Velvet Lullabies

Lucian was propped against the side of the car, striking in a gray two-piece suit when she exited the dorm.

“You look stunning.” He pressed a kiss to her cheek and pulled open the passenger door.

Chivalrous.

“Not too bad yourself.” She had been in a lot nice cars in her life, but the leather seats of this Mercedes felt like butter against her bare thighs. Yeah, this might have been nicer than Theo’s Range Rover. “So where are we going?” she asked once they were off campus.

“Dinner.” He replied, eyes focused on the road ahead of them.

“Okay,” she laughed. “I was expecting the name of a restaurant in that answer, but that’s fine.”

He passed her a sly smile. “You’ll see.”

???

They pulled in front of Henley’s a restaurant downtown that she’d never been too. Her food lately came from the cafeteria on campus, and before that Theo only took her to restaurants owned by his family.

When it came to comparing the two, Lucian exceeded Theo in every category. He held open her door for starters. When he looked at her, it was like he saw deep into her soul. She felt safe with Lucian, though she’d never admit it. She was doing just fine on her own, and she promised herself she’d never depend on another man, but Lucian was making her come close to breaking that promise and so far, he was only looking at her.

He gave her a choice.

More than anything, that was what Adelina appreciated about him. Her father had wanted to give her the world, and without meaning to, he locked her into his. Theo, well, Theo was far from perfect. But Lucian, he gave her an out. Maybe that was all she really wanted.

They were seated in a private room toward the back of the restaurant. Far away from the prying eyes of the other patrons. Adelina had half a nerve to ask how Lucian got this table, but she figured she already knew the answer. Nobody told Lucian Luchese no.

It was funny when she thought about it, the Lucian Luchese that the world saw was far from the man who stood in front of her at the Blue Door Café and told her he would walk away if she said so. She was pretty positive that no one else ever had that power over Lucian.

“What’s so funny?” he asked.

Her mouth pushed up into a smile at the thought of him. “Nothing,” she told him.

“Why are you smiling then, bella?” he leaned in to ask her.

“I was just thinking…about you.”

He returned the smile at this. “What were you thinking about me?”

She took a long sip of the wine in front of her. A wine that Lucian asked her if she wanted before he ordered for her. “Just about us.”

“You’re going to have to be more specific, bella.” He told her with a laugh.

“It’s funny.”

He gave her a look, as if telling her to continue.

“You’re pretty powerful, you know?”

He nodded to acknowledge her.

“Everybody does what you want. When you want.” His lips thinned at her statement. “But with me, you don’t give orders. You always give me room to respond or counter or say no.”

They were silent for a minute while Lucian took in her words.

“And this is funny?” he asked her.

“Yeah,” she glanced down, feeling silly at her statements. “It makes me feel…powerful.”

“Bella,” Lucian drew her gaze up to meet him. “You are powerful. Any good man would make sure that you always have choices. I will never treat you the way I treat others, do you understand?”