damn thing that would indicate how I felt about how this man looked. Katerina kissed my cheek before she walked out of the room. She stopped by Matteo and patted his chest as he moved out of the door frame before she left out closing the door behind her. Matteo stood still looking at me, and I felt so timid under his intense gaze. He'd cut his hair so that his curls sat neatly atop his head, and his eyes sparkled free from the curtain that his hair was this morning. At my request, his beard and mustache remained but were shaped up sharply emphasizing the cut of jaw.

He chuckled as he rubbed his thumb over his lip and continued to slowly stalk towards me. I wanted to take a step away, but his eyes pinned me in place. We stood looking at our reflection under the soft lighting of the room as his arm wrapped securely around my waist, and I leaned instinctively into him. I was smoldered in a dangerous heat and he was the only relief that I knew I wouldn't be able to get right now. The party had started already, but as was apparently appropriate we would be arriving slightly late. Slightly would turn into a no show if this man so much as kissed me while I was in this room. I looked at him nervously biting my lip and his eyes snapped to them through the mirror.

"I suggest you don't do that. I'm trying to remember why we're here in the first place," he said passively. Wanting to test him for whatever reason I pressed myself close to him, raised up my arm, and trailed my fingers down his neck before it eventually rested on his jawline as my other hand rested on the arm he had wrapped securely around me.

"And if you didn't remember? What would happen then," I asked innocently, and he glared at me in obvious frustration. Adjusting myself, I could feel the reason why he was so. I fought to hold in my chuckle.

"Then I'd make it my business to make sure you couldn't walk into that party on your own if you tried. So stop with the teasing, quickly, before you find yourself bent over that chair," He responded lowly but seriously. 

I gasped turned on beyond belief as he stepped back from me. I pouted at the loss of contact, but still turned around as he took my hand from behind and guided me to face him. Once I was facing him he let go of my hand, and reached into his pocket and pulled out a black velvet box. Reclaiming my hand, he placed the box in it as my free one flew to my mouth to cover the gasp that I simply couldn't hold in. I looked up at him with wide eyes and saw the small smile on his face from rendering me speechless. Soon enough I found some words to say. 

"Matteo I  can't-"

"Yes you can. This is just one of your presents. What's a party without some type of gift?" He said smirking at me as I slowly opened the Harry Winston box to the glimmer of a delicate diamond tennis bracelet. My lips parted in aw as I stared at the bracelet. I was trying my damnedest not to cry, but I could feel myself failing. Before I could fall apart, he took the bracelet out of the box and put it on carefully. When he latched it shut he took the palm of my hand and kissed it lightly.