Chapter 36 - Tenderness

There was no cabin situated in thick patches of woods. That disappointed Prisana, just a little. A little, because anyone would be rendered in awe after gracing their eyes on such an exquisite mansion. They arrived to his modern residence, stylishly designed in black and white walls.

Large open windows caught her attention among an outdoor pool and a odd staircase that spiraled from the side.

His secretary pulled over onto the driveway and Dane walked around to open the door for her. She nodded her head in thanks and took one foot out to step onto the ground. However, he didn't let her feet touch the ground. Dane leaned down and carried her bridal style into his arms until she clutched at his neck for dear life.

"Woah Dane! I can walk on my own. Let me down. You're embarrassing me..."

"You can leave," he ordered his secretary as he quietly walked away into another car, then turned over to Prisana. "Shh, he left. Stop struggling when I finally have you right where I want you. Hah. Are you still embarrassed?"

"Um well the thing is, I can walk. My legs aren't crippled."

"They're bruised. What if you fall?"

'I'll continue falling for you if you keep holding me like this!'

That's what she wanted to tell him but she didn't. Prisana squished his cheeks and she watched on in laughter as it seemed out of his character. Yet Dane didn't flinch as he kept a straight face.

"Let me fall, you beast! I can't escape getting hurt."

"Not if I'm around. I'm supposed to be your beast in shining armor, remember? Prisana, let yourself be saved. Let yourself be carried away in my arms into a sweet escape..." he trailed off while using both his large hands to grab her buttocks to usher her even closer to his body. "If I'm also being honest, I simply like holding you in my arms like this."

"You're ridiculous and yet..." she sighed into his shoulders. "This doesn't feel so bad. You're lucky my energy is drained or I would have put up more of a fight."

And so she stayed in his strong arms that made her feel strangely safe. His scent further fueled her comfort as she nestled into his arms. Dane stuck his fingerprint on the door and he grabbed her hand to position it on the black box.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"As my wife, you'll need access to our home."

"Oh okay...Wait. Wife? Our home?...You're still going on about that?"

She watched Dane nod, as he brought her inside his modern mansion. The lights flickered on which each step he made inside the hall. Even though his residence screamed with strange and exquisite taste that harbored its own beauty, it still felt too perfect and lonely for one man to live in.

Dane brought her over into a room—To what looked like his, as she discovered the large open windows from outside before her. There was a round king sized bed lined with black velvet sheets on top of a white deck. Across from his bed was the closet and the bathtub directly facing each other. Then, past them seemed to be a large shower room.

Down the steps of the white deck separated by glass walls, a small lounge room consisted of a couch and a flat screen television hooked up onto the wall. The layout in his room was simple yet the furnished items were lavishly modern and expensive.

He gently settled her down onto his bed as it was the closest seat from the door. This gave her wild imaginations. Dane did say he wanted her body. She looked down at what little worth she had to offer him in return for his valiant acts.

But it wasn't her body he asked her for. Dane gathered her hands into his. Underneath the night stars from the open windows, the light shone down on his desperate dark eyes and rugged features she has come to adore.

Prisana inhaled a deep breath because he looked at her so seriously.

"Won't you marry me? If you do, then no man can ever break you again until you rid of me."

This warmed her heart. He cared for her, so much so that it drove her mad with confusion.

"You could break me," she softly whispered, watching his lips curve into a deep frown.

"...Ah. That's true. I never thought about it that way..."

Watching the turmoil spread across his features, Prisana smiled as she never thought she would see him so conflicted.

"Okay, I'll marry you. It will stop both Giovanni and my father from forcing me to sign as his wife."

"I know. Your refusal was expected...Huh?"

"I think you've demonstrated, you'll be worth every heart ache and pain. Take my body, but you must let me go to college to pursue dreams I can finally chase after until I can fully support myself. Then..."

She couldn't even bring herself to say it but she didn't have to because he finished for her.

"If you marry me, you can do whatever your heart so desires until you toss me away. "

He nodded and to this agreement, she looked away.

"There's also something I need to tell you. Giovanni and I, we never signed a marriage certificate. We were only living a public lie."

Sometimes Prisana wondered what was running through his mind. She wondered that now as he just stared at her without saying a word. Dane sighed and gathered her into his arms but this time in the most beautiful of truths. His hand lovingly stroked her head.

"It must have been so hard. You were strong. Good job Prisana. You did great holding on for this long."

All of the tension in her shoulders relaxed. Prisana didn't know how much she needed to hear those words. It was as if everything she was shouldering by herself was eased. God, why was he so sweet to her? She wanted to do something for him in return. So, she lightly pushed him away. Prisana slipped off his coat jacket to reveal the torn shirt and her black lacy bra.

Her nervous and shaking hands made things hard but she was determined. She would shed all until she was bare for him. But, he was the one that stopped her. His hands prevented her from unclasping her bra.

"No. This isn't right. I won't take you tonight. Not when you look so broken."