The Perfect Intern

Chapter 16.

Dante

I saw her eyes roll to the back of her head and I knew what was coming next.

"Fuck," I swore.

I caught her before she hit the floor and lifted her up, carrying her to the bed.

Ariella had offered me a piece of herself and I was grateful for it. More than. But that was only the beginning. Her exotic flower scent filled my senses and my primal instincts set in.

I could no longer fight against the thoughts that were going through my head.

At about this time I'd be either calling Maria or breaking as many replaceable items as I could find. But I didn't have the urge to now.

I laid her down and covered her with the white plush sheets as she slept soundlessly.

It was her. This woman had somehow landed in my agency and she changed everything.

I wanted her. More than I've ever wanted any woman ever.

Maybe it was the fact that I could easily have them.

I never wanted to be apart from her. What I feared-unamed feelings- had become what I wanted.

From her.

I brought a hand to her cheek, swiping her hair away, and she subconsciously moved towards me.

I smiled and my heart stuttered.

"I don't know what it is, gattina," I spoke lowly to her. "But you're mine now. And I promise you, you won't get away from me."

I went to walk towards the chair, swiftly kicking rose petals away. My heart suddenly stopped and my movement froze as a memory unexpectedly came to me.

"I promise you, you won't get away from me, Dante," She smiled at me, stretching her arms out for me. "You are okay."

"Mommy, I-I," I stuttered, trying to balance myself on the rocks of the lake. "I can't. "

I stopped as tears begin to well up in my eyes.

"No,no, no," She shook her head. "C'mon, Dante. You got this, baby."

I unbuttoned and removed my shirt as the memory inadvertently continued.

"No, come get me," I looked at the rock that was farther away than the others in fear, as the river waters crashed against it.

"Look at me, Dante, " She said sternly. "You can do whatever you put your mind to. Now come on."

As she finished, my father walked down the stone path from the house in his charcoal tailored suit, shaking his head.

"Angel, you still trying to get him to walk across that thing?" He questioned her, giving her his shortened nickname for Angelina. "If you want him to do it, you have to stop babying him. Dante, if you don't walk your ass across, i'll-"

"Stop it, Isaac!" My mother semi-yelled, moving his hand down from waving me towards him. "Now, Dante.. Let's go. Just keep your eyes on mine."

I looked away from my father's unimpressed dark-eyed glare and folded arms to her comforting smile, then up to her eyes.

I deeply inhaled as her chocolate doe eyes brought calmness through my hazel.

After laying my shirt onto the back of the recliner my eyes snapped to Ariella.

I squinted my eyes at her.

Is.. Is that it?

"No.. it can't-" I laughed to myself, but it slowly died-the possibility finally registering.

Ariella..calmed me.

As my mother had.

How had she found me?

Or maybe I had found her.

Either way, her eyes resembled my mother's and I couldn't believe I hadn't noticed it before. They had the exact same effect.

That's how I had eased myself after my ordeals with displeasure.

Of course, only as long as she was around me.

We were meant to find each other. Perhaps not for a relationship, but she can help me as I can help her.

My mother's eyes..

I don't remember the last time I looked at them and the thought made my chest hurt.

I took a hand and rubbed it, trying to ease the tension there.

Ariella is now the closest thing I have to them.

I didn't want to believe and the thought had never occurred to me, most likely because I pushed every memory of my past in the back of my mind every chance I could.

And when I couldn't..

I hadn't prepared for what would happen if I had a nightmare whilst Ariella was with me.

I knew she may be able to calm me down, but she'd know I had them and I wouldn't want to take the chance incase she can't.

Also, it would lead to questions I can't answer.

I sat down in the recliner.

The thought bewildered me to a great extent. So much that I didn't know what to make of it.

How was this possible?

Knowing going to sleep with my mother on my mind probably wouldn't be the best thing, I settled on the thought that maybe I shouldn't sleep.

It wouldn't be the first time.

Although, It might not help the work I have to do tommorow afternoon, but just to be on the safe side.

I stared at the woman again. I hadn't lied when I told her she was incredibly beautiful. Because she in fact is.

I leaned my head back and begin to fill my head with thoughts of her, leaving no room for any others.

I sighed, lightly before speaking lowly to myself.

"What am I going to do with you, Ariella?"
-

Nicholas

Without Dante here I have no one to taunt. I was never small-minded enough to send a spy his way. His employees will fuck him over all on their own. But luckily for him, he has Karina by his side keeping an eye out.

Word came to me that he took Ariella with him on his trip to Thailand.

They're getting much too close for my liking, but with the new information provided to me by Maria- such a beautiful woman with waste of a mind- I found a way to taunt him from miles away.

A friendly reminder that no matter where he goes, I will continue to pose a threat. And if I'm lucky, his little anger issues will be turning Ariella off.

I knew I didn't have a reason to buy Thailand Airways out. But of course, Dante will spend more than he originally planned to. I hadn't even offered that idiot negotiator Pravat that much more, but I knew just the sound of my name would put Dante on edge.

I laughed to myself as I sat at my desk, making my Newton's Cradle balls bounce off of each other.

I realized maybe I had been going about ending SEO the wrong way. It wasn't the company that I should try to take down first.

It was the CEO that needs to go.

And it took a year and some former waitress for me to figure that out.

Not only has he been my enemy since day one, but he now has something that I want.

Time to push Acosta to his breaking point until SEO realizes he's in no shape to run a company.

I would show Ariella the monster that Dante really is.