In His Arms

Kendra's POV

I narrowed my eyes, wrinkled nose, curled upper lip, surging waves of sensation burst inside of me.

I was hypersensitive, cautious of everything around me. He raised an eyebrow at me, baffled by my words.

"Miss Kendra, you're bleeding" he describes trying to hold me, but I kept shoving him away, raging and ranting, accusing him of a planned abduction.

"Dante I..."

"F*ck what's happening" he suddenly panicked as I gasped, and my voice grasped in my throat.

My eyes were dizzy as I scampered for air, almost dropping to my knees.

He paced quickly towards me and I fell lazily on him.

When he forced me to look in his eyes, I found worries in them. My eyes almost shut down.

"Kendra, stay with me" he said, cuddling me in his arms. He shook me to keep awake as my breath was loud, but I was losing it.

He carried me in his arms and sat me down on the chair closer to us. I was going numb, and suddenly I grabbed an inhaler on the table next to me.

He squatted at my level, panting softly as if he was petrified.

"Don't...come...any...closer..." I ordered beneath my breath. He closed up the space between us.

I was immersed in his searing heat, his body was sticky. My skin itches as if it was caused by excessive fear and my thoughts want to spiral.

I unintentionally held his arms.

He quickly shook the inhaler and stuffed it in my mouth. My firm grip on his softens as I suck in the air, tears stream down my eyes.

My blood pressure shoots. I cringe, weak and tired.

"It's okay Kendra, everything will be fine now" he encouraged, as he made my head fall on my chest.

I couldn't even fight back as his hands stroked my hair while I tried regaining my breath with the aid of the inhaler.

I intended to stand, but then he embraced me like I wasn't okay.

His unwavering warmth encompassed me. 

I had been hugged before, but never like this. 

There was something so warm, something that felt right, smelt right. I let my body sag, my muscles become loose.

He gave me the respect of an equal but cradled me like a cherished child. 

In that embrace I felt my worries lose their keen sting and my optimism raise its head from the dirt. 

I felt him brush my hair back with his piano player fingers and kiss my head gently.

Perhaps, if he were this kind, would there have been us? If he ever got worried about me, would he have pushed me off that yacht?

I couldn't believe I was in my enemy's arms and his whispers, singing a damn lullaby that was provoking.

That kiss sent a surge of lust through me. I was getting soft, and I didn't want that.

His voice raped my ear drums and I wished to tell him to stop.

I raised my head up to meet his gaze while he refrained his arms. He swallowed hard, feeling uncomfortable and heated up.

"How do you feel now?" He asked, growing more and more despondent.

It was an anomalous situation as his help only made me flare.

"I feel like pushing you off a yacht!" I snapped at the yacht, trying to make him recall some memories.

I still had my face. Why was he pretending like I was wearing a mask? Or was he suffering from memory loss?

"I'm sorry about that... I got too carried away" he apologized, referring to the embrace, and I was too stunned to speak.

Dante never apologizes, he always claims right as though he was never wrong. What was wrong with me? I should leave and not stay here.

"How did you get here?" I calmly asked, avoiding his gaze and keeping a straight face.

It seems I was never tired of asking the same questions, this was a chance for him to explain himself.

Dante suddenly moved to the refrigerator close by, took out a jar of orange juice, then he took a glass cup.

He heaved a sigh, poured some fruit juice into the glass and handed it over to me.

"I'm your tenant" he introduced, and I scoffed unbelievably. How did he become my tenant at such short notice?

If I can recall, it was an agent that rented out this place on my behalf, but then I didn't know the seller.

One thing became obvious, he was here to ruin me and possibly stop my wedding from happening.

There were a lot of questions I needed to ask him, but then I was disgusted by him. He seemed disappointed as I didn't accept the juice from him, and so he placed it on the table.

Perhaps he poisoned it.

There was a perceptible decline in his confidence.

"I want you out by dawn!" I ordered, and he placed a piteous gaze at me.

"But we're..."

"Nothing!" I quickly cut in to remind him that I wasn't interested. I threw the inhaler in my hand at his chest.

I didn't even know where that came from and when it fell to the ground, I realized it was mine.

Did he set this up too? How did he get my inhaler?

Dante rolled his eyes with an expression of contempt as he folded his lips.

I felt he was trying not to be kept pissed off by my actions.

However, I was just going to prove to him that he was a monster, and he should quit the act because I wouldn't buy it.

All I had to do was to infuriate him, to reveal his true self.

"You have to calm down, miss, or you might suffer from cardiac arrest."

"Who are you to dictate what happens to me!" I retorted as my fist shook.

He heaved softly, raked his hair and fluttered his lashes. He had folded his fist too, and I feared that he would hit me.

Dante moved closer to me and I began to move back, whining as sweat beads on my face.

My breath and heart beat were fast, and I felt my back slam against the wall, preventing my movement.

Dante was close now, scrutinizing me with his eyes that were lost. His breath made me flicker my lashes as I went breathless, under his constant bewitching gaze.

He arched his arm over my head, as I was trapped between him and the wall. My lips scrambled for words as his intense gaze pricked my skin.

"Why do you hate me so much? We are just business partners, but from your words and actions, I might just believe we have a history together."

He was imposing on my personal space.

I huddled my body on the wall, my hands carved into it while I was going subconscious.

He was quite emotional and trying to appear charming. I can't believe I've spent an hour with him.

Laura must have been thinking I was at the station with him. Good thing her nanny was around to take care of her.

"If it's true, let's get back together, Kendra, let's forget the past and start something new" he added, jerking me back to reality.

Does he think the past was something to let go of? This freak killed me!

His passionate gaze made me reconsider if he were a different person. He drew his face closer to me, my eyes fell on his lips.

He dragged his fingertips across my cheeks and I felt goose pimps rising in my skin.

My lips parted slightly as there was seriousness in his tone. I wheezed out air, mindless of the response I'd tell him.

His position was as though he wanted to kiss me badly but was refraining himself. Tears clouded my eyes as we stared at each other, intense and anxious.

"Honey?”