Chapter 11 – From Now On
-Dreamed last night about a time and place where from our troubles we had escaped
I held your hand then I felt complete
As you turned and said to me: from now on we will be - you and me.
Only a dream...
It's done Gianna thought, and she didn't even have to ask him to go. He was making her task too easy...she wished he wouldn't. It only proved how wicked she was, completely suited to the manipulative Volturi way of life.
Gianna remained in Dominic's protective arms like a modern-day Judas as she tried to convince herself there was really no way to avoid the situation she currently found herself in. She had willfully agreed to take on the assignment the Masters had offered, seeing it as an opportunity to gain a whole new and unending life, free from the painful human memories she had collected over her short, tragic life. It had been the perfect deal.
She didn't count on her conscience getting involved.
Since Dominic came to Volterra and became the shape-shifter the Volturi needed, his fate was also sealed. Whether she had concerns for him or not, it didn't matter, he was just as much under the control of the puppet masters as she was – the only difference, he didn't know it.
She did what needed to be done to keep him safe at this stage: secured his companionship to retrieve Isabella. What she had to do next was figure out what to do once the plan was executed. Was there a way out of the spiders' treacherous web?
Gianna tried to assure herself that as long as Dominic knew nothing of the vampires' existence, there was hope she could negotiate an escape for him. She would be willing to forego Aro's promise of immortality in exchange for Dominic's life. If he was harmed, she was sure nothing could erase the guilt from her memory – even a painful transition to a vampire.
"G?" Dominic whispered, uncertain if her silence indicated she had fallen asleep against his chest.
"Yes?"
"Please eat something."
Gianna sat up, and Dominic leaned over to retrieve her plate from the coffee table.
"Thanks, but I seem to have lost my appetite."
"I know you're upset about your sister, I understand, but we'll take this one step at a time...together. Please?" He held her plate in front of her.
Gianna tried to smile at his caring gesture. She took her plate and placed it in her lap.
Satisfied, Dominic went back to his meal and their conversation.
"So," he asked between bites off his own dinner plate, "where are we going?"
"Huh?"
"Your sister, where does she live?"
"Oh, in the States."
"Really?" he asked with some inflection of excitement. He couldn't help wondering if he could get Gianna to come to Wakarusa to meet his mother. Trisha had already begun to suspect her son was involved with a woman as Dominic's emails and texts had dwindled down to almost nothing.
He knew his mother would like Gianna, but this wasn't exactly a vacation they were planning. It was more like a rescue mission...
"Which state?"
Gianna's stomach did a back flip. She'd never thought to get that information from Aro! And she had just told him she'd already bought the damn airline ticket...more lies...
"Dominic! Can we please talk about something else?" she feigned anger. "It's all just so upsetting. Now I've dragged you into this fucked up mess as well!"
Gianna slammed her plate on the table and hid her face with her hands.
"Hey, okay," he responded, startled by her outburst just when he thought she was calming down. "What would you like to talk about? You name it."
"No more talk tonight," she sighed and reached for her wine glass.
Dominic filled her glass and then his.
She again leaned into him and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. They sat in silence on the couch, Dominic only moving to refill her emptied glass.
When the bottle gave its last, Dominic broke the silence, "I've got another bottle, Pinot Noir I believe." He knew Gianna loved reds.
"Would you sing to me, Domenico?"
Her request was unexpected. It was asked so innocently, and she sounded worn out. He just wanted her to be happy, to have something that was bright and light in her life. She seemed so burdened. Besides, it was easier to shift his focus to her struggles rather than to dwell on his own personal dilemma.
Singing to her gave him an opportunity he had been looking for since his world unexpectedly shifted, and she became the center of his universe.
There was a song, an old one, that wouldn't leave his mind whenever he thought of her. It begged to be sung. It was written about her, for her. It spoke of his feelings, but he knew if he sang it, it would be declaring how deeply he felt for her. Was now the time? Would it help her face all that troubled her, knowing she had someone truly on her side?
"Dominic? Would you play and sing for me?" Gianna asked again when he didn't respond to her first request.
He kissed the top of her head before shifting her from his body so he could retrieve his guitar. As he sat back down and placed the instrument on his thigh, he could feel his hands were slippery against the wood.
He smiled at her and she leaned back with her head at the opposite end of the couch to listen. The intro to the song was slow, very slow, and peaceful. She relaxed, becoming lost in the sound of the music, and shutting out everything else. She watched his hands gliding over the strings and thought the song was an instrumental, but then he began to sing low and soft...
The first time ever I saw your face, I thought the sun rose in your eyes
And the moon and the stars were gifts you gave to the dark and the empty skies, my love
The first time ever I kissed your mouth, I felt the earth move in my hands
Like the trembling heart of a captive bird
That was there at my command, my love
The first time ever I lay with you, I felt your heart so close to mine
And I knew our joy would fill the earth
And last 'til the end of time, my love
The first time ever I saw your face...
When the music stopped, they stared at each other in silence.
Dominic wondered if she would ask about the meaning of the song like she did the last time he sang. Although he was fairly sure she would get its meaning, the question remaining was how would she react?
"That was beautiful."
He smiled nervously back at her, still waiting for something...anything...more, suddenly feeling very naked in front of her.
To him, she moved in slow motion. Getting up to stand in front of him, she took the guitar from his hands and set it on the floor. She knelt between his knees and took his face in her hands, but her face was expressionless.
Dominic's heart beat madly in his throat waiting for her to say the words that were forming in her deep green eyes.
"Be careful who you give your heart to, Domenico."
He couldn't hold back his feelings any longer, and it all came out in a rush, "I gave it to no one. You stole it from me. Ti amo, Gianna. Ti amo..."
As he declared he loved her in her native language, his throat constricted and he could tell he was tearing up. He thought he had come close to falling in love before, but this...this was unlike anything he had felt before. It was overwhelming, thrilling, scary, and wonderful all at the same time. He even briefly wondered if it bordered on obsession.
Gianna ran her hands down the smooth, recently shaven skin of his cheeks, and leaned in to take his lips in a desperate kiss. He could feel her passion for him rising, and it reminded him of her tempting parting words from earlier in the day: Make passionate love to me when I return.
"Let me love you, Gianna..." he pleaded, encouraged by the want in her kiss, and desiring to express his love for her physically.
"Si...yes," she breathed.
He moved his lips to kiss her cheek, jaw line, and neck. The kisses were jubilant in nature, but as his lips moved from her neck to her collarbone and upper chest, they took on a different quality.
"Gianna..." his voice strained, reaching out to her protectively walled-off heart and soul.
"Shhh, Dominic. No words," Gianna instructed him, for she knew sharp ears were listening, and this she wanted to keep between the two of them.
She was so tired of being a spectator in the game of life, drifting on the fringes, not sinking or swimming, but moving at the will of the tide. No one expected anything from her other than compliance. Adapting to her surroundings like a chameleon, she had become a non-entity.
Until Dominic. He made her want to be more for him. And he said he loved her... even if what he fell in love with was mostly a lie.
Maybe this was something too good not to seize with everything she had left inside her – was it possible that someone could really love her?
Still on her knees before Dominic, she let her head fall back surrendering to his touch and granting his lips full access. His arms enfolded around her waist and he pulled her closer, kissing her exposed skin with more force as his breathing quickened.
"I did my homework," he spoke huskily into her flushing skin. "I'm willing to grant your request."
A thrill ran through her as her brain registered his reference to her parting words from earlier.
"Mmm," Gianna hummed her approval, too lost in his firm touch and willingness to love her to respond in words.
Dominic unexpected rose to a stand, still holding her by the waist. Gianna reflexively threw her arms around his neck to stabilize herself. As he reached his full height, Gianna's feet dangled just above the floor and her body pressed against his.
She giggled and flipped off her shoes before wrapping her legs around Dominic's waist.
With a serious tone, she pulled on the hair at the nape of his neck so he had to look up at her face, "This isn't passionate, this is silliness!"
"Your smile turns me on, baby." He winked and she laughed again at his cheesy statement.
When her laughter stopped, Dominic saw her eyes darken. "Where do we go from here?" she asked.
He knew her question was in regard to their relationship. He could tell he was pushing her beyond her comfort zone. Though he believed she was strong, and could only have become stronger after surviving so much hardship, he also knew her past experiences had left her emotionally fragile. He wouldn't force the issue. Instead, he would thank the Lord for each day he would have with her, hoping one day at a time would add up to a lifetime.
So, he chose to answer her question literally, "I thought we'd go to the bed."
Gianna relented, and instead of pursuing a serious answer from him, she tucked her head into the nook of his neck and shoulder. He carried her to the bed, lying her down and taking a step back to study her. Even though he had done this the last time they were intimate, it didn't make it any easier on her.
"Don't," she muttered, curling up under his scrutiny.
"G, I can't help but admire God's work. I asked you to let me love you, and you said yes. This is me loving you."
"I'm...I'm just not used to it."
"We'll take it slow. I won't hurt you, Gianna. Something inside tells me I never could."
Gianna rolled on her back and opened her arms to him in invitation. Dominic accepted gladly and crawled in bed beside her, resting his head on her shoulder. She kissed his forehead.
Dominic raised his head to kiss her lips. His movements were unhurried and deliberate. He needed her to understand with every touch, he was expressing his love and devotion to her. As their kisses deepened, changing from light to passion-filled, they slowly undressed each other. No words were exchanged; all communication came through touches, soft sighs, and kisses. It was the slowest, sweetest foreplay either had ever experienced.
He prayed his love could make her whole again.
She was so close to perfection. The smooth, rich color of her skin, the taste of her as they prepared to share their bodies, and even the sound of her breathing undid him.
Dominic looked into her eyes as he moved over her. When he entered her and their bodies were joined, he saw into her soul, where the truth could not hide. Though she had not spoken the words, he believed he saw her love for him.
"I love you," he whispered as he read the language of her body, adjusting to the clues it gave directing him on how to bring her pleasure.
"Let go, my love," he encouraged her.
He spoke the right words at the right time, and Gianna wrapped her long legs around Dominic's hips, pressing her heels into his backside. She held his body firmly to hers, tilting her pelvis to meet his – the pressure sent her spiraling.
The coil tightened and her impending release was heralded by a deep, sharp inhalation and her eyes squeezed shut.
Dominic caressed her cheek and neck as her body silently vibrated in bliss against his.
"So beautiful," he spoke as her breathing changed from short gasps to a quiet hum.
Her eyes opened to see Dominic's smiling face above her. But soon his brow creased as he saw small tears leaking from the corners of her eyes, trailing down into her hair.
As he quickly wiped the next several teardrops away before they could fall far from her eyes, he implored, "Gianna, why are you crying?"
"Because...I love you."
A/N: *sigh* I just love love. But certainly, in this situation, it makes things a bit more complicated, don't you think?
I also absolutely love the song, The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, which is featured in this chapter. The original version was done by Roberta Flack. However, I have found two more modern versions, one by Celine Dion and one by a favorite artist of mine, George Michael (for those who would like to envision Dominic singing the part).
You can check the videos of The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face on YouTube at http:/www(dot)youtube(dot)com/watch?v=LDmubWskP00 (Celine Dion) or http:/www(dot)youtube(dot)com/watch?v=1FA7OuuL3h4 (George Michael). Both versions are beautiful. (Direct links are available on my profile)
I know many readers are getting anxious for the big moment of Bella's capture...it's coming, it's coming...
Translations: Ti amo, Gianna. Ti amo = I love you, Gianna. I love you
Thank you! Ashling92, RowanMoon and RosaBella75 for making these chapters better!
Your comments/feelings are welcome!
