The journey to where they would be staying was quiet.
It was already dark, and the multiple lights from buildings, signboards, Street lamps, cars and bulbs made the city look divine.
Anaya busied herself with adoring the shimmering light and revisiting the memories she made here.
Don on the other hand was on his phone, discussing the matter with Andrew.
They were driven into one of the most expensive neighborhood in Los Angeles.
Bel-air!
They parked into the garage of a home which was nothing like his exotic villa back in New York.
Though this was also incredibly large, it had a mid-century aesthetic to it.
She stared at it as though she were a child seeing a fully lit Christmas tree for the first time.
"This place is amazing" she muttered dreamily to herself as she twirled like a child in the grassy lawn.
The warm light from the lamps and the house bounced off her skin, making her look like an angel.
"I thought you'd like something luxurious since that is what you've grown up with"
She stopped and frowned. "I grew up in luxury. But that doesn't mean I prefer it to something simple" she said and inhaled the air around her deeply.
"Let's go inside!" he ordered and began walking towards the front door.
A scanner on the door scanned his fingerprint and automatically opened.
The inside was even more magnificent for her. It was everything she had wanted in a home.
A fireplace was situated on a wall at one side of the room, large glass windows with golden curtains on another side, matching gold sofas were arranged neatly around a center table, a simple chandelier hung in the middle of the ceiling which was accented by other lamps, and a sliding door which led to the back of the house.
"Wow!" she bounced in the sofas.
"This feels too good to be true" she said while admiring the house.
"I can't wait to start exploring this city again, revisit all the places I used to go to, and maybe catch up on some friends" she thought.
He frowned.
"Be careful, love. We aren't on our honeymoon or on a vacation. We don't know who the people after you are, or what they know, how close they are to you, or even where they currently are. They or a spy could be here and could attack you. So you will have to be careful"
"Relax, Don! You're forgetting that I'm not a damsel in distress but a weapon. I can defend myself in times of danger even without your help"
"Still be very careful" he warned.
"I don't want you to get hurt" he added and stood behind her.
She threw her head back to meet his eyes.
"Why? Are you already falling in love with me?" she grinned mischievously. He chuckled.
"Love is a strong word and emotion" he began and pulled her up to her feet, "And having emotions when you are part of something like the mafia could lead you to an early grave. Emotions are nothing but a stumbling block in my path, and I cannot let it hinder me further by falling in love with anyone"
Ouch! His words went straight for her heart in a perfect aim.
She felt stupid for saying that now.
She pursed her lips and slapped his shoulders.
"Don't make this look like I proposed my love to you and you're rejecting me. Let's settle down" she urged to mask her embarrassment.
******************************
Don gave her the liberty to pick any room she wanted aside from his while he went to set up a few things in the house.
After viewing all the rooms, she made the choice of picking the one at the far end of the hallway because of its darkly magnificent beauty.
It was bathed in mostly black, grey and gold colours, with a tiny bits of pastel colours on a few furniture's and decors, and large window the size of a wall, similar to the ones in the living room.
It gave her a breath taking view of the city from a higher perspective.
She couldn't help but feel as excited as a little child. She couldn't even remember the last time she was truly excited about anything.
Her stomach suddenly rumbled and distracted her from her thoughts.
She hadn't eaten anything since the rolls she bought from the cafe.
She dropped her bag and went downstairs to find something to eat.
On reaching the kitchen, she found Don already there.
"Looking for something, love?"
She took her eyes to where his piercing green eyes stood sharp.
'Fuck! Quegli occhi verdi un giorno ci colpiranno a morte {Those green eyes will strike us dead one day}'
She gulped. "I'm hungry so I came down to get something to eat... What about you, why are you down here?"
"Same. I was just about to make dinner"
She eyed him skeptically. "You can cook?"
He opened the fridge and brought out some items.
"Why do you sound so surprised?"
"It's just unlikely for guys like you to cook" she commented and sat on a stool as she watched him pull out different ingredients, utensils and equipments and began working.
"This is my vacation house. Once in a while when I get fed up with everything, I come here for peace of mind," he began and sliced some onions.
"I don't allow anyone to stay here with me. I guess you're the first" he said and smiled at her.
"Wow!" she couldn't hide her shock. "What?" "Your smile... It's very beautiful" she remarked.
He smiled shyly again with a fading tint of blush on his cheeks.
"Aww! You look cuter when you get shy" she rested her head on her two hands as she stared at him admiration.
"Stop, you're distracting me" he said firmly yet sheepishly and continued preparing for the food.
"Seriously though, you should smile more often. You look even more handsome with it that I wish I could have taken a picture" she used her hands as a frame, imagining him in a picture.
He turned away to hide his smile that was now wider.
"That's enough, love. My smile won't fill our stomachs"
"What are you making anyway?" "Spaghetti bolognese"
He unbuttoned his sleeves and rolled them up his arm, revealing his veiny forearm.
"I assume you've tried it before since it's your country's national food, right?" he asked and then took off his wrist watch and put on an apron.
She nodded, and he began cooking.
There was something sexier about him. The way he moved swiftly around the kitchen, and how focused he looked as he mixed ingredients into a pan...
She sighed dreamily.
Strange how she was already planning to kill him for marrying her forcefully, and now she was tripping over his perfectly imperfect masculine beauty.
That should be under the list of things that make him dangerous... 'The ability to effortlessly draw people to himself'
And it was already affecting her...