Sweet Seduction Sacrifice

by Nicola Claire

  "You have so bagged a hottie," she argued with a wry grin.

  "Have not!" I shot back.

  "Have too," she answered and then giggled like a school girl. "He is fine, girlfriend," she announced.

  "Don't girlfriend me," I said snottily. Her giggles segued into raucous laughter. "Anyway," I added, feeling I had to clarify things so she didn't get too carried away with the wrong idea, "he's just being kind because his partner is my lawyer and his brother is in on the case."

  "Yeah, I bet that's the only reason," she sarcastically remarked.

  "It is!" I all but shouted.

  "Yeah, you're right," she conceded. "It had absolutely nothing to do with the near drool-like gaze he had on you whenever you leaned forward over the coffee table and flashed your bra, or the way he shifted his body to get a better view of your fine arse as you bent to pick up those roses in front of the counter. Or, I'm so sure, it had absolutely nothing to do with the fact he moved in lightning speed to help you sit when you looked like you would faint, or the fact that he wouldn't let you go afterwards. And it abso-fucking-lutely, posi-fucking-tively had nothing to do with the way he looked when you were going all psycho rose killer on that bouquet outside, and he instructed your lawyer to hang the fuck back when he made an attempt to come out and calm you, so he could instead," she finished.

  "How did he look?" I asked, what to me seemed the most pertinent question. Kelly obviously agreed.

  "Lost," she whispered. "As though it was tearing him apart too."

  "That's impossible," I whispered back.

  "I know," she whispered in return, reaching over and taking hold of my hand and squeezing it. "But you've bagged a hottie and you can't deny it.

  "He's insane," I announced in a louder voice.

  "No, he knows a good thing when he sees it and he's one of those guys who takes what he wants no matter what. I've always wanted one of those guys," she said wistfully.

  So had I, I agreed just as wistfully in my head.

  "So what did you guys get up to in here? Did he kiss you? Was it good?" she demanded, then added, "Of course it was good, he's the hottest of hotties, he'd know how to kiss. Did he slip you his tongue?"

  I stared at her, mouth open and eyes wide. Was she insane? I'd met the guy that morning, if you call sharing a two minute elevator ride, helping him spill coffee on plush cream carpet and making a fool of myself in front of his eyes, meeting someone. And had a disastrous get-together in my shop with my lawyer - his partner - his brother and one of his investigators all in tow. Hardly enough time to get to know someone in order to kiss them. I'm just not that kind of girl!

  "No kiss, then," Kelly accurately surmised from my look. "Then what did you guys talk about, he was here for well over five minutes, a lot can happen in five minutes." I hadn't realised it had been that long, but then I was barely present for most of it, stuck inside my head.

  "He told me how good Ben was, the guy whose been assigned as my bodyguard."

  "Ooo, bodyguard," Kelly piped in.

  "He took a photo of the cork board and slipped it inside his jacket pocket," I added, starting to feel the appropriate amount of anger and incredulity at that.

  "He did?" Kelly asked, scanning the photos with a frown.

  "And he's walking me home after work and then we're deciding where to go for dinner together," I said in a rush as Kelly flipped up the edges of some of the photos to get a better a view.

  "I think I know which one he took," she said and then stilled. "He's what?" she demanded, face a mask of shock and awe.

  "Which photo?" I asked, trying to steer clear of that look on her face.

  "Ungh-uh," she said incoherently. "What's this about escorting you home and taking you to dinner? That should have been the first thing you told me when I walked through that door. Am I your best friend or am I your best friend?" she demanded a little huffily.

  "You're my best friend," I placated her, attempting to not answer the original question at all.

  "Oh no, sweet pea, you do not fob me off like that. He asked you to dinner, spill."

  "He's just being kind," I declared.

  "Did you or did you not, hear every word I just said about him ogling your chest and arse and not letting your lawyer come to calm you down?"

  "I heard you," I muttered, starting to pack up what was left of my desk and shove things in my handbag.

  "So?" Kelly was like a dog with a bone, a bloody Rottweiler with a huge arse bone.

  "So what?" I shot back with attitude, she smiled.

  "You like him," she announced with a nod of her head. She followed it up with, "This is good. You need a man like him, someone to look out for you, instead of simply using you for a place to park his shit and live off, then stomping all over you and kicking dirt in your face."

  "Jeez, Kel, tell it like it really is," I muttered, getting to my feet and thinking it was high time to check on Lucas out front before the doors had to close.

  "I have a good feeling about this," she announced as she followed me out to the music area. Bic Runga had become Carly Binding's This Is It.

  "I'm glad one of us does," I muttered, but I don't think she heard me.

  We had a flurry of last minute customers, which kept us all busy for the next twenty minutes until I locked the doors and started the arduous, but rather quick clean-up routine. Lucas took care of the espresso machine, Kelly packed up the remaining chocolates to go out into our cool store unit out back, while I wiped surfaces, chucked take-away cups in the bin, emptied the rubbish out back and swept the floor. Hard out it takes about twenty minutes to half an hour, with great head thumping music it can be a blast. We were all singing at the top of voices along to OMC's How Bizarre, when there was a rap at the front door. I swung around with my broom flying to see Dominic standing on the other side, watching me intently, a small twitch at the edges of his extremely kissable mouth.

  I'd slipped out of my flats and placed a pair of fluffy socks on, all the better to polish the floor in, so scooted over to the doorway, gliding in one long stretch, arms out wide to keep my balance, broom stick flailing. I mini-slammed into the door and unlocked it, all the while still singing, "Destination unknown, as we pull in for some gas." Loud music always makes me happy and I wasn't going to drop the happy-vibe until the song ended, Dominic sexiest smile and name, god-like Anscombe or not.

  "Hey," I breathed and then promptly followed that up with a warbling, "Elephants and acrobats, lions, snakes, monkey." Dominic grinned, it was beautiful. Not as beautiful as his full smile, but enough to make me catch my breath. I missed the next line, but after closing and locking the door behind him managed to pelt out, "How bizarre, how bizarre, how bizarre," with Lucas and Kelly.

  I swept past him with a, "take a seat somewhere, we're almost done," thrown over my shoulder and then spun around the back of the shop, having finished sweeping and sock polishing up front, now needing to concentrate on the music area out back. Singing again, this time, "Ooh baby, it's making me crazy. Every time I look around, every time I look around, every time I look around, its in my face." Only to spin in a full circle, my socks making for a smooth ride, to find Dominic right behind me. I slammed into his chest with a "oomph!" His arms came up immediately and wrapped around me, OMC still singing, now going on to the second verse, but my voice had gone silent.

  He looked down at me with an amused look in his eyes. "Do you always polish the floors in your socks?" he asked, as though it wasn't shocking to be holding me flush against his chest in such an intimate position.

  "Yes," I replied, unable to think of anything else.

  "And sing New Zealand songs at the top of your lungs?"

  "Yes," I replied a little breathlessly this time.

  He looked at me for a moment, his face dipping closer just a smidgeon. I stopped breathing altogether and then when nothing more happened, like he kissed me or something equally as ridiculous, I started humming to OMC again. He did the lips twitch again and let me go.<
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  "I wanted to make sure you were safe back here, alone," he announced as the reason he had followed me into the depths of the music dungeon part of Sweet Seduction. You just have to have a music dungeon if you have a seductive music shop - everyone knows that.

  I nodded, still singing. He smiled. It was incredible and I forgot the next line completely as the full glory of his smile hit me front and centre.

  "You're gorgeous," I said before I realised my thoughts had somehow made it to my tongue. Kill me now! Please God, put me out of my misery.

  God wasn't listening. "I'm glad you think so," he remarked, smugly.

  I rolled my eyes, found my place in the song and started singing, "Jumped into the Chevy and headed to the big lights. Wanna know the rest, then buy the rights," as I swept and sock polished the rest of the floor. Gotta love OMC.

  By the time the last of the song was finished, Sweet Seduction was ready for the Saturday morning crowd. Dominic followed me back out to the front of the shop, via my office where the broom and socks were deposited and I picked up my handbag, whilst slipping on my flats. As I stepped past him out my office door, his hand came up and untwisted my handbag strap on my shoulder, then proceeded to flatten it with his fingers, trailing down the handle as it flowed down my back. His hand came to rest in the dip above my hips and he pushed me gently forward out the door - I'd come to a complete stop when he'd touched me, stupidly.

  For the entire short walk back through the music area towards Lucas and Kelly waiting patiently by the door, I felt his touch - as hot as any branding iron - right through to my skin. Lucas was jiggling his car keys and humming softly to himself, I couldn't tell what tune, and Kelly was beaming at us, her eyes flicking between Dominic and me. I refused to smile back.

  I unlocked the door in silence and held it open for everyone to get through, then activated the alarm system and closed the door, going through the procedure of locking the multiple deadbolts. I took security of my dream to heart.

  "See ya!" Lucas yelled over his shoulder as he sauntered off, Kelly and I both mumbled replies, but Dominic was silent, watching me.

  I turned around and pocketed my keys, then rocked back on my heels, swinging my arms uncomfortably in front of me, like some demented cymbal clanging stuffed monkey toy.

  "OK, chickie, I'll catch up with you tomorrow," Kelly said pointedly and then pulled me into her arms for a hug. We always hugged good-bye, we were both firmly in huggers' territory. If you had to say good-bye, say it with a hug. I hugged her back and then she whispered in my ear, "The photo was the one of you at the Christmas party last year, in that tight fitted top, eyes sparkling, face all aglow." She pulled back and winked at me and then said a brief but cheerful good-bye to Dominic - no hug - and skipped away.

  I stood still frowning at the ground for a while, contemplating her words. Why would he take that photo? What a strange thing to do. His highly polished shoes entered my vision, as he stepped closer to me. I swung my head up to his face, he was grinning, that smug smile again. He reached out and brushed some of my hair away from my face, my skin tingled where he touched me briefly.

  "If there had been a photo of you polishing the floor in fluffy socks and singing at the top of your voice, I would have taken that one," he said softly, making me suck in a sharp breath of air at his words and the fact he had heard Kelly's whispers.

  He watched my face for a reaction and then let his hand slip down the length of my arm, slipping his fingers into mine. It was such an intimate gesture, but yet it felt completely right - if not a little tummy churning and toe curling right.

  "Come on, sweetheart," he said tugging me in the direction of my apartment. "Lets get you home."

  Oh boy, I was in so much trouble.

  Chapter 5

  Hope In Hell

  Dominic didn't let go of my hand the whole walk home, not that it takes more than ten minutes to get from High Street to Emily Place, but it felt like the longest ten minutes in my life. Neither of us spoke. He seemed content to take in the early evening and I couldn't have found my voice if my life depended on it. This was all so very surreal. What was happening to Brett, the spill-over of all his crap into my life, meeting the hottest guy I had ever laid eyes on and now walking home holding his hand. How had my life come to this?

  I'm a normal Kiwi girl, I work hard, play hard, but I'm no different or better than anyone else. In fact, I'm probably a bit more serious than most. It took many years to save up enough to persuade the bank I was a good bet and loan me the money to open Sweet Seduction. I'd had some luck, admittedly, my bank manager believed in my dream and in me. I had fantastic loyal friends, Kelly dropping her own career to come and work for me - someone I could trust with my life - was proof of that and I had extremely supportive and caring neighbours.

  I'd created a good life for myself and then made a big mistake. Even now, if I'm honest, my friends have never held that mistake against me, they have only ever been encouraging and understanding, not once did they tell me I was a fuck-up and it served me right. All of them hated Brett, even before I chucked him out that first time. Although they hadn't let on until afterwards, but after I chucked him out - and let him back in four times - they made their feelings towards him known. To me, though, they only offered support.

  I know I am lucky, but I also know there is nothing special to write home about me. But walking along, on a warm summer's evening, holding onto the hand of a man like Dominic Anscombe, I allowed myself a moment, just a small, brief, moment, to believe. I sincerely think that everyone has one impossible dream inside of them they can achieve and no more. But for that small, brief, precious moment, I thought otherwise.

  Maybe we could have two.

  Dominic steered me towards my building and my thoughts shattered at his sure touch.

  "How do you know where I live?" I asked, looking up at his incredibly handsome profile beside me.

  He glanced down at me as he entered the door code to get in the building, again surprising me at how much he already knew about my life. That door code shouldn't be public knowledge, but then with over thirty apartments inside, it wasn't a big stretch to think it would get out.

  "I make it a policy to know as much as I can about the women in my life," he replied pushing the door open and then gently pulling me inside. I ignored the gentle tug on my hand and stood stock-still on the top step. He'd said the women in his life, where did I start with processing that?

  He tugged harder and I stumbled over the threshold landing against his chest, his arm wrapped around me and his head dipped, brushing warm lips against the hair at my temple. What the fuck? I pulled back and stared at him, he just smiled - the smile that makes me forget to breathe. It was working.

  In a haze of mixed emotions I followed him to the lift, numbly got inside when it arrived and watched, mildly intrigued, as he entered the correct floor. If I distanced myself from it, I could see the amusement factor, the incredible cheek, not to mention the flattery that he had gone to such lengths to know me. But, distancing yourself from an invasion in your life by someone you barely know, never mind if he is gorgeous, has a sexy smile and name and is god-like, is impossible.

  As much as he thrilled me, Dominic Anscombe scared me half to death.

  We came to rest outside my apartment door and he held out his hand, palm up, in front of me. I stared at it for a moment, then looked up into his blue-blue eyes.

  "What? You don't have a copy of my key yet?" I asked, with eyebrows raised.

  "I didn't have time to make a copy today, that's on tomorrow to do list," he replied with that sexy smile. I gave him my keys. He opened the door and then pocketed them. Hilarious.

  He stepped across the threshold and waited for me to disarm the alarm. I noticed he watched as I entered the code and a part of me was berating myself for not being more cautious, but another part of me just couldn't help herself - wanting to see how far this man would go. I'd never been a man eater, I'd never, ever chased after a man
before in my life and I sure as hell was not going to start, but there was something compelling about the way Dominic behaved and acted, something strangely addictive. I'd known him for less than a day, yet I was already craving to know more. Like whether he'd memorise my alarm code from watching me enter it once and then use at in some future time and surprise me with a visit. I decided I wanted Dominic Anscombe to surprise me very much.

  Dominic did a quick surveillance of my apartment, checking behind doors and inside closets for some unknown threat - which could bypass the alarm system, it would seem. Whisper, my Russian Blue cat, watched serenely from on top of the back of the couch. It didn't take long, my apartment is a loft, a converted warehouse in fact. You enter next to the kitchen, which is an open space against the back wall to the right of the door. A long wooden table with eight wooden chairs separates the kitchen from the rest of the room, which is made up of an L-shaped sectional sofa in deep green, a large cream coloured rug covering the floor before it and a huge plasma TV on the wall off to the right hand side. Two floor length windows, with French doors out onto a small balcony come off from the TV, and then over the other side of the huge room is my bed, raised on a platform, covered in a duvet decorated with green and brown leaves. A set of wardrobes and cupboards juts out from the wall, backing onto the bathroom, which is back towards the front door. It consists of a small enclosed box jutting out into the room, opposite the kitchen. Take out the bathroom box and the whole area is a square. Open duct work is evident along the ceiling, painted the same black as the ceiling itself. The walls are all bare red brick, the same brick as outside, but insulated between two layers to make the space warm.

  I loved it the moment I laid eyes on it. Open, airy and industrial chic. To my mind it represents Auckland City; a little young, a little dirty and a lot of fun. Brett tolerated it, he didn't have much choice. I was paying for it, so I got to pick where we lived. He complained about the lack of privacy, there was nowhere to go to get away from each other. Unless you counted the closed in bathroom or the exposed balcony along one end. His answer, when he needed space, was to go to the pub and surround himself with strangers, then drink himself drunk.