Dark Dominion: Dangerous Desire Book 1

by Samantha Wolfe

  MALORY

  I wore a smug grin as I walked across the ballroom away from that arrogant piece of work. I saw his bullshit coming a mile away, no matter how good he looked or smelled. Oh, but he smelled good though, like sandalwood and virile male. I admit he was beautiful, with his dark eyes and strong jaw, and the way the stubble on his face made me long to run my fingers over its roughness. His lips were mesmerizing, full and soft looking. His broad shoulders filled out that gorgeous suit to perfection. He'd been wearing all black, and it lent him a dangerous edge that made him even more attractive as the fabric hugged his lean muscular body. I started wondering what he looked like underneath, and I moaned softly under my breath.

  Alright, that's enough of that.

  Good Lord, it had been entirely too long since I had sex, and damn it, the last thing I needed was to get tangled up with a rich arrogant man like that. That suit probably cost more than I made in a month.

  I'd been a real bitch to him, even though he may not entirely have deserved it, but my social skills tended toward bluntness and sarcasm. A lot of people took it the wrong way, but it was who I was. I suspected it may have cost me a second date or two, but at this point in my life, I owned it and didn't apologize for being myself anymore. If you didn't like it, then too bad. I'd already wasted enough time trying to be someone I wasn't in past relationships. It always ended badly, and I was never doing that again. I ignored the little voice inside that suggested I might be guaranteeing myself a life spent alone.

  I left the ballroom and entered the large lobby. I'd walked away from my table because I couldn't take all the happily-ever-afters anymore. All my sister's friends were happy couples that made me want to hurl from pure jealousy and honest bewilderment. I didn't understand how all of them had managed what I couldn't. I was a good person. I deserved love. It wasn't fair and I hated my petty envious thoughts, so I excused myself to go get a drink, thinking it would help. Instead, I'd run into that cocky, arrogant, and incredibly attractive ass.

  I walked to the opposite end of the lobby, as far away from the ballroom as possible, and found a small unoccupied sitting area. I perched on the edge of an uncomfortable low couch and crossed my legs, fearing I'd flash the room if I didn't. I sighed and sipped at my drink. I shouldn't have come to this wedding. I didn't know Natalie and David that well. I'd only met them a handful of times, so I wasn't even sure why I was invited. As for getting myself a date, or the sex that Dean and Willa seemed to think I'd find here, I was realizing it was all just a fantasy. I closed my eyes and sighed as I took a healthy sip of my bourbon again, savoring the hints of caramel and vanilla on my tongue, and the sweet burn as I swallowed.

  "You should try the black label," a smooth yet husky edged male voice said warmly. "The caramel notes are heavier, and it's a richer tasting bourbon."

  I opened my eyes to see a veritable sex god in black sprawled across the low chair in front of me like he owned it. His lips twisted wryly, and it was sexy as sin. He was even more beautiful in the fuller lighting of the lobby. His eyes were a brown so deep that they bordered on black, and were now focused intently on me. It was a little unsettling having him look at me like that. It made me feel like I was in the sights of a predator. I strongly suspected I was.

  His nose and dark brows were strong and masculine, his mouth decadent and still unbelievably mesmerizing. His short dark hair was messily styled and looked thick and soft. I itched to run my fingers through it. Crap, I was in trouble here. I needed to stop focusing on his looks and pay attention to his annoying and arrogant attitude.

  "Well, some of us can't afford to indulge ourselves like that, can we," I shot back snidely, hoping my bitchiness would chase him away. Unfortunately, he seemed to like it as his eyes lit up in amusement.

  "An occasional indulgence is good for everybody once in a while, don't you think?" he asked, his eyes heated with interest in something that I feared had nothing to do with bourbon. He sipped his drink, then leaned toward me. "Or are you too uptight for that?" His eyes glittered as he grinned roguishly at me. He was fucking with me and looking damn hot while doing it. It pissed me off more than if he'd been seriously insulting me.

  "Well, some people have to work for a living," I sneered at him. "Not everyone has everything handed to them at birth."

  His eyes glittered with sudden irritation. That got to him. Score one point for me.

  He leaned forward, anger bleeding off him in a wave. His eyes darkened to black and pinned me where I sat. "Don't presume to know the kind of man I am, or how I live my life." His voice dropped an octave. "You don't even know me."

  "I'm sorry," I murmured breathlessly in a quiet voice as I shrank away from him instinctively.

  I'd offended him, and I felt bad, but my physical reaction to his ire and his low threatening voice was something even more troubling. I was turned on. My nipples hardened, my breath quickened, and a throbbing began between my legs. My face felt flushed, and my lips seemed to tingle. I imagined his lips on mine as I stared at the hard disapproving line of his gorgeous mouth.

  Then a corner of his mouth twitched, and I realized I'd been staring at it for a very long moment. I glanced up to see the anger had been replaced with amusement. He knew I was aroused, and his eyes traveled down my body with heated interest. It seemed he liked what he saw, and I shivered from the appreciative attention.

  "Something tells me that you could use some indulgence," he said knowingly as his eyes glittered with equal parts desire and mirth. It was infuriating. Especially, since my body was currently betraying me as my libido ran rampant.

  "Some of us don't have the luxury of indulging in whatever we feel like," I snapped out in irritation.

  He licked his lips, and my eyes fixated on his mouth again. "What if indulging is exactly what a person needs?" He reached out and slowly ran his fingertips up the soft suede encasing my calf. "What if it feels so very right?" His voice was a low caressing whisper. I shivered against my will again, and triumph shone in his eyes.

  I jerked my leg away from his touch. "Just because something feels good, that doesn't make it right," I replied in a breathless whisper that didn't back up my words at all.

  "How can anything that feels so good, possibly be wrong?" he asked huskily. His eyes held the promise of pleasure that I was certain he was more than capable of delivering, in spades.

  My breath hitched, and I couldn't speak for a moment. Good Lord, I wanted him, my rule against sex with random strangers suddenly seeming arbitrary and unrealistic at this moment. My heart was pounding in my chest with fear and exhilaration. I wanted to do this, but could I? Was I so desperate for sex that I'd take him up on his blatant offer, regardless of the consequences? What did this mean? He didn't strike me as the kind of man you dated. Was I capable of a meaningless fling with someone I just met? Could I keep my emotions in check, when I'd never done anything like this before?

  I didn't want to get emotionally involved with an obvious player like this man. It would be a recipe for heartache and pain. And yet, I longed desperately for a man to give me the mindless pleasure and physical release that I'd been denied for so long. I was trying to change my less than exciting life, and maybe doing this was a step in the right direction. Perhaps indulging in this decadent man was just what I needed to let go of my unplanned and unwanted stint of celibacy, and move on to better things.

  He rested his elbows on his knees and laced his fingers together as he watched me thoughtfully. "No names, no expectations of anything else," he said in a serious tone, his eyes fixed intently on mine. "Just the much-needed indulgence of this undeniable attraction between us. We both get what we want, and then we'll never see each other again." His dark brows rose questionably, and he reached a hand out toward me as he waited for my answer.

  I stared at his hand, noting that it was rough and calloused, so not the hand of a man who lived a life of leisure like I wrongfully assumed. I tamped down my curiosity because it didn't matter, shouldn't matter. Th
is was about taking what I needed physically and nothing more. If we kept things casual and anonymous, I could keep myself detached. I glanced back up at his gorgeous eyes, seeing the promise of pleasure like I'd never known. He was cocky and arrogant, but I had a feeling it was because he was more than capable of backing it up. I was suddenly eager to see for myself.

  "Okay," I acquiesced as I reached out to take his hand. His eyes lit up with triumph and stark desire. I told myself that the zing of electricity that shot through my body from his touch was nothing more than a physical reaction to the promise of sex. I couldn't afford for it to be anything else.

  He stood fluidly and pulled me to my feet with him before taking me in his arms, his smile roguish and triumphant. His strength and virility hit me hard as I was pressed against his warm solid body, the scent of sandalwood and man engulfing me. Heady desire hit me like a drug, and I molded myself against him. His mouth moved close to my ear, his lips brushing against my earlobe in a feathery touch.

  "Good girl," he whispered huskily, his breath skimming across my skin in a soft caress that made my body sing with desire. I shivered uncontrollably, wondering if I had bitten off more than I could chew, yet more than willing to be consumed by this man and the promise of a long-overdue indulgence.

  **********

  I had to admit that I liked him holding my hand as he led me down a vacant hallway to God knows where. His hand was warm and firm around mine. It was strangely comforting. He moved with a sinewy grace that spoke of power and confidence, and I couldn't help admiring his ass as I followed along either. The man was truly something else to behold. I was still honestly stunned that he wanted me, but I wasn't going to jinx it by overthinking it.

  "Where are we going?" I asked him curiously as he turned left down another hallway. I was anxious to get on with this before I had a chance to chicken out.

  "You'll see," he replied vaguely as he followed the hall as it turned right. A little further on, the hall ended, and he came to a stop in front of an unassuming door. He grabbed the knob, and the door opened. He gave me a wickedly triumphant and panty-dropping grin as he pulled me with him through the door.

  He flipped the light switch on the wall and pushed the door shut. I glanced around the small space. There were several tall carts with televisions on them, and a lot of other audio-visual equipment scattered throughout the room on shelves. This must be an AV storage room for the convention center. At least, we weren't in a bathroom, I supposed.

  He turned the lock with a loud click. Okay, so maybe being locked in here with a stranger wasn't a very good decision, and fear fluttered through me. I pulled my hand out of his and wrung my hands together uneasily as doubt crept up inside me.

  "Hey," he said softly. I turned to see him looking at me worriedly. His concerned expression made me feel a little better. "We don't have to do anything you don't want to," he said. "But understand this, I want to make you feel good." His voice turned seductive as he stepped in close without touching me. His scent and overwhelming presence began pushing my apprehension away. "I want to make you feel pleasure like you've never known. I want to make you come like you've never come before," he growled out. His mouth was millimeters from mine now, and I could feel his warm breath against my lips. "If you'll let me," he added in a sensual whisper. It sent lust blazing through my body to pool low in my pelvis, and he wasn't even touching me. There was no way in hell that I was turning him down now.

  "Yes," I whimpered out with a shudder. And then those decedent lips were on mine.

  I'd never in my life been kissed like this before. It was scorching and intense, his firm yet soft lips moving in a demanding sensual way that took my breath away. His tongue pushed into my mouth, plundering and taking. His body molded to mine, and I could feel practically every line of his hard muscular torso. No, this wasn't the body of a spoiled rich man at all. One of his hands slid down my bare skin to the small of my back and the other gripped the back of my neck as he held me fast against him. Small whimpering noises fell unbidden from my lips as he crushed my breasts between us. It was as if he couldn't get me close enough to him.

  He pulled his lips away with a deep groan. "Your lips taste like heaven, like sunshine." He sounded incredulous, his eyes holding an edge of something deeper and meaningful that I chose to ignore, even though I felt it too. I was obviously reading too much into it. This was about sex, and nothing more. It couldn't be anything else.

  He growled and thrust his lips against mine again. The hand that gripped my neck, fisted in my hair. The other moved to my ass, and his fingers kneaded into my flesh almost painfully. His pelvis ground into mine, and his large erection was unmistakable and rock hard. My pussy clenched at the very idea of it pressing into me. My limp hands now grabbed a hold of his suit jacket and held on for dear life.

  His lips moved away from mine, and blazed down my chin to my neck. He nipped and suckled at my skin, making me writhe and mewl with wanton need. He latched onto my earlobe and bit down firmly. I gasped and moaned out in pleasure. His lips were magical, hitting all my triggers with unerring skill and focus. Good Lord, he was going to ruin me for all other men.

  He ripped his lips from my flesh and pushed me backwards until I was pressed against a wall. His hand came around to the front of my dress and began sliding up under the hem, his intense dark eyes watching me closely. It was disconcerting and unbelievably hot. It was too much, and I averted my face and closed my eyes.

  "No," he snapped out commandingly. "Look at me." He released my hair and gripped my chin, turning my face back toward him. I opened my eyes to find his eyes black and blazing as they bore into me. It was all I could do not to try to look away again. "Be present. Be here with me."

  His hand glided slowly up the bare skin of my inner thigh and came to rest on the soft satin that covered my pussy. His eyes blazed brighter. "You've already soaked your panties," he said like an accusation as he began rubbing me through the wet fabric.

  I opened my mouth to apologize for it, but his mouth slammed into mine before I could utter a word. His hand suddenly delved into my panties, and his fingers slid down over my soft sensitive folds. I moaned into his mouth as he continued assaulting my lips with his.

  He thrust a finger into me. I gasped and jerked against him. "Fuck," he snarled out deeply. "So wet. So tight. So good," he said in a breathless whisper as his eyes hooded over with lust. His thick finger began thrusting slowly in and out of my slick channel, and I could feel an orgasm already starting to uncoil inside me. It wouldn't take much more to get me there.

  Suddenly, a ringing phone filled the small space. Shit, it was mine. It was ringing in the small black crossbody clutch I was wearing. We both ignored it, too lost in the moment to care or even acknowledge the interruption.

  His fingers moved to my swollen and throbbing clit, pressing perfect circles into it with expert skill. I closed my eyes as I anticipated the explosion that was only a heartbeat away. His finger stilled.

  "What did I tell you?" he demanded in a low growl. "Look at me, or you don't come."

  My eyes flashed open to meet his dark gaze again. His eyes glittered fiercely and were filled with stark conviction. Holy crap, he was serious. I should have been pissed. I should have told him to go to hell, but yet I didn't. A dark part of me liked it, and it confused the crap out of me.

  "Good girl," he murmured in approval as his fingers renewed their assault on my clit, and my mind and body sang with pleasure. What the hell was wrong with me? Why did I like this man bossing me around? Why couldn't I help myself from giving in to his demands?

  I was vaguely aware of my phone ringing again, but it was like an annoying buzzing in the distance that was easily ignored. I felt my eyes start to flutter closed as my orgasm approached its crest. His grip on my chin tightened firmly.

  "Eyes on me," his voice lashed out sharply.

  I forced my eyes open, just as I flew apart. It was all I could do to hold his gaze as my body ignited into soaring
flames. His lust-blackened eyes held me in a mesmerizing stare as a long keening wail burst from my lips, and I hoped to God that no one could hear me outside this room. Our eye contact seemed almost too intimate for two complete strangers. It was disconcerting even as I reveled in the pleasure he was giving me.

  "Yes," he growled, his clever fingers prolonging my bliss, milking out every last drop until I slumped against him, and he was holding me up. He cradled my head against his shoulder gently and held me close. "Good girl," he whispered as I gulped down several breathes. I could feel his heart pounding in his chest, and his shuddering breaths. Wow, I'd never had a man react like that to making me come. Apparently, he'd been just as affected as I was by it.

  I'd never felt anything like this before. I didn't know an orgasm could be like that. It had wrecked me, blew me apart and pulled me back together in one fell swoop. Who was this incredible man? I almost wanted to know, but knew it wasn't meant to be. This was a one-time thing.

  My phone began ringing again. Crap, that was three times now that it rang. I suddenly had a bad feeling that something was wrong. "I...I should get that. I'm...I'm so sorry."

  "It's okay," he whispered breathlessly, but there was no mistaking the disappointment in his tone.

  He loosened his hold on me. I reached into my bag and pulled out my phone. I looked at the screen to see Andy's name, and a sudden surge of fear for my sister hit me as I answered the call.

  "Is everything okay?" I asked in a frantic voice.

  "It's time," Andy blurted out in a tight panicked voice. "Where are you? Lydia's water broke, and I'm taking her to the hospital right now."

  "I...I..." I struggled for an explanation. "I was in the bathroom."

  I glanced up to see him watching me in curious amusement. My God he still looked perfect after our make-out session. Somehow I had a feeling that I looked like a disheveled mess.

  "Whatever. Just meet us there." Andy blurted out in an irritated tone that I knew was born of stress, but still annoyed me.