Chapter 12: Cravings
960 Words
The morning has been slow and warm.
Dominic and Dante had held me for a long time after we finished, their hands gentle on my skin, their voices were low as they made promises to me on how we'd figure everything out together. I had fallen back asleep between them, feeling strangely safe for the first time in weeks.
But by 3:00 a.m., the peace was gone.
I woke up with strange cravings. I demanded for chocolate and Pickles.
Chocolate and pickles?" Dante laughed watching me sit on the kitchen island, spoon in my mouth, devouring the strange combination straight from the Jar.
Dominic stood by the fridge, his arms crossed, looking half amused and half exhausted.
"She's carrying our child. Get her whatever she wants" when I asked for something only one of them could get, the jealousy between them flared up again.
I licked chocolate off the spoon, while swinging my legs. cravings had hit me hard tonight. One minute I was sleeping peacefully within them, the next minute I was wide awake, stomach growling in for the weirdest things.
Dante leaned on the counter beside me, stealing a pickle from my jar with a grin, " are you sure you don't want me to make you something normal? Pancakes? Ice cream? Name it.
I shook my head. "No this is exactly what I want".
Dominic opens the fridge again, searching for more chocolate. "We should have stocked better. "I will Victor out first thing in the morning.
Dante raised an eyebrow. "You're going to wake up Victor at 3:00 a.m. for pickles?".
"If she wants pickles, she gets pickles", Dominic said firmly. He found another bar of chocolate and broke off a piece for me. His fingers brushed mine as he handed it over. The touch was gentle, but his face was serious, like making sure I was okay was the most important thing in the world right now.
I took the chocolate, feeling that strange warmth in my chest again. These two dangerous men who had forced me into this life, where I'm now competing to feed my weird pregnancy cravings at three in the morning, it was funny and sweet at the same time. Because underneath the small moments, the tension was always there.
The way they look at each other when one touched me.
The way they both tried to be the one who made me smile first.
I finished the pickles and set the jar down.
"Can I have ice cream now? with hot sauce on top?".
Dante laughed. "Hot sauce? you're killing me, sweetheart." Dominic was already moving towards the freezer without a word. He scooped ice cream into a bowl. Then looked at me. "How much hot sauce?"
"Enough to make it interesting," I said.
Dante shook his head, still grinning but I caught the quick glance he gave Dominic, that little spark of jealousy. The silent competition over who could take better care of me.
I ate the strange mixture slowly, feeling their eyes on me the whole time. It should have felt nice. Two powerful men focused only on me.
But it also made my stomach twist in a different way.
I set the bowel down, and looked at both of them. "Do you even like me?" I asked quietly. Or am I just the mother of your heir?".
The kitchen went completely silent.
Dominic Froze. Dante's playful smile faded.
I kept going, the words spilling out before I could stop them. Sometimes I feel like just a prize. Like the contract is the only reason you're nice to me if not you both would have gotten bored and moved on. Now tell me the truth. Do you actually want me? Or just the baby inside of me?".
Dante stepped closer first. He tilted my chin up gently, forcing me to look at him. Lila...if this was only because of the baby, we wouldn't be fighting each other every single night over who gets to hold you longer. We wouldn't be losing sleep worrying about you. We wouldn't be this... consumed." We have never given a damn about any woman before, but we care so much about you Lila. He said, his voice low and calm.
Dominic moved to my other side. His hand rested warmly on my knee. "You're not just a random vessel who's carrying our heir. But you're the woman who had walked into our world turning it upside down. We never planned to feel this way, but now we do".
I took a careful look at their faces. Dominic's face looked serious, almost pained. Dante looked sincere in a way I rarely saw him in .
"But I'm scared," I admitted, my voice small. I'm scared I'll lose myself trying to keep both of you happy. I'm scared one day you realize sharing me is too hard, and one of you would walk away. Or worse... force the other to."
Dominic's hands tightened on my knee."We're walking away, we are figuring this out together, all three of us".
Dante placed a kiss on my forehead. "You were never a prize, Lila. You're our woman".
I let them pull me into their arms. I rested my head on Dominic's chest while Dante rubbed my back. For a minute it felt peaceful, making me feel that we could actually make it work.
But then Dante spoke again, his voice soft but serious. "And if anyone tries to take you from us, they won't live long enough to regret it.
I closed my eyes, feeling the weight of his words. The protection felt good. But it also reminded me how dangerous my life had become.
And how much I w
as starting to crave the danger surrounding them.
- Writer
