I'm so screwed, Adelynn thought as soon her gaze locked with Dominic's. Without a doubt, he looked pissed. Worried, she quickly mumbled an "I'll see you later" to Jensen and started to make her way towards her husband. When she finally got to him, he stared at her with something akin to fire in his eyes.
"Did I interrupt something?" He asked, his eyes narrowed.
"Come on, Dominic. Don't be like this" she breathed.
"Oh, really? Why the hell didn't you tell me that your boss is your exboyfriend?" He demanded in an icy tone.
Adelynn sucked in a sharp breath when he made that statement.
"I don't understand why you're being like this. It's not like you care about me or have feelings for me. Besides, I am not like you" she said, avoiding his eyes. When she finally looked up and saw his expression, she realized that she'd just made a very big mistake.
"You know nothing about me, Adelynn. You think you know me but you actually don't. With how comfortable you looked around that bastard, I realized something. You wish you were married to him, don't you?"
Adelynn paled.
"Dominic-"
"Listen to me, will you? You're married to me now, Adelynn. Get that into your immature brain. I get that I'm not a gentleman like that boss of yours, but you can't always have what you want" he spat and began to storm out of the place.
Adelynn followed behind him, trying to get him to calm down because she knew how dangerous and reckless he could get when he was angry.
He got to his car and opened the door before stepping aside. "Get in" he said and she parted her lips to protest.
"It's an order, not a request" he said, brusquely. When she still wouldn't budge, he grabbed her hand and forced her to sit in the car. Then, he slammed the door shut. From afar, Jensen watched the couple with wide eyes, he couldn't believe what he was seeing and he desperately wanted to confront Dominic. But he knew that Adelynn would end up being at the receiving end of Dominic's wrath if he decided to do that. He watched Dominic drive off like a man possessed and all he could do was watch, feeling bitter about the fact that his hands were completely tied at the moment.
By the time the couple arrived at their home, the tension between them had tripled. Dominic stormed into his house, already taking off his suit jacket. Adelynn took off her black stilettos and stormed after her husband, clutching them in her hands.
"You didn't have to be an asshole, you know?" She said, her voice tinged with fiery accusation.
He let out a humourless laughter.
"I was actually in a great mood today until I saw you with that bastard and to worsen it all, I heard that you danced with him! So, tell me, am I supposed to act all gentlemanly and forget about it? Hell, no" he spat.
"You're unbelievable! I told you, Jensen means absolutely nothing to me! Why won't you get that into your thick skull?!" She exclaimed and something flashed in his eyes.
"The next time I see him around you, I promise you that things will turn out ugly. So, beware" he said and stormed out of the bedroom, ripping his shirt off his muscled body. Adelynn knew that he'd meant what he'd just said. He was the type who made promises and kept them, no matter how hard it was.
No doubt, she knew that Dominic could take on Jensen if he wanted to. Despite the fact that she knew that Jensen would be able to defend himself, she knew that Dominic wasn't a person anyone could toy with. Regardless of the fact that he was a CEO and was the youngest, most successful business man in Detroit, this man must have been through a lot.
He had a tattoo of a viper's head, covering the large expanse of his back. It was a masterpiece but Adelynn never knew what lay underneath the tattoo. She didn't even know about the small but visible tattoo on his inner thigh that said, 'THEY'RE ALL TWO FACED LIARS'. Because if she had, she would have understood the reason for most of his actions.
.....
Saturday morning finally arrived and Adelynn awoke to find Dominic lying on the couch in their room, asleep. The morning sunlight reflected on his face, highlighting his rugged beauty. For a moment, she was spellbound as she stared at his sleeping form. She noticed how dark and elegant his long lashes were, his high cheek bones, his sharp jawline and his pink lips. She'd always known that he was quite the looker. But to be honest, this was the first time she was really seeing it.
"Will you quit staring at me, Adelynn?" he suddenly said with a husky morning voice that snapped Adelynn out of whatever daze she'd been in.
Mentally kicking herself, she made her way into the bathroom to begin her morning routine while Dominic hit his personal gym.
While Adelynn made breakfast, Dominic who was dressed in a white wife beater and a pair of black and white Nike track pants descended the stairs, towel drying his hair. The couple still wouldn't speak to each other but the tension between them seemed to have lessened. Adelynn let out a sigh as conflicted emotions infiltrated her mind.
She really wanted to make things right. So, she decided that she was going to try to loosen up around her husband. Maybe he would get the message and start acting less like an asshole.
She watched him grab a bottle of water from the refrigerator and bring it to his lips. "Did you sleep well?" She suddenly asked and Dominic choked on his water. Adelynn froze, her wide eyed gaze meeting Dominic's as he coughed out water. He blinked and turned away from the refrigerator.
"Where is Adelynn? What did you do to her and who are you?" He asked with a frown on his face.
Adelynn lowered her gaze, heat creeping up her neck from embarassment.
"Since when did you start caring about my sleep?" He asked, cocking a brow.
"I really thought we were going to play the silent game for eternity" he added and she sighed.
"I'm sorry, Dominic. I'm sorry for riling you up like that" she mumbled and a smirk curved his lips.
"What was that? I didn't hear you" he said and she switched off the gas stove.
"I'm sorry, Dominic. I'm going to do as you said from now onwards" she said, a little bit louder.
"Good" he said and started to head towards the large front porch. "Dominic?!" His wife called out and he halted.
"You're so....possessive. Are you in love with me?" She said, teasing him.
"No, of course not" he mumbled and went out to the front porch. He let out a sigh and closed his eyes.
He just wished things were different. He wished to be the kind of man Adelynn wanted but he just wasn't that man. He'd gone through so much and had let his battle scars mold him into what he was now. He wanted Adelynn to know that there was a space for her in his heart and it was slowly increasing. But, he just couldn't tell her. His pride wouldn't let him.
Moreso, he was afraid..... afraid that he was going to end up loosing her just like he'd lost most of the people whom he'd loved.
He wanted to be loved but he had no idea how to receive it. So, he would always bury his feelings and put on a mask that no one would be able to see through.
...
Later that morning, Dominic had to go out to meet some of his old acquaintances. Adelynn remained at home. She sat in the front porch, reading a romance novel. She felt so relaxed, especially with how serene the environment was. All of a sudden, she heard the honking of a car just outside the black and gold gate that served as an entrance to her husband's large property. She frowned and rose to her feet before making her way towards the gate. She gapsed when she saw Jensen smiling at her from the window of his car.
"Have you forgotten our arrangement already? I texted you an hour ago" he said. "Jensen, I don't think-"
"Not taking no for an answer, Addie. Let's go now" he said and she sighed, finally giving in to his demands. She didn't have to change into something else because she felt comfortable in her jeans and flannel shirt and her hair was pulled back neatly into a ponytail.
"Where are we heading to?" She asked and he grinned.
"Relax, we're only going to have coffee. Then, we're going to talk. So, don't worry about your husband"
Deep down, there was one part of her that really enjoyed being around this man but at the same time, she felt like she was betraying Dominic. What would she do if Dominic found them together? A shiver ran down her spine at the mere thought of it.
They finally got to their destination, a coffee shop that was not too far away from Adelynn's home.
"I'll have an espresso" Jensen said to the young lady by the counter.
"I'll have a cafe latté" Adelynn said.
They both settled down by the window, shortly after.
Adelynn took a deep breath, mentally preparing herself for the questions she knew Jensen was going to ask her.
"I have so many questions, you know that, right?"
She nodded.
"Don't worry, you don't have to tell me what you don't want to say"
Again, she nodded.
"Why did you-"
She barely allowed him to finish his statement before she gave him a response
"I turned down your proposal because... I loved you too much to keep you trapped with me" she said and he raised a brow.
"Was it because you thought you weren't good enough for me?" He asked and she nodded. He gazed into her eyes for a moment, taking note of how stiff she was.
"You're lying" he said and she froze, tears filling her eyes. What do I do now? He can see right through me! She lamented.
"I'm not lying"
"You just said that you're not lying and that's one more proof that you're lying to me. Whenever you lie, you always tell me that you're not lying. But when you tell me the truth, you either tell me you don't care what I think or you just won't say anything else. Damnit, Addie. Stop lying to me. I want to know the truth" he said, looking frustrated.
"I'm sorry, Jensen. But, if you knew the truth.... you would do anything you can, to correct it and I really don't want that"
"Adelynn, you're scaring me"
"I really wanted to say yes to you but I couldn't. I couldn't because, he threatened me" she choked out and Jensen's eyes went wide.
"Who threatened you?"