Her eyes fluttered open, as if summoned by the morning light seeping in through the window, and the scent of sweet syrup flooding her senses. Her body felt strangely light, like a weight had been lifted from her over the night. She turned to see that she was alone in the bed, the mess of sheets and an indent on the pillow where another body had laid. She smiled faintly to herself, reaching her arm out and feeling the surface of the bed with the palm of her hand; it was still warm.

"Good morning," a deep voice drawled out. Her eyes drifted to the doorway where a tall body was leaning against it, almost naked except for the black pair of briefs hugging his hips. A tray of food was in his hands, which she figured to be the source of the delicious aroma lingering in the air.

"Morning," she replied, her voice slightly lagged by tiredness. As she started to sit up slowly, leaning her back against the pillows, she noticed that her body was still a bit sore, a gentle ache between her thighs to remind her of the night before.

Harry came over to the bed, setting the tray of food on her lap before getting in and sitting beside her. A stack of pancakes, a small dish filled with syrup, and a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice; Carmen's eyes lit up at the rose petals used for decor around the plates.

"You really went all out here," she hummed, picking up the fork and knife, beginning to cut the pancakes into miniscule pieces. She poured the slightst bit of syrup over it, before taking a bite, moaning quietly at the taste.

"You really made this all?" she inquired after swallowing, grabbing the napkin fron the tray and patting it against her lips, which were stained from last night's red lipstick. Harry nodded, biting back a smug grin.

"Yes, of course. I told you I was good." He reached his hand out and took a strand of her hair between his fingers, playing with it idly as he took in her appearance. He had never been graced by her beauty in the morning, and he decided in that moment that he wanted to be able to see her like this every day he woke up. Her hair was a beautiful mess, partly from the sex and partly from her sleep; her natural curls were starting to show through the straightness. Her makeup was smudged, but yet she looked like utter perfection, her eyelashes still long and framing her dark orbs in the most hauntingly alluring way. He couldn't help but notice that there was a light blush to her cheeks, perhaps from just waking up, but Harry wanted to believe it was from him.

Carmen could feel his eyes on her as she ate. It was silent, besides the dainty sound of her chewing, and every now and then a quiet gulp of her orange juice. It wasn't an uncomfortable silence; they were both peacefully in thought, and still soaking in the night before. Harry had pushed away the frightening ideas that had found their way into his mind, like snakes with their fangs out and ready to sink them into his heart.

Love.

Harry Styles had never loved anyone. But as he watched the girl beside him silently eat her plate of pancakes, her soft jaw moving up and down, and her small hands reaching up to tuck a strand of her ravenous hair that had fallen over her face every few minutes; the snakes' fangs were resurfacing, hissing at him.

You love her. You know you do.

"No, I don't," he mumbled in annoyance to himself, too lost in his thoughts to realize he had spoken the words aloud.

"Excuse me?" Carmen questioned, glancing at him in confusion. He swallowed hard and shook his head, giving her an uneasy smile.

"Nothing, love. Keep eating," he cooed, scooting closer to her and wrapping his thick arm around her petite frame. It was funny how so much power and personality could fit in such a small girl. She was like a fox, Harry thought, cute and dainty yet ready to bite. The thought of it made him smile.

"Are you busy today?" she asked after a few more moments of silence. Her head naturally fell against his shoulder, and she moved the tray away from her lap so she could snuggle into his side. It was an unusual gesture for her, but something about the warmth of his body made her purr in content.

"Yes, actually." Harry was stiff for a moment as she curled up against him, but soon relaxed and pulled her even closer, his hand resting on her bare thigh. He forced himself to keep his eyes on her face, knowing that she was still naked, with only the satin sheets to block his view of her. He knew he had to keep his mind distracted from her nudity, or else there was no way he would get to what he had planned for the day.

"I have some work meetings I need to attend to," he lied smoothly, his calloused thumb tracing small circles into her skin. "You can stay here, though." He bit his lip sheepishly. "If you want to, I mean."

"Okay," she nodded against his shoulder and peered up at him. She couldn't help but compare his beauty to Stephan's; Harry was much more rugged, with his messy mane of hair and his thick jaw and cheekbones. Stephan was very refined, his features sculpted like a greco-roman statue. Stephan was virtually flawless, his skin smooth and carmelized, while Harry's flaw made him that much more appealing.

"You're very handsome," she whispered, as if in a daze. This was a whole new side of her, a much more raw and care-free side and Harry was just as confused as he was pleased to see that she was opening up to him.

Unfortunately, that's not what she was doing at all.

"Thank you," he raised his eyebrow. "You're acting very unusual this morning."

"Unusual? How?"

He shrugged his broad shoulders. He didn't know how to answer because he wasn't exactly sure himself; something was... off about her, that much he could tell.

"I don't know. You seem deep in thought, I guess. Is something bothering you?" He frowned slightly and brushed his thumb to her cheek out of instinct.

His words through her offguard. She sat up slightly, propping her chin on his chest and masked her uncertainty with a smirk.

"I'm still recovering from last night, is all," she purred sweetly, leaning forward to nip at his chin. His arms tightened around her waist and his lips parted to protest, for he couldn't help but feel like something was wrong. Did he do something wrong? Was she upset with him?

"Oh..." His nostrils flared slightly as he exhaled a heavy breath, letting his paranoia leave him before he dipped his head down to plant a supple kiss to her forehead. He then proceeded to allocate his chapped lips along her face, being rewarded with quiet giggles as the soft scruff on his jaw tickled her skin. He made his way to the corner of her mouth, and kissed it sloppily with a wet smack.

Carmen nearly whined when he pulled away. She couldn't fight the want within her that begged to feel his cracked lips on her smooth skin again, even though she knew that her desires were dangerous. Her frail hands wrapped around the hair at the back of his neck, tugging his head back down until their lips were breaths apart.

"How late will you be back?" she asked in a whisper, kissing the corner of his lips.

"Not late," he murmured, his eyes drifting to her lips, remembering how his teeth had dug into her bottom one the night before. Small scars were visible, red indents where his teeth had punctured her flesh. "Six, maybe."

"I'll wait for you, then." Her lips curled into a smile and she kissed him once more before climbing off of his body and the bed, taking the white sheets with her to drape over her nude body.

"Christ," Harry breathed, groaning to himself and leaning his head against the pillows. He knew, in that moment, that Carmen Vicino would be the death of him.

---------

A knocking came to the door, like a murmur amid the quietness of his apartment. His face was clipped with grief, lips pursed into a sorrowful straight line, and he didn't bother to hide it as he stood up from his desk chair and made his way to the door.

It was dark, despite being midday. The lights were off, the only thing preventing the rooms from being pitch black was the grey glow from outside, pooling in through the windows.

He listlessly opened the door, letting out a deep, tired sigh when he saw an unfamiliar man on the other side.

"What do you-" His words were cut off, the air stolen from his lungs as he was suddenly shoved against the wall, the door slamming shut behind them.

"There is only one reason why I'm not slitting your throat right now," the man hissed through gritted teeth. Stephan tried to gasp for a breath, but he couldn't, a thick arm pressed up against his neck and constricting his airway. His brown eyes were wide, in confusion and fear, as he looked at the face before him. Emerald eyes gleamed back at him, cutting through the dimness of the room.

"Try something funny and I'll break your neck," Emerald Eyes warned as he lowered his arm and slowly took a step back. Stephan instantly grasped his throat, where a red blotch had formed, and took in several labored breaths.

"Who the fuck are you?" he sneered, his voice hoarse as his throat still recovered from the man's harsh grip. The cat-like eyes glowed in amusement, and then turned predatory in a split second.

"It doesn't matter," he muttered darkly in response. "I want to make a deal with you."

Instead of explaining any further, his hand reached into his coat pocket, and retracted a moment later, holding a wad of pounds as thick as his fingers could wrap around. The man held it out, just long enough for Stephan's eyes to widen, noticing the 100's printed on them, and then he pulled it back, hiding it in the depths of his coat again.

"What is it that you want from me?" There was now a safe distance between the two, the air thick with testosterone and greed.

"I want you to leave," the man spoke, his voice grave. "Leave the country, by the end of the week, and this-" he showed him the stack of pounds once more, "-will be yours. Along with much more."

"Are you mad?" Stephan let out a humoured laugh and shook his head. With each passing moment, he was slowly becoming convinced that he was, in fact, dealing with a mad man. "I'm not going to get up and leave the damn country. I have business here, a life here. I already have more money than I need so don't even bother." By the end of his words, Stephan's voice came out as a sneer.

"It wasn't a request, Mr. Martinez," the gravelly voice reprimended, and his thick frame took a threatening step closer. "You will be gone by the end of the week, or I'll have to dirty my hands with your blood."

Something about the tone of his voice told Stephan that there was truth behind the man's threat. He furrowed his brows, rubbing his hand against his jaw to appear unfazed by the mass intimidation he was feeling.

"What is this about? I don't even know you," he frowned. It didn't make any sense to him. Leave the country? His entire enterprise was founded here... he couldn't just leave.

"You are a threat to me," the man replied vaguely, a sense of vulnerability easily detected in his voice. "I don't like to feel threatened."

The air had shifted, a certain ambiance that left both men quiet for a few moments, minutes maybe. Stephan was raking his mind for anything that could justify the man's claim to feeling threatened, but he was still left in a daze. He kept to himself for the most part, the majority of his social ties were strictly business. It left him baffled as to why anyone would feel threatened by him.

It took him a moment to notice that Emerald Eyes was no longer standing in front of him, but was now wandering slowly around the apartment, his gaze scanning over everything meticulously. The sound of his heels thudding against the wood flooring halted, his body tensing as his eyes landed on a closet, the sliding door not properly shut so that there was a small gap. The familiar red silk could be seen, and he pushed back the closet door to reveal the dress hanging there, the sweet scent that he loved still lingering on it. It was the same one she had worn the first night they met.

Stephan watched with a clenched jaw as he pushed the door back all the way, the entire contents of the closet being revealed to him. The man practically dug through it, tearing through the assorted business suits and ties and other male attire.

"Is this the only closet you have?" he questioned, snapping his head toward Stephan, his eyes blaring. The red dress was hooked over his arm neatly, his treatment towards it much different than the other clothes that were now scattered on the floor.

"Answer me!" he boomed after a moment of silence ticked by.

"Yes," Stephan finally replied, his Adams apple bobbing up and down as he swallowed thickly. "Are you looking for something?"

He didn't recieve a reply. The man's hand flew up, tugging on his hair as if to release some bent up frustration building in him. The dress slipped from his hold and to the floor, pooling at his feet.

"Where are the rest of her things? I know she has more than this," he rambled, almost maniacally.

She?

"Carmen," Stephan breathed in realization, his eyes widening and his chest tightening as the name fell from his lips. "Y-you're here because of her, aren't you?"

"Obviously," he muttered gruffly, his voice distant as he frowned to himself in thought, his eyes darting around just as quickly as the thoughts in his head were racing.

"Look-" Stephan cleared his throat and took a hesitant step closer. "I don't know you, but I do know her. Very well, in fact. And I know that she's using you just like she used me. So I advise you to get out of it before you're in too deep."

He was responded to by a large hand wrapping around his throat, the air leaving his lungs once again as the man's fingers dug into his skin.

"You're going to tell me what the fuck you know about her," Styles spat in his face, his fingertips pressing into his neck until his victim began to whimper in pain. "And you're going to tell me now."

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:)

btw i want to thank you cuties for all the votes & comments. you dont even know how happy it makes me when you guys compliment my writing...like...,.,, i want kiss all of you for being so lovely *wipes away tear*

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