Warning: This chapter DOES contain mature material: Language, Sexual-innuendo, Passionate kissing, S&M. ~_^

A Salvation Called Love

-Chapter 15-

-Papa, Determination & Burning Desires -

[Mr. Gold]

After I pulled into the driveway of Annabelle's house I put it in park and turned the car off. I wasn't looking forward to seeing the man that had stolen from me, even if he was Annabelle's father. I tightened my hold on the steering wheel and watched as my knuckles turned white. I didn't want to say anything to Annabelle at the moment. I know that I'd told her I was going to let her see her father just this once but all I wanted to do right now was take her away and not let a soul see her ever again. She was mine and I was a very possessive, unforgiving man.

Annabelle who silently sat in the seat next to me, turned to watch me. "Are you alright, Dominic."

"Call me Mr. Gold when we're here, Dearie."

She stiffened beside me and I clenched my jaw. "Oh." She slowly nodded and I watched out of the corner of my eye as she turned towards the door and opened it, stepping out. When I still hadn't gotten out she bent down and looked in at me. "Are you coming… Mr. Gold?"

I gave a curt nod and slowly unbuckled my seatbelt, unlocking my door and stepping out. I peered at her over the top of the car and watched as she tried to give me an encouraging smile. It didn't calm the storm that was inside of me at the moment. She sighed and just turned to walk towards the house. I closed the car door and silently followed.

Annabelle's father opened the door and stepped out onto the porch in order to wrap his arms around his daughter. I walked up the steps behind Annabelle, my cane tapping against them. I smiled when I saw her father's head snap up as he stared at me. I could almost smell the fear on him as he gripped his daughter tighter. I truly was a beast.

Annabelle pulled away from her father and turned to watch me as I climbed the last step. "Would you like to come in and have some tea, Mr. Gold?"

I didn't look away as I stopped in front of her. "No tea, Dearie. We won't be staying here that long."

Her glare only amused me. "Yes, Mr. Gold."

Both her and her father walked through the door and left it open for me. I walked around to the side of the porch and looked out at the land surrounding the house. There were tons of oak trees, grand and beautiful, in full greenery. I knew from Annabelle that they had been her mother's favourite.

With a heavy sigh I turned and headed inside. The tap of my cane on the wooden floors accompanied me as I made my way to the livingroom. It wasn't packed like the last time I'd been here. Annabelle and her father were sitting on the couch and she was talking to him, her hands flying up in the air, probably to emphasis something. Mr. Amatheon looked up from his daughter and glared at me. He stood and walked over to me and grabbed a handful of my jacket, jerking me upwards. "What the hell are you doing to my daughter at that damn place you call home?"

I steadily stared at him and clinched my jaw in order to keep a cool head. "I would suggest you take your hands off of me, Mr. Amatheon, before I cut your visit shorter than I intended."

He growled and tossed me backwards away from him. I stumbled but kept upright as I reached up to straighten my shirt and tie. He glared at me from where he was standing. "The deal with my daughter was she would be taking care of your estate… as a caretaker. What happened to that? Did you decide the deal wasn't good enough for you?"

Annabelle stomped over and stood in front of her father, putting herself in front of me. "Papa, I told it that wasn't it. I told you that he was treating me nicely and that it just happened. I'm still working for him."

Her father snorted. "I can see that. Working for him by sleeping with him."

She gasped and moved forward to smack her father across his face. "How dare you think that, Papa. I'm the one that's paying off your debt for the stupid things you did, even if they were for my sake."

I felt anger boiling up inside of me as I watched her father's disappointed gaze stare down at her. This is exactly how Belle's father had reacted to her association with me. It seemed it was my nature to ruin the reputation of women. "Mr. Amatheon, I'd watch what you say to your daughter from here on out."

Mr. Amatheon turned his ugly stare to me. "Or what? You'll beat me again because you know I'm right?"

I took a step forward but Annabelle turned around quickly and faced me. She wrapped her hands around my wrists and gave me a pleading look. "Just go outside, Dominic. Please."

I wanted to get angry and tear the man in front of me apart, like I had wished to do to Belle's father but Annabelle's eyes were too much for me. There was too much pleading in them. I gripped my cane tightly and gave a small nod. I turned away and just walked out. She truly was someone special. I walked to my car and got in. I started it and leaned back my seat back as I turned on some Puccini. I'd give her the time she needed to finish with her father because after today I wasn't going to let them see each other. I didn't care if it made Annabelle hate me, I'd be as selfish as I needed to be in order to protect her… protect her the way I couldn't protect Belle.

[Annabelle]

I was mad at the way my father had treated Dominic. It didn't matter if I was supposed to be working for him or if I was seeing him or if I was having sex with him… which I wasn't. It's crossed my mind, I'll admit, because he was very attractive. He had that older attractiveness that some men had. I sighed and finally stood up, finished trying to talk to my father. It was hopeless. He was being stupid and over protective and judgmental. "Papa, I'm done trying to explain."

My father stood and followed me to the door, trying to stop me. "Annabelle, baby, you can't go back to him. I'll find another way to pay him back. Can't you see what people are going to say about you by being with him?"

I turned and glared at him, shoving a finger angrily into his chest. "That I'm a tramp? A whore? That I'm a loose woman? Fuck what they say, Papa. I'm 24. It's my choice to stay with him, deal or no deal. I decided that. He's…" I gave a tiny shrug. "He's hard to deal with sometimes. He's a man who's been jaded by the world, lost the things he's loved." I turned away and opened the door, desperate to get away. "I think that if I don't give him a chance then nothing in this world can chip the coldness away from his heart. There's something evil that's taken root in him. I don't know what it is but I'm not going to allow that to make me a coward that would run away when a person is in need of… kindness, love… a little gentleness in life." I left it at that and almost ran off the porch before my father could stop me. My father just stopped at the top of the stairs and stared at me as I got into the car.

Dominic quickly propped his seat back up and turned the music off as he stared at me. "Is everything ok, Dearie?"

I nodded and quickly wiped at the tears that were rapidly falling down my cheeks. "Just drive, please. I can't deal with anymore of him."

He did as I asked and soon we were on the way back to the place I now called home. I sighed and leaned back in the seat. Dominic reached over and took my hand, gripping it tightly. "I shouldn't have taken you to see him."

I wiped at my tears again and turned to smile at him, gripping his hand tight and bringing it up to my lips to press a gently kiss against his beautiful hands. The hands of a working man. "I know you meant well so don't worry about it. I just wish my father could see past his anger."

Dominic slowed the car down and pulled off to the side of the road. Thankfully we were still out of town where there wasn't a lot of traffic. He turned the car off and unbuckled his seatbelt in order to lean over to my side of the car and wrap me in his arms, pressing me tight against him as he buried his face in the crook of my neck. "I'll be honest, Annabelle. I wanted to hurt him for saying such hurtful words to you. No father should speak to their daughter like that."

His words started the waterworks and I sobbed against his shoulder, staining his jacket with my tears but he didn't pull away nor did he get angry. He just held me the way I needed to be held. "Why are you such an annoying bastard sometimes but other times you can say such sweet things to me?"

He chuckled and pulled back to stare at me from inches away. "I honestly don't know why, dear-heart. Ever since the day you showed up with your sass attitude I haven't been able to figure out why I act like I do anymore."

I laughed and smacked at his arm. "Sass attitude? Is that what you call me being pissed off?"

He shrugged and leaned forward until his lips were barely pressed against my own. "That's what I said, dear-heart."

I growled and reached up to grab a handful of his hair, something I found I really, really liked doing. I dragged him forward until I could ravage his mouth. Dominic opened up for me as my tongue slipped into his warm mouth and began to dance around his own as he kissed me fiercely. I removed one of my hands from his hair and reached down to fumble for my seatbelt until I could unclick it. I slowly scooted up into the seat until I was on my knees and pressed myself against him while his hands wandered down my back. I groaned as he slid his hands underneath my shirt and his nails slowly racked across my skin, making me shiver. He half pulled me and half helped me slide over the gear-shaft into his lap. My ass hit the horn and blared but that didn't stop me from wiggling my way onto his lap, pressing my legs against both of his. I pulled back to suck in a deep breath of air. "I want you. I want you, I want you."

He leaned upwards and captured my lips again as he pressed me down against him. I could feel him pressing hard against me through his pants and I found myself groaning against his mouth again as I slowly rocked forward, pressing myself harder against him. His hands kneaded my back as he held me close. Removing my hands from his hair I trailed my fingers down his chest, feeling the muscles ripple beneath his shirt. I unbuttoned the jacket and slid my hands in to wrap slowly around his waist. We had to pull away to breathe again and he used that opportunity to grab a handful of my ponytail and pull my head back so that he could kiss a burning trail down my throat. His voice hummed against my skin and his brogue was thick and deep. I couldn't stop the shiver it produced as I rocked against him again, feeling him grow harder. "Annabelle, sweet Annabelle. Tha gaol agam ort." I didn't know what he was saying but it was beautiful to me when I heard him speaking to me in his native tongue. He released my hair and I was quick to bring my lips to his, wanting to never stop kissing him. I trailed my hands down until I could feel his buckle and I started to undo it. The second it was hanging undone and my fingers were starting to work on the button of his pants his hands quickly found mine and stopped me. "Don't."

I frowned down at him, thinking not my best quality right now. "Don't you want me?"

He growled up at me. "You know I do, dear-heart. Oh you very much know I want you, but I can't."

I closed my eyes and leaned forward to press my forehead against his as he slowly interlaced our fingers. "Can't or won't."

He gave a small sigh. "Both… or at least not right now." He reached up and tipped my head up until I could look at him and he gave me a small smile, his eyes showing me the burning desire he was holding back. "All I want to do right now, dear-heart, is lock you away in my home and ravish you. It's taking all my willpower to not act on my thoughts."

I stared down at him and slowly nodded. "I'm sorry."

He shook his head and leaned upwards to press a small, hungry kiss against my swollen ones. "Maybe soon, dear-heart, when I can sort through everything. Just be patient with me."

I nodded again and took a deep breath, releasing a small giggle. "I can be as patient as you need, Mr. Gold" I winked down at him as I made a horrible attempt at getting back into my seat. He growled and playfully smacked my ass where it was up in the air as I was crawling over the gear-shaft again. I huffed and when I settled myself back in my seat properly I glared over at him. "Did you just do what I think you did, Mr. Gold?"

He gave me his attempt at innocent honey brown eyes. "Of course not, Dearie. It was all a figment of your imagination."

We both buckled up and he turned the car on, pulling back out onto the road. I rolled my eyes and settled back into the seat as I tried to ignore the warm, liquidy feeling I had between my legs. Squeezing my thighs together didn't help in the least. "I guess that means I have one hell of an active imagination."

A.N - "Tha gaol agam ort" is Scottish Gaelic for "I love you". *^_^*