Small hands grasped the thick fabric of his coat, tugging the sleeves over his shoulders and patting it down the sides of his waist. She hummed in approval, eyeing over her work with her eyebrow raised smugly.

"I did good, didn't I?" she smiled up at him, puckering out her lips for her reward. Stephan's arms were loosely wrapped around her waist, feeling at the soft silk of her robe as it clung to her curves in the most sensual way. He leaned down, for the height difference was still an obstacle even when she was propped on her tippy toes, and brushed his full lips against hers, grinning against them.

"You're quite the stylist, my love," he murmured, pulling away from her sweet mouth before he got lost in it. "I'm so proud." His large hand gave her waist a gentle squeeze.

Carmen could feel his gaze upon her, drinking in the sight of the thin robe draped over her volumptuous chest, with the fabric belt tied just above her hips to accentuate them. The hint of a smirk tugged on her lips, and she placed his hand on his clothed chest, feeling the pulse of his heart racing. It was her favorite thing, to feel how she controlled the very beat of life in a man's body. That under layers of muscle and thick skin, their most vital organ laid, and just like the money in their pockets and the lust in their eyes- it belonged to her.

"Don't drink too much tonight," she spoke softly, tying the black tie around his neck. Both of her hands laid flat against his chest as she pressed herself against him; her dark, knowing orbs peering up at him. "I want to watch a movie or something when you get back."

He simply nodded, pecking her forehead quickly. "I really wish you would come with me, baby. You know how dreadful my parents are," he groaned, rolling his eyes. She giggled, shaking her head and pulling away from him, her hand lingering on his chest for a moment before falling down to her side.

"I don't do families, Stephan." Her nose crinkled at the thought of it. "Especially families like yours."

"Yeah, I know. Maybe just this once, though." He tried to hide the desperation in his voice. His tongue darted out to wet his lips as waited for her response.

He is getting so clingy, she frowned to herself, slightly saddened by the thought. Stephan has always been a favorite of hers, thus why she was still around him even after almost a year- much longer than she had ever stayed with anyone else. He has slowly become a friend of hers, for lack of a better term. She enjoyed his company, and his love. And of course, the oftenly recieved gifts.

"I don't do families," she repeated, her voice clipped. "Ever."

And there was a reason for it. Meeting someone's family always implied a certain depth to a relationship. There was no depth to any of her relationships- no deeper than the contents of their wallets, anyway.

"Fine," he muttered in defeat, running his hand through his slicked back hair. This wasn't anything new, he had to remind himself. Attending dinner parties alone was one of his best skills, it seemed. Carmen always told him to find someone else to take, but he refused stubbornly each time. She wants me to give up. She wants me to move on. Taking another girl with him would show his submission to her, and he didn't want to give in. Not yet.

"Are you doing anything tonight? Or are you going back to-"

"I'm just going to wait for you here," she cut him off with her sweet voice, smiling softly. She backed up until her legs hit his bed and she sat down on the edge of it. "Maybe I'll take a nice nap."

He smiled fondly at her. The silk robe had slid down her shoulder, revealing the creamy smooth skin underneath. That alone was almost enough to make him stay and skip the party all together. He wanted to sink his teeth into her soft shoulder until she begged him to stop, her legs would wrap around his waist as he gently pushed her down on the bed with his body pressed to his-

"Shouldn't you be leaving?" came her sultry voice to break him away from his thoughts, cutting the flow of his blood rushing down to his groin. He swallowed hard, the notch in his throat bobbing up and down anxiously.

"I'll be back by eleven, alright?" Stephan leant down and brushed his lips to her forehead- a simple, loving gesture that only he ever did to her. The feel of his plump and slightly chapped lips on her forehead felt good- warm, safe, at ease.

The gesture reminded her of her father.

"I'll see you then."

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Her peaceful slumber was obstructed by a loud knocking. Her eyes fluttered open as she sat up in Stephan's bed, and she reached for her robe to cover up her bare body.

"Who dare disturb my nap?" she grumbled with a kitten-like yawn as she made her way to the door of the opulent apartment.

Carmen didn't know what she was expecting when she opened the door, but a tall handsome man with a familiar face was certainly a pleasant surprise. He looked even better than the last time she saw him- his unruly hair tucked behind his ear, dark jeans hugging his lean legs, and a white shirt with only two or three of the buttons actually done.

She studied him as grin curled onto her lips. He seemed different. The confident pull of his shoulders was faltering under her gaze, and his thick neck bobbed as he swallowed thickly. His eyes, which she had dreamt of a few nights, were duller and had dark bags under them.

He seemed unkept.

"Hello there," she smiled sweetly, crossing her arms over her chest. Such a casual gesture, and yet it had so much of an effect on him. She smirked as she watched his eyes immediately trail down to her chest, where her breasts were pushed out and barely concealed under the thin silk of her robe. He hadn't changed a bit when it came to his lack of subtlety.

"I didn't come here for casual greetings, Miss Vicino," he spat, venom laced in his voice as his eyes finally peeled away from her chest and returned to her dark gaze.

"What did you come here for then, Harry?" Her smile grew wider as his name slithered off her tongue. She watched his fists clench at his sides, his chest rising as he took a deep breath before reaching into his back pocket and pulling out a small package. Carmen narrowed her eyes as she looked at it.

"Cigarettes?" She raised an eyebrow. "You came here to give me a pack of cigarettes?" Her hand lept forward and grasped the pack from him, holding it before her.

Parliament.

"I owe you," Styles said simply, shrugging his shoulders. "It would've been easier to find you if I had known your actually name, you know."

"Yes I know. But what fun would that have been?" she murmured as she studied the pack of cigarettes in her hand. She hated Parliament.

"I can assure you I didn't have much fun spending an entire week looking for you," he gritted out in response, the vein in his neck ticking like a bomb. She was being so... smooth and apathetic. It was unnerving, that while he had basically lost his mind the past few days, she had continued to be her cool, casual self. A thought in the back of his mind began to linger, causing his stomach to twist into knots- she hadn't been affected by him as he was by her.

What did he expect, though? For her to get down on her knees in praise before sucking him off?

"Is that all, then?"

She raised her eyebrow expectantly, jutting out her hip simply for the satisfaction of watching his eyes follow its curve. Harry swallowed thickly, feeling anxious under her gaze. What was he supposed to say now? This was so unfamiliar to him, being nervous about a girl. His words were fleeing him, along with every coherent thought, and his palms felt sweaty as he clasped them behind his back as a sign of his angst.

"Go out with me," he blurted suddenly. He visibly cringed at how pathetic he sounded, the words tumbling off his tongue before he had the moment to think.

"I mean-" he cleared his throat in attempt to regain the upper hand. He was still oblivious to the fact that he never had it in the first place. "Go out to dinner with me." His voice came out much smoother than the slight tremble of his hands behind his back.

He smirked his infamous smirk.

"I'll even treat you to dessert if you're a good girl."

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blah. next chapter will be better i swear.

i love reading your comments btw c: they make me a very happy girl.