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Eden blushed, completely surprised by the sudden declaration. She couldn’t even keep looking him in the eye, glancing to the side. Dante had no hint of shame in his voice, though.
“From the moment I saw you. I was attracted to you... I knew I had to have you. It got worse each time I saw you. Now, I feel like I can’t ever part with you again.”
“...Sounds like that song inspired you,” Eden muttered, a bit embarrassed.
“Eden.”
She didn’t want to look into his eyes, not when he was saying things like this, but Dante wasn’t of the same opinion. Gently, he grabbed her chin, pulling her face toward his. He was dangerously close... and making Eden’s heart go insanely fast. She knew she was probably red up to her ears, which made it so much worse. He opened his lips, to say something, and she kissed him without thinking. Something inside was making her a bit fearful of what he was about to say, and a kiss seemed like a good option.
Dante didn’t push her away, of course; instead, he happily answered her kiss. His hands held her a bit tighter, and they opened their lips to prolong that kiss, to make it more real, and hotter. Eden loved the simple and effortless way they completed each other. Their kisses always felt so... perfect, and easy. As if they had been made for each other, as if they were the perfect counterpart for the other. Dante’s hands on her body never failed to make her feel hotter, and safer too. Like a promise that as long as the two of them were together, nothing could possibly go wrong...
After a long while, their lips finally parted, both needing to breathe a bit. Eden was in a bit of a daze, feeling warm all over. It didn’t feel like they were about to meet the eight most powerful mafiosos of Chicago in just a few hours…
She cleared her throat, and carefully stepped back, unable to look Dante in the eye. She had avoided it for now, but she wasn’t sure she would be able to distract him a second time if he felt like saying it again. Something about her was a bit scared of whatever he was going to say, and she was ready to run away rather than hear those dangerous words... She brushed her hair back, trying to regain her composure.
“I... I will go take a shower,” she muttered. “...Alone.”
“Okay.”
She let out a little sigh of relief, and quickly moved to the wardrobe, grabbing whatever clothes she could before running to the bathroom, locking the door behind her. Her reflection in the mirror made her even more ashamed. She was red, her neck covered in bites and kisses, and looked like she had just committed a crime! Eden pouted at that shameless girl in the mirror and jumped in the shower, trying not to remember what had happened in the bathtub on the other side.
A cold shower turned out to be the best remedy for cooling her down. She let the stream rinse her thoughts for a while until she felt confident enough to get out and too cold to stay. At least she was clean and ready to face whatever was waiting. She took her time drying her hair with a towel, cleaning her face again, getting dressed, and even using a bit of makeup. As much as she tried to convince herself this was to not look like a nobody in front of the Zodiacs, she was also stalling a bit for time... She could hear Dante moving on the other side of the door.
When she walked out, spotting Dante in front of the wardrobe, Eden carefully stepped aside.
“The bathroom is available,” she blurted, walking to her dogs and avoiding looking in his direction.
“Got it,” he said.
To her surprise, he went to the bathroom without adding anything. She let out a faint sigh. She was probably safe, for now... and still felt a bit mad at herself for feeling like this. Why was she such a coward when it came to those things? The sex was easy, even if it was anything but casual or meaningless when it was with Dante. She should have been used to him by now; well, to any man, for that matter. So why was she still acting like an inexperienced teenager? She grabbed Beer, trying to play with the puppies to distract herself. Those two had no idea about anything going on except for games, naps, and their next meal... She hadn’t even gotten to walk them much. It felt like Rolf was their part-time dad now, and she was a poor owner.
“Sorry,” she sighed. “I’ll take you two on a proper walk next time.”
Far from her concerns, the pups happily grunted and tried to chew her fingers. Eden was careful not to let them dirty her outfit, though. For once, she had closed her eyes to the exorbitant items and tried to think like someone who had to meet the Zodiacs. She had grabbed black pants and a somewhat elegant black backless top. Something that she could walk and run around in, but still looked pretty nice. She remembered the female Zodiacs both wore pants, as well. This should be fine, surely...
Finally, Dante walked out of the bathroom, looking devilishly handsome as usual. He had picked another one of his Italian suits, paired with shiny cufflinks and a dark red shirt. His hair was combed back too, making Eden think he had also taken some extra time for the meeting... His eyes went down to her, and he frowned.
“...What now? Not sexy enough again?”
“Your shoulders are too sexy.”
Eden frowned. She was too sexy, this time...? Then, she realized. Dante never considered his men’s eyes on her, but for the Zodiacs, it was probably different. Was he afraid she was going to attract some of the male Zodiacs or their subordinates? She rolled her eyes.
“You’re the only one who thinks of me like that, Dante,” she sighed, “and I’m not changing. We’re probably late already, we should get going and meet the others.”
“Mh.”
Eden was a bit relieved he didn’t really protest, this time. She pet her dogs for a little while and hugged each briefly. She had just realized she had no idea when they would be back, once again. What was going to happen at the Dragon’s Palace? She sighed and rubbed Beer’s belly a little bit more before finally standing up. Of course, the pups were already scampering behind her and following her to the elevator, but she’d have to leave them here with Loir...
A bit disheartened, she stepped into the elevator, crossing her arms and leaning against the wall, opposite Dante. Because of that, it took her a second to realize he was staring at her, a smile on his lips. Eden blushed immediately, his stare too hot to endure. It was even worse as he kept staring, with his golden eyes, not saying anything.
“W-what?”
“...I love you.”
The elevator doors closed.
“Y-y-you...!” Eden grunted, blushing all the way up to her ears.
