Dollhouse fic: Valentine's Day Part Four
Mar. 6th, 2010 10:57 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
meridian_roseThis is a multi-chaptered fic. The Index Post which includes summary, ratings, and warnings, is here
FOUR
(earlier)
Unfortunately, Bethany and Brick (Dominic hadn't heard anyone call him by any other name as yet) and George all followed them back to the house. Adelle could hardly refuse to allow him inside, and there was an uncomfortable silence as everyone stood in the lounge.
"What do you suppose will happen to the cottage?" Bethany asked thoughtfully, looking at the ceiling beams.
"It's mine," George said. "Or it should be. As the only son, I expect to gain a suitable share of the inheritance."
"And by share you mean all of it," Adelle said.
George, face flushed with alcohol, glared at her. "You don't care for your own country anymore, so I don't see as you have any right to anything in it. Not the houses or the money."
"And I don't want it," Adelle said. "I've done quite well for myself. I am a woman of means, George. Some of us haven't needed daddy to bail us out of their financial messes."
"I was misled by my financial advisors," George bellowed. He looked at his glass, which was empty.
"I'll get more drinks," Dylan said and disappeared into the kitchen.
"Now, George, settle down," Brick said, reasonably. "Poor Harvey's barely cold in the ground. There'll be plenty of time to deal with the will later."
"Shut up you moron," George said. "Just because you married Beth, doesn't mean you're a part of this family."
Bethany's lips pulled into a tight line and she nudged at Brick with her elbow. Brick, however, didn't seem inclined to defend her honour (or his), either physically or verbally, and he simply said, "You're drunk. Go back to your hotel."
George, however, wasn't done. He turned now on Cara, who was sitting in her customary place next to the fireplace.
"Some of us are only pretending to be family. They have the name, but not the blood, isn't that right?" He leant over her and she shrank back.
"Enough," Adelle said warningly.
At the sound of Adelle's voice, Cara found the strength to slip sideways away from George and get to her feet.
"What, Adelle? You think she's a DeWitt? Scared little creature like her? With her giggling and her worthless degree and her goddamned Anglo-pilferer boyfriend? She's an interloper, a cuckoo child, a weed in our family tree! She's a bloody mongrel –"
Finally incensed, Cara slapped George across the face.
There was silence. For a moment everyone froze. Dominic however, was on alert, anticipating what might happen next.
George put one hand to his burning cheek and then raised his own hand to deal a similar or worse hit to Cara. She shrank back, but unnecessarily, because before George knew what was happening he had been grabbed by his shirt from behind, spun around, and thrust forwards until he was rammed against the dining table.
George struggled but one arm was now being twisted painfully behind his back. His uninjured cheek was pressed against the polished mahogany. A kick behind one knee sent him almost off balance, but the grip on his arm was strong and the table had most of his weight, the edge digging into his hip.
"You like hitting women?" Dominic asked in a low, angry tone. "You want to take it outside and try to give me a beating, huh? I'll even give you a free chance at the first blow."
George was drunk and angry and not as in shape as he thought himself; Dominic was almost stone cold sober, and bringing his extensive skills in hand to hand combat to bear on his opponent. It was no contest and even George had to realise that eventually.
"Mr," Adelle began, caught the slip. Possibly it was seeing him in a more professional capacity, in that he was incapacitating someone posing a danger to her or those in her care, but she quickly corrected herself and addressed him less formally. "Laurence. Thank you. That's enough now. I'm sure George realises how foolish that was."
Dominic nodded but didn't relinquish his hold on George.
"Apologise to Cara," he said. He could almost feel Adelle's gaze of disapproval at this disobedience, but he would not release George until he got the apology. When it wasn't immediately forthcoming, he applied a little more pressure to the arm that was in real danger of breaking. George gave a shriek in pain.
"S…sorry."
Dominic released George so suddenly that he fell to one knee and then onto his side on the floor. He glared daggers at Dominic as he dragged himself to his feet.
"Goddamn Americans," he spat.
Dominic shrugged. "I never pretended to be anything else. You, on the other hand, pretend to be a gentleman. What's your excuse?"
George limped out of the room. Cara, pale, ran over and threw her arms around Dominic's neck before he could protest. She was shaking and he wrapped his arms around her instinctively. Adelle joined them, touching Cara's shoulder gently.
"What's going on?" Dylan asked as he strolled into the lounge, pint glass in hand. "Did George fall over the doorstep again?"
Dominic and Adelle switched places so that she was holding her sister tightly, leaving Dominic free to turn his anger on Richard.
"Cara smacked George across the face," he said.
"Good for her," Dylan said and Dominic couldn't disagree. Still…
"George was about to retaliate," Dominic said.
Dylan's eyes narrowed. "If he hurt her –"
"No," Adelle said. "But only because Laurence stepped in. I am afraid you have made an enemy of him, Laurence, but since we're going home tomorrow and your social circles never overlap with George's except where I am concerned, you shouldn't worry too much."
Dylan nodded. "Thank you."
"Where were you?" Dominic demanded. "She's to be your wife. You need to look out for her."
Dylan gestured with his glass. "I was getting a pint. I can't be there 24/7, even if I want to. Look, I'm taking her out of here tomorrow and if the Fates are kind, we won't cross paths with any of the insane DeWitt family for years after this." To Adelle, he hastily amended, "No offence. I didn't mean you."
Bethany gave a gasp of horror at this, but no-one, not even her husband, paid her any attention.
"None taken," Adelle assured him.
Cara was forcing a smile now, tucking her hair behind her ears. She crossed the room to Dylan.
"I'm all right," she said. "And you know what? Let's buy that smallholding in Machynlleth."
---
Adelle sat at her dressing table, brushing her hair. Although she'd undressed and was now wearing only a white cotton nightdress with lace detail at the straps and hem, she wasn't in the least bit tired. Bethany and Brick had left shortly after the incident, and they'd all relaxed a bit more then. Still, she felt somehow on edge.
On impulse she got up and padded, barefoot, into the hallway. She knocked on Dominic's door. She heard the bedsprings creak and then he was at the door, opening it just enough to see who it was. When he realised it was Adelle, he opened the door fully and was on alert, expecting trouble.
"Is George back? I didn't hear a car."
He was weaning grey pyjama bottoms but was otherwise naked. Adelle let her eyes run over his lean frame, taut pectorals, trim waist.
"No. Nothing like that." She took a step forward and he automatically backed up into the room. Adelle followed, nudging the door closed behind her. The bedclothes were crumpled, disarrayed further by his hasty exit, she guessed. The gun was on the nightstand; he'd obviously felt the need to keep it close, yet hadn't brought it to the door. Dominic stifled a yawn and rubbed at his temple with one knuckle.
"I just wanted to say thank you," Adelle said. She hadn't had that much of a plan, truth be told. "You've been a tremendous comfort to me during this trying time. And I very much appreciate your protectiveness towards Cara."
He nodded. "I like Cara." He started to say something else, hesitated.
"What is it? Speak freely." There was no dressing table in this room, but there was a chair and Adelle moved to sit on it. With his employer seated, Dominic felt he was allowed to sit also, and plonked himself down the edge of the mattress.
"I hope I didn't overstep my boundaries earlier. With George."
A smile played on Adelle's lips.
"God knows he had it coming," she said. "And as far as anyone knows you're my friend and not my employee so there is no question of boundaries."
Reassured, he nodded. Adelle leant forward, intentionally displaying her cleavage. She wished she'd chosen something a little more seductive to wear, but when she'd been packing for the trip, sex had been the last thing on her mind.
"Laurence, we have one night here. Let's not be employer and employee. Let's be –" and she discarded the word 'friends' and thought about using 'intimates' and finally settled on, "together."
"Together?"
Adelle licked at her lips, suddenly feeling more awkward than she had in a very long time. "I find myself attracted to you, despite the impropriety of it. And if we weren't here, I wouldn't be saying this. But we are here. Not in LA. Not in the Dollhouse. Not as Ms DeWitt and her Head of Security, but as Adelle and Laurence. Friends, associates….lovers, if you want."
He swallowed reflexively. "Um, it's been a long day," he said,"and you've had quite a lot to drink."
"I'm not drunk," she told him. Not stone cold sober, either, but well aware of what she was doing. "If you want me to go I will and we'll never speak of this again." She stood, walked over to him, pressing her knees to his. "Do you want me to go?"
He clearly didn't because suddenly his arms were about her waist, and then his hands were on her buttocks. He pressed his face to the curve of her belly, and Adelle leant over him, both hands on his shoulders.
"Laurence," she said softly.
She didn't quite remember how she ended up naked, though she recalled tugging at his pyjamas until he removed them. She remembered the kisses though, warm and urgent, on her throat, on her breasts. She remembered feeling him running his tongue down her body, and his hands, strong but gentle, pulling her thighs apart.
She let him take the lead, merely tried to savour the experience. She was in control all of the damn time and right now she wanted to be careless, wanton. She wanted this man.
This man, who she'd once thought so cold, who would guard her with his life, who had been more of a support than he could ever imagine through this whole terrible debacle, who she'd grew to trust, to care about. She wanted to have him, and for him to possess her body, at least for this one night.
Adelle always got what she wanted.
---
Afterwards, she curled up on her side and delighted in the warm afterglow of orgasm Laurence pressed kisses to her bare shoulder.
"We have to go home tomorrow," she said and she hadn't meant it to sound as sad as it did. He drew back, and she cursed herself for having reminded of the reality they'd put aside for this night.
She rolled over to face him, put one hand to his cheek. "I don't regret this. Not a moment of it."
"And tomorrow?"
There was no easy answer to that.
"Tomorrow, as Scarlett O'Hara pointed out, is another day. Right now, I want to sleep." She considered leaving, going back to her own room and the cold bed that awaited her. Then Dominic leant over and kissed her on the lips once, more.
"Good night, then."
Adelle snuggled up close and he held her tightly. She slept well, feeling relieved, and safe, and loved. Some time in the night he released her, because when she awoke the next morning he was already in the shower.
---
The goodbyes were brief, with handshakes and hugs, and Cara promising she'd be out of there by that afternoon. They travelled to the airport in silence and Adelle busied herself reading a newspaper while they waited for the flight.
As they approached Los Angeles, Adelle smiled wanly.
"Thank you for accompanying me, Mr Dominic."
"It was my pleasure, ma'am," he replied.
Part Five
Part Three / Index
FOUR
(earlier)
Unfortunately, Bethany and Brick (Dominic hadn't heard anyone call him by any other name as yet) and George all followed them back to the house. Adelle could hardly refuse to allow him inside, and there was an uncomfortable silence as everyone stood in the lounge.
"What do you suppose will happen to the cottage?" Bethany asked thoughtfully, looking at the ceiling beams.
"It's mine," George said. "Or it should be. As the only son, I expect to gain a suitable share of the inheritance."
"And by share you mean all of it," Adelle said.
George, face flushed with alcohol, glared at her. "You don't care for your own country anymore, so I don't see as you have any right to anything in it. Not the houses or the money."
"And I don't want it," Adelle said. "I've done quite well for myself. I am a woman of means, George. Some of us haven't needed daddy to bail us out of their financial messes."
"I was misled by my financial advisors," George bellowed. He looked at his glass, which was empty.
"I'll get more drinks," Dylan said and disappeared into the kitchen.
"Now, George, settle down," Brick said, reasonably. "Poor Harvey's barely cold in the ground. There'll be plenty of time to deal with the will later."
"Shut up you moron," George said. "Just because you married Beth, doesn't mean you're a part of this family."
Bethany's lips pulled into a tight line and she nudged at Brick with her elbow. Brick, however, didn't seem inclined to defend her honour (or his), either physically or verbally, and he simply said, "You're drunk. Go back to your hotel."
George, however, wasn't done. He turned now on Cara, who was sitting in her customary place next to the fireplace.
"Some of us are only pretending to be family. They have the name, but not the blood, isn't that right?" He leant over her and she shrank back.
"Enough," Adelle said warningly.
At the sound of Adelle's voice, Cara found the strength to slip sideways away from George and get to her feet.
"What, Adelle? You think she's a DeWitt? Scared little creature like her? With her giggling and her worthless degree and her goddamned Anglo-pilferer boyfriend? She's an interloper, a cuckoo child, a weed in our family tree! She's a bloody mongrel –"
Finally incensed, Cara slapped George across the face.
There was silence. For a moment everyone froze. Dominic however, was on alert, anticipating what might happen next.
George put one hand to his burning cheek and then raised his own hand to deal a similar or worse hit to Cara. She shrank back, but unnecessarily, because before George knew what was happening he had been grabbed by his shirt from behind, spun around, and thrust forwards until he was rammed against the dining table.
George struggled but one arm was now being twisted painfully behind his back. His uninjured cheek was pressed against the polished mahogany. A kick behind one knee sent him almost off balance, but the grip on his arm was strong and the table had most of his weight, the edge digging into his hip.
"You like hitting women?" Dominic asked in a low, angry tone. "You want to take it outside and try to give me a beating, huh? I'll even give you a free chance at the first blow."
George was drunk and angry and not as in shape as he thought himself; Dominic was almost stone cold sober, and bringing his extensive skills in hand to hand combat to bear on his opponent. It was no contest and even George had to realise that eventually.
"Mr," Adelle began, caught the slip. Possibly it was seeing him in a more professional capacity, in that he was incapacitating someone posing a danger to her or those in her care, but she quickly corrected herself and addressed him less formally. "Laurence. Thank you. That's enough now. I'm sure George realises how foolish that was."
Dominic nodded but didn't relinquish his hold on George.
"Apologise to Cara," he said. He could almost feel Adelle's gaze of disapproval at this disobedience, but he would not release George until he got the apology. When it wasn't immediately forthcoming, he applied a little more pressure to the arm that was in real danger of breaking. George gave a shriek in pain.
"S…sorry."
Dominic released George so suddenly that he fell to one knee and then onto his side on the floor. He glared daggers at Dominic as he dragged himself to his feet.
"Goddamn Americans," he spat.
Dominic shrugged. "I never pretended to be anything else. You, on the other hand, pretend to be a gentleman. What's your excuse?"
George limped out of the room. Cara, pale, ran over and threw her arms around Dominic's neck before he could protest. She was shaking and he wrapped his arms around her instinctively. Adelle joined them, touching Cara's shoulder gently.
"What's going on?" Dylan asked as he strolled into the lounge, pint glass in hand. "Did George fall over the doorstep again?"
Dominic and Adelle switched places so that she was holding her sister tightly, leaving Dominic free to turn his anger on Richard.
"Cara smacked George across the face," he said.
"Good for her," Dylan said and Dominic couldn't disagree. Still…
"George was about to retaliate," Dominic said.
Dylan's eyes narrowed. "If he hurt her –"
"No," Adelle said. "But only because Laurence stepped in. I am afraid you have made an enemy of him, Laurence, but since we're going home tomorrow and your social circles never overlap with George's except where I am concerned, you shouldn't worry too much."
Dylan nodded. "Thank you."
"Where were you?" Dominic demanded. "She's to be your wife. You need to look out for her."
Dylan gestured with his glass. "I was getting a pint. I can't be there 24/7, even if I want to. Look, I'm taking her out of here tomorrow and if the Fates are kind, we won't cross paths with any of the insane DeWitt family for years after this." To Adelle, he hastily amended, "No offence. I didn't mean you."
Bethany gave a gasp of horror at this, but no-one, not even her husband, paid her any attention.
"None taken," Adelle assured him.
Cara was forcing a smile now, tucking her hair behind her ears. She crossed the room to Dylan.
"I'm all right," she said. "And you know what? Let's buy that smallholding in Machynlleth."
Adelle sat at her dressing table, brushing her hair. Although she'd undressed and was now wearing only a white cotton nightdress with lace detail at the straps and hem, she wasn't in the least bit tired. Bethany and Brick had left shortly after the incident, and they'd all relaxed a bit more then. Still, she felt somehow on edge.
On impulse she got up and padded, barefoot, into the hallway. She knocked on Dominic's door. She heard the bedsprings creak and then he was at the door, opening it just enough to see who it was. When he realised it was Adelle, he opened the door fully and was on alert, expecting trouble.
"Is George back? I didn't hear a car."
He was weaning grey pyjama bottoms but was otherwise naked. Adelle let her eyes run over his lean frame, taut pectorals, trim waist.
"No. Nothing like that." She took a step forward and he automatically backed up into the room. Adelle followed, nudging the door closed behind her. The bedclothes were crumpled, disarrayed further by his hasty exit, she guessed. The gun was on the nightstand; he'd obviously felt the need to keep it close, yet hadn't brought it to the door. Dominic stifled a yawn and rubbed at his temple with one knuckle.
"I just wanted to say thank you," Adelle said. She hadn't had that much of a plan, truth be told. "You've been a tremendous comfort to me during this trying time. And I very much appreciate your protectiveness towards Cara."
He nodded. "I like Cara." He started to say something else, hesitated.
"What is it? Speak freely." There was no dressing table in this room, but there was a chair and Adelle moved to sit on it. With his employer seated, Dominic felt he was allowed to sit also, and plonked himself down the edge of the mattress.
"I hope I didn't overstep my boundaries earlier. With George."
A smile played on Adelle's lips.
"God knows he had it coming," she said. "And as far as anyone knows you're my friend and not my employee so there is no question of boundaries."
Reassured, he nodded. Adelle leant forward, intentionally displaying her cleavage. She wished she'd chosen something a little more seductive to wear, but when she'd been packing for the trip, sex had been the last thing on her mind.
"Laurence, we have one night here. Let's not be employer and employee. Let's be –" and she discarded the word 'friends' and thought about using 'intimates' and finally settled on, "together."
"Together?"
Adelle licked at her lips, suddenly feeling more awkward than she had in a very long time. "I find myself attracted to you, despite the impropriety of it. And if we weren't here, I wouldn't be saying this. But we are here. Not in LA. Not in the Dollhouse. Not as Ms DeWitt and her Head of Security, but as Adelle and Laurence. Friends, associates….lovers, if you want."
He swallowed reflexively. "Um, it's been a long day," he said,"and you've had quite a lot to drink."
"I'm not drunk," she told him. Not stone cold sober, either, but well aware of what she was doing. "If you want me to go I will and we'll never speak of this again." She stood, walked over to him, pressing her knees to his. "Do you want me to go?"
He clearly didn't because suddenly his arms were about her waist, and then his hands were on her buttocks. He pressed his face to the curve of her belly, and Adelle leant over him, both hands on his shoulders.
"Laurence," she said softly.
She didn't quite remember how she ended up naked, though she recalled tugging at his pyjamas until he removed them. She remembered the kisses though, warm and urgent, on her throat, on her breasts. She remembered feeling him running his tongue down her body, and his hands, strong but gentle, pulling her thighs apart.
She let him take the lead, merely tried to savour the experience. She was in control all of the damn time and right now she wanted to be careless, wanton. She wanted this man.
This man, who she'd once thought so cold, who would guard her with his life, who had been more of a support than he could ever imagine through this whole terrible debacle, who she'd grew to trust, to care about. She wanted to have him, and for him to possess her body, at least for this one night.
Adelle always got what she wanted.
Afterwards, she curled up on her side and delighted in the warm afterglow of orgasm Laurence pressed kisses to her bare shoulder.
"We have to go home tomorrow," she said and she hadn't meant it to sound as sad as it did. He drew back, and she cursed herself for having reminded of the reality they'd put aside for this night.
She rolled over to face him, put one hand to his cheek. "I don't regret this. Not a moment of it."
"And tomorrow?"
There was no easy answer to that.
"Tomorrow, as Scarlett O'Hara pointed out, is another day. Right now, I want to sleep." She considered leaving, going back to her own room and the cold bed that awaited her. Then Dominic leant over and kissed her on the lips once, more.
"Good night, then."
Adelle snuggled up close and he held her tightly. She slept well, feeling relieved, and safe, and loved. Some time in the night he released her, because when she awoke the next morning he was already in the shower.
The goodbyes were brief, with handshakes and hugs, and Cara promising she'd be out of there by that afternoon. They travelled to the airport in silence and Adelle busied herself reading a newspaper while they waited for the flight.
As they approached Los Angeles, Adelle smiled wanly.
"Thank you for accompanying me, Mr Dominic."
"It was my pleasure, ma'am," he replied.
Part Five
Part Three / Index
