Dorian shrugs, strolling gracefully as if the pavement is his runway. “I don’t have an aversion to it. I won’t burst into flames,” he chuckles. “But it does nothing for me.”
I nod, recalling the loose translation of Dorian’s first name. “I bet you’re an amazing swimmer.”
Dorian’s eyes twinkle as a nostalgic smile creeps onto his face. “I am. Skiathos has the most beautiful, crystal clear waters. I wish I could take you there.”
“Maybe one day you will,” I reply, taking his hand in mine. I don’t have the heart to tell him that I’d already been there very recently. In the dream his father gave me.
We approach the storefront just as Carmen is parking her car and I quickly unlock our fingers to avoid any skepticism, earning a pointed glare from Dorian. I’m sure Miguel informed her of my relationship with him, the now full owner of Cashmere, yet I feel it would be tasteless and unprofessional to make it obvious on the job.
The look of shock and adulation sketched on Carmen’s face as she takes in Dorian’s startling splendor makes me giggle internally. Poor girl. He still has that effect on me, especially when his eyes are smoldering with licentious desire and danger.
“Carmen, this is Mr. Skotos. He’ll be checking up on us today,” I say, unlocking the front door and ushering them inside.
Carmen extends her trembling hand. “N-Nice to meet you, Mr. Skotos. Um, uh, I’ve, uh, heard so much about you.”
Dorian smiles warmly, obviously trying to dispel any stuffy feelings of formality. “Please, call me Dorian. And I’m not here to check up on either of you. I know you’re doing an excellent job here.” He places his large hand in Carmen’s and she instantly recoils.
“Ack! Sorry! I didn’t mean to shock you,” she says stroking her palm.
Dorian looks at me quizzically for a beat then returns his gaze to Carmen where he waves off the strange occurrence. “No worries. Good to meet you Carmen.” He looks to me and says, “I’ll be in the back office. I have some paperwork I’d like you to sign when you have a moment.”
Something has surely ruffled him, though he’s doing well at masking it from Carmen. She seems none the wiser, shuffling off to prepare for the morning’s opening. Dressed in high-waisted harem pants, a white tank and jeweled heeled sandals, Carmen’s keen eye for fashion is definitely a strong selling point. I don’t require anyone to buy or wear the clothing at the boutique. All I ask is that the staff strives to promote similar styles that we carry and be creative with making it their own. So far it has worked with women both young and old. I want the store to exude individuality and personal diversity, rather than what’s just hot for the season.
“Carmen, I’m going to grab the cash drawer. Holler if you need anything, ok?”
I head to the back office where our safe is kept to find Dorian lounging thoughtfully at the desk. I close the door behind me, well aware that there’s something he needs to tell me.
“What was that all about?” I whisper, though I know there’s no way Carmen can hear me all the way back here.
Dorian shakes his head. “You never told me Carmen and Miguel practiced Santeria.”
I give Dorian a skeptical look. “Uh, probably because I didn’t know, not to mention, even know what Santeria is. So what…you felt something with Carmen? Is she something?” Geez, first Morgan, now Carmen too? Do I have any normal friends?
Dorian shakes his head. “No, not Carmen, exactly. Or even Miguel. Someone in their bloodline. A Bruja, a witch. Could be nothing, or could be…bothersome.”
What? This just keeps getting more bizarre. “So you can pretty much sense any other mystical being by touch, right?”
“No, I can sense any power source around me. Carmen sensed me by touch, and I got a glimpse of her bloodline. She doesn’t know what I am though. That never happened when she’s touched you, I presume.”
I shake my head. “So there’s like…forces all around us? Like you?” And me.
Dorian chuckles a bit, folding his hands behind his head. “Of course. We, as well as the Light, have the ability to deflect. But if we’re deflecting, we can’t detect what’s around us.” Dorian turns the swivel chair to follow my movements as I walk over to the safe to retrieve the cash drawer. “We’re everywhere, Gabriella. You’d be surprised.”
I finish concentrating on the combination lock, biting my lip in determination before looking at him skeptically. “So since we’ve been together, we’ve come across others? When?”
Dorian shrugs and flashes me a crooked grin. “A few times. Our first date actually. The waitress at the sports bar was Light. Do you remember?”
How could I forget? Our conversation was so seamless, so fluid. I couldn’t believe someone so inexplicably sexy could be so down to earth. And there was something off about the waitress. She was visibly shaken just at the sight of him, afraid even. After Dorian confirmed that she wasn’t just some scorned ex-lover, I chalked it up to poor service.
“I remember that! She was damn near scared of you. But you left her such a large tip. What was up with that? I thought you guys all hated each other.”
“Relations aren’t as volatile as they used to be. We can’t very well go around killing each other, can we?” Dorian’s eyes flash to the door. “Carmen is coming. You better get out there and make me some money,” he says jokingly.
I go to leave the office and nearly collide with Carmen just as her hand is raised to knock. “Oh crap, I’m so sorry, Gabs! I was just seeing if you needed any help. It’s a few minutes to nine.”
“Here I come.” I look back at my playful lover once Carmen retreats to the front of the store. “I’ll be back to check on you. Try not to break anything, ok,” I say with a wink.
The morning zips by and we are surprisingly busy for a Monday. Word must’ve gotten out about the delicious Greek god observing quietly, causing most of the shoppers to lose their bearings, along with all intelligent thought. I spy Dorian slyly while ringing up an older woman, probably mid to late 50s, who is nearly drooling while fishing out her credit card. I don’t mind her ogling eyes; she spent nearly $3000, scoring Carmen a sizable commission.
By noon, Amy, another one of our sales clerks comes on shift and I am thankful for the help. Her reaction is as staggering as Carmen’s when she lays eyes on Dorian, and a little grin creeps onto my face. After the lunch rush, I send Carmen on her break, even though we are still pretty busy.
“I’ll help,” Dorian says after I assure Carmen half a dozen times that we’ll be fine for an hour without her.
I look at him with a questioning brow. “Um, you? Have you ever done retail? Or even worked a regular job? Ever?”
A wide, animated grin spreads across his gorgeous face. “Nope. But I think I could handle it. I’m a very hard worker,” he breathes seductively. Mmmm, very hard, indeed.
I am painfully aware of Amy’s eyes on us, puzzled by our casual exchange. She doesn’t know about our relationship and I intend to keep it that way.
“Ok, Mr. Skotos. Let me know if there’s anything I can help you with.”
I try to put some distance between us, diverting my attention to a new display of edgy, skull-adorned baubles from a local designer. I know he’s probably scowling at my back right now, but he doesn’t get a chance to stew for too long before he is bum-rushed with a barrage of hopeless female consumers who buy any and everything he touches.
Once Carmen has returned and sales have slowed a bit, Dorian requests to speak to me in private about some paperwork. As soon as we enter the office, he locks the door.
“So what the hell was that about?” he questions, leaning casually against the door.
“Dorian, please don’t tell me you’re seriously upset. I don’t want people to think that I got this job just because we’re fucking. That’s tacky.”
Dorian’s face suddenly twists up in a violent sneer, his eyes darkening into a menacing glower, yet his eyes are bright and raging. Oh shit. I’ve offended him.
“Fucking?” he hisses. “I tell you that I would lay down my life for you and that translates as just fucking?” His body slowly lurches towards me in an inhuman way, as if he has no bones or joints to constrict his twisted movements.
Shit. I really have a way with words. “I didn’t mean it like that! I know what we have, but it will be perceived as just me screwing my way up the ladder.” Tentatively, I reach my hand towards him, letting my fingertips stroke the base of his jaw. I’m not afraid of the monster inside of him anymore. I know it’s a part of who he is and I’ll never be able to change that. Not to mention that my own inner demon could be substantially more venomous. “I hate it as much as you do. I’ve wanted to touch you all day.”
Dorian cages the vicious beast, letting the charming, alluring man I know and love resurface. “You have no idea how hard it has been to keep my hands off you.” He bites his bottom lip, nestling into my touch before pulling me towards him by the small of my back. “I don’t like you hiding what you are to me. I don’t give a damn what people think.”
“But I do,” I say against his hard chest. “I want to be taken seriously. I want to earn their respect.”
“Hmmm. Noble. Yet not good enough for me. I want them to know. And because you’ve made me so angry, I can only think of one way for you to pay for your misdeeds.”
My head snaps up to meet his smoldering gaze and I register exactly what he means. Before I know it, I am bent over the desk and my dress is raised over my ass.
“Hey! Dorian, what the hell are you doing?” I whisper fiercely.
“I’m going to fuck you, little girl,” he grits, kneading my backside. “Since that’s what you think we’ve been doing all this time.”
“I didn’t mean it like that! Oh God, Dorian, they’ll hear us!” Even with the store’s stereo system blaring, there’s no way we could be discreet, considering how spirited we both can be. Sex with Dorian is always so dynamic. I wouldn’t have it any other way.
I hear the familiar sounds of his belt and zipper, and heat instantly pools and pulses between my legs. Dammit! His lips are on my ear, nibbling gently, his cool breath sending shivers down my spine.
“That’s the point. I want them all to know just how good I make you feel. Just how much your body craves this.” He nudges his hardness against my ass. “Just how hard you come when I live inside you.”
Holy shit! As if my body could betray me any further, I am suddenly dripping wet, panting feverishly as I steady myself against the desk. I feel the hard thickness of him slap the top of my lace-clad ass as he slides his slacks down to his ankles. He quickly relinquishes me of my panties and I hurriedly step out of them.
“Please,” I beg in a breathy voice. “I don’t think I can be quiet. I want you too bad.”
Dorian strokes the searing fire between my legs and I unsuccessfully muffle a moan. “Good. I want to hear you. I want you to scream my fucking name,” he says between gritted teeth. “You need to remember who I am. Remember who owns this.”
Dorian parts my legs wider by inserting his knee between them, still stroking my throbbing swell with precision. He slips a finger inside of me, and I bite my lip to refrain from crying out his praises. He stirs my insides, fingering my walls, feeling them contract and quiver around him.
“Baby, you are so wet for me.” To my dismay, he removes it and I hear the sounds of sucking. “Mmmm, you taste so sweet.” Again, Dorian slides the finger inside of me, repeating the delightful torment, causing me to grind against his single digit. He removes his finger, and places it in front of my face. “Suck,” he demands.
The fuck?
I look at his long, agile finger, glistening with my own nectar. I bite my lip apprehensively before Dorian urges his finger into my mouth. Oh what the hell. I devour it, eagerly sucking it like it is Dorian on my tongue. Tasting my own juices only rouses me more and I begin to rub against him, yearning for him to fill me until I burst.
“Greedy little girl,” Dorian mumbles in my ear as he takes his hand away. He brings it to my front, stirring my clit as he eases me into position. I feel his knees bend behind me as the head of his penis finds my soft slit.
With a penetrating thrust, Dorian is inside me, stretching my pink walls, digging into my core. As always, we moan in unison at the feeling, me relishing in the intense fullness, he stunned by the gloriously snug warmth. Dorian delivers deep, deliberate blow after blow, causing me to resort to biting my bottom lip to muffle my cries. My knees buckle and tremble with every impact yet Dorian steadies me by holding my hips, refusing to show me any mercy or restraint. I can’t contain my moans any longer; I let them spill out in strained, garbled expletives and pleas to a higher power.
“That’s right, baby. Tell me you love it,” Dorian growls, quickening his pace. “Give it to me. Let go.”
With a surprising roar of my own, I buck against him, the desk screeching with each powerful thrust. I want to give it to him. I want him to feel my insides shiver and become slick with my own lustful essence.
I feel his cool breath on my shoulder as a rush of foreign babble falls from his lips. It’s Greek. Freakin’ Greek. Holy hell! Though I can’t understand him, it’s incredibly erotic and only heightens our carnal frenzy. A hand releases my hip and I feel it around the base of my throat, applying more and more pressure with every hard stroke while he continues the foreign chant in my ear. The room is spinning and my eyes roll to the back of my head. My limbs are like jelly yet I still meet him thrust for thrust, encouraging him to take me even harder.
“Don’t stop don’t stop don’t stop,” I croak through the tightness at my neck, gripping his hips behind me to motivate each thrust. I’m so close I can taste it. And I want it hard, rough and wonderfully brutal.
“Ah! Fuck!” Dorian calls out loudly, releasing my neck and pounding me from behind ruthlessly as he succumbs to his own overwhelming orgasm. Feeling his heat spurt into me takes me over the edge and I unravel instantly, calling his name with reverent praise and adulation.
“Shit,” I mutter as we crumple to the ground, both of us spent and sated from our ear-splitting orgasms. Regrettably, he slips out of me but I’m too weak to protest. “I know they heard us.”
Dorian chuckles at my horrifying humiliation. I weakly turn my head to scowl at him. “It’s not funny, Dorian! Customers probably heard us! Oh God oh God!”
“Relax, Gabriella,” he chortles.
“Relax? How the hell can I relax? Shit, shit, shit! How could I have been so stupid?” I cover my face with my damp arm in shame. I might as well take a bow and accept the award for Slore of the Year.
“Hey,” Dorian coos, gently pushing my arm away and pulling my face towards his. His eyes are filled with warmth and ardor, immediately comforting my troubled ego. “Seriously. I took care of it. The room is spelled to be sound proof. They didn’t hear a thing.”
I look at Dorian in disbelief, unsure if I should be upset or elated. Before I can decide on an appropriate reaction, he’s on his feet, tugging me up onto mine. My legs are still quite shaky balancing on my wedge heeled sandals so I steady myself on the desk which has been scooted at least six inches from its original spot. Dorian bends down to grab my panties, holding them out so I can step in them carefully. He then tucks in his shirt and fastens his pants.
“Now that’s out of the way, I do have some paperwork for you to sign.” He picks up a packet of papers from off the desk and points to a field requiring a signature. “Sign here,” he says handing me a pen.
“What’s this?”
Dorian shakes his head nonchalantly. “Just some documents renegotiating your position here now that I own it in full. Nothing you need to ultimately worry about now.” He flashes me a dazzling smile and I nearly melt at how insanely beautiful and happy he looks. Reluctantly, I tear my eyes from his face just long enough to scrawl my name. “And here and here,” he says flipping through a few more pages.
I do as he requests then look up at him and sha
ke my head. “Always business and pleasure with you, huh?”
“Why have one or the other when you can have both?” he winks. “Now let’s get you fed.”
We walk down to a little old-fashioned diner about a block away and indulge in burgers, fries and milkshakes. Of course, the milkshakes are Dorian’s favorite part and I giggle jovially at his attempt to suck down the thick froth without getting a brain-freeze.
“Geez, all that power, and you haven’t figured out a way to combat that?” I laugh.
Dorian presses his hand against his forehead and squints his eyes tightly. “You’re right. Pretty damn pathetic.”
After lunch, Dorian asks me to walk down to Luxe with him so he can check on something. I gladly oblige, more than happy to get a chance to see Morgan as well as Carlos and Jackson. Those guys are always a riot and I make a mental note to invite them to our next tequila-inspired karaoke night. Oh, the costumes! I can only imagine. As we turn on the street that houses the salon, Dorian stops me in my tracks.
“Shit. There’s someone in the salon.” His brow furrows in annoyance. “Fucking Light.”
“Do you know who?”
Dorian shakes his head, his eyes narrowing in concentration as if he’s trying to pick up some unknown signal. “No. Stay by me. Don’t touch anyone.”
“Should I just stay outside?”
Dorian looks at me incredulously, all of the good humor he exuded just seconds ago nowhere in sight. “Hell no. Absolutely not. I am a Skotos. We are to be feared. We never back down or run away from anything. Ever.”
He intertwines his fingers with mine and gives me a stiff tug towards the salon, his body humming, almost vibrating with tension. A low murmur escapes his lips but I can’t make out what he’s saying. I can tell Dorian is furious, maybe even a little nervous, but his pride won’t let him show it. It’s the first time I’ve ever seen him embrace the weight of his family’s credo.
We enter the salon with the usual flourish that accompanies us whenever I am with Dorian. It’s impossible for anyone, man or woman, to not stop and stare at his exotic splendor. My stomach is snarled with apprehension and uncertainty, yet I am oddly elated at being in the presence of the Light, though I would have no idea who it could be. Would they be ridiculously beautiful like Dorian, and even Aurora? I wouldn’t be surprised, considering how stunning Natalia was.
The Dark Prince (The Dark Light Series) Page 15