by Ally Vance
“Dominic,” Vivian calls, beaming with joy as she requests the maid to set another place. “I didn’t think you could come?”
“Yes, dear brother, what a surprise to turn up,” Eric snickers.
Dominic sits beside me, my eyes refusing to leave the lovely bunch of flowers on the table.
“Change of plans. Something came…” he clears his throat before continuing, “… up.”
I bite down on my lip, praying for a sea breeze to cool down the humid air which hovers around me.
“I’m glad you’re here.” Vivian grins while eyeing Eric’s father. “Shall we eat?”
The conversation is mainly focused on the wedding and the gossip Eric has been eager to share. Mr. Edwards, who appears bored by it all, strikes up a conversation with Eric’s father. By the serious expression on their faces, I suspect it has to do with business.
“You’re awfully quiet compared to this morning,” Dominic says behind his napkin. “Tired, are we?”
“I’m listening to the conversation. It’s a customary thing to do in someone else’s home.”
“Is it? Or perhaps I make you nervous?”
“You do nothing of the sort,” I blurt out, praying my cheeks don’t flush. “I’m hungover, that’s all.”
Dominic pulls back with a smirk on his face. “I forgot you were drunk as you put it.”
“Yes, I was,” I retort, gulping the champagne Vivian served.
“Plan on getting drunk again? I can meet you in the bathroom, and you can blame whatever it is you want to do to me on the champagne. Whatever works for you.”
I throw down my napkin, pushing my chair back with a forced smile. “I’m just going to get some fresh air,” I announce.
“But we’re outside?” Eric quizzes until Tristan knocks his side, causing him to scowl.
Typically, I’d have excused myself to use the bathroom, but that seemed highly inappropriate given what Dominic just suggested. Instead, I find myself in the same gardens as last night, though in the light of day, they are beautiful, full of green plants and blooming flowers.
“Emile,” my name is called, and unwillingly, I stop.
Turning around, I see Dominic just a few feet away, towering with his tall stature in a designer white polo shirt and khaki shorts. Crossing his arms beneath his muscular chest, I do my best to ignore how handsome he looks, given the anguish on his face.
“Why must you insist on following me again?”
“To make sure you’re okay?” His tone shifts, not the flirty jabs he’d taunted me with earlier.
“I highly doubt anything shall happen to me here.”
“Last night would argue that.”
“That’s different,” I mumble.
“He wouldn’t have stopped, just so you know.”
Folding my arms, I stare at this infuriating man. Does he think I’m some young girl who can’t fend for myself? “I could’ve stopped him once the panic eased. I did kick him in the groin in case you forgot.”
“And if you couldn’t stop him? Then what?”
I bow my head, refusing to believe anything else. “I don’t want to discuss this. I apologized for my drunken behavior. What else can you possibly want from me?”
My eyes dart to his persistent stare. It burns like fire, a roaring flame, though, if touched, will scar you forever.
His hands are clenching into fists, and if I didn’t know better, he’s about to lash out with unkind words, which will probably have me running back to my hotel with a bruised ego.
With his stare boring into me, refusing to break, he opens his mouth slowly, “Nothing, Emile. I want absolutely nothing from you.”
Chapter Six
Dominic
The waves roll in, long and white-fringed against the shoreline.
My eyes are steady on the horizon while deep in thought. Attending brunch was a last-minute decision on my part. Allegra had left for the city last night, and it had been my intention to leave first thing this morning.
But I stayed.
Against my better judgment.
And why, I have no fucking idea.
I was worried about Emile and what happened, but our conversation this morning led me to believe she had recovered well. I could blame the messages, the thrill of the chase, or knowing Emile was affected by my presence at the wedding, enough to kiss her boss’ ex-lover despite her insisting she was drunk.
Emile had been drinking, I could see that, but she was far from being intoxicated with no sense of judgment.
But then it all took a different turn. I challenged her when she assumed I was charming her. I ’don’t charm women. It isn’t in my DNA. I create business opportunities. Just like with Kate, although that turned out the exact opposite.
Kate and how I am so easily preoccupied with my thoughts during the night and all of today. The mere thought of her has become distant. I’m consumed by needing answers as to why I’ve allowed myself to be someone who I am not around Emile.
I don’t flirt, nor charm, and I don’t kiss random girls.
Ignore the fucking kiss for a moment. That last message before Emile blocked me, stirred something inside of me. My mind envisioned her lying on the bed, playing with herself, all her innocence being captured in this one beautiful sight of her body convulsing with pleasure.
I struggle with the very thought, refusing to entertain my cock, which seeks attention. If I fall victim to my desires, there’d be no escaping.
“I can assure you I’m not stalking you,” the voice says through the wind. “May I sit down?”
I don’t say a word, releasing a breath and warning myself to resist the temptation.
“You were right earlier today. I wouldn’t have been able to stop him. I could feel his strength, and to be honest, I felt helpless. Insignificant.”
“It’s warranted in that situation,” I tell her while avoiding her gaze.
“Perhaps,” she continues, kicking her shoes in the sand. “I can’t speak for others, I just know I never want to be in that position ever again. Whatever I did to make him think he could have his way with me… I don’t know, maybe my mother is right.”
“Your mother?”
“Strict Catholic, no sex before marriage, dress modestly.”
“Are you saying… you’ve never had sex?”
She laughs. “No. Despite my previous long-term relationship, we did well to convince our parents we were angels.”
“Right…” I trail off, hiding my anger. The thought of her with another man onsets a whole range of emotions I beg to fuck off.
“Last night, though… I’m embarrassed it happened. Eric and Kate asked me, but I couldn’t tell them. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be unloading this on you.”
“Don’t apologize. We both would rather forget it happened.”
Silence falls between us while we watch the ocean in all its ferocity. The smell of the air indicates rain, something I’ve always enjoyed in the summer.
“Was that your wife with you on the dance floor last night?” Emile questions, catching me by surprise since I expected the topic of our kiss to come up. “I’m well aware of your situation.”
“I’m sure you know more about me than I of you,” I confess, rather bitterly. “My wife, as you refer to her, is already in the city, possibly in the bed of a man she’s been intimate with.”
“I’m… I’m sorry.”
“Sorry? Whatever for?”
“I don’t know. Are you jealous? Angry? She’s your wife.”
“None of the above,” I quietly admit. “She can go live her life.”
“And what about you? Your life?” It was almost a demand, a tone which caught me by surprise. “Vous méritez d’être heureux.”
I deserve to be happy. How odd to hear that from someone I barely know.
What is happiness? I thrive on business, and I’m not a family man nor eager to have children. The more I think about it, the more it becomes apparent—I’ve been long mise
rable, and happiness is something I don’t know how to experience.
“I’m sorry.” She shakes her head in confusion. “My French. Sometimes I forget, and it just comes out.”
“La langue française est belle.”
It was a beautiful language that, when spoken, can communicate words between two people in an entirely different way. It was unlike my communication with Allegra—the toxicity in our relationship has become too much to bear these days.
“You look like you’re busy… thinking. I should leave you alone,” she mutters, oddly.
I tilt my head abruptly, unaware I’d catch this beautiful woman staring back at me. “Why did you come here, Emile?”
“I told you…”
“I’m not a man you need to be with if that’s what you think. You’re beautiful. I can’t deny that, but surely you know I’m beyond capable of anything than what I am.”
With anger, she folds her arms beneath her chest. “Kate was right. A cold heart. Do you wonder why she chose Noah? Because he loved her the way she deserved to be loved. He nurtured her yet not projected his insecurities onto her.”
My words become trapped. Never have I experienced such honesty from a person who barely knows me. “I’m sorry I came here. You can be guaranteed that you’ll never see me again.”
She begins to walk away at the same time a roar of thunder bolts through the sky. The waves move faster, growing larger as the wind howls.
My chest heaves, the unknown pressure forcing me to stand up and call her name. The sounds are muffled, and without a second thought, I run toward her, the rain now falling against my heated skin.
Emile’s arm is within reach, and with a tight grip, I pull her back to face me.
Even in the pale moonlight, her cheeks flush crimson, a shade so innocent and pure. The raindrops fall hard, soaking her hair and clothes. Just like me, I see her chest rise and fall with an expression of anguish on her face.
“What, Dominic? I walked away just like you want,” she cries through the rain. “Game’s over.”
The weight of my stare falls to her lips, the luscious pink mouth which begs of me to surrender. Taking a step closer, my hands cup her face until I can no longer resist.
My lips crash against hers, and a soft moan escapes as she stands still and allows me to taste her without resistance.
Stop now.
Stop before it’s too late.
But no matter the voices that demand I pull away, my body speaks a very different language.
I want her.
Here, now, and in my bed.
Everything I’m not supposed to want from a girl who isn’t part of the equation.
Chapter Seven
Emile
The lightning illuminates the sky above us.
I duck my head as the thunder roars, loud and ferocious, warning us to exit its path.
Dominic grabs my hand, pulling me along with him as we run back to the estate and through the gardens until another crack of thunder barrels around us.
He opens a door, a side entrance hidden down one end of the property. The dry air instantly greets me, my drenched clothes clinging to my skin. The narrow hallway is dark, and just as I’m about to suggest turning a light on, Dominic continues to lead us down a stairwell.
Stopping just shy of an entrance, Dominic flicks a switch, turning on a dim light. The lighting is relatively poor, but enough for me to see the bottles of wine lying flat on the rows of shelves.
Taking a deep breath, unable to calm my racing heart, I step away from him.
“Why did you bring me here?” I question, watching his eyes torment me from where he stands. “You said—”
“You were wrong,” he almost growls. “It’s not over.”
“Dominic… I…” My words stammer the closer he moves toward me. “It has to be over.”
He grabs me by my waist, pulling me tight against his chest. His eyes wander toward my lips, gazing at them longingly as he bites the corner of his mouth unknowingly.
My breath hitches, there’s no escaping. The terrifying thing is, I want him, all of him to take me right here, right now.
I can see his resistance, the turmoil in his hungry stare. Raising my chin as I stand on my tiptoes to gain some height, I crash my lips onto his without hesitating. His tongue battles desperately with mine, wanting more. Letting out a moan, his hands grip my face, pinning me against the shelf before he releases, his wild stare boring into me.
I clutch onto the shelf as he slides his hand beneath my dress, my body convulsing at the graze of my hardened nipples. I moan into his mouth, my legs threatening to give way while he forces them to spread even further.
“Tell me, this morning, did you make yourself come?” he whispers while unbuttoning the front of the dress and allowing it to fall on the floor.
I nod my head, unable to speak until I swallow the breath I’m holding in.
“Yes, against the wall, silver balls and all.” I smirk, relishing in his groan.
His finger traces down my stomach, causing me to gasp as he settles between my thighs. “I’m not good for you.”
I lift his chin, our eyes locked in a hardened gaze. “Neither one of us are good for
each other. This shouldn’t be happening…”
“No, it shouldn’t.”
“Then, tell me to stop,” I say, unbuttoning his shirt and exposing his perfectly sculpted chest. “Tell me you don’t do this. It’s against everything you are. That you love someone else, that she’s the one you want to fight for. Tell me, Dominic.”
He pulls away with shallow breaths, wetting his lips while struggling with everything I demand he admit. I’m a pawn in his game—roll the dice and slide the piece to move ahead.
I’m certain that’s all I am.
But I ’can’t shake the way he looks into my eyes, the way he devours my lips, a man who I’ve been warned has a unique sexual appetite. He isn’t like any other man. He ’doesn’t try to conquer every woman who crosses his path.
So, what can he possibly want from me? A young woman staring into the eyes of a man completely forbidden to her?
“I… I can’t tell you those things,” he grits, clutching his hands to his side.
With my body exposed, only dressed in my bra and panties, my confidence is hanging by a thread as he continues to stand apart from me.
“Why not? Or am I just a quick fuck to release the tension before you go back to pining for Kate?”
The mention of her name prompts him to shake his head.
“I don’t want her,” he yells, pacing the space between us. “I want you, and I have no fucking idea why.”
The silence is masked behind our heavy breathing.
“Alors prends-moi, Dominic.”
I beg of him to take me.
Keeping his gaze fixed on mine, he inches closer and runs his hand along my chest, cupping my breast beneath my bra. I’m holding in a breath, stopping myself from finishing all because of his touch. When I think I’ve got myself under control, he narrows his grip into a pinch and squeezes my nipple.
The agony and yet pleasure spread through me, my back arching from this delightful pain.
“Are you ready?” he whispers into my ear as his tongue runs along my lobe.
His hands wander down, and I hear the zipper of his pants. My eyes close, for how long I’m unsure, allowing myself to feel this moment. I sense him move my panties, his fingers brushing against my clit as my breathing becomes erratic.
The pleasure consumes me, and as he enters me whole, I call his name, the echoes bouncing off the cellar walls.
I’ve entered the danger zone.
Crossed the line and ignored all the warnings.
And the worst part of it is, I’m willing to risk everything for him.
Epilogue
Dominic
angelic face.
Beneath my parents’ estate, in the dark cellar, I lost myself in her touch. I fell victim to the scent of her s
kin, the arch of her back as I had thrust myself inside her. The swell of her lips as I took her mouth, tasting blood when she bit down and rode out her orgasm before I dropped to my knees and tasted her beautiful pussy, drenched in my cum.
But it wasn’t enough.
I wanted all of her.
Our whereabouts are dangerous, so we ended up here in her hotel room, where I spent the night devouring every inch of her body.
Though the question remains, what now?
My life is complicated, and despite my previous attempts to keep Kate on the side, I didn’t want that for Emile.
She deserves more.
A man who will worship the ground she walks on.
I battle with my demons, knowing all too well I have nothing to give her. Yet the thought of another man touching her burns me like hot molten lava.
No one else can touch her, that much I know.
My eyes wander down her naked torso, the perfect curves which move in sync with my body. I’ve fucked many women in my lifetime. Sexual gratification isn’t new to me, but the last few hours awakened something else.
And this new feeling, whatever it is, is clouding reality.
It’s the beginning of a new addiction.
I roll over, grazing my hand against her ass with a delicious lick of my lips. How wrong would it be of me to wake her up?
Her eyes flicker open, almost as if she senses my desperation. “You need to leave. Is that what you need to tell me?”
I could see she was trying not to evoke emotion, the notion I had been a cold, heartless man engrained into her.
Then why does my heart beat like crazy? Why does my cold heart warm when her bright blue eyes feast upon me? And why does everything I’ve worked hard for in my life feel insignificant at the simple touch of her hand against my face?
“I’m not going anywhere,” I confess, catching myself by surprise.
With a devilish grin, she shuffles to climb on top of me. My eyes wander to her beautiful tits, her hard nipples desperate to be sucked. Leaning forward, she runs her thumb against my bottom lip before sliding herself on my hard cock.