Chapter 135

135 iv. Comfort

“You do realize you are overreacting once again, do you?” she sighed.

“Overreacting how exactly, my love? I am just doing the absolute measures that must be imposed to keep you safe,” he said, embracing her even more.

“I haven’t been able to enjoy this stay because you have added men to our security. They have been following us around wherever we go. And even now that we are on our way home, the cars where your men are have sandwiched ours. It is beyond frustrating to be treated like some captive even when I know it to be true,” she squirmed on his lap, looking at the driver who doesn’t so much as glance at them.

Dominus hugged her even tighter, “You are not a captive of mine. You are my queen, my love, my heaven on earth. You are mine. You know I am doing this for your own good. You should change your wrong mindset and enjoy my company instead,” he kissed her hair and tried to steady her in his arms.

“Not a captive and yet you hover over me, twenty-four seven. I can’t even shop properly since your guards are all over the shops. My appetite for good things has been null because of them. Such a despicable thing it is to have people looking at my every move. I am worse than someone who has been locked up in a cell,” she added.

Of course, she didn’t care much for shopping, she was never materialistic anyway. But she knew how much he wanted for her to spend his money on everything a lady would have desired, so saying it this way will be sure to get his attention.

“And here I am thinking you were behaving so naturally by rejecting the dresses and shoes and bags you seem to not be fond of ever since,” he teased her.

Of course, he knew it was uncomfortable on her part. Saying these things to him, he equally knew what she was trying to do.

She values her freedom most of all. But though he wanted to give her what she does want most, it is something he could not. Not under the present circumstances of course.

.....

He felt he has been truly so relaxed with her security that the fortune teller’s words have scared him so easily. Lack of preparation always results in more fear and panic.

He was just trying to have a bit of assurance that she will be safe no matter what. How in the world can that possibly be wrong?

This way she will be more protected and his mind will be more at ease. She knew that of course, she is a smart woman.

He would not have fallen in love with a dimwit. So this scene she was trying to make is obviously just a farce, a way to nag at him even despite understanding his motives.

What he was trying to say is, he added to their security because he was so afraid she would get hurt. Whether the old lady’s words were a premonition of the future or simply a trick of her profession, he wouldn’t take a chance.

“You are not taking me seriously,” she pouted even more. “Why won’t you listen to me for once? You are too stubborn and hardheaded. Do you really believe that woman’s words?”

“It is not so much as believing that woman’s words as it is doing everything to protect you. I won’t let anything bad happen to you, Mary. I could not be expected to just do nothing this time around. Do you really wish to turn me insane if something amiss happens to my queen?” he pointed out.

Alas, she couldn’t even listen to him. She squirmed away from his lap and sat beside him instead. Looking out the window silently.

“That won’t work on me. Ignoring me, I mean. We both know how your hopeless attempts will end anyway,” he whispered, holding her close to him.

“I do not wish to be held by you this instance. You are crazy and selfish. You do not care at all about how I feel. All you wanted to do is to take away all of my freedom. You agreed to date me, to let me fall in love with you naturally. But how can that happen when the opposite is true? You do not trust me at all to even be a step away from you,” she bit her lip and tried to stop herself from saying more hurtful words.

It is insane she knows. But somehow, fighting with him even when she knew he was in the wrong did not give her any pleasure at all. On the contrary is the pang of guilt at seeing him so miserable because of her endless nagging.

“It is not about trusting you, my dear queen. I trust you enough to know you will fall in love with me in due time. Regardless of the circumstances of us being together, it has been destined a long time ago that you should fall in love with me. The truth is, what I do not trust is the gods who have always played with our destiny. That is why I cannot take any chances when it comes to protecting you,” he said seriously.

“Tell me clearly what you mean by that. Are you referencing again to that insane notion of a reincarnation? Is this all about that? About your obsession with regards to past lives that we both know never existed,” the words were hard to say because she didn’t want to hurt him further, but nonetheless, they must be said.

“What is your basis for saying none of it is true? You are the one with no memories so how can you claim that this is all just a product of my imagination?” he wasn’t one to back down when the words don’t just wound him but directly questions the integrity of their love and the depths of his feelings.

“I do not believe in something so baseless. If I do, I run the risk of making a fool out of myself and out of you. I do not wish to take advantage of your preposterous ideas,” she looked away from him.

“I am not forcing you to believe it. I am asking you to be honest with yourself. Whether it is on the bed or here beside me, do you not feel anything at all?” he caressed her cheek and cupped her chin, forcing her eyes on him.

“If I say no, will you set me free? This is kidnapping, you do realize this, right?” she bit her lip, it is a lie of course.

She did not want to be away from him. What if he is to say that he will set her free? She fears she will not be able to survive.

He laughed and ruffled her hair, “You know I will do none of that. How can I let you take even a step away from me? I have waited several lifetimes just to be with you again, queenie.”

Her eyelids fluttered, she felt like she is about to cry over the relief that suddenly greeted her with his words. She did not want to accept it, but she has somehow become so emotionally dependent on her captor.

It is absurd of course, but what can she do? It is how she feels. When he caressed her cheek gently, she felt rivers of tears cascade down her cheeks.

“Why are you crying, my queen?” his deep voice filled with worry at the sight of her tears.

“I... I didn’t even realize that I was... cry- crying,” she stuttered.

“Hush,” he wiped her tears away. “Don’t cry now. I’ll tell them to not be so obvious when being around you.”

“We hardly even have time together,” she whispered.

Now, why did she tell him that? She looked up at him and felt her heart being squeezed.

He has such magnificent golden orbs that spoke to her soul. “Do you miss being with me, then, my queen?”

His earnest eyes made her unable to lie to him. “Yes, I do miss it... I miss you, at times.”

He caressed her cheek and leaned closer to her, “I missed you too, my queen. It won’t be like this all the time, my love. I promise things will be better once I have secured your safety.”

“It makes me feel so restless, so needy of you,” she said in a small voice.

She knew how crazy she looked, how insane she sounded. She knew it and yet she couldn’t bring herself to lie.

The loneliness she felt every minute of being apart from him ate at her. She missed him. With every cell in her body screaming for his touch she bridged the gap between them and kissed his lips.

“You do know how that made me feel, do you?” he pulled her closer and claimed her lips.

When his tongue thrust forward to occupy her mouth, she felt the heat inside of her intensify. “I know. Of course, I know how me doing that just made you feel. I am certain I am made aware that the evidence of your desire is poking at me so mercilessly,” she giggled.

He claimed her lips again as his hands started to travel down her body, exploring parts that has been exposed to his naked eyes.

“Then do you wish to torture or to please me?” he asked of her.

“I wish to do both,” she answered him back without blinking.

“Alas, I think your answer just proved you wished for the latter. You have started a fire in my loins, an all-consuming need that can only be sated by your dew. I trust you will not deny me any longer when you have awoken the monster inside of me,” he whispered as he ravished her well into the night.