HIS CLAIM

27

Elsa

“Tell me again why you’re driving back home instead of flying. It will take like what? Five hours instead forty hours.” Arianna asked while folding my clothes with Tessa . I had talked them into helping me pack, arguing it wouldn’t take as much time and therefore could spend more time together. They agreed but they just didn’t realize they were doing all the packing for me, while I was pretending to pack so I wouldn’t do a thing.
I was such a genius.
“Because it’s a freaking metal coffin.”
“First butterflies, now planes?” She scoffed, not impressed at all.
“I’m not scared of flying, I just don’t like to fly alone. Like, what if the plane suddenly crashes? I would be all alone, waiting to face my death, and that is just sad. I don’t want to die alone.” I tried to explain how it was a legit fear of mine.
“I guess that is a reasonable excuse. Better than the butterfly excuse.”
“Just drop it already, okay? It’s a freaking flying caterpillar. It shouldn’t be flying in the first place!” I said defensively. Arianna rolled her eyes at me while Tessa  laughed at our bickering.
“So, you and Dom, huh?” Tessa  started and looked at Arianna with a teasing grin.
“Uhh huhhh!” I said excitedly.

“He is a hottie.” I winked at her. Dom was an attractive man with skin of an umber, a dark-brown color, and with amazing blue eyes.
“Those eyes…” Tessa  sighed dreamingly and then burst out laughing when Arianna sent her a glare.
“You two biches are with my brothers. You better not talk about other men like that.” Her eyes narrowed at us.
“Oh, chill. It’s okay to look at the menu, but not order.” I joked and Tessa  seconded it.
“Really? So, it’s okay for Dante  to look at other women as long as he doesn’t do anything with them?” Arianna raised a brow.
“I will gouge his eyes if he as much looks.” Tessa  said in all seriousness.
“It was a joke, I’m not interested in other people.” I laughed. I had eyes on probably the world’s seest man, and there was no way I would want anyone else.
“But what did you talk about when Nicholas  called both of you to his office?”
“Just the standard talk. Either we drop what we have going, or we get married.” She shrugged and kept folding my clothes. I blinked at her a few times, trying to process what she had said.
“Seriously?” Tessa  said shocked.
“He can’t decide that!” I exclaimed. I was surprised he had said that to her. If she wanted to have fun with Dom then she should be able to without him intervening.
“What did you say then?” Tessa  asked.
“I told him to shove his options up in his ass.” She smirked proudly.
“I’m not going to marry the guy. We’re just having fun and enjoying each other.”
“So, you’re dropping him?” I asked.
“Hell no! The sex is too good. We’re just going to keep away from each other for a few days, pretending it’s over, and then just be more careful not to get caught.”
“Damn… Dom got balls of steel to continue after almost being choked to death.” I was impressed that he was willing to do so.
“Can’t blame him if the sex is too good.” Tessa  commented and I seconded with a laugh.
We continued to talk and we were almost done packing. Arianna had called me out after finding out I wasn’t doing anything, and I reminded her that Mikka  told me to take it easy and not to do much. I shouldn’t have said that because Arianna and Tessa  shared a look, and then just left the room for me to continue to pack the rest of my clothes. I yelled at them for being mean but they just ignored me.

I let out a tired sigh when I plopped down on the bed, finally done with packing. I looked to the door when it opened, seeing Nicholas  making his way to me.
“Done packing?”
“Yeah. I think I’m going to take a nap.” I still had time to kill since I was leaving late in the afternoon, and a nap sounded so heavenly at the moment.
Nicholas  sat down on the bed and handed me a little black box.sat up and saw it was the diamond earrings he had gifted me.
“Wear these at all times. Don’t take them out.” He said firmly.
“Are they not a bit too much for everyday use?” I asked. They were filled with diamonds and were sparkly, definitely something I would wear to some kind of event, and not for everyday use.
“Put them on.”
“So bossy.” I chuckled but put them on.
“How do I look?” I put my hands on my face and fluttered my eyelashes at him dramatically.
“Beautiful.” Nicholas  smiled softly while tucking some of my hair behind my ear as he looked at me.
“Logan  and Gio will stay with you until you come back.”
“Nicholas , no.”
“It’s not up for discussion, they are staying with you.” He frowned when I shook my head at him.
“My mom will freak out at the sight of them, and I’m not exactly planning on telling her why two men are with me, posing as bodyguards.”
“You won’t notice them. I need to make sure you’re safe at all times.”
“And I will be! Didn’t you say you caught the guy already?”
“Yes, but he wasn’t working alone. Until I get my hands on the bastard that sent him, you’re not going anywhere without security.” He said, leaving no room for discussion and I let out a sigh.