37 Let me take care of you:

Laura woke up, her head pressing on a hard surface. She tried lifting her body, the urge of getting off the hard thing maddening but the hard thing seemed to be pulling her in. She looked down to see what could be the problem only to be drawn into a pool of dark eyes. They were staring back at her gently.

Quickly recovering from the shock of waking up next to another man different from Ray, she asked him how long she had slept.

"Like two hours. It's almost three."

She hummed in response. He looked at her tired face. She wasn't used to working. Everything was taking a toll on her. For a moment, he thought of taking off all the burden...thought of working while she rests at home...thought of pampering her and he didn't realize when he voiced out his thoughts.

"Let me take care of you."

Laura looked puzzled at first but recovered quickly from it. She didn't know why he was saying that, he was already doing that. So what did he mean by that.

"But you already are."

Dario chuckled at that, his fingers caressing her cheeks. He looked fondly at her, drawing her closer to him.

"I don't mean that..."he trailed fighting off the feeling of nervousness in him. For some reason, he couldn't help feeling nervous.

"...i mean let me care for you the way a man cares for his woman, the way a lover cares for his beloved..."he stopped finishing with ' the way a husband cares for his wife' in his mind.

Their gaze on each other was intense, intense dark eyes staring at the now green eyes. Like they were silently communicating, green eyes seemingly asking if she could trust him and the dark eyes asking her to trust him.

Without breaking the gaze, Dario pushed himself up, helping her up as well. His head now resting on the headboard of the king-sized bed of the CEO's resting room, he pulled her on him so that she was straddling him. His hands found her waste, tracing her curves in nothing close to sensual way. Laura didn't know when her fingers found his cheeks, caressing it just as he had done to her before.

Holding tightly on her waist, Dario drew her to him, their chests now touching and playfully aware of her curvy bossom pressing on him. His left hand left her waist, grabbing her brown hair that was tied into a messy bun, before pressing their lips on a heated kiss. She moaned in his lips clearly loving how good his lips on hers felt. It was a short kiss that left her craving for more but Dario seemed to have something to say to her. His lips trailed downwards to her jaws earning a moan from her again. His breathing now rasped, he murmured, "be mine hazel." The movement of his lips on her jaws was ticklish but felt good. His lips moved down to her neck, biting before sucking on it gently. It sure was going to leave a mark, a hickey but he didn't care. He wished to see his art on her milky body. He wanted everybody to know that she was spoken for already.

"...we'll take things slow, I'll ask you out as my girlfriend, then propose to you and then marry you hazel," he said, his mouth now leaving her skin and his eyes back to find hers. Her lips were slightly parted, seemingly begging for attention which he gladly gave. Their lips now pressed together, her kisses were demanding. There was no restraint in her. On her subconsciously aroused state, she moved her hips, humping him. Even with the clothes, she could feel him, his hardness and the heat between their bodies.

Dario was amused, she could feel him smiling on her lips, "...don't start things you aren't gonna finish hazel," he warned, voice a little strained. He was also affected...the most affected one between them. He wanted her in all ways possible, wanted everything he could get from her, her soul...her mind...her body...everything. But he was also aware of how hungry she was from the constant slow grumble of her stomach which the woman on top of her didn't even realize.

He broke away from the kiss, his hands firmly holding on her hips to stop her movement to which the woman frowned. Somehow displeased.

"What do you say hazel," he looked up at her, hopeful. He really needed a chance with her and wouldn't give up till she was his.

"Yes."

Laura responded almost in a whisper. She hadn't recovered from the previous high. He looked at her, a huge smile creeping into his face.

"Yes what hazel," he needed to confirm. He wanted her to say it out loud, that he was giving him a chance, a chance to date her...a chance to ask her out with marriage in mind. And she gave him just that, what he needed, "I want to be yours Dario." She said before looking away.

But Dario wanted those green eyes on his. Holding her jaws in place, he whispered to the woman who was now closing her eyes.

"Look at me hazel," and just like a spell was cast on her, her eyes fluttered open. She could see the happiness from his eyes, his joy...her joy.

"Thank you." He said before resting his forehead on hers, eyes closed listening to each other's heartbeat. It was a peacefully nice feeling that was interrupted by her stomach grumbling again, this time louder. She looked away embarrassed.

"Let's get you something to eat," he said helping her off his body.

~~~

Dario was driving. He had passed almost all restaurants and Laura kept wondering where he was taking her. Was their first meal going to be in a first food stall? That was what was on her mind because those are the places they were heading to now that they had passed almost all restaurant apart from the one on the outskirts of the city.

Elvis Presley's Can't help falling in love with you was playing softly on the stereo. Classical music, something Laura just found out about Dario. He didn't give out the classical music vibe at all, but she didn't hate it.

The car pulled up into a garage of a five storey building. It was a quiet place away from the noise of the streets with trees giving a serene atmosphere. He unbuckled the seat belt, walking out to the other side, he opened for her the door. She walked out, confused. She lived in that city almost her whole life and hadn't known that there was a restaurant there. Or maybe it wasn't a restaurant.

He held her hands guiding her to the lift. All along he was quiet but was certainly paying attention. She looked as he took off his phone fiddling with it before putting it back in his pocket.

When the lift stopped, still holding her hands, he guided her to a door before pulling out his key card. And things fell into place. Laura could have known better. When he had passed all the restaurants, she ought to have known that something like this would happen.

He seemed surprised when he found the doors unlocked but recovered quickly from it. Holding the door for her, he invited her in his house. His home since his parent's divorce. She was the first woman he had over. He was glad he could finally share his space with a woman he loved.

They stopped in their track when they saw a figure, eyes on them. Ash looked at the two people, a huge grin on his face. He recognized the lady. He had to, not when his life the past weeks had been all about his friend's stupid crush. He seemed happy for his friend.

"You didn't leave?" Dario asked. He never expected to find anybody home. He had texted Blake on their way here and had gotten a reply while in the elevator saying he wasn't home. He should have confirmed with Ash since he had left him there in the morning.

He looked at Laura, looking for any signs of discomfort.

"You okay? We can leave if you..." He was interrupted by a soft squeeze from her, her smile reassuring him. Dario nodded, then looked at Ash sending a warning for him to behave.

After a quick introduction, he guided her to the sofa, asked her what she was going to drink and went off to the fridge to get it. A minute later, he was back with a glass of juice. He looked happy, Asher noticed that.

He sat back down next to her, taking her hands into his, he explained.

"I told you i wanted to do things right, right?". When she nodded, he continued, "taking you to a restaurant didn't feel right. I know you're hungry so I'm gonna make something simple real fast."

"You know how to cook?" Laura asked. It was surprising that the young master of the Anderson Dynasty could cook.

Dario looked at her amused expression. He nodded smugly. Bringing her hands to his lips, he kissed them while he asked whether she had any allergies.

"No garlic." She answered. Smiling softly at her, he stood moving to the kitchen leaving Asher with her. The always taunting Ash hadn't said a thing since introduction, he still hadn't recovered from the shock of his best friend's crush in his best friend's house on his best friend's couch waiting for a meal from his best friend.

♥✨♥

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