“Holy shit.” The woman gasped for air. “You scared the piss out of me.”
“Sorry about that.” Maria stared at her curiously. “Who are you?”
“I’m DeeDee.” She smiled, looking at her yesterday’s dress and heels. “Are you one of Matthias’s friends?”
“Ew, no.” She practically gagged, knowing what she meant by “friend.” “I’m one of Dominic’s.”
“Dom’s?” DeeDee looked at her in disbelief. “That’s strange.”
“Yes.” She nodded, finding the way the woman was looking at her stranger.
“Well, come sit down, sweetie.” DeeDee came to her and took her arm, leading her to the kitchen table. “I’ll make you some breakfast. Would you like some orange juice?”
Watching her go to the fridge, she remembered Dominic drinking from the milk carton, and while she didn’t mind swapping spit with him, she wasn’t about to swap it with the other two brothers. “Water’s good, actually.”
“All right.” She went to make her a glass of water. “How do eggs and toast sound?”
“Good.”
“The boys will be hungry when they wake, so I’ll make plenty.”
“Thank you.” Maria smiled when she placed the water down in front of her. Staring at the glass, Maria asked, “What was strange?”
“Oh.” DeeDee laughed it off like it was no big deal. “He’s just never brought a girl here before, is all.”
Tapping the glass, she asked another one, “Have you known him a long time?”
“Since he was just a baby.” She smiled happily, reminiscing his cute, little face as she started cooking the eggs. “I’ve watched all the kids grow up now, but Dom lets me stay around to help clean the house and get the groceries.”
Maria warmed at hearing her talk about him.
“He’s a good man,” DeeDee assured her before realizing … “What’s your name, sweetie?”
“Maria.” She gave the kind woman another smile. “And I know.”
Ugh, she was getting soft the longer she stayed around here.
By the time they talked a bit more, with Maria mostly asking questions about little Dom, the woman had no sooner started making a plate for her when Matthias entered the kitchen.
“I wouldn’t do that,” he warned her, strolling in.
Maria looked at him in confusion. “Do what?”
“Eat that,” Matthias said, going to the fridge to look at what else they had. “DeeDee can’t cook for shit.”
That’s rud—
“Oh please,” the woman shushed him, hitting his upper arm. “I cook fine; don’t worry.”
At first, Maria thought Matthias was being a dick, but when she had set the plate down in front of her, Maria looked down at the eggs strangely—they weren’t the expected yellow color. Hell, now she wasn’t even sure if she should eat them, but the way the older woman was waiting for her to take a bite, she hated to be a bitch; they were just eggs … What was so hard about that?
Taking a small bite, she instantly spit them back out onto the plate with no remorse.
“You shouldn’t have done that.” Dominic laughed, entering the room. “She can’t cook for shit.”
Gulping down her water, she didn’t even look at the woman sympathetically for the crime she had committed against those eggs. “I’m sorry, DeeDee, but it’s true.”
The woman didn’t seem to take offense. “Well, that’s okay. They’ll get eaten.”
By who? A dog?
Placing a jar of jelly down in front of her that he got from the fridge, along with a butter knife, Dominic gave her a sympathetic look. “Don’t worry; the toast is fine to eat. DeeDee just thinks ketchup is seasoning.”
“Ketchup!” She took another swig of water, wondering why the fuck she thought it was okay to eat red-tinted eggs in the first place. Maria hadn’t let it touch her tongue long enough to even know what the fuck it was, but one thing she was sure of was that DeeDee belonged in jail.
Cassius had come in silently, taking her plate of the gross eggs. “I’ll eat ’em.”
Maria watched him take a seat beside her at the table. “You are not about to—”
“They taste fine to me,” he said, shoving in a mouthful.
“That’s vile,” she scolded him. Both he and DeeDee needed to be locked up.
“Sorry, we don’t have a personal chef here for you like I’m sure you’re used to,” Matthias grumbled, still staring into the fridge like something good or different was going to appear.
“We don’t have one,” Maria threw back. Taking her toast from the plate Cassius had stolen, she began smearing the jelly on top once Dominic finished coating his next to her. “Lucca does most of the cooking.”
All three brothers stopped what they were doing to stare at her.
“What?” She looked at each one of them weirdly.
Matthias was the one to quickly go back to what he was doing. “Nothing.”
It became clear that where Matthias liked to push her buttons, he wouldn’t dare push the boogieman’s.
She took a bite of her toast, deciding to surprise them even more with the truth. “He’s a really good cook, actually. You would die to eat one of his steaks. He cooks it in a hot pan on the stove just like a renowned chef would. He makes them a perfect medium rare and lets them rest till just the right amount of blood coats your plate when you cut each piece with a knife for you to dip it in.” She gave them all a bright smile. “Maybe I could ask you all over for din—”
“That’s all right,” Matthias choked out. “I think we’ll pass.”
“Suit yourself.” She shrugged, taking another bite of her toast but quickly swallowed when she saw what the twin brother was doing. “Can you please not do that?”
Gulping down the orange juice from the carton, he came up for air. “Why not?”
“Because I’d like to be able to drink something other than water when I come over here?” she snapped back without even a thought of what she was asking. She hadn’t realized until Dominic looked over at her with a smug expression. Maria had planned to keep coming back ….
“No,” Matthias simply responded, going to take another large drink, but Dom got up from the table, taking the carton out of his hand. He set it down on the counter, along with a glass on the counter for him. “Use a glass. And that goes for you, too, Cass,” he instructed, turning to look at Cassius taking his last bite.
“All right.” Cass gave him a nod.
“Jesus, next, she’ll be having us put down the toilet seat—”
“That too,” Dominic informed them.
I think I’m in l—
“Oh my God.” Matthias glared evilly at her and not his brother, who was starting to make the rules.
Maria smiled happily back at the pissed-off brother, flipping her gold locks behind a shoulder as they both mentally flicked each other off.
When DeeDee filled up Cass’s plate with the rest of the eggs, Maria’s stomach turned.
“I need to get home,” she informed Dominic, because she had a date at the spa before she could go on their actual date tonight. Plus, she wanted to spend a few hours with Leo, as all the siblings were taking turns being with him.
“Matthias will give you a ride back to the Casino Hotel.” Seeing the massive eye roll, Dom continued before his brother could bitch. “I have a few things I need to handle today before I see you tonight.”
“Okay,” Maria told him, understanding. It wouldn’t be great for her either, but if it pissed Matthias off, it worked out for her.
“I’ll pick you up at six,” Dominic informed her with a smile as he walked back to where she sat at the table. Leaning down, he forced her chin up for a quick kiss with an inked finger. “And wear white, princess.”
Maria’s green eyes went wide as she watched him walk away just as quickly as he had kissed her. Her cheeks actually might have flushed, but she was too embarrassed to touch them in front of everyone. The only thing that saved he
r was that DeeDee was the only one who seemed to care. It was clear on the woman’s face that she hadn’t believed Maria when she’d told her she was Dominic’s friend … but now she did.
“Can I go?” Cass asked before Dom could leave the room.
Dominic stopped for a moment to turn around. “Not today.”
“It’s okay if he wants to come,” Maria offered. “I don’t min—”
“No, I need him to go to work with me today,” Dominic told her.
Nodding, Cassius didn’t seem to mind going with Dom. “Okay.”
Maria glanced between the two brothers, finding that strange ….
“Come on, your highness.” Matthias opened the front door and took a dramatic bow. “Your chariot awaits!”
Thirty-Seven
Eat Your Little Black Heart Out
Hearing the knock on the door, Maria couldn’t help but smile as she checked herself out in the mirror. Her feet were as smooth as a baby’s bottom, and her toes and nails were freshly painted white … just like Dominic had wanted, but that was where it ended.
He had wanted her dressed in white, like a pretty bride, but Maria made it perfectly clear what she wanted. Smoothing her very tight, form-fitting dress down her body, it hugged every curve and left absolutely nothing up to the imagination as it was … nude. And not just any nude, her exact nude that matched her tanned skin perfectly. From a distance, you would do a double-take, thinking she was naked when, in fact, she was not. Up close, however, the dress could pass for lingerie as the part that hugged her breasts was lacy and appeared almost see-through, as it was actually a built-in bustier creating two perfect, high-placed mounds.
If Dominic wasn’t going to fuck her until she had a ring on her finger, she was going to make him pay hard.
Hearing another knock, Maria picked up her small rhinestone clutch that matched the long rhinestone clip she had in her blonde hair that kept the right side of her softly curled hair behind her shoulder. Clicking her super skinny nude stilettos on the floor, she opened the door.
“Dear”—Dominic’s widened hazel eyes slid down her body slowly—“God.” Clearing his throat, he actually had to wipe his brow. “I-I thought I asked you to wear white.”
“You don’t like it?” she asked with a smile.
“No, you know I do, princess.” Dominic gritted the words out, clearly struggling. “But that’s the problem.”
Licking her bottom lip, she gave him a hot look. “Well, I thought we could skip the white.”
Knowing exactly what she meant, Dominic craned her neck up like he liked to do with his finger. It was clear he liked the way she had done her hair as he had the view of her long neck on display.
Leaning down, he whispered huskily into her exposed ear, “Next time I ask you to wear a certain color, princess … do it.”
“Or what?” she challenged with a raised, newly perfected manicured brow.
Placing a kiss on her neck, he gave her a promise, “If you’re brave enough to do it when we’re married, you’ll find out.”
Suddenly, the thought of marriage isn’t so ba—
Maria internally shook the thought away. “You could always give me a prequel …”
Groaning, he had to pull away after kissing her neck once more. “I would, but then we’d be late for what I have planned.”
Maria took his hand, twirling his fingers in hers, trying to pull him closer and into her place. “Or we could skip right over your plans and get right to mine?”
His rich hazel eyes glowed for a moment as he leaned back down to place the lightest kiss on her full lips, careful not to smudge her lip gloss. “Not a chance, princess.” He smiled, giving her a view of his dimples right before he took ahold of her hand and started dragging her in the opposite direction she wanted to go.
Internally screaming, Maria started walking beside him, unhappily.
Staring at the gorgeous man who had her begging to be fucked, there was only one explanation at this point …
Dominic was a fucking saint.
This time, as the two made it through the Casino Hotel, they didn’t try to hide the fact that they were holding each other’s hands. They made it more than obvious how they felt about the other, not only to the cameras but to anyone around. As they walked, the people parted, giving them a wide berth to stare in either awe or jealousy of the gorgeous couple who looked straight out of a James Bond film. However, it wasn’t your stereotypical Bond movie, as it looked as if a Bond girl had either dumped or killed James for the bad guy in the film.
Dominic wasn’t dressed in Caruso fashion, which would have made him more like James Bond; he kept his signature look with his leather jacket. The only difference tonight were the dark, expensive-looking jeans and the brown suede boots that Maria had never seen him wear.
Walking out of the hotel, Dominic’s Mustang was parked right out front. He unlocked the car and, with a couple of flashes of the headlights, he opened the passenger side door for her to get in.
Maria expertly slid into the leather seats, looking like a million bucks, and it was clear Dominic was in love with the sight.
Some men wouldn’t let their women walk out of the house wearing what Maria was wearing, but Dominic wasn’t some men. Men might look at her, but there was always going to be men staring at Maria, even if she was wearing a brown paper sack, and she was on his arm, not theirs.
Shutting the door after another glance of her shiny, tanned legs, Dom got in behind the wheel and quickly drove off.
Goddamn, Maria loved that fiery, earthy scent that she felt wrap around her every time she was in his car. This and his bedroom were the only places that amplified his otherwise light scent that she could never get enough of.
Maria couldn’t help but eye Dom as he switched gears, even though she was trying to take her mind off the sexual tension. Why, every time he was near her, did she feel like the biggest slut on the planet?
“Stop that.” Dominic’s guttural voice echoed in the small confines of the car.
Maria’s emerald gaze went to the steering wheel he was gripping tightly. “Stop what?”
“Moving your legs like that,” he ordered as he glanced out of the side of his eyes while he drove. “You’re doing that on purpose.”
Actually, she wasn’t. She kept moving her silky legs to try to get comfortable, because the only thing she kept imagining was sitting on his dic—
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said helplessly with a pearly white smile. There was no way in hell she was going to tell him that just watching him drive was making her consider marrying him. She didn’t want Dom to know she was the one closest to breaking. She had never been more thankful for buying that lotion with gold shimmer in it. She was going to have to buy stock in the company.
Wanting him to be closer to the pain she was in, she trailed her freshly shaped, long nails along the tatted hand that kept hold of the gear shift. “We may need to get you a car that isn’t a stick shift.”
“What? You don’t think I know how to multitask?” Dominic let his hand wander up her thigh, getting closer to the hem of her short dress. With his widely spread hand, he stopped to squeeze her flesh in a tight grip that sent Maria’s body up in flames before he let go to put his hand back on the shift. “Not a chance, princess.” He made it clear there was no other car he would drive.
Maria silently agreed, not able to picture him driving anything else. Plus, she liked the show, just not the way it made her feel when she couldn’t be satisfied. She desperately needed to clear her thoughts and the raging fire brewing in her belly, so she put her mind on something else that she had wondered about all day.
“This morning”—Maria looked over at him curiously—“when you said Cassius was going to work with you, you don’t mean like family business, do you?”
Dominic’s silence met her question, which answered her question.
Shocked wasn’t even the word to describe the look on her face. “He�
��s fifteen, which makes him the youngest …” She trailed off at the thought. Lucca had been the youngest to be made at seventeen. You weren’t made unless you were a man, and her brother had only did so because he proved without irrevocable doubt that he was no longer a child.
Cassius wasn’t. There was a hint of a childlike charm still in him. She had seen it.
“I’ve not let him speak the oath,” Dominic spoke the words stoically. “But I know him, Maria. If I shut him out of the family business, Cassius will resent me. I spent my whole life trying to end my father’s reign, and I will not have the strength to do what would need to be done a second time.”
A cold chill went up her spine, knowing what he meant by that.
“To do everything I possibly can to keep Cass from turning into our father will not only delay the inevitable, but I could end up creating something worse in the process.”
Maria knew it was a dangerous game he was playing. It was like playing with fire, and Dominic himself knew it.
“I felt no love with my father, but I’d take my own life before I’d take my brother’s.”
Hearing the fear of what his brother could become, along with the pain it would cause him if he did so, Maria placed her hand over Dominic’s that hovered over the shift and gave it a light squeeze, letting him know she supported him in his decision.
The truth was, there was no right or wrong way to care for Cassius. However, she did know Dom was right. Maria resented her own father for the same reasons.
“It’ll be okay,” she told him strongly, though she wasn’t sure of it. Just like Dominic wasn’t. But she’d do everything in her power to help him keep Cassius from walking too far down that dark path he was on. “He’s your full brother isn’t he?” Maria dared to ask the question she figured out once she had seen Cassius smile, when Dom looked at her strangely she let him in on how she figured it out. “He has dimples too. They’re genetic.”
Maria didn’t need to tell him the rest, because Dominic already knew it. None of Lucifer’s other children had them, which meant most likely he wasn’t the one with them and since the two brother’s looked so much alike and nothing at all like their father, it only meant they had to share the same mother as well.
Dominic (Made Men Book 8) Page 28