"C'mon," Nicolás said, barging into Annalise's room and startling her.
She felt herself jump from her skin when he walked in. He was impeccably dressed in a black, tailored suit that fitted his frame so perfectly, it was unfair that he got to be that gorgeous, it was unfair that anyone did but more so Nicolas because he was the worst person to get blessed with such looks. He wore it well, with staggering confidence and Annalise was yet again stunned how those rumors about him had started, but she had to in the same breath remind herself that the man standing before her was a cold-blooded killer and he would kill her too if he had the chance.
"Get dressed, find anything remotely appropriate to wear. I need you now!"
As he spoke, his eyes darted around the room, he hadn't even spared her a glance since he'd stepped in.
"Wha..." She cleared her throat. "What are you talking about?"
His eyes finally settled on her, really did and when they did, she saw his fist clench and his whole body stiffen as his eyes roamed over her, his eyes leaving trails of fire on every part of her skin they set upon, and it suddenly made Annalise aware of what she was wearing which was close to nothing.
She had been preparing to go to bed before he'd barged in, she had just gotten out of the shower, and changed into her nightdress which was a flimsy material that revealed the outline of her figure. Her hair was still bundled in the towel she had been busy drying it with.
"I'm sorry... I..." Annalise stopped herself, she had no idea what she was even apologizing for.
His eyes were still on her and they had darkened. She watched him take in a deep breath and relax before he spoke again.
"I need you dressed in one of those dresses that fill your closet, look for the best. Go on, be out here in the next five minutes." He said, settling himself into the lone couch in the room.
Annalise felt her eyes bulge at how words, her mouth opened and closed with a lack of an idea on how to properly form a coherent statement.
"Laura," He said through gritted teeth. "I am a deeply impatient man."
It got her moving, she hurriedly went into her closet. The large closet that she nowowned, larger than her previous room back home, filled with clothes and shoes and bags and more clothes than Annalise knew what to do with it.
It hadn't had anything to do with her, more of Mrs. Moreno filling up her closet and Annalise feared it was more as a way to recompense, she knew the older woman felt deeply guilty over her son's behavior and she felt responsible so in her own little way, she tried to compensate for it all.
It overwhelmed Annalise, Nicolás's request. How was she meant to know where it was they were going to this time? And why did he need her?
A thousand questions swirled in her head, was it going to be like the last time they'd gone out together? Was he going to use her yet again to distract and murder someone so he could get away with it?
Tears pooled in her eyes at the thought of it and she struggled to stop it from falling.
She took a deep breath. "I can do this," She had to keep reminding herself despite it all that she was doing this for her family, that she wasn't doing any of this for herself so with that thought in mind, she proceeded to her closet and began to surf through the most elegant dresses she's ever owned.
"I swear to God I'm going to walk into that room and drag you out in the next few seconds." Nicolás's voice sliced through her process of zipping up a dress.
She hurriedly finished up and walked out of the closet, she was yet to pick out shoes to go with them.
Nicolás's eyes met hers as soon as she stepped back into the room, she felt time still when his eyes accessed her.
Nicolás took an exasperated breath. "Come with me!" His thunderous tone ordered just as he walked past her back into the closet.
Annalise took in a breath to steady her fast-beating heart before following him inside.
He stood, his hardened eyes accessing the clothes that hung in front of him.
"This one!" He said his arms folded across his chest.
Annalise stared from the clothes hanging and back to the man in front of her, confused.
"The emerald one, they match your eyes." He said, still not looking at her.
Annalise felt the ground sweep off of her feet, and she felt like she was flowing, flowing from his words. It was unnerving, how much she was letting something simple as words from this man affect her so, she shook her head to get herself back to the concentration before following the line of his gaze to the dress.
She walked over to it and pulled it from where it had been hanging. It was a strikingly green dress, so rich in its hue.
"Go on, take off whatever that is you've chosen. I should have been explicit when I'd spoken earlier, this is a very exquisite meeting and I need you to not ruin it for me." He said, his eyes on hers.
Annalise swallowed and nodded. Her heart was threatening to burst from her chest, threatening to tear open out of the skin that held it confined.
"I really do hate waiting, Laura." He said.
"Uhm yes, just as soon as you..." She looked up from him to the dress, and then back to him again.
His lips lifted in a small smile, "Sweetheart, I really don't care." But still, he turned his back to her.
Annalise nodded, she wasn't going to ask for more.
She quickly undressed, discarding the black dress she'd chosen before letting herself slide into the one Nicolás had chosen.
"Could you help me?" She asked after a few seconds of waiting.
He turned to her and his jaw tightened at the sight of her.
"The zip, please," Annalise said, moving her hair out of the way, leaving her bare back exposed to him. Butterflies settled in her stomach at it, and she focused on inhaling and exhaling to calm herself down. That was until she felt his hands on her.
His hands on her back.
One simple finger trailed down her skin.
Complete fire erupted at his touch, burning and burning her completely. Annalise felt herself release a gasp.
She had been completely doused, and his simple touch had ignited a fire on her skin.
How could just contact do all of these to her?