*Looks at Chapter Title and cringes*

Chapter Sixteen: Too Stubborn to Listen

Adrien carried her with ease, and the utter confidence at which he uttered the words to the room as he carried her down the hall made her eyes widen. He smiled softly at her, and she felt a flush of heat invading her cheeks.

"A-Adrien," she hissed softly.

He chuckled, and stopped at a door as if he already knew it was his, and shoved it open. "What? You don't want to see my room," his voice teased, and pulled on strings that connected to places low in her stomach, playing chords that should have been impossible to reach inside of her body.

She squirmed a little, and his smile widened as he kicked the door shut gently, shifting her to one arm just enough to lock it, and her heart ramped up several beats, her thighs instinctively pushing tightly together.

His room was as large as her previous one was, but there wasn't a balcony attached. Her jaw fell open at the elegant style inlaid along the walls, and her heart raced more at the bed in the center as they approached. She'd never been to Italy, so she wasn't sure if it was standard, or if allthe rooms in the mansion had one, but it was an oversized canopy bed, and it was breathtaking.

The frame was probably mahogany, with intricate carvings along the curvature of the lip, and spiraling along the four posters. The long flowing curtains were cream colored with champagne hues, tied up and out of the way, with cream colored sheets and pillows to match. It looked like she could get lost in the plush depths of its elegance for weeks.

"Breathe, Mari," he whispered against her head. "It's just a bed, it won't bite you," he teased softly.

She released the air trapped in her lungs, not even realizing she'd been holding her breath, and upon her exhale, her heart was accelerating again, her chest heaving. Adrien set her down gently on the foot of the bed and knelt, and …and…and…and…her mind was blank. She was drowning. She couldn't remember what was going on.

His fingers tugged gently on her heels, and peeled them free from her feet before handling her affronted ankle gently, rotating it cautiously. "This hurt?" His voice was soft, concerned.

She grimaced a little, but swallowed. Oh, right, yes…checking her ankle. Her face burned with embarrassment. "It's f-fine," she whispered hoarsely.

He moved it again slowly, and she winced. "You sure about that?"

Marinette nodded. "Y-yes, just a little sore, but it doesn't feel like anything m-major."

The blonde lifted the joint a little higher, and she leaned back on her palms against the mattress so he could inspect her ankle, and he nodded. "It only looks a little swollen, so I think it'll be okay as long as you don't put any unnecessary pressure on it."

"My hero," she teased softly, blushing as she smiled at him.

She watched the length of his body stiffen as his eyes met hers, and he stopped, mid-motion, as he went to set her foot back down. Something in the back of his emerald stare seemed pained before it disappeared, and he lowered her toes back to the plush carpet carefully.

"Mari?" His voice was a breathy whisper, and his palms slid onto the bed, flattening against the surface to either side of her thighs.

"Y-yes, Adrien?" The intense warmth cascading into her blood was enthralling. It dominated her heart, and she found herself compelled forward, lowering her face closer to his as he knelt there, so still, on the carpet in front of her.

"May I kiss you?"

She gasped, but closed the invisible barrier for him, fingers curling over his masculine shoulders as their lips touched tenderly, agonizingly slow, just as they had in the limo. Except, this time…their bodies couldn't rock together, and a whimper escaped her throat softly in protest.

Marinette tried to shimmy forward, and off the bed as she held his mouth captive, dancing their heated want in a tantalizing waltz of harmonic ease, and only his hands smoothing up to her hips halted her movements, pulling a groan of displeasure from her.

He broke the connection first, rasping for air, and his digits grew a little more confident, gracing her backside to gather her upwards as he stood. "A-Adrien," she yelped, surprised, but he crawled gracefully onto the bed with her in his arms, and laid her down, his cheeks a bright shade of crimson to match her inner embarrassment.

"Mari," he echoed back hoarsely, his voice laden with want. "I-If at any point...you want me to stop…please tell me okay?"

"Wh-what are you going to do?" The bluenette couldn't swallow around the sudden tightness in her throat as his eyes carved a slow path over her face. It was as if he was going to memorize every feature until they were burned into the back of his lids to feast upon even when he couldn't see.

"P-please," he repeated.

She squirmed under his stare. Struggled under the gaze that told her a million things and nothing at all. The intense emerald gems that seemed to know her soul and yet kept widening as if he could never see enough of her or grow tired of her face like it was new every moment to the next, and she bit her lip nervously, nodding.

He gasped, grabbing her jaw, and pulled his thumb over her mouth before claiming it in another languid kiss. The passion set her soul aflame with lightning that never seemed to quell beneath his lavish touch, and she completely drowned, unable to stop the swelling of the tide in her chest.

Mari hid the sting of tears that came with it as he pulled her upwards just enough to slide the zipper of her dress down in lingering movements. When he laid her back down, it was her turn to tear free from the kiss first, desperate to breathe through the clouded emotions.

"Mari," he moaned again, his voice thick, heavy…almost lost in the valley of pleasure she found herself treading upon. Just the sound alone incited her own whispering cry of appreciation, and the blonde moved his mouth to her jaw, layering tentative kisses to her skin until he reached her earlobe. "God, you're so incredibly beautiful," he groaned huskily as she felt his fingers hooking the thin straps of her dress.

The blatant honesty…sincerity in his words made her cry out, and her spine curved a little with the heat of it, slashing angrily into the pit of her abdomen, coalescing into the tightest knot imaginable, and she whimpered desperately, wanting him to undo all that aching want he was building inside of her. It hurt…so much…in her chest…like her heart…ached as much as her core…to dare believe his words…

Adrien took advantage of her bowed back, sliding the dress down by teasing fractions as he descended her straps, and his lips carved a wake of fire over her neck and shoulders until she was quaking, pushing her hips up gently, but he wasn't between her thighs…his knee was…and she frowned…not fully understanding..

"I want to worship every inch of your gorgeous body," he breathed against her skin, and she gasped, the tears she'd been holding at bay spilling free as her fingers delved into his soft hair to play in the golden tresses.

"I d-don't know how you c-can say things like that t-to me," she breathed, and he stiffened a little. He didn't stop though, pulling her dress down enough to expose her heaving breasts to the cool air, and she squirmed.

"Beautiful," he groaned again, and she tipped her head back, keening.

"A-Adrien," she moaned, wishing his torment would end…part of her delighting in the delicious torture with anticipatory breath.

His right hand slid up her knee, pushing the fabric of her dress with it. His hand was warm…and soft, and she shivered as it moved up to the inside of her thigh, stopping just short of her core, squeezing the flesh of her leg as his mouth wrapped carefully around her now exposed nipple.

"A-Adrien," she mewled, her fingers shifting down the back of his shirt, gripping tighter and she stilled a little at the feel between her fingers. It felt like…cuts. Scrapes? She ran her fingers over them, and there was more than one of them…lots of them, actually, and she frowned, trying to think through the ecstasy. They felt fresh.

"A-Are you okay, Adrien, y-you're back f-feels cut up," she panted. "Oh, God, is it from the fall?!" The pleasure dampened, and panic set in. She tugged up the back of his collar to look down before he could react and…they were…scratch marks…nail marks…she thought…some healing…but yeah, some were fresh…quite a few.

His body went stark still, and if he hadn't been moving a moment sooner, she'd have thought he was a figment of her imagination. Her digits slid over the scrapes again, staring, and he jerked backwards, surprising her with his violent reaction.

"Geez, Adrien," she hissed, eyes widening.

"It's not what you think," he breathed quickly, frowning, his chest heaving as if he were panicked.

She felt a warmth rising in her stomach, and Marinette realized it was a wave of nausea. "They're not fresh nail marks?" She took a wild guess, hoping he'd say no.

He looked down and away, his mouth pressing into a thin line.

God, she was definitely going to be sick. Not that she had the right to be…honestly…he was a single man…but…how could he say all those things…about her…to her…after having just been with someone what…today? Yesterday?

"They from a fight?" Her voice was soft, trying to give him an out.

"No," he grunted.

"Sex?"

Silence.

She nodded slowly, tears filling her eyes as she looked away. She had no right to be upset. None. So why did it hurt so badly? "Today? Yesterday? They look really recent, Adrien," she accused, her voice wavering a little. "Which, I'm hoping isn't true if you sat there and said all of those things to me in the limo about how you were so upset about Luka and how bad you wanted me…and…" she trailed off, shrugging.

"Y-yes," he squeezed out. "Today, and last night…"

"G-God," she sobbed, rolling off the bed, to her feet, pulling her dress back up.

"P-Please, Mari! It's…r-really…it's not…please…can you…just trust me?"

"T-Trust you?" She laughed softly, more tears falling freely as she tried to zip herself up with fumbling fingers, limping to find her shoes. "You c-come out of nowhere and s-say all these things and I j-just…" she shook her head violently. "I c-can't! I sh-should've known your p-pretty words were t-too good to be true," she accused.

"Just stop, Mari. Just listen for once, please," he groaned, gripping her wrist, but she yanked it free.

"N-no! I shouldn't have th-thought I could b-be this special to b-both the guys in m-my life," she sobbed.

"Marinette stop," he growled, and she shook her head, reaching for the door, but he shoved his palm against it, slamming it closed as she opened it. "Will you listen to me for once!? You're so stubborn!" His yell boomed through the room, and she flinched.

The bluenette whirled on him, angry, and shoved her hands into his chest, moving him a few feet. "What gives you the right!?" She clenched her fists, slamming them against his chest, sobbing. "What gives you the fucking right, ADRIEN!?"

He looked down, muttering to himself for a moment. "Fuck it," he breathed, more to himself than anything before he surged on her. Her eyes widened as he picked her up by the back of her thighs, slamming her back hard into the door. The air rushed from her body, and the aggressive stance made her feel weak…and excited as he pinned her body with his, strong hands pressing her forearms against the barrier to trap her. It made her heart race, and she swallowed audibly.

"Because you're mine," he growled low in his throat, eyes darkening with…such a familiar heat that she faltered, his hardness pressing into her core, and her body automatically reacted…aching.

"A-Adrien…" she whispered, because…she couldn't…her mind was faltering over the information it was trying to process. This wasn't...what she thought it was…

His mouth touched her jaw, gently, tenderly, but he bit her ear a little harder, letting a feral growl trickle free, whispering, "You belong to both sides of me…Princess."

AUTHOR NOTE REVIEWS:

(*SQUEALS*…I..actually….fuckin' love…that he just said 'fuck it' and went for it because she was too stubborn to listen…instead of letting her walk out again! *SQUEALS*…I'm weird though)

Nymphadora, yes…probably would have been a great idea BEFORE hand..but..you know :P better late than never!

Trying414…she found out…due to her own vivacious clawing…hm…odd…what do you think? Lol, and the fact he was tired of her not listening and walking away and he said 'fuck it' I'm just going in and doing it..

Emjrabbitwolf, I'm definitely going to get around to all the details of the designing, Gabriel's thoughts, the relationship statuses, and the likes, just had to get THIS stuff outta the way first :P Plus, I was having so much fun doing these parts ^_^'' I suspect…Lila and Luka…still might be a problem…

SiriusBlack2, I'm so glad it made your fangirl dreams come true…hopefully this chapter wasn't too disappointing after that…:S :S :S….Awww…I'm glad…my descriptions aren't boring *blushes* I worry about it!

kazza2182, soooooo possessive…now…it's gonna be…so…much…worse HAHAHA, yes, we will get to designing now that we're in Italy, I PROMISE, and you're welcome! I'm glad you're on Holiday now!

Faefolk11, I'm glad you were happy with it ^_^, sorry, she didn't figure it out on her own, but at least…she'll know now, lol…we'll see how pissed she is…next chapter…and I AGREE…she has NO right to be mad (I understand your logic because it's MY logic too…because Adrien mentioned it once…) but we'll see how she feels..hopefully this wasn't disappointing!

b.d.p.r4454, Glad you liked I and it was better than you thought! Hopefully this isn't a disappointing follow up! ENJOY!