Dominic: A Triple Threat Novel

by Josephine Jade

  “I know I don’t like vanilla a lot, unless it comes to ice cream, but that’s what I want right now,” he said softly as he untied the halter top of the teddy and peeled it from her body, dropping the wet material to the ground. “The car was fishtailing out of control for a second, and I swear when that happened all I could think about was you. This. Us.”

  It was the closest Dominic had ever come to any sort of declarations of feelings for her. She wrapped her arms around him.

  “Are you sure you wouldn’t rather force me to suck you off after tying me spreadeagled over the coffee table and plugging me with ginger lube?” She said it jokingly, but prayed he’d agree.

  He chuckled. “Quite tempting indeed. But tonight, just you and me. No toys. No pain. Just us.”

  She closed her eyes. She wanted this, God how she wanted this. Screw Gordon. She wasn’t going to let him take this from her. She reached up and ran her hands across Dominic’s shoulders and into his hair.

  “Yes. Just us.”

  She washed the blood from his face, and put soap on her hands to wash the rest of his body, wanting to feel his skin under her fingers. After he shut off the water, he slid his arms under her hips and lifted her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist and he grabbed a large towel that he pulled around the two of them.

  He sat her on the bathroom vanity and took the towel and begin drying her, starting at her feet and working his way slowly up her body. When he got to the area between her thighs she gave a frustrated moan when he just dried her quickly and continued working his way up. He ran the towel over her hair then dried himself off quickly.

  He picked her up again and this time brought her mouth all the way to his. “Kiss me.”

  She did, locking her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck. She looked at Dominic, really looked at him — this strong, passionate, sexy man that was hers, at least for tonight. She dragged the nails of one hand down his chest, scraping across the tight buds of his nipple, laughing at the heartfelt groan that escaped from his lips.

  She craved him. Soft and gentle, hard and brutal… it didn’t matter. She wanted everything he could give her. She breathed him in with deep inhalations, then plastered her mouth to his.

  One of his arms stayed under her hips, the other splayed into her hair. As she met his tongue thrusting into her mouth, a warm feeling overtook her. Like honey had filled her body, slowing everything. She stroked her tongue against his before he tilted her head, taking control of the kiss. He nibbled at her bottom lip, grabbing it with his teeth before soothing it with his tongue.

  He groaned and her eyes opened to find his wide open too. Except he was looking into the mirror behind them.

  “We’re going to need to add some mirror play soon. I’ll have you suck me off with your pussy facing the big mirror and I’ll watch as you make yourself come.”

  She wrapped herself around him more tightly. That was the only type of mirrors she wanted to be involved with. Definitely not the computer mirroring.

  “Take me to bed,” she whispered against his lips.

  He grinned. “I guess today I’ll just settle for making you come with my mouth while you suck me off. I want your pussy over my face and my cock down your throat. You want to have a race to see who can get the other to come first?”

  Cassandra lost.

  But, oh God, how she won.

  Chapter Twenty

  Cassandra was convinced Gordon had been bluffing, or at the very least trying to force something he couldn’t back up when she hadn’t heard anything from him a week later.

  If anything, Dominic stepped up security. Gordon wouldn’t get another chance at brake lines or other ways to scare her using him. Unless Gordon wanted to start an out and out war with La Cosa Nostra, he was going to have to back off.

  Cassandra wanted to do a little happy dance. Her stepfather couldn’t hurt her and for the first time she felt like she was part of something. She was a Rinaldi. Maybe she and Dominic weren’t exactly announcing their marriage, but there was no discounting that they were in a relationship.

  Cassandra had spent most of the week working with Sarah on the wedding that would take place in two days. Dominic had just laughed at her absence, saying he didn’t want to get involved with any bridezilla stuff. Sweet, kindergarten teacher Sarah was the least bridezilla type person Cassandra had ever known. She was so excited about the wedding and the baby that Cassandra couldn’t even be sad that her own circumstances were so different.

  “How are things between you and Dominic?” Sarah had asked as they worked on the centerpieces for the tables at the reception. Sarah had wanted to make them herself. “I don’t guess we’ll be getting ready for your wedding since you’re already married.”

  Cassandra shrugged. “To be honest I’m not sure exactly where our relationship stands. Things are much better than they were when we started a few months ago, but I wouldn’t call us married.”

  Sarah laughed. “You eat all your meals together, you sleep in the same bed, you can’t keep your hands off each other… I’m going to go out on a limb and call that married. If you don’t be careful, next thing you know you’ll have your own little Rinaldi on its way.”

  “Family is so important to them. Roman, Dominic, and Lukas. Babies.” Cassandra fought to keep her heartbreak from showing.

  “It must be an Italian thing. Big family, lots of kids. You know the boys were called the triple threat by their teachers growing up. And by quite a few girlfriends I’m sure.”

  Cassandra smiled. “No, but I have no difficulty imagining that at all.”

  They sat the last of the centerpieces at the tables. Everything was now ready.

  “You’re getting married tomorrow,” Cassandra said to Sarah with a smile. The other woman was positively glowing.

  “I know.” Cassandra found herself surrounded by the smaller woman’s arms. “Roman and I’s story didn’t start out very romantically either. Someday, when you and I are really drunk, I’ll show you my tattoo on my butt. That’s quite a story.”

  Cassandra raised an eyebrow. Sweet, little, kindergarten teacher had a tattoo on her ass? That had a story behind it? “I’ll look forward to it. Sort of.”

  They laughed and Sarah released her. “Okay, I’ve got a couple of things to take care of downtown. The guys are all going out together. I’ll see you tomorrow at the wedding.”

  Having a girlfriend was nice. Cassandra realized she’d never really had one. Friendships were not encouraged the way she grown up, unless you were planning to steal from them. And Sarah was so easy to love it was ridiculous.

  Cassandra went home, prepared for an evening in, maybe catching up on some of the security work she’d put aside to help Sarah this week. Or maybe she would just watch some Scooby Doo cartoons.

  The phone Dominic had gotten her this week when she started spending so much time with Sarah buzzed. Since he was the only one who had the number, he would be the only one texting her. She looked down at the message.

  Ready for the wedding? It would be a shame if the bride didn’t make it, wouldn’t it?

  A picture of Sarah showed up on the screen. She was wearing the same outfit she had on when Cassandra had left her an hour ago, standing standing in front of a jewelry store.

  The phone rang in Cassandra’s hand. She knew right away who it was.

  “Gordon, you fucking bastard, don’t you touch her.”

  “It’s a shotgun wedding, I’m sure you had to know that, Cassandra. Miss Hastings is pregnant.”

  “Goddamn you, Gordon.”

  “I’m not going to hurt your little friend. As a matter fact, I have over two dozen people who can vouch for the fact that I’m currently sitting in Chicago. Darrell, on the other hand… it’s just so hard to say with him. The boy has a mind of his own.”

  Cassandra closed her eyes. Darrell was Gordon’s son, two years older than her. Much more violent than his father. “Don’t let him hurt her. Sarah has nothing to do w
ith this.”

  “You’re sitting in the lap of luxury in Dominic Rinaldi’s home. All I’m asking you to do is upload the mirroring software. I’m not an idiot, Cassandra. I don’t want Rinaldi to know what I’m doing, so I won’t be taking much. Just a little information here or there. He never even needs to know you’re involved.”

  “Gordon, please. I just want out. I’m not part of your family. I never have been. Just leave me and Dominic alone.”

  “You wanted out seven years ago too, and how did that go for you? Do you need another picture of sweet Sarah? You more than anyone should know how easily a baby can be lost.”

  Panic gripped Cassandra deep in her core. ”No. Don’t hurt her. I’ll do it.”

  “Good. And like I said, I don’t plan to do anything that’s going to draw attention to the little trap you lay for him. That wouldn’t end well for either of us.”

  Gordon hung up and Cassandra just stared at the phone in her hand. God, was she really going to do this?

  Another picture came through on her phone. Taken by someone much closer to Sarah this time. Her friend still had that blissful, excited look on her face.

  You have five minutes.

  Cassandra dashed to the bed where she’d stuffed the USB drive under the mattress. Detaching herself as much as possible from her emotions she walked into Dominic’s office. All she had to do was plug in the drive. She didn’t even need his password.

  She didn’t allow herself to think, she just made sure the computer was on and inserted the drive.

  She texted on her phone: it’s done.

  It was done. The drive was installing software that would report back to Gordon. Unless Dominic was specifically looking for this sort of spyware, he wouldn’t find it. It wouldn’t come up on the normal security sweeps of his computer, and wouldn’t leak enough information to be easily seen.

  Gordon was playing the long con, putting measures in place so that he built information over time. Eventually those pieces of information would provide a useful picture. One Gordon would use himself against Dominic, or sell to Dominic’s enemies.

  Sarah was safe. For now. Until Gordon decided he wanted Cassandra to do something else for him.

  Cassandra took the USB drive out of the computer once it had finished uploading what it needed to. She walked back slowly to the bedroom.

  She couldn’t allow this. Couldn’t allow herself to be used against Dominic. She would leave. Leave before any of the things unsaid between them became more permanent. Leave before she once again destroyed the best thing that had ever happened to her.

  She should leave right now. Write a note, tell Titus about the spyware. He would know how to get rid of it. Leave before Dominic got home tonight.

  But she would give herself one more day. In the morning she would uninstall the spyware. Gordon would’ve gotten enough information to leave Sarah alone, but not enough to do any true harm.

  She would give herself one more day to go to the wedding of the woman who had become her friend. Spend one more day with people who had become her family.

  And then give them the best gift she could: her absence.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  “I want you to explain it to me one more time, Titus. I want to make sure that I’m understanding what you’re telling me.” Dominic’s brain fought through the fog. He did not want to believe what Titus was saying.

  Cassandra had fucking betrayed him again.

  “Boss, listen, it’s hard to know exactly what happened.”

  “Did she or did she not put the spyware on my computer?”

  Titus sighed. “She did.”

  “And would that spyware be used for anything but nefarious purposes?”

  “Not that I know of, no. But—”

  “Don’t you dare make an excuse for her. Don’t you do it, Titus.” Fury burned in the back of his throat.

  She’d betrayed him again.

  “All I’m saying, boss, is that I wouldn’t of found it for a long time – might never have found it – if she hadn’t taken it off this morning. She took it off.”

  The older man said that like it excused her from putting it on his computer in the first place. He left her here last night with access to everything. It never even crossed his mind at this point that she should still be watched. God damn it. How could he have been so stupid to have fallen for her again.

  “I don’t know how many times I have to fall for her lies before I realize that it’s just in her nature. She’s toxic.”

  “But she’s not, Dominic.” Titus had worked for Dominic for years and he could count on one hand the number of times the man had called him by his first name. “She did something stupid. We’ve all done something stupid. I’m just saying give her a chance to explain.”

  “I’m not going to off her, Titus.” Even with the rage running through him he couldn’t imagine ending her life. “But she’s obviously a liar, and I’m obviously a fool. I’ve got to protect the family.”

  “Just hear her out.”

  Dominic nodded, but how did you hear someone out when you knew every word out of her mouth would be a lie? He couldn’t trust her and he couldn’t trust himself.

  And God, he was so fucking pissed. Had really started to think about a future with her. Again. And now they were back to square one.

  Nothing she felt for him was real. She played him – like the expert she was - again.

  He walked up to their bedroom – his fucking bedroom, dammit – trying to get control of his temper. He wasn’t going to kill her, but for the first time he wasn’t one hundred percent sure he wouldn’t use his fists on her.

  Dominic stopped, taking a breath and clearing his head before he entered the room. No, he would not use his fists on her. He would not change the man he was just because she was a lying, conniving bitch.

  He walked through the door of the bedroom, closing it silently behind him. He could hear her moving in the bathroom getting ready for the wedding.

  As if he was going to let her attend that. Let her near his family again.

  Dominic saw the bamboo cane he’d used to flog her before the last gala leaning up against the closet door. It had been sitting there since that night. A silent reminder that he would provide her what she needed.

  Now it was just a mockery. Had she been playing him even with that? He picked up the thin rod and walked into the bathroom.

  Her eyes were guilty. He could see at the moment he looked at her. She was keeping secrets from him. Of course, he already knew what they were. He flexed the bamboo and slapped it against his hand, causing her eyes to go wide.

  She was standing there in virginal white bra and panties, her long golden hair already in a fancy up-do, with ringlets hanging around her neck and ears. He walked closer. She shied away.

  Her instincts were nothing if not spot on.

  She gave him a small smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “Um, I don’t think I need that, since it’s mostly just family. I’m not very nervous.”

  He bent the rod again, testing its flexibility. “You look a little nervous.”

  She laughed and even if he hadn’t known she was lying through her teeth he would’ve known that laugh was fake. “I guess I am a little bit.”

  “Then I think you better let me cane you a little bit.” He studied her with hooded eyes. How far was she willing to let this go?

  “O-okay.”

  “Go lay over the bed, hips on the edge, legs spread. Now.”

  She glanced at him quickly, but he kept his expression neutral. She went into the bedroom and placed herself the way he’d ordered.

  “I think twenty should help you get over your nervousness.”

  She sat up from the bed looking at him over her shoulder. Now real fear entered her eyes. ”Twenty? I could hardly handle eight before. I think twenty would definitely be too many for tonight.”

  “And what about for putting spyware on my computer? Would twenty be about right for that?”

>   Her eyes widened and her breathing became more panicked. “You found out?”

  “Titus did, and let me know. Did you really think you were going to get away with it? I guess you were just counting on me being as stupid and gullible as I had been seven years ago.”

  She had turned around to face him. “No, I–”

  “Funny thing is, I am just as stupid and gullible as I was seven years ago. Why did you take the spyware off? Crisis of conscience? Decided to go for a bigger payout? The spyware would’ve taken a long time before you saw any rewards, wouldn’t it?”

  “Dom. Please—”

  Dominic brought the cane down on the bed in a violent movement next to her. She flinched. “Don’t you dare call me that.”

  “I-I’m sorry.”

  “So how many lashes is betraying me worth?” he lowered his voice until it was much more conversational, bending the rod again between his two hands. “I mean, twenty seems reasonable right?”

  Her voice was shaky. “I don’t know that I’ll even be able to walk at all at the wedding if you give me twenty.”

  He scoffed. “The wedding? The wedding is for family. Not conniving bitches who betray everyone around them. You’re not part of this family. You’ll never be part of this family. Hell, your own family traded you to a murdering rapist. Although, honestly I’m beginning to see why now. Can see why nobody would want you around.”

  God, what was he saying? He was lashing out at her emotionally because he wanted to lash out at her physically. He did want her around. Why couldn’t she want to be around as much as he wanted her to be?

  He watched as her face became a blank mask right in front of him. The distress in her eyes washed out by ice. He refused to feel bad. How many times could she play him and he continue to fall for it?

  “You’re right.” She nodded her head. “I shouldn’t be around your family. I think twenty lashes would be fair punishment for what I did.”