Chapter 247: For Old Time's Sake
Chapter 247: For Old Time's Sake
Camilla
"If you want to talk then you take a seat." Adriano said, his voice calm but demanding in a way that tugs at an invisible rope inside me.
But I couldn't let him set the terms right now, not after what they very clearly did.
"No, you three…" I began just to be cut off again, only getting angrier with each passing second that they stopped me and I fucking listened. But why am I listening?
"Sweetheart," Gregorio purrs, tipping his head a little to the side in a way that had me feeling like he was a predator regarding his prey.
"Sit down," he added blatantly, his voice a sensuous command I don't want to follow for that very reason.
This was not the way things were supposed to go, I was supposed to hand their asses to them for what they thought they had the right to do and then I was supposed to leave feeling like I had gained just a little more of my control back. They weren't letting that happen and I knew I wasn't going to get anywhere if I didn't do at least a little of what they asked. None of them took their eyes off me as I walked further into the room, going straight towards them as I pulled my chair out and sat down.
Just as I was about to open my mouth again to give them a piece of my mind, my thoughts stuttered as I swore hearing Domenico mumble ever so quietly 'good girl' but his lips were shut when my eyes snapped over to him. I had Gregorio directly in front of me, Domenico to his left and Adriano to his right but I wasn't given much time to think about what he said before Gregorio was reaching out to me, grabbing my plate and making me realize for the first time just how much food was in front of me.
The second the smell of it all hit my senses, my stomach threatened to give a wanting grumble, an array of traditional made foods spread out before me. From a series of different kinds of curries to rice to flat breads, everything smelled delicious as Gregorio plated me a bit of each item. A part of me wanted to be angry at him for not even asking and just starting to fill the large square dish but I couldn't when it was clear that he seemed at peace doing it, skipping anything that appeared to have seafood in it because he knew I wouldn't eat it.
It was infuriating, thoughtful and nobody said a word before my plate was set back down in front of me, my stomach actually growling this time. I couldn't deny that everything looked amazing that he had chosen for me but I still waited until the three of them had plated themselves, my mind a little more calm from the break the silence had given me. A part of me wondered if they almost knew it would because just by sitting here, I could feel their observance on me. I noticed Adriano's stiff posture as I noticed Gregorio's need to do something and Domenico simply sitting calmly and watching.
It was hard to not give in to the strong desire to squirm under his gaze but I refused to show any sign of weakness. I couldn't afford that anymore.
"Fine," I straightened my back, not moving to touch my spoon as I looked directly at the man in front of me.
"I am here, I am sitting, now tell me what you want so I can leave." I said, not moving an inch when I feel the tip of a shoe brush against my inner leg, the touch removing instantly as though it hadn't meant to happen in the first place.
Brushing it off as nothing, I kept my cold gaze on him and refused to budge until I got an answer.
"Eat," Adriano's gruff voice demanded instead, my head whipping in his direction as I went to tell him that is not how this was going to work but he had been prepared for, he had been expecting it.
"Camilla, I don't care if it is in silence but you are going to eat what has been given to you. Only after that will we talk about what you are here for."
A dismissal, Adriano's eyes dropped away from me as all three of them picked up their spoons, not waiting any longer to dig into their foods. I was simply left there in a puddle of my rage and none of them paid me any attention, acting like it was okay to just sit down and eat a normal meal together. Things couldn't just be like that, though. That is not how this should work.
"I…" I started but when Domenico cuts me a look that focuses all of his attention on me, the force is so powerful that it makes me stop in my place.
I could tell I was making him a little crazy just by the wild look in his eyes and it reminded me of the other times I have seen that expression, other times that I really shouldn't be thinking about right now.
"I want your word that you will answer what I want to know if I promise to eat." I recover just a little as I look at Gregorio and then Adriano, the latter not even bothering to turn his gaze back to me. Instead, he simply smiles and makes my stomach twist in a way I don't want it to.
"We will play question for question." Gregorio said, showing the same smile and making my hand tighten around my unused spoon.
"For old time's sake." He added with a wink, my body unable to contain its jolt when I feel a touch at my leg again, this time slightly higher up. I realized what they were all doing the second the touch pulls away again, making me tempted to kick anywhere.
"There is that fire we have been looking for." The low sound of Adriano's voice came, his words so quiet that I almost would have thought I had imagined them if I didn't know better.
I knew it was him, though, because I had shown fire. I had come out of the place I always retreat to because I let my guard down and it was something I couldn't let happen again. Instead of giving them what I am sure they wanted, I brought my spoon down to my plate, silently stabbing at pieces of food and bringing them to my mouth to eat. Almost robotically, I did it again and again, not reacting as Gregorio's touch returned and left so many times it made me dizzy. The food itself, I will admit was some of the bed good I had ever eaten before, filling a hunger inside me u hadn't known had been there.
It didn't matter much, however when a new kind was developing, a kind that was much lower in my stomach.
"Gregorio?" I breathed in at one point when he moved to kick my knees apart, just like he did the first day I officially met him at Susan's place.
They were trying to bring me back to the moment when I was just Camilla and they were just them and my body could barely handle it.
"Shhhh," Gregorio hushed gently, my face heating as we all continued to eat, my mind warring with my body as I didn't push him away.
Why am I not pushing him away? We all sat there, eating our meals like Adriano had commanded and I was letting them touch me. My blood pounded in my veins as Gregorio's shiny, polished shoe slipped up in between my knees at some point, my knuckles going white around my spoon as I kept entirely still. None of their eyes met mine, going on as though I was fighting the urge to become a needy mess right in front of them when Gregorio suddenly froze, his gaze snapping up to mine and a devious smirk crossing his lips.
My heart stuttered as he brushed against the dark strap keeping my dagger held close to my thigh, almost as though he had forgotten it was there. Holding my eyes, he closed that distance, sliding the rounded toe of his shoe directly against my center. All it took was that single brush for every nerve in my body to come to life and it felt like a jolt of electricity that made me burn.
He has distracted me, made me forget why I was here in the first place. The second I remember, it was like an icy cold wash of a wave passed over me, the anger and fight returning with it.
"I am done eating." I said, grabbing Gregorio firmly and shoving his leg back under the table where it belonged to himself.
What just happened, that is not why I was here and even though my plate wasn't fully cleared, nobody protested as I got up. My chair slid silently over the hardwood floors as I straightened the dagger on my thigh, the only thing that made me feel half secure in this house. I turned off all of the emotions Gregorio had just evoked by his little tease, telling myself I needed to be better than that.
With a straight spine, I was better as I waited for the three of them to stand and tuck their chairs back into place, their large bodies rounding the table until I once again felt engulfed by their presence. With Domenico coming up to my back,I didn't move an inch as he got so close that I could feel the heat of his front against what was exposed of my skin, his breath tickling against my neck.
"After you, darling." He said in that low, composed way of his that I forced myself to ignore, his hand dipping and reaching around my waist to open the door for me.
I didn't dare to breathe in a single bit as I feared the consuming smell of pine would wash over me, instead taking the first step away and feeling the loss of his body heat instantly. It was fine, though, because a new kind of heat was rising up to my cheeks as I began to walk, their three unified forms following close at my back. They wanted my fight, then I would give them my fire.
It was no longer my fault when they realized what happens when you try to fuel a flame you can't control. You got burned.
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