Chapter 145

Laura's POV

I sat alone in my room. It was dark and I had a bottle of wine open in front of me.

It was a quiet afternoon. I swirled my drink and sighed loudly. Could today be any worse?

I sighed even louder and took a sip of my drink.

"Damn you, Dante!"

I cursed him. I hated that man with passion and I wanted him to disappear from the face of the earth.

I closed my eyes and the ordeal I went through at the hospital played back again in my mind. That fool had embarrassed me.

I took another sip and a deep breath escaped my lips.

Since he banished me from his home, I have been hiding out in my home. My father had called me but I had ignored all of his texts and calls.

Pearl had so been bothering me but I had ignored her as well. Unlike her shameless brother, she was kind-hearted and on my side.

I took another sip and the warmth of the liquid sok began to set in. It was about time.

If it hadn't been for her and her baseless loyalty, I wouldn't have been able to get this far with my plan.

I sighed again. It wasn't my plan. It was his plan, my mate's.

He was the one that asked me to cause a distraction for Dante and I had done a pretty good job at it.

Now that I thought about it, Dante wasn't the one that had embarrassed me. I had brought it upon myself.

I did it all for my mate.

I chuckled. I might have done it anyway, sooner or later for myself but the Goddess smiled on me and made me find someone that loved me more than Dante ever could.

A naughty smile crossed my lips as I remembered the sublime nights that we had had in bed. I could almost hear myself purring like a cat. Who could have thought that in all this chaos, I would find my mate and he would have the same hate for Dante as I did?

I chuckled.

I had to be fate. It had to be a sign that Dante was going to crumble for all the things that he had done.

I turned my head to the dressing table and a brown envelope caught my eyes.

Ahhh, yes. That was the document that my mate had asked me to retrieve from Dante's office.

I hadn't cared to open it again after he asked me to keep it. Why did he ask me to keep it, though?

I shrugged to myself. Maybe he wasn't ready to use it and this was the safest place that he could keep it.

I turned away from it and took another sip. If only he could tell me the plan.

I found myself biting my lower lip as I remembered my mate. I knew his name and I had seen his handsome face but there was still a shroud of mystery wrapped around him. It made him sexy and elusive.

Fuck! Just thinking about him was…

"Having a party without me?"

I gasped and saw someone standing at the door.

My heart was racing but slowly, it calmed down as soon as I saw the flicker of those familiar, dashing eyes.

"Mate?"

I heard a scoff and I saw a smile on the stranger's face.

"Hello, Laura."

He stepped into the light and felt my breath being stolen away.

He had a wine flute in his hand and a card in a little bag in the other.

I peered at it closely. Was it a gift bag? Was it for me?

"You seem to be enjoying yourself, Mate. Might I join in on this little victory party of yours?"

I stumbled slightly on my words but I finally obliged. Why would I stop him?

He walked towards me and joined me on the sofa that was in my bedroom.

My eyes didn't leave him and I watched keenly as he poured himself a drink. He clinked our glasses together and kissed me tenderly on the lips before he took a sip of the wine.

His kiss had refreshed my brain. I had completely forgotten what I was thinking about a few minutes ago.

"I believe this is a victory party for our little conquest over our common enemy?"

He looked at me with those gorgeous eyes and gave me a little smirk and wink.

He stroked my face softly. I was still overwhelmed by his presence. I couldn't talk. Why was my mouth glued shut?

"Laura, are you okay?"

Finally, I could breathe. I was trying so hard to gather my thoughts.

"I'm sorry. I…I just didn't expect to see you."

He smiled.

"I should have called you. I'm sorry. I just thought that a surprise visit would excite you…"

"No, no, no. I am excited to see you. You have no idea."

I blushed hard.

"This isn't a victory party. It's too solemn. It's more like a loathing drink. To loathe Dante…"

I felt my glass being taken gently from my hand and my mate took my hand and squeezed it tenderly.

"You don't care about him, do you?"

I was stunned.

"Oh course not. I hate him."

"Then…"

He leaned in close to me and stroked my chin. I fell apart before him. I loved how vulnerable I felt when I was him.

"... there is no need to think about him. He is not worth your time. There are other more important things that should be on that pretty mind of yours."

His deep and husky voice made my body go taunt. His words rippled in my ears and his touch sent electricity flowing through my body.

"You're right. There are much more important things to think about than him."

He smiled and drew closer to me. His lips were just a few inches away from mine.

"And I can think of one of those such things."

He planted a kiss on my lips and grabbed my face gently. My breath was stolen from me and my body fell limp and receptive to his touch.

I felt my body shivering slightly and my hands strayed into his soft and silky hair. It felt so good.

He finally pulled away from me and stared deep into my eyes. My cheeks exploded with colour.

He licked his lower lip with his tongue and looked at me seductively.

"The wine seems to taste better when it comes off your lips. You are so sweet, Laura."

I blushed heavily and felt my heart leap in joy. He pulled back slightly and squeezed my hand softly.

"You are right though."

I was confused.

"Right about what?"

"We can't completely rest until we have brought Dante to his knees."

I smiled and nuzzled closer to him.

"I am willing to forget all about him. I just want to focus on you being here."

He smiled and stroked my hair.

"Good girl."

He planted a kiss on my forehead and my heart swelled silently. Who would have thought that being called a 'good girl' would make me feel this way?

"I want to think about just to you, too. But permit me to say a few things. I am very impressed with how you handled Dante. I am sorry for the humiliation it all caused you though. It is partly my fault. I want to make it up to you."

His words felt so soft and genuine. Was he really apologizing to me? No one had ever apologized to me for anything.

"It's alright. You really don't have to apologize. It's not your fault. I agreed to do it."

"No, it is my fault, Laura. I asked a lot of you and you did it and now he is making a mockery of you. You are my mate, my Queen. I am supposed to protect your dignity and not put it on the line for my own endeavors…"

He squeezed my hand and kissed the back of my palm.

"... I am truly sorry, Laura."

I was stunned. No one had ever spoken to me like this. No one had ever made me feel this important.

He reached into his gift bag and took out a single ticket.

"What is this?"

He smiled and tilted my chin upwards the face him.

"It is a ticket for an all-expense paid vacation to the Bahamas. I want you to relax and get some of your strength. I want to pamper you and treat you just like the queen that you are to me."

He placed it on the table and I was still looking at it in awe.

What was going on? Why was he doing all this for me?

"I…"

"I insist, Laura. Don't say no to me."

My mouth clamped shut and all I could do was stare at the ticket in shock. I wasn't expecting any of this.

Wait. Ticket?

I looked back at him.

"It's just one. Aren't you going to come with me?"

He stroked my face and kissed me softly again.

"I'm sorry but I can't. I still have a lot to do here. I can't leave my business to someone else. I don't trust anyone except you."

I was silent. I was a bit unhappy that I was going to go alone. I thought that he was going to come along with me.

I stroked his face and kissed his forehead.

"You can't make an exception. I want you to be with me. Please."

She kissed me and I felt myself being laid on the couch. His kiss was soft and passionate. The way he grabbed my hair and rubbed my scalp made me feel amazing. I was on cloud nine.

He finally pulled away and I caught my breath.

"Forgive me, Laura but I can't join you. But I promise that I will once I am done with everything that I am doing here. Just wait for me."

I felt my heart crack slightly but I understood that he was busy. How else would he be able to afford such an expensive vacation for me?

I looked at the gift bag that was on the floor. There were still things inside it

"What are those?"

He knew what I was talking about and the naughty smile on his face returned.

"I want and also bought us some toys.–"

He bit his lower lip and stroked my lips with his thumb. My body was hot.

"–how about we play with them?.."