She pushed back against the counter as he made long strides stalking in her direction. It was like when he walked into a room everything else just faded into the background. He didn’t just take over a room with his presence, he became the room. She could feel her heart beginning to race, blood pumping so fast, feeding the adrenaline in her system—her drug of choice. That’s it. I’m getting this guy’s name and Googling it. Nobody puts off this kind of ominous energy and they aren’t a threat, a real one. You can’t fake this thing he has going on. Too much poise and confidence. The kind that only a true professional possesses. She snaked her hand back towards one of the cups of steaming hot coffee when he placed a hand on either side of her, pinning her in. He leaned in and growled in her ear, “I’ll be seeing you real soon.”
Lydia’s temper had gotten her in trouble more than once, but this would be a time she would wish she’d kept it in check. She calmly reached for the scalding hot coffee, batted her eyes and said, “Whoops”—as she poured it all down the front of his Armani suit and Italian leather shoes.
What scared her the most was the fact he never lost his composure. Too much poise, too much confidence. His black bottomless pit eyes held the promise of retribution. He just looked at her, and in a very matter of fact tone, made a statement that was haunting: “You are going to regret that.”
As if nothing happened, he sharply turned and made his way from the building, leaving her in a wake of regret—wishing she could unring the bell that would forever change her destiny. She forced the foreboding thoughts from her mind and headed straight for her boss’ office with his coffee.
She set it down with a little more force than she intended. “I’ll clean that up in a second. First… tell me what’s going on.”
He shook his head like he wished he could unring the bell too. “You shouldn’t have done that Lydia—not to him.”
“Are you okay, sir?” Heinz asked with an element of real concern as he looked at the coffee stained shirt.”
“Never been better, Heinz.” Heinz knew that smile, that barely perceptible one that showed up more in his eyes than on his countenance. It always meant trouble—always.
Dominic rolled the divider up and looked out the window. High rise buildings blurred in the background of the car’s movement down the city streets. He loved this city. Louisville held a lot of promise. He had all the connections he needed with all the top players. There was plenty of work here. The woman would secure even more. She could do things he couldn’t. That couldn’t have worked out any better than if he’d planned it. She’d worked so hard to get out of the life. He’d known it would take a certain amount of convincing. But now it was like fate and destiny had smiled down on him. Little Miss Hothead just sealed her fate, and it fell right in line with his plans for her smuck of a boss. What he couldn’t figure out was what the hell she was doing with a guy like that. It didn’t really matter much now though, because her future was no longer in her hands, it was in his. Oh the thrill of the hunt. The capture, the takedown, so fucking personal. He’d been following her, studying and stalking her every move, and now finally expectations would meet reality.
He reached his hand in his pocket and pulled out the key to her house. It had been so easy to make the imprint of it last night. He’d been trained in every area of Intel expertise. Mix in the natural born predator that was an innate part of him, and he was very good at whatever job he was called to do. His professional life couldn’t be better. His personal… not so much, until now, until her. It had started out as a professional move until he saw her up close, looked into fiery hazel eyes that changed when she got pissed, watched from across the room mesmerized by everything she did, and until he smelled her up close, just a hint of Calvin Klein One. He’d been fascinated with her choice of a unisex cologne. He wanted to dab Clive Christian Number One behind each of her ears though. He wanted to smell the undertones of jasmine, rose, and lily of the valley on her sweet skin. Then, he wanted to give her a new twenty-four karat bottle of it when the old one was gone. Yeah… she didn’t know it yet, but she was the one.
It was like the masters of mayhem sent the rain so I could be chivalrous and carry her through the threshold of her new destiny. She probably thinks I’m quite the gentleman. No… she’s too smart for that.
He had to give it to the girl, she had worked so hard on cleaning up her past. The past was a funny thing though, because it had a way of coming back biting you in the ass when you least expected it to. It wasn’t her fault she’d been through the things she’d been through. The fucked up mother she had, with all the men she dragged in, the poor girl didn’t have a chance. No amount of compassion was going to stop him from using her to his advantage though. She was perfect. By the time he finished grooming her she’d be the best in the business.
The people who worked for him were damn good at their jobs, but he’d always had the desire to train a novice. It was a risky idea, but one he’d never been able to shake.
Now that destiny had thrown the perfect woman right on his doorstep he couldn’t very well walk away from the challenge. He reached up and pushed the button on the divider. The tiny whir of it soothed over his senses like a confirmation that what he was embarking on wasn’t just going to change her life, but his too. That’s okay… change is good when I’m in control of it. So very fucking good.
Heinz’s eyes are already locked on the rearview mirror.
“That thing we discussed… I want it done tonight.”
Chapter Six
The anxiety had only built throughout the day, feeding the knowledge she’d fucked up—big time. He’d almost looked like he was glad she’d thrown that coffee on him.
She willed her hand to stop shaking as she unfolded the slip of paper. Dominic Romero. She typed it into the search bar even though she knew what she found would be glossed over. Sure enough… as she read, the only thing revealed about Mr. Tall, Dark and Dangerous was the profile of a businessman. So he’s smart and fine. Covered those tracks, didn’t you Mr. Tall, Dark and Dangerous? I’m not letting you in my head. It was her way of trying to ward off those thoughts. It was hard to control something she’d never dealt with. It took a certain kind of man to tweak her physical interest, and this was the first time she could ever remember a man doing it so well. Sure, she’d had boyfriends. This man was different though. He went deeper and darker than she’d ever experienced. He went somewhere deep into her psyche, somewhere deep inside where fantasy met reality. That was a place she had believed no man could permeate—until then. Fantasy was one thing. Fantasy served up on a platter of absoluteness, well… that one was new to her. Nobody ever really believes that what they fantasize about is going to end up showing up one day, do they? It wasn’t just the way he looked either—it was the whole package. He struck a chord in her that mixed two emotions that she couldn’t deny turned her on: sensuality and fear. She’d known for a long time that she wasn’t normal when it came to sex. The way he looked at her—into her, he saw it too. She didn’t know how. It was like something inside of him pegged her the moment he laid eyes on her, and now… he had to have her. Deep calls to deep and dark calls to dark. What remained to be seen was how she would answer that voice that was calling out to her from the deepest recesses of all she’d spent years suppressing—even denying.
Her past taught her, a long time ago, that you could dress a man in a five thousand dollar suit and put a Rolex on his wrist, even give him a title, but the truth… that was in the eyes. His eyes couldn’t get enough of her. It was like they were savoring every inch of her in preparation for the day he would eat her alive—figuratively and literally. Her body heated at the thought. She could feel the blush permeate from her core up to her neck, then manifest on her cheeks in a color of bright red that gave witness to what her fantasies consisted of. She was glad no one was there to observe her self-accusation, her shame. But why should she be ashamed about feeling the physical sensuality women read about in romance novels?
Chapter Seven
The game of cat and mouse, it was always so delicious, the planning, the capture, the ultimate takedown. This time it was different though. It far surpassed any other experience he’d encountered in his line of work. Being able to see her secrets, no matter how hard she tried to hide or deny them, even from herself, took things to a whole new level.
Something about her intrigued him. He wouldn’t let it get in the way of business. Emotions were the enemy. He could keep them separate and still play.
He stopped and looked in the antique mirror before making his way down to the dungeon. A man in his line of work needed a place to interrogate people.
No doubt she’d be pissed. There was a smile she always brought to his face—the imperceptible one—the one that showed up more in his eyes as a mischievous glint of sadistic humor. Her anger was foreplay. Her resistance only served as an aphrodisiac to a man with a nature like his.
He took a moment to let his hand rest on the doorknob before he turned it. A jolt of excitement made its way through his system and shot straight to his cock. This… was going to be fun.
Chapter Eight
Her head bobbed against her chest due to the drugs in her system. She shook it in an effort to bring herself into the moment, and then she shook it again to try and remember. Wrapping her brain around what was going on was a maze of confusion. Even the drugs couldn’t mask the way the atmosphere changed when he entered the room.
He placed one finger under her chin, lifting it, forcing her to look into his cold, black eyes.
“Get your shit together, girl”—he turned snapping his fingers in Heinz’s direction, who in turn handed him an ice bucket filled with ice cold water and cubes. The look in his eyes was sharp, direct, and unwavering as he addressed the man who not only did his driving, but watched his back. “Heinz, I told you not to drug her too much.”
He shrugged in an effort to minimize the present situation. There was no reason to piss off the man who held his life in his hands. “Low tolerance for drugs. That’s a good thing boss. Means she doesn’t partake in illegal activities.”
Dominic directed his attention back to the woman he had bound and at his mercy. Though he was talking to Heinz he was looking at her in an accusatory manner. “This little vixen’s drug of choice is adrenalin. Isn’t that right, lovely lady?” He stood pouring the ice cold water over her head. He felt his cock twitch when he saw the effect the ice cold water had on the white shirt she was wearing. A soft growl came from somewhere deep in his chest cavity, the manifestation of a predator mesmerized by his prey. “Beautiful. Fucking beautiful.”
“You son of a bitch!” she screamed, as the frosty concoction dripped down over her head and onto the clothing she was wearing. Spit and sputter flew through the air as she did her best to shake it off. The chair she was tied to fell over when she attempted to jump up out of it. She was awake now. That was for damn sure.
Her eyes looked over at the high gloss, high dollar shoes he wore as he bent down beside her where she’d toppled over. Damn it. Damn those shoes and the fucking man wearing them. Her eyes moved up the tailored suit and then to the amused black eyes. She jerked her eyes away when the realization hit her that he knew she was admiring them.
Once again, one finger on his manicured hand lifted her chin. “Men’s shoes—men’s hands. I know you better than you know yourself. I’ve spent months watching you. But that temper of yours”—he shook his head in disappointment—“I can’t let that go. It wouldn’t be good for your training.”
“Set her chair up Heinz.”
Now his attention was solely on her. She shook her head in fear when his lighter touched the end of the cigarette dangling between those straight set lips. He was angry. “Normally I’m more hospitable to my guests.”
“I shouldn’t have done it, Dominic. Dominic... I lost my temper. You fucking cornered me.”
“It will not be the last time, for either. You’ll lose your temper, I’ll corner you and then… well, that remains to be seen.”
Her eyes locked on the ember. The sound of it crackling as he pulled on it was intensified by the fear she felt. Could he read that too? The way he was looking at her made her think so.
“I told Heinz not to drug you too much. I want you fully capable of comprehending everything I’m getting ready to say to you.”
She looked through blurred vision trying to get a read on him—so calm, so confident, so deadly. One finger gently twirled a lock of hair, giving the illusion she wasn’t in danger.
“What do you want from me, Dominic?”
“All good things in due time. Speaking of good things… so many good things hurt the first time. That coffee you spilled on me was very hot.”
Another pull on the cigarette. Another amplified crackle. Another fear filled shake of her head.
“Oh God, I’m sorry. Please don’t hurt me.” Any pride filled inhibitions—any need to mouth off waned by the drugs in her system. If she needed to beg to keep from getting burnt with that fucking cigarette, then she’d beg.
“Now, first of all, because of my good Catholic upbringing, I cannot allow you to call me God. Sir… will suffice!”
“I’ll call you whatever the fuck you want me to call you. Just don’t- don’t hurt me.”
His finger toyed with a lock of wet hair. When she jerked her head away from him he tightened his grip, pulling until she winced.
“Do you like to play rough? I sure do. Your defiance and rebellion will only serve as foreplay to a man like me. I like a good fight before I fuck a woman. Look around you.”
She frantically looked around, for the first time, noticing the items in the basement. A jail cell, a real one, complete with a cot. She also saw bondage furniture with restraints, a huge cabinet she guessed held implements for play and a wall with a workbench that held tools like an electric cattle prod. He smirked when he saw the astonishment on her face. But he saw something in her eyes that the untrained eye would miss—wonder.
“There’s nothing quite as beautiful as a woman’s face in anguish. The fear in your eyes only makes you more ravishing. The question isn’t what you will or will not call me. We’re both well aware of that nasty little temper of yours. The question is… will you do what I say?”
“Why are you so amused watching me beg you for mercy?”
He leaned in breathing in the scent of her hair as he whispered in her ear, “Because you believe you have a choice. That amuses me, Lydia. You work for me now. I am a reasonable man, so a lot of what happens here is going depend on whether you tell me the truth or not.”
He couldn’t help to admire how cute she looked when she was vulnerable. It was adorable the way she was shaking her head up and down. With tears running down her face and snot running down her nose, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a monogrammed handkerchief, gently cleaning her face off.
“Are you fucking kidding me, Dominic!?! It’s going to take a hell of a lot more than that to dry me off.”
Déjà vu. The night in the rain. He ignored her outburst, moving on to the business at hand. “What in the world is a woman that looks like you doing with a putz like Donald?”
She scrunched her eyes closed. Her face twisted in resistance, but she answered truthfully. Clearly she was embarrassed to answer the question. The fear she felt propelled her to the exact thing she didn’t want to do—tell the naked truth. Even she knew there would be no mercy if she lied.
“He hired me to be his… he hired me for arm candy.”
A dark shadow came over his face and it confused her.
“That son of a bitch paid you and he ow
es me gambling money!?”
In that moment, she hated him for being so fucking beautiful—six feet two inches of pure masculine hotness. Mix that with the fact he was scaring the shit out of her, toss in some confusion to the mix, sprinkle it off with the control he exuded, and it had her wet. She pressed her thighs together. When he raised a sardonic brow, she blushed red because she knew he missed nothing. It was a lesson she'd learn very quickly.
His words hit her right between the eyes. “It looks like I bought myself some arm candy then, didn’t I?” He gave her no time to answer—just kept laying out mandates.
“That boyfriend of yours owes me a lot of money. Now you can bail him out by working for me, or you can go back to working for him… until I put a gun to his head and blow his fucking brains out. You can’t run from your past forever. Work for me and be an asset, or work for him and become a liability.”
“Doing what? Who are you—some kind of muscle for hire—an assassin, what?”
The cold dead look in his eyes and the matter of fact expression on his face told her all she needed to know: she was in trouble.
He continued as if he hadn’t heard the question. “You’ll wear what I want you to wear. You’ll go where I want you to go. You’ll do what I want you to do. Now, get a good night’s sleep. You’re going to need it.”
Chapter Nine
When she awoke in a cell and took in her surroundings, she began to piece together the memories from the night before. What the fuck have I gotten myself into?
She could feel the piercing black orbs on her before she saw him. The realization he was scrolling through her phone caused her to jump to her feet, grabbing the bars and yanking as if they would give and allow her the freedom she so coveted.
“Give me my fucking phone, Dominic!”
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