by Sabrina Sol
Dante cleared his throat. Jack did the same and then turned his attention back to Gomez. “Um, yeah, it looked like it was going to rain, so I took him for his walk a little earlier. He just finished his dinner.”
“Awesome. You’re the best, Jack. I’ll clean up his bowls so you can head on home.” Dante pulled out his wallet and gave him a twenty.
“I don’t mind sticking around, Mr. Perez, if you have some work to do or something,” Jack said, stealing a glance again at Alexa.
I’m sure you don’t mind at all.
“It’s fine, really. And I have an early day tomorrow, so no need to come over after school.”
“Are you sure? ’Cause, again, I don’t mind.”
“I’m sure, but I’ll text you in case anything changes, okay?” By now, Dante had his hand on Jack’s shoulder and was guiding him out the front door. He shut it and called for Gomez to follow him to the kitchen. But the bulldog had other ideas, such as standing on his hind legs so he could reach to lick the raindrops off Alexa’s coat.
“No, buddy. Leave her alone,” he said and tried to pull Gomez away by his collar.
“It’s fine. I don’t mind. That’s one way to get it dry, I guess,” she joked.
Dante gestured for her to give him the coat so he could hang it in the entryway. Once she took it off, Gomez lost interest. The same couldn’t be said for him.
She wore a fitted black skirt that came just above the knee and a tight gray V-neck sweater. The sweater’s delicate pearl buttons hardly seemed able to contain her cleavage. His breath caught in his throat. His dick twitched to life.
He knew he was staring. He didn’t care one fucking bit.
“You look…stunning,” he finally managed to tell her.
She smiled in response and met his hard gaze with one of her own. Other women might’ve looked away or laughed nervously, embarrassed by such attention.
Not her. Never her.
Since the first day he met her, it was obvious she knew her superpower. Still, she didn’t flaunt her sexuality just for the sake of flaunting it. She used it carefully, sparingly, and just enough to make the man she wanted to notice her.
It was dangerous having her in his house looking like that. If she didn’t leave soon, there was no guarantee he could stop himself from plucking those sweet pearl buttons off that sweater with his teeth.
“Well, I’m sure you didn’t get all dressed up for me, so the quicker you tell me what’s going on, the quicker you can get out of here and go do whatever you were going to do looking like that.”
He didn’t mean to sound so bitter. But he couldn’t help it after the day he’d just had. If she was surprised by his tone, she didn’t show it. Instead, she nodded and followed him and Gomez into his kitchen.
“Okay, I don’t mean to hurt your feelings, but your kitchen is stuck in the 1980s.” She walked around and gingerly touched the pressed-wood cabinets and off-white laminate countertops, as if they were unknown artifacts from another planet. “I thought you were going to remodel this place. Don’t tell me you actually cook in here?”
Dante picked up Gomez’s bowls and carried them to the sink. “Well, one, I’ve only had the time to remodel one of the bedrooms into a home office. And two, I don’t cook in here because I don’t cook, period. Why do you think I’m always hanging out at the restaurant?”
“That’s true. But don’t you miss your loft? It had that beautiful dining room and huge kitchen. Plus you could walk to your office if you wanted to.”
“Which I never did,” he admitted.
“I guess I’m still surprised that you bought this place.”
Technically, he’d inherited the 1950s ranch-style home in Whittier, a suburb located about twenty miles east of Los Angeles. But explaining that to Brandon and Alexa and anyone else who asked would be telling more than he was willing to share.
The house had once belonged to the woman who had saved him.
Lucy Jenkins had been his social worker from the ages of thirteen until eighteen, although the term “social worker” didn’t begin to describe the role she’d had in his upbringing, in his career, in his life. He didn’t go around telling people he’d grown up in the foster system. He didn’t want their pity. Or their preconceived notions of what he could achieve. It was something he’d kept from Brandon and Alexa, even after all this time. So instead of telling them the truth about the house, he’d let them think he’d bought it as an investment with the goal of remodeling it and flipping it in a year.
Alexa took a seat at his kitchen table. “Hey, this is kind of cool.” She spread her hand over the top. “Where did you find it?”
“At one of those wholesale warehouses downtown,” he told her. What he didn’t add was that he had thought of her immediately when he’d first noticed the square diner-style table with tubular chrome legs and a turquoise Formica top. “Eventually, I want to go back for the matching chairs. For now, though, basic IKEA ones will have to do.”
She nodded and set a small black clutch purse on top of the table. “Maybe you need to make this kitchen your next makeover project.”
He took a seat across from her. “Not yet. Up next is the backyard. Gomez needs a place to hang out, too.”
She tilted her head and smiled. “I never figured you for a dog person.”
“I’ve always loved dogs but just never lived in a place where I could have one. What about you? You seemed to hit it off with Gomez earlier.”
At the mention of his name, the bulldog walked over and lay on the floor next to Dante, resting his chin on top of his foot.
She smiled as she looked down at him. “Dogs are great when they belong to other people. It’s just too much to be responsible for another living thing. And with my crazy schedule? Trust me. No animal wants to belong to me.”
He shrugged. “I get it. If I didn’t have Jack helping me out, I probably wouldn’t have taken in Gomez when I did. But now I can’t imagine him not being here.”
A loud, vibrating snore from below let him know that Gomez was pretty comfortable with the arrangement as well. They both chuckled.
“So about the lawsuit,” she said.
“Did you decide?”
“Yep. After talking it out with Brandon, I think it’s best that I settle.”
Dante’s stomach dropped. “Is he forcing you to settle?”
“No, it’s my decision. I weighed all the pros and cons, and I just want this mess over and done with.”
“So what exactly did Brandon say?”
“Not much. Which was a surprise, actually. He says he believes me that it was an accident. He’s furious with Nick, not so much with me.”
He could hear the doubt in her voice. “You sound like that’s a bad thing.”
“It’s weird. I was prepared for the worst. But the fact that Brandon didn’t go ballistic only made me feel even guiltier about everything.”
“But why? What do you have to feel guilty about if you didn’t break those bottles on purpose?”
She shrugged. “Even if it was an accident, I still should’ve known better and stayed away from anywhere I knew Nick could possibly be. But I’m stubborn, and maybe, if I’m being really honest, maybe there was a part of me that wanted to see him.”
A sting of jealousy clenched his fist under the table. “Does that mean you still have feelings for him?”
She didn’t hesitate. “It was more selfish than that.”
“I don’t understand.”
“I wanted him to see that after everything he’d done to me, I was still standing. That I had made something of my life and he hadn’t broken me. Maybe I even needed to prove it to myself.”
“Alexa…”
“I know. It’s dumb. But, honestly, if Formosa had been any other type of restaurant, serving any other type of food, I could’ve gotten through the night without ever speaking to him. Once I realized what he’d done, it reminded me that I still hadn’t done the one thing I’d wanted to do for years
—open my own restaurant. I was so angry at him—and myself—that I couldn’t stay quiet.”
“Then why are you staying quiet now?”
She sat farther back into her seat and folded her arms across her chest. “What do you mean?”
“Why are you agreeing to the settlement? Why don’t you want to fight?”
“I do want to fight, but there’s too much at stake,” she said, throwing up her arms. “I can’t risk the chance of Nick becoming a partner in the restaurant. Brandon would rather close L.A. Cuchara than have to share it with that asshole.”
“Isn’t giving Nick money for something you didn’t do just as bad?”
“Maybe. I don’t know. I told you, I’m trying to be more thoughtful about my actions these days. Going to court is risky, and the outcome could affect lots of people. This isn’t just about me anymore.”
“Of course it is!” He slammed his fist on the table, startling both of them. Even Gomez got up and walked out of the kitchen, most likely to his favorite spot on the couch.
He hadn’t meant to lose his temper, but he needed to convince her that some things were worth fighting for. “You need to stand up for yourself and what you want.”
That made her laugh. “I stand up for myself all the time, Dante. That doesn’t mean it always works out in my favor.”
“This time it could. That’s all I’m saying.”
She sighed and sat back in her chair. “No wonder you’re such a good lawyer. You really have a knack for arguing, don’t you?”
“Does that mean I’ve convinced you?”
“No. But I promise to think about it some more. Which brings me to the other reason I came over.”
He didn’t like the way her eyes lowered when she said the last sentence.
“Dante, we can’t…I don’t think—”
She was going to say no. And something in his gut told him that unless he convinced her pretty quickly that she was making a mistake, this would be the end for real.
“Do you remember what I said to you that night after the party?”
She looked up and shook her head.
“I told you that there was a girl I liked but I was afraid to tell her. Not because I was worried she’d reject me, but because I was scared to death that she wouldn’t. I’d never felt like that about a girl before. You told me to kiss you so I’d forget all about being scared.”
“That was then. This is now. We’ve grown up. We’re different people.”
“Maybe we are. But when my lips are on yours, there’s nothing that feels more right in this world. So if you don’t feel it, too, then this stops right now. But don’t push me away again just because you’re afraid.”
There. He’d laid it all on the line. If she still walked away, then he’d been wrong about everything. To his surprise, she didn’t even walk out of his kitchen. Instead, she stood up and moved directly in front of him. “You sound so sure,” she whispered.
“I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life. We will be amazing together, Alexa.”
God, she was so close now. His resolve to keep his hands to himself was fading fast.
She bent down and braced her palms on the wooden armrests of his chair. “If I say yes, what exactly am I agreeing to?”
How could he answer her when he had no idea himself?
He took a deep breath before speaking. “Honestly, I’m not sure. All I know is that every time I see you, it’s getting harder to keep my hands off you. Even though I’ve only had a small taste, I’m already addicted and I won’t be right until I have you completely.”
She closed her eyes, and he knew she was debating with herself. But the fact that she hadn’t walked away yet told him that the odds were in his favor.
“Fine,” she said, finally looking at him. “But we keep this casual, okay? This is strictly sex. Nothing more. I don’t want anything more.”
His gut clenched at her terms. He’d always thought of Alexa as more of a relationship type of woman. Why was she changing her stripes now? Although he felt slighted, given his track record lately, this type of arrangement could be better in the long run for both of them. But he had a stipulation of his own.
“Agreed. Sex only. And sex only with me. I’m not going to share you. Understood?”
“As long as the same goes for you. No sleeping around while we’re together.”
Together. He liked the sound of that.
“You’ve got a deal. Any last words?”
She thought about it for a beat. “I’m not like the other women you’re used to.”
“I’m counting on it,” he said in an instant.
Her eyes flashed with surprise. Then with resolve. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
Instead of answering with words, he slid his hands up her body, enjoying each curve along the way. He palmed her breasts and squeezed them gently. He loved how full and soft they were. His dick grew even harder at the thought of finally being able to take them into his mouth.
But not yet. He needed one more thing. “Tell me what you want, Alexa.”
This time, there was no hesitation. “I want you.”
With a satisfied sigh, he dropped his hands and pushed her purse toward her.
“What are you doing?” she said, her voice hushed and unsteady.
He stood up and brushed her lips with a soft kiss. “Call your friends,” he answered. “The only place you’re going right now is straight to my bedroom.”
…
Naked or not naked? That was the question.
Alexa fiddled again with the buttons on her sweater. Should she start unbuttoning them or should she wait?
Dante had only told her to go to his bedroom while he got Gomez situated in his kennel for the night. He hadn’t said if she should take off her clothes or leave them on. Even so, she’d sat on the edge of the bed and unhooked the top button on her sweater before a thought came over her.
Maybe he wants to watch me take it off?
She buttoned it back up and sat there questioning whether Dante was the kind of lover who liked to do the undressing himself or if he preferred more of a striptease. Truth was, she had no idea what kind of lover Dante was. But she was anxious to find out.
I should’ve worn the green maxi dress.
It had a straight zipper down the back and she usually wore a black waist cincher and garter belt underneath. If she’d been wearing that, she knew Dante would definitely enjoy the show.
But she hadn’t been thinking of lingerie when she’d dressed before coming over. Maybe she’d lied to herself by not believing that sitting on Dante’s bed waiting for him to come for her was exactly where she expected to be?
She’d told herself when she got out of the car in front of his house that it was perfectly reasonable to want to tell him about her decision to settle as soon as possible. The meeting with Nick had been a total waste of time. The bastard had only wanted to sleep with her. That was why she’d told Brandon they should settle. She’d kept that part from Dante only because she knew how angry he’d be. And she didn’t want him to think that what happened with Nick had anything to do with her decision not to sleep with him.
Well, that had been the plan.
Then she watched him with his snoring dog in his old house with his retro table and, suddenly, Dante didn’t seem so…so out of her league. Combine that with the way he talked about their first kiss? Any resistance to exploring a sexual relationship with him fell away.
She was proud of herself for stipulating the need to keep things casual. Natalie and Clarissa had made a good point about her having to separate love from sex. If she could do this with Dante, then she could prove to them—and herself—that she could leave emotion out of her actions. Even with men.
And that’s how she’d ended up on the edge of his bed contemplating her lingerie choices.
She looked around the bedroom and couldn’t help but smile at the dated floral wallpaper and wood paneling. They were a stark contrast
to the sleek and modern furniture pieces she figured Dante must have brought with him from the loft. Alexa stood up and walked to the long dresser that sat against the room’s only window. The top of the dresser was almost bare. A lone leather valet tray held a few cuff links, a watch, and a couple of tie clips in its various compartments. A bottle of cologne sat next to it, and she picked it up to take a quick whiff. It smelled like Dante—strong, spicy, and addictive.
“Come here.”
She turned and saw him standing in the middle of the room. How long had he been watching her? His command released a tangle of nerves in her belly, and she wondered if he could see it on her face. She prayed he couldn’t. The last thing she wanted was to act like some inexperienced schoolgirl in front of Dante Perez.
Alexa squared her shoulders and walked over to him. He reached out with one hand to grab the back of her neck and gently tugged her closer. His eyes danced with desire.
“Do you know how long I’ve waited for this moment, Alexa?”
She didn’t know if it was a rhetorical question, so she didn’t answer.
“I didn’t think so. Let me put it this way. Tonight isn’t about taking our sweet time. Tonight is about satisfying our mutual urges, because I have a feeling once I’m finally inside you, I’m not going to be able to hold back. Do you understand?”
She understood, all right. He was telling her that they weren’t going to make love. They were going to fuck. Plain and simple. Down and dirty. Her last remnants of anxiety dissipated, replaced by a burning surge of want. He’d made it perfectly clear what tonight was about, and that freed her. No expectations. No holding back.
She was ready.
Alexa nodded, and that was the signal he needed. His lips came down hard and fast, and she immediately opened to him. His tongue plundered every corner of her mouth, desperate and ravaging. His urgency sparked her own, and there was nothing in the world that mattered to her at that moment other than to get Dante inside her as quickly as possible.