Hannah shook her head. “Not at all. It was a really awesome day.” It really had been a great day, and she found that she didn’t want it to end, at least the part with Dominic.
“Good,” Dominic breathed in relief. “I enjoyed you being there.”
Warm fuzzies rushed through her body. Well, I guess I’m not the conflict he’s wrestling with, she thought pleasantly. He seemed a driven man, and most likely suffered from the same work-o-holic issues she did. Definitely a positive thing.
“I’d like to talk about a few other things at some point.” Dominic hesitated in thought before continuing, “Things about us.”
A mixture of exhilaration and dread pulsed through Hannah. She was all for defining what their relationship was, and where they were headed, but terrified of questions that might lead toward the fact of her being a witch. She was fairly certain he was going to ask about the touch they’d had, and thought that she could play it off as kismet, but she didn’t revel at the thought of perpetuating the lie she’d been spinning. Tired of the internal struggle, Hannah threw caution to the wind and blurted, “Do you want to see where I live?”
Dominic grinned. “I do.” He hopped in and buckled his seatbelt.
“Aren’t you going to tell them you’re leaving?” Hannah gestured to the hotel lobby.
“No worries. They’ll know, and, if they need me, they can call.”
“Okay, then.” Hannah put the van in gear, and headed to Coven’s Grove.
Hannah giggled to herself as Dominic’s eyes bulged at seeing the mansion. She had always thought the grounds were the most beautiful at dusk, and, judging by Dominic’s reaction, he felt the same.
Massive trees lined the drive, and golden beams cut across the road, as the sun set on the horizon. A halo radiated around the craftsman style house, making the place look like it belonged high in the heavens instead of down on the lowly earth. She pulled up to the front entrance and killed the ignition. They both got out of the van, and looked up at the manor house.
“You didn’t tell me you were a gazillionaire,” Dominic said in awe. “What the hell, woman?!”
“This isn’t going to affect our relationship is it?” Hannah teased. “Can you handle being with a rich girl?”
Dominic’s jaw was a little slack but he managed to say, “...Maybe.”
“It’s not mine,” Hannah confessed. “I live here, but I don’t own it... Well, I’m part owner… sorta.” She frowned, realizing how flaky she sounded. “C’mon. I’ll take you to my cottage.”
“Cottage?” Dominic frowned. “You mean, you don’t stay here?” He gestured toward the mansion.
“I don’t sleep there, but I spend a lot of time in the study and kitchen.”
“Who lives there, then?” Dominic looked shocked. “Surely, you don’t leave it unoccupied?”
“It’s owned by a group. Friends of mine. Some of them have rooms.” Hannah didn’t like where the line of questioning was going, so she took his hand and started walking. “C’mon.”
“You’re just full of surprises.” Dominic shook his head and followed. They walked around to the back of the mansion, with Dominic gawking all the way. His eyes darted from the painstakingly placed moss-covered rocks to the giant ferns that Hannah had babied in her greenhouse. “I’m assuming you did the landscaping?”
Hannah nodded. “I’ve been working on it for some time. It’s nice to finally show it off.”
They were near the first pavilion on this side of the mansion. The lower part of the structure looked like it was made from a natural contour of the land. The way the layered flagstone created the perfect seating area, it seemed mother nature herself had wanted people to stop and admire the scenery. Hannah had used light purple and peachy orange roses to accent the walkways. They were elegant, but not out of place, and the myriad of smells that came from them was nothing short of enchanting.
“What do you think?” Hannah held her breath. Not everyone got their kicks from being outside like she did, but Dominic was an eco-activist, so she hoped he’d be into it.
“I think it fabulous.” He turned in a circle, taking it all in. “I mean I’ve never seen anything like it. You’re a miracle worker. The way you’ve made nature blend with the architecture is beyond words. This is how I imagined what the world should have been doing all along.”
Hannah beamed. “I’m so glad you like it.”
Dominic stopped and looked at her with admiration in his eyes. “I knew you were amazing, but this is kind of ridiculous.”
Hannah flushed with exhilaration and pride at hearing his words. To be given praise by someone that knew and understood the danger we as a society had placed ourselves in, meant everything to her. In fact, his comments were so stirring that she found herself becoming completely infatuated with him. Just like that, all of the hesitation from the past weeks evaporated. She knew the two of them would work together seamlessly. No sacrificing her passion for her work or for him. They would save the planet, a piece at a time, together.
Caught up in the moment, Hannah took hold of Dominic’s shirt and pulled him into a deep kiss. The warm, electric sensation from their last encounter raced through her as his lips pressed into hers. She could feel the desire building in his body. She broke contact before things got out of hand right there on the lawn.
Dominic’s ragged breaths made his chest heave, and the look in his eyes spoke of sexual hunger. He said nothing, only stared at her like a predator on the hunt.
Hannah could still feel the after-effects of their touch pulsing through her. She narrowed her eyes and said, “Follow me. If you can.” Then, she took off at a sprint toward the forest where her cottage was hidden.
How a man could run while aroused Hannah would never understand, but it didn’t seem to slow Dominic in the slightest. He was on her tail without skipping a beat. The thought made her laugh, and she almost lost her footing. Good grief, she thought in a panic. Don’t wipe out; it’ll do more than kill the mood.
They raced through the forest along the wide trail. Massive ferns and trees became a blur in Hannah’s peripheral vision, her focus fully on the cottage sanctuary she called home.
Dominic’s deep laugh sounded out behind her. “You run, too, I see!”
She did, quite often in fact. Not of her own choosing, however. Rhea was a stickler about it, and would drag Hannah out every morning after tending the greenhouse. She had come to enjoy the routine, but Rhea was the true driving force behind her exercise.
Eventually the wildflower-covered roof of Hannah’s cottage came into view. She continued to run down the sloping hill and up to the entrance. She threw open the door, and spun to face Dominic, breathless.
He’d come up right behind her, and didn’t stop. He embraced her with a passionate kiss while picking her up, and then carried her inside. The muscles in his shoulders and arms were taut with the effort of holding her aloft, but it seemed an easy task for him.
The beast within Hannah broke free, and she tore Dominic’s shirt open, ripping the buttons off. Her lips scoured his neck and chest with kisses, the taste of him delectable in her mouth.
Dominic walked into her open bedroom and threw her onto the bed. His hands stripped her of her clothes within heated seconds.
Any proprietary Hannah might have had was now banished to the recesses of her yearning mind. She opened her legs, and touched herself, to taunt him.
Dominic let out a low moan, and yanked the mangled shirt from his shoulders, exposing rippling abs and streamlined muscles. HIs pants and underwear came off next in one fluid motion to release his hardened manhood. His ebony skin looked angelic in the dim light, as the fading rays of the sun came in through the window to touch his naked body. He took hold of her hips, and flipped her onto her stomach, as if she were weightless.
Hannah gasped in surprise. She’d never done it from behind during her years of sparse sexual encounters. In fact, the one night she and Dominic had in San Antonio was the wildest sex
she’d ever experienced. She found herself wanting to try more, and she knew it was because of him. He brought out the wild in her that no one else had. She moaned, and arched her back in anticipation. “Do it,” she begged.
The warm tingle of Dominic’s touch rippled up her legs as he crawled on top of her. His hands pressed down on her lower back, causing her to arch even more. The pulse of Hannah’s heart hammered in her ears. She wanted him so badly; she was on the verge of screaming.
Then, he slid inside her.
Hannah shuddered from the bliss of his hardness. She purred with the desire to be taken. All bets were off at that point. She gyrated savagely against Dominic, spurring him into action. She screamed in ecstasy, clawing the sheets like a wild animal, as he repeatedly thrust into her.
Hannah lost count of how many times he brought her to climax. And she didn’t care. She rotated her hips without thought, lost in the rhythm of their connection, until she heard Dominic call out his orgasm.
He collapsed beside her, covered in sweat. “You’re much more than I bargained for,” he breathed.
“Smooth,” Hannah replied with a laugh. She snuggled up next to him. The electrical tingle from their touch blended with the warmth of Dominic’s body, soothing her fatigued muscles.
“That’s me,” he said, laying his arm across her waist. His fingers playfully drew little circles around her belly button. “This wasn’t exactly the conversation I’d had in mind...” His delicate touch tickled her stomach, and traveled down to her core.
Despite her exhaustion, Hannah found herself getting turned on again, but a bit of dread followed close behind. The questions she’d feared were coming, and she wasn’t prepared to deal with them—not now, not after experiencing such an amazing time with him. “Disappointed?”
“Are you kidding?” Dominic asked, seriousness in his tone. “I’ve never been more excited and scared in all my life. You’re beyond anything I was expecting.” He paused, and squeezed her closer to him. He gently kissed her ear and whispered, “I know you have some doubts, but I want this thing we’ve started to become something more.”
Tears rushed to Hannah’s eyes. He really was smooth, whether it was intentional or not. His words were so heartfelt that she couldn’t see anything but the truth in them. “What makes you think I have doubts?”
Dominic pulled away from her. “I get the feeling you’re holding back. Not just now,” he chuckled. “But when we’re hanging out. And, of course, there is the question of this...” He ran his fingers down the length of Hannah’s body. The action created a tingling sensation that nearly sent Hannah shuddering into another orgasm. Her mouth opened, but she prevented a gasp from escaping.
“What in the world is that anyway?!” Dominic asked, perplexed. “It’s like some kind of magical energy out of a fairy tale or something.”
Hannah almost laughed at how close his joke had come to the truth. She squirmed closer to him again. “It is magic, silly man. Afterglow magic.” She knew how lame that sounded, but didn’t care. She didn’t want to spoil the moment with talk of witchcraft.
“I guess so,” Dominic replied. The skepticism in his voice was unmistakable, though he didn’t pursue the matter. Instead, he wrapped her up in his dark arms and kissed her shoulder without another word.
Hannah melted into him as his deep, steady breathing lulled her into sleep. Thoughts of revealing what she truly was faded behind a curtain of bliss. For this brief moment, she had something she’d always wanted—someone to share her love with.
The sun’s rays blared through the living room windows, waking Hannah from the most restful sleep she’d had in years. God, sex is awesome. The sheets felt luxurious against her bare skin. Usually, she didn’t feel comfortable sleeping in the nude, but last night had dispelled that foolish phobia. Now, she wanted to be seen, she wanted to be seen by Dominic. A smile drew across her face as she pictured his hungry gaze. When his eyes were on her, she felt wanted, she felt needed, she felt alive.
Hannah rolled over in search of her lover, only to find the bed empty. She raised up on her elbows, scanning for signs of Dominic. His clothes were no longer spread out on the floor.
She frowned as butterflies began to flutter in her stomach. “Dominic?”
No one answered.
Nathan’s ringtone softly chirped away on Dominic’s cell in the darkened bedroom. The rhythmic sound brought Dominic out of his peaceful slumber with a sudden jolt. He blinked the disorientation from his eyes, and looked over to see if Hannah had been awakened.
The silhouette of her sensuous form remain motionless except for the steady movement of her breathing.
Dominic quickly rolled over and grabbed his phone. Nathan’s name and 5:35am flashed across the screen, temporarily blinding him as he lifted the cell to his ear. “Yeah?” he whispered.
Nathan’s voice emanated annoyingly from the speaker. “Sorry, man, but we found some stuff you’ve gotta take a look at.”
Dominic knew Nathan wouldn’t call without good reason, but he couldn’t keep the sarcasm from his voice as he answered, “Really?”
Nathan chuckled. “Man, I’m sorry, but you gotta see this.”
“Okay,” Dominic said with a sigh. “I’m headed that way.” He hung up the phone, and eased his head back down on the pillow. Horrible timing seemed to be a recurring theme in his life. Whatever it was that his group had found, it was the purpose for which he had come to Oklahoma, or a big part of the reason at least. He had to go.
He looked over at Hannah, hating himself for what he was about to do. She was the most interesting, sexy, and driven woman he’d ever met, and he didn’t want to lose her. To say walking out in the middle of the night wasn’t good for a budding relationship was a bit of an understatement, but there was no other way for him to leave without questions. Questions he wasn’t prepared to answer.
Gritting his teeth, Dominic slipped out of bed and got dressed. I’m such an asshole. Once he had his things in order, he spared a final glance at Hannah. She hadn’t stirred, even though it must have been the noisiest time he’d ever gotten dressed before. He wanted to lightly kiss her on the cheek before he left, but there was no way he could take the chance of waking her. Instead, he crept to the door like a scamp, and stepped outside into the warm night air. He dialed a cab, and snuck through the grounds out to the main road, knowing he was going to have to tell Hannah the truth… and soon. What he didn’t know was how he was going to do it.
The cab ride back to the city was a longer drive than Dominic had initially thought, but minutes could draw out like hours when trapped in a car with your own thoughts. Eventually, the cab pulled up to the hotel where he and his group were staying for the week. It was a nice place near bricktown with a pool and sauna. Dominic tipped the driver, and meandered his way through the lobby and up to their rooms.
Lanky Kevin answered the sharp knocks Dominic delivered to the door of room 302.
“About time,” Kevin jeered.
“Shut up, and let him in!” Nathan hollered from somewhere within.
It was too early in the morning for Dominic to care about snarky remarks. He just shuffled past Kevin and took a seat on one of the queen-sized beds nearest Nathan.
They had gotten adjoining rooms, but everyone had piled into this one. Nathan, Nancy, and Kevin had their laptops opened while Monica was laying back on the bed, surfing through channels in boredom. Kevin closed the door, and took his seat at the small table with Nathan and Nancy.
“So, what’s the word?” Dominic said to no one in particular, as he rubbed his eyes. “I hope you didn’t call me here because you found a cheap, CEO infidelity scam.”
“Don’t you worry, loverboy,” Nancy said. “We got the goods on these assholes, big time.”
The surety in Nancy’s voice made Dominic perk up. He had hoped this job would have some kind of return, but they were in Oklahoma for God’s sake. What nefarious practices could possibly be happening in Oklahoma that would warran
t his crew taking such risk? Next to none, he thought. The only saving grace in this whole equation was the fact that Oklahoma City was the base of operations for Dongle Gas and Oil—the hub of which the conglomerate’s many machinations were held. Or so Dominic had hoped. He got up, and walked across the room to look over Nathan’s shoulder. “Show me.”
Nathan pulled up several spreadsheets and another dozen documents that looked like internal emails. He leaned back in his chair. “We got a list of every drill site Dongle Gas and Oil has to date. This list is all the legal ones.” Nathan pointed to the screen. He then flipped to another spreadsheet. “We also got a list of subsidiary companies owned by our gas and oil friends with a corresponding list of ‘illegal’ drill sites.”
“Those email documents are approvals from their corporate office giving the go ahead on many of those illegal sites,” Nancy interjected.
Dominic laughed. “Bingo!” He slapped Nathan’s heavy shoulders. “We’re in business.”
“That ain’t the only thing, boss,” Monica added, sitting up. Her dark-red brows came together in a look of concern. “There’s more.”
Dominic frowned. “Okay…” He turned back to Nathan. “Spill.”
The stocky, ex-marine pulled up another file. “This is an email from one of the board members. It’s a removal order...”
Dominic shook his head, perplexed. “What does that mean?”
Nathan gave him a flat look.
“Bullshit,” Dominic said taking a step back. “Even if they were taking people out, they wouldn’t be stupid enough to put it into writing.”
“Governments do it all the time,” Kevin said. His long fingers continued to tap away on the keyboard, not skipping a beat. “Why not corporations?”
“Because it’s stupid,” Dominic replied, heat in his voice. “You don’t kill people when you can just buy them off.”
Hannah (The Coven's Grove Chronicles #2) Page 6