Checkmate

by Diana Nixon

  Dominick didn’t make a sound, even his breathing seemed to stop. I opened my eyes and saw him watching me, fascinated; as if I were the most beautiful and desirable woman in the world. For a second, I let those thoughts overwhelm me, and my heart started beating faster, because the truth was that I did want to be the only woman he would ever want to be with…

  “I bet you don’t even know how fucking sexy you look right now,” he said, making his thrusts slow down. “With your eyes closed, your cheeks flushed and your head thrown back; making these small soft sounds I’m dying to drink from your lips. Look at me, ma Belle de nuit.”

  I couldn’t… I didn’t want to… I knew the moment I opened my eyes, I would die. And I was so not ready to let my feelings overshadow the ecstasy that we were so close to feel.

  “Not yet,” I said, speeding up.

  He slid one hand down to where our bodies were connected and started playing with my clit again, making my blood boil pleasantly in my veins. He sucked and bit on my neck, and I was sure there would be another mark left by his lips. But I didn’t care…

  “I’m so close,” I said, feeling the familiar build of pleasure forming in between my open legs and splashing all over my body.

  “Open your eyes,” he said a little too harsh this time. I obeyed. “I want to see your eyes when you come for me.”

  His look was full of thrill and I almost cried at how much I wanted to memorize it in my mind forever. And there it was – the realization of what I had been trying to fight so hard – I was falling for Dominick… Faster than I ever could have imagined.

  And then, I felt his orgasm, filling me, and I went off, barely able to hold back a cry. A new pain formed in my body, and it had nothing to do with sex. I was losing myself in him, and I didn’t know if I would ever be able to put myself back together…

  He was watching me, breathing heavily, and I couldn’t find the right words to explain what was going on inside of my chest. He cupped my face and kissed me softly, making my heart hurt even more.

  “Scarlett,” my name came out of his mouth in a purr and I wondered if he shared my feelings and couldn’t find the right words to describe how good it felt to be together.

  “Yes?” I asked, looking back at him.

  “Miss Wilson?” Oh, no… Not now, Stevie! It wasn’t the first time that I wanted to kill my secretary. Somehow, the woman always knew how to bring out the worst in me.

  Dominick smiled slightly and maybe I was imagining things, but for a moment, I thought he was as lost and as I was.

  “She saw me entering your office,” he said. “Answer the call.”

  Slowly, I rose to my feet, already missing the feeling of him inside me. I was a little dizzy and still couldn’t think straight.

  I cleared my throat and pushed the button on my phone, saying, “Yes?”

  “Miss Murano is looking for Mr. Altier. His father’s on the line.”

  I looked up and saw Dominick coming to me. “Can you redirect the call here?” He said into the speakerphone.

  “Yes, Sir. Just a moment.”

  “Thanks,” he replied, taking the handset.

  I thought I would give him some space, so I turned to the door, but he caught me by the hand and pulled my lips to his, giving me a soft kiss.

  “Stay,” he mouthed, when he heard his father’s voice on the other end of the line. “Hi, Dad. Is everything all right?”

  I sat in my chair, still watching him, leaning against my desk. His tie was loosened, his shirt and trousers were wrinkled a little, and I couldn’t help but smile mentally to myself. He looked like a man who had just had sex. And I bet I didn’t look any different…

  Chapter 10

  “Scar? Are you even listening to me?” Jillian and I were on our way to the café. I needed a proper lunch after all. “Okay, what’s going on with you?” She stopped abruptly and I ran into her, making her smile devilishly. “Is that what I think it is?”

  “I can’t read minds, so I would appreciate you being more specific.” I didn’t tell her about Dominick and me hanging out. Was that even a real word? Damn, I didn’t know.

  “You look different,” she said, studying me from head to toe.

  “Different?” I asked innocently.

  “I would say… freshly fucked.” She grinned broadly.

  Well, hell, what could I say in response? She was right, after all.

  “And you aren’t even trying to deny it,” she added, smirking.

  “Why don’t we just have lunch?” I hissed and kept walking.

  “Wait!” She caught me by the hand. “You looked okay when I saw you in the morning. Does it mean that you fucked my boss – no freaking way – in the middle of the workday? Where?”

  “Do we really need to discuss it now?” I sighed.

  “Yes! Oh, my God… did you… oh, I can’t even believe that! You were having sex when his father called?”

  “Actually we were already done by that time.”

  She burst out laughing. “My, my! Who would have thought that a prude like you would do something so reckless?”

  “Seriously, Jill. I’m not in a mood to talk about it now. Can we change the subject?”

  “Yes. Is he good in bed?”

  “What?” I stopped, staring at her in confusion.

  “Is my boss good in f-”

  “Oh, no. I’m not even going to reply to that.”

  “Why not? He’s such and eye-candy, I bet women are dying to ride him.”

  I grimaced at her words. Not only because my friend didn’t know what a word filter was, but also because the thought of other women riding Dominick made me sick.

  “I thought you didn’t look at him from that point of view,” I snapped, entering the café.

  “Even blind would see that he’s a walking sex.”

  I looked around, hoping no one could hear her. “Pipe down, Jill. People come here to eat.”

  “So what? Do you see all of those well-mannered ladies here? They would gladly eat your precious Dominick for breakfast, lunch and dinner!”

  We took one of the free tables near the windows, and Bret, the waiter, was immediately there, giving us the menu.

  “The usual for me,” Jill said.

  I looked through the menu absently. I always ordered the same lunch, so my friend couldn’t miss her chance to tease me again.

  “I doubt they know how to cook your favorite dessert.”

  “Why? We can cook almost anything,” Bret said, a little offended.

  “I’ll have the seafood salad and coffee,” I said, ignoring Jill’s smiling face.

  “Cappuccino, right?”

  “Yes.”

  “Add more cream to the top,” she said to Bert. “We are in a mood for more cream today.”

  I rolled my eyes, trying not to burst out laughing. Despite all of Jill’s sarcasm, she had always been the only person able to make me smile, no matter what.

  “What? Admit it, Scar, you like banging him.”

  “If you keep talking about it, I won’t be able to make myself eat.”

  “Fine. If you don’t want to tell me anything about you and Mr. Sexy Altier, I won’t tell you anything about my date with Mark last night.”

  “You two are still dating?”

  “Yep, but as I have already said, we are not going to discuss it.”

  “Uh, please Jill. You don’t know how to keep your mouth shut, so sooner or later you will tell me everything.”

  She hesitated no more than two seconds. “Okay. It was so, so amazing! He’s such a romantic, always so sweet; it makes me swoon.”

  “Since when have you switched from blowing-your-mind-and-hot to a romantic type?”

  “Mark has everything that I always wanted in a man.”

  “But?”

  “But? There’s no but this time.”

  “Hmm-”

  “What?”

  “You like him,” I said, watching a cute blush covering Jill’s cheeks. She
wasn’t a blushing girl, so it was kind of unexpected to see my friend smiling silently for a whole minute.

  “I’ve never felt so good with anyone,” she said. “He knows how to make me laugh and he knows how to take my breath away with only a kiss. Can you even believe that?”

  Actually, I could. Because the moment she said the words, I remembered Dominick and the way he looked at me and the way he made me feel whenever we were alone. A lump formed in my throat, I seemed to be unable to swallow it.

  “I think I’m falling for him,” I blurted out. I don’t know why, but suddenly I realized that I needed to talk to someone about what I felt for Dominick, because there was no way I would ever be able to admit it to him.

  “Um, what?” Jill’s glass of apple juice froze half-way to her lips.

  “You heard me,” I said, a little embarrassed to repeat the words.

  “You look like you’re afraid he will hear you,” she said, putting her drink back on the table.

  I sighed, not knowing what to say.

  “Okay. What does he think about your relationship?”

  I knew that look in Jillian’s eyes. She was going to lecture me, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to hear whatever she had to say.

  “He says he likes spending time with me.”

  “Like he likes sleeping with you? Or talking to you, watching movies and sharing a cup of morning coffee with you?”

  “I’m sure only about the first part of the question. This is what we both like.”

  “Well, that’s obvious. Otherwise, he wouldn’t slip into your office pretending he wanted to talk. What about the time you spend outside of work?”

  “I can’t stop thinking about him.” I groaned, shaking my head. “He’s everywhere! Whatever I look at, I see his face, his eyes, his lips, his smile.”

  “Wow, that sounds-”

  “Awful, I know.”

  “No, not awful. I was actually going to say awesome.”

  I looked at her with a furrowed brow.

  “Congratulations, Scarlett. You have fallen in love with the most irresistible bastard in the world.”

  “Knowing that all the women in the world want him doesn’t make me feel any better.”

  “Yes, but now he only wants you. So why don’t you put on your best big-girl panties and go fuck the hell out of him?”

  A few women from the nearby table turned their heads to stare at us in shock.

  “Please, stop humiliating me. I got your point.”

  “Scarlett, let me tell you one thing that I have learned from all of my previous relationships — never let a man mess with your head. You can sleep with him, make him comply with your every wish, but never, NEVER let him ruin you.”

  I smirked. “Tell me something I don’t know.”

  “You don’t know a damn thing about playing adult games, so listen to someone who’s more experienced.” She pointed to her chest, smiling. “Set the rules before the game begins.”

  “You sound like a man-whore.”

  “Don’t be rude, Sweetheart. I’m trying to help you. So, if you realize that the game doesn’t go the way it was supposed to go, run. As far and as fast as you can, before you find yourself broken and crying into your pillow.”

  “What if I don’t want to run away?”

  “Then be ready to deal with the consequences.”

  “And what if he does have feelings for me, but isn’t ready to admit it?”

  “Then do your best to make him say it aloud.”

  I didn’t know what to do. I always preferred sticking to a safe side, but the problem was that with Dominick there was no such thing as a safe side. Everything about him was dangerous. So dangerous, he could make my panties wet in seconds.

  I shook my head irritably. I couldn’t let sex ruin my life. Unless it was the most mind-blowing sex ever. Ugh, I was a walking disaster. I looked at my cell, lying silently on my table and cursed mentally, disappointed not to see any missed calls or messages from Dominick. I hadn’t seen him for about five hours, but it felt like forever. After Jill and I returned from lunch, he was gone, and the only thing that I knew was that he left a message for my secretary saying he wouldn’t be back until tomorrow. Somehow, he thought I didn’t deserve to be informed about that in person. What a pig…

  Maybe my friend was right after all and I needed to draw a line between me and Dominick that shouldn’t be crossed? It was possible to share a bed and not to let him break my heart, wasn’t it? Well, at least I hoped I would be able to make it work my way. So I took a deep breath, and typed the message, “Hey, what’s up?”

  “If I tell you, will you sit on it?” Was the reply.

  I giggled, staring at the screen. “Remember what the toaster said to the slice of bread?”

  “I want you inside.”

  Smart ass…

  “Correct!”

  “I got the point. Good to know that we are still on the same page.”

  I smiled again and shoved my cell into my purse. It was time to go home and I hoped I would be able to spend the rest of the night not dreaming about Dominick. After all, it was always easier to be the queen of wishful thinking…

  Fortunately, I had so many things to do around the apartment, that even when I looked at the clock on the wall and realized that it was almost midnight, I didn’t think about Mr. Altier or the fact that after those messages we shared hours ago, I hadn’t heard a word from him. I took a shower and went to bed, still sure that my life would be the same when I woke up. Again, so much for fucking wishful thinking…

  My morning started with a call from Jillian. I was already at work, going through my schedule for the day, when she called, saying the following, “Page Six. And make sure you sit before you open it.”

  “What will I find there?” I asked, searching through the papers on my desk.

  “Read it and call me back.” Then she hung up the phone, and I almost choked on my coffee, seeing Dominick’s face right in the middle of Page Six.

  “A FAMILY REUNION OR JUST ANOTHER TRICK OF MONSIEUR ALTIER?” The title said. A picture of Dominick and a beautiful brunette with a little boy was under it.

  What the hell?

  “One of the most famous bachelors of Paris and New York, Dominick Altier caught in the company of his ex, Pamela Rolsheld and her five-year-old son who looks suspiciously like a little copy of his mother’s ex-boyfriend. Let us remember that Miss Rolsheld and Mr. Altier were engaged and cancelled the wedding two weeks before the set date. The reasons for their break-up still remain a secret. According to Pamela’s close friend’s words, she broke up with Dominick after she saw a picture of him and Karly Devis, kissing in the very restaurant where the proposal took place. Now, let’s wait and see what Mr. Popularity has to say about this.”

  I read the article no less than ten times, before I realized that I wasn’t seeing things and that every word as well as the pictures were real.

  My first wish was to run to Dominick and demand explanations. But then, I looked at the picture of him and Pamela again and understood that I didn’t have any right to do that. Who was I to him? Just a girl that he enjoyed screwing? I don’t think it was enough to act as if I were his wife who had just found out about her husband having kids with another woman.

  My phone rang again, but I didn’t bother to answer it, seeing Jill’s number flashing on the screen.

  “Miss Wilson, you have a call from your father,” Stevie said in through the speakerphone. “Shall I put you through to him?”

  “Yes, please,” I replied, tossing the paper into a trash can. After all, I promised myself I would stay strong, no matter what.

  “Hi, Dad. How are things going in LA?”

  Thank God, my father never read Page Six. Talking about Dominick’s personal life was the last thing I wanted to do now. He called to make sure that my plans for the weekend hadn’t changed and that I was still going to come to LA. I didn’t dare to ask if Mr. Popularity was still going to join us for Sunday
barbeque, and I truly hoped his pretty ass would be too busy running away from annoying reporters that he would forget about the invitation.

  Realizing that I wasn’t going to answer her calls, Jill started texting me. Non-stop…

  “I will make you talk to me,” the first message said. “Don’t you even think about crying because of that asshole!” The second one said. “The dick doesn’t deserve a nail on your feet!” The third one said. “Do you want me to tear his balls off? Just tell me and I will do it!”

  I smiled slightly. “Don’t do that. He may still need them. Besides, if you try to get into his pants you may want to stay there a little longer,” I typed back.

  “Anyway, let me know if you need anything.”

  “Thanks, but I’m fine!”

  “You always say that when your life sucks.”

  “Good to know that at least one part of it hasn’t changed.”

  “Not funny. Courage! We’re having a Margarita night!”

  No freaking way, I thought to myself. I had enough Margarita nights for the rest of my life.

  After an hour and a half later, I was ready to see my friend. I couldn’t hide from her forever, as I was sure she would find me even in hell.

  “Is he there?” I asked, pointing to Dominick’s office.

  “Arrived about ten minutes ago. Are you okay?”

  “I told you, I’m fine.”

  “Good.” She nodded, watching me intently. “Are you going to talk to him about the article?”

  “No.”

  “Why not? Don’t you think he could’ve at least let you know that he had a son?”

  “We don’t know if he’s his.”

  “Come on, Scarlett! You saw the picture. The boy looks just like him!”

  “It doesn’t mean anything. Besides-”

  “I do not care, Dom! I told you I was sick and tired of your shit!”

  Jill and I stared at the girl, coming out of Dominick’s office. She was obviously furious.