Ignite You

by Diana A. Hicks

  Concession fluttered in Levi’s eyes. He knocked on the table twice, swung the door open with a forceful pull and sauntered out of the room. And all I could do was stare as the monster who’d hunted me for years walked away from me, leaving me full of anger and confusion.

  “What the hell just happened?” I rushed to the conference room door.

  “Your Levi problem is gone.”

  “You know that’s not true. Was it just me? Or did he think I had the ability to…”

  Dom nodded. “He’s afraid.”

  “This isn’t how I thought this day would go.”

  “Me neither. I thought Mickey had asked Levi to talk me into working for him. You know. Get me back into the fold.”

  “Mickey didn’t ask Levi for anything. Mickey isn’t the humanitarian type is he?”

  “No. He isn’t.” Dom shook his head. “Good news is Levi is off your back.”

  “For now. Until I know what made him back off, I won’t be safe. I need to make sure the status quo doesn’t change and put a target on my back again.”

  “You’re right about that. I promise you, I will do anything I can to keep it that way. Anything.” Dom rubbed his cheek, trying to keep himself in check. When he met my gaze, he smiled. “You’re free.”

  “Yeah, for now.”

  “You’re still free. Take what you’ve got and don’t look back, Emilia. We’re both here. Let’s make the most of it.”

  He relaxed his stance and strolled toward me, his eyes soft and full of longing. The old Dom was back. He wrapped his arm around my waist and cradled my neck.

  “Forget about Levi. He’s gone. Let’s go home,” he whispered on my lips, and I melted into him.

  Home.

  The word spilled from his lips like some sort of promise of a dream I hadn’t considered I could have with him. Could we really give into whatever this thing was? I’d expected this hole in my chest to shrink some after today, yet the void was still there, no matter how hard I tried to push it away.

  “Hey.” Dom held me tighter to keep me from sinking further into my dark place.

  I slid my arms up his chest and into his hair. I met his gaze— full of want, intense and focused. Was he right? Was I really free? I hated that Levi got to walk away—unscathed.

  In all my fantasies of how this would end with him, I always envisioned the paramedics taking his body away. I always thought I’d be standing over him, filled with satisfaction and the feeling of true freedom. I didn’t feel light at all, instead, I felt like something heavier had landed on my chest. I didn’t see Dad at the end of the table, smiling at me and nodding in approval. I still wanted revenge. This wasn’t enough. Not by a long shot.

  16

  People Like Us

  Dom

  “Cancel my appointments for the rest of the afternoon,” I said to my assistant as I ushered Emilia into the waiting elevator.

  “Okay. Text if you need anything,” she called into the gap of the closing doors.

  All I needed right now was to go home and leave the outside world behind for a few hours. Emilia leaned against the mirrored wall. How was it possible that even though Levi agreed to let her be, it still felt like nothing had been resolved for her? Why was this still hanging over her head? Revenge wasn’t the answer to anything. She should know that by now.

  Emilia turned to me. The anguish I found in her eyes made my stomach churn. I knew she had wanted this to go way different, to end differently. Her hand trembled, and I squeezed her fingers. No doubt if she’d had a weapon with her, she would’ve shot the asshole. Wasn’t that why I stopped carrying one? To ensure I was never tempted to take justice into my own hands.

  “This can’t be it.” Her gaze bounced around the confined space of the elevator car as if the answer she needed was hidden in some dark corner of it.

  “Emilia, shooting him would’ve been doing him a favor. He’s scared shitless. And honestly, I don’t blame him. Mickey is not someone you want to get in bed with. Now Levi owes him a favor. And I guarantee you, Mickey will come to collect soon. He’s no longer your problem. Let them go at each other all they want.”

  “I’m trying.” Her voice trembled. Tears streamed down her face as she labored to catch her breath. I ran the pad of my thumb across her cheek to wipe them off. Her lips brushed my fingers as she turned away from me. “I’m trying to let go, but I can’t. This thirst for revenge has a tight grip around my chest. Every time I try to push it away, it latches on tighter, and I can’t breathe.”

  I wrapped my arms around her. What could I say to that? Other than I knew exactly how she felt. I knew how it felt to be wronged, to have to swallow your anger and walk away for the sake of your own health and sanity. “I’m here for as long as you need me. For whatever you need.”

  She snuggled her head in the nook of my neck and shoulder, fitting perfectly against my body. Yeah, I was here for whatever she wanted. The crying stopped by the time we reached the lobby. When she glanced up at me, something different shone in her eyes.

  “I need you,” she whispered.

  Vic drove us back to the hotel. He’d arranged a new room for us without asking if we’d need a king size or two queens. I’d like to think that Vic was an incredibly perceptive man and not that I was blatantly obvious in how I wanted my relationship with Emilia to evolve. A relationship? Could people like us aspire to such a thing?

  Emilia dropped her laptop bag on the sofa, doing a quick turn to take in the junior suite. The space was cozy, with a breakfast table in the corner and a sitting area but no separate bedrooms. A bed and Emilia in the same room made my whole body stand at attention. She’d had such an insane day already between her mom’s non-goodbye and Levi’s non-apology. I couldn’t add more to it.

  “You should lie down.” I sat on the sofa armrest.

  “Oh yeah?” She cocked an eyebrow.

  “To sleep. I think you should sleep.” I rubbed my cheek, a slow heat fanning through me. This was a bad idea. “I’ll stay until you’re settled in. I’ll be on the floor above you.”

  She nodded and licked her bottom lip. Pushing her away would be so much easier if she were afraid of me. If I had to make an effort to appear less threatening, like I had to do with most people. But Emilia wasn’t like most people. Her strength and her complete disregard for her safety were a byproduct of the life she had to live. Those particular qualities were a complete turn-on for me. Hadn’t we already established that going down this road with Emilia could not end well? It would kill me if I were the one to cause her any more pain. She’d had enough of it.

  I had to stop pretending to be something I wasn’t. I wanted her to see the real me, see that whatever romanticized ideal she’d made up about me couldn’t be real and that I would sooner or later disappoint her. I let every raw fantasy I’d ever had about her flutter in my mind. Every bite, every kiss, every touch, letting it show on my face. She needed to know my intentions were far from noble.

  “I don’t know how to be gentle.”

  She met my gaze. “I’m not afraid of you.”

  “I know that.” I pushed off the sofa.

  My pulse picked up the pace when she bent over and removed her pumps. Her jacket came off next, followed by her pants and silky top. She stood tall on her tippy toes and let out a breath. The effort tightened her midsection. Proud tits and defined abs—what a fucking lethal combination.

  With a slow prowl, I closed the space between us. She kept her eyes on mine, daring me, as I reached for her black lacy bra and the taut nipples peeking through the fabric. To my surprise, she slapped my hand away. Hard. The sting on my skin lingered for a few seconds before it subsided.

  I flashed her a toothy grin. For the first time in a long time, I had no clue what I was doing. Though I knew exactly what I wanted from this incredibly beautiful woman, who for some fucked-up reason couldn’t find a reason to fear me.

  “You’re hurting right now. I shouldn’t be here.”

  “Ta
ke off your clothes.” Her voice was low and raspy.

  Of all the bad ideas…

  I unbuttoned my jacket and shrugged it off. Cool air brushed against my hot skin when I removed my dress shirt and undershirt. A drumbeat hammered in my chest as Emilia ran a hand over my bullet scars and the ink across my stomach.

  I ran my fingers up her arm, but she slapped them away. “Shoes.”

  “I don’t do games.” I toed off my shoes and bent over to pull off my socks.

  “I know.” Her gaze bounced from my mouth, down to my chest, and settled on my prominent crotch. As always, Emilia looked calm and collected, unaffected, but the red in her cheeks and the blast of her flowery perfume gave her away. She was aroused, and I loved that I was the reason for it.

  She unbuckled my belt, undid the button, and my pants dropped to the floor. I stepped out of them, and she backed away, her eyes caressing every inch of my bare skin. I fought the urge to pin her against the wall and take her already because now that we were finally here, I didn’t want to scare her off.

  A part of me wanted her to know the real me, yes, but there was also the side of me that had fantasized about being with Emilia for so long that I was willing to do just about anything to make sure she didn’t leave me. I wanted to bury my hands in her hair and kiss her tanned skin that glowed even under the dimmed lights of the room. Did she not feel the same turmoil I felt? How could she stand there looking like a fucking goddess and not let me touch her…taste her?

  “You want this. What’s holding you back?” I asked.

  Her head snapped up at me. “You’re a force of nature. I can feel myself drowning in your energy. I’m not scared. I just don’t know what will happen if I let go.”

  “I know.”

  She was torn up about it as much as I was. Emilia and I were logical creatures and getting physically involved defied reason. I could feel myself falling. By all accounts, that was a terrible idea. Wasn’t that why Emilia had her battery-operated Dom?

  Back in law school, she’d found a quick way to replace me and keep all this complication out of her already messed-up life. Now we’d come this far, and it was impossible to stay away anymore. A target had already been placed on both our backs, and it happened the day I went back to the bar to see her. That was the day Mickey realized Emilia meant more to me than I let on.

  “You had a plan before. What was it?” I reached for her hand and placed it over my heart. When she tried to pull away, I pressed my hand over hers to keep her there. “Tell me what you want.”

  She stared at her trapped hand, breath ragged and cheeks tinted with a deep red. Heat swirled over my chest where her skin touched mine and shot down to my erection. Emilia standing in front of me, hot as all hell in a matching lace bra and thong was a dream come true.

  I shuffled into the circle of her personal space until the lace of her bra brushed my arm. She pressed her breasts against me, and her eyes fluttered closed.

  “I want to touch you.” The soft whisper left her lips and buried itself deep inside me.

  Who could say no to that? She walked me backward, her smooth and toned legs entangled with mine, making the hair there stand on end. The back of my knees touched the edge of the bed, and I lowered myself onto the mattress. I used my hands to slide back and kept my gaze on her, ready to pull her toward me if she broke our contact.

  “Hands behind your head.”

  I did as she ordered, biting the inside of my cheek. Dark curls spilled on my chest as she straddled me. I couldn’t tell if we were in her fantasy or mine. My chest tightened like a vacuum, sucking in all the desire I felt for her.

  Her fingers slid from my biceps down to my side. When she reached my obliques, she dug in her nails gently, thumbing my V line. The cool comforter felt wet from my sweat, and my cock throbbed in my boxer briefs. I didn’t know how much more of her game I’d be able to handle, but I wanted to give her as much time as I could.

  She glided down my torso. Lace and smooth skin rubbed against me. Holy fuck. I wanted to touch her and see more of her. I hooked my finger under the strap of her bra and slid it over her shoulder. She slapped my hand again and put it back behind my head. With a sexy grin on her face, she kissed my lips and slipped her fingers inside my briefs.

  “Fuck, Emilia.” I gritted my teeth as she gripped my cock that was now hard as stone. “Tell me you’re almost done.”

  A mischievous giggle filled the room while she continued her exploration. This time she used her mouth, lapping one of my nipples and then the other on her way down to my abs. Her kisses followed a familiar pattern. When I glanced down, her wet tongue traced the wings inked below my chest. She sucked hard, and I welcomed the pain, though it did nothing to defuse the urge coursing through me.

  “I’ve wanted to do this for a long time. To see your naked body, see you subdued under my touch.”

  “I’m here.” My wrists over my head weren’t tied, but I couldn’t move. “And I’m most definitely subdued.”

  “I’m almost done.”

  My hips bucked when she wrapped her mouth around my erection. Hot blood rushed to my ears and muffled the guttural moan that escaped. This entire encounter was beyond anything I would’ve expected from Emilia. Little Miss Proper who always acted like she was too good to even be in the same room as me, who more than once refused to give me the time of day.

  Her taut nipples rubbed against the inside of my thigh as she worked me. The fierceness in her eyes told me she wouldn’t let go until I gave in. She came up for air, silently asking the question. I conceded with a nod, and a wicked smile spread across her face. She made me wait a few more seconds, letting the frigid air-conditioner breeze blow across my wet cock. I sunk deeper into the pillow as her warm lips covered me, and she began her sweet torture of me all over again.

  This time I didn’t fight it. I surrendered to her as an orgasm tore through me, fast and hard. Drumbeats pulsed in my chest, echoing in the far corner of our hotel room before all sounds got muted. I shut my eyes and fell into a dark oblivion.

  When I woke, the sun had ceased its relentless beating on the window, though the sleepy heat of the afternoon remained. Emilia broke the silence first, her cheek resting on my navel, her hand still cupping me.

  “That was close to what I thought it would be,” she mumbled.

  I barked out a laugh. Close? The woman had rocked my world. What else was there? “I have to ask…what was missing?”

  “Trust me, nothing was missing. You are more beautiful than I thought.” She kissed my belly and braced her elbow on my hip bone. “I thought you’d fight me more. You know, try to do me instead. I’m glad you didn’t.”

  “I wanted to, but I couldn’t move.” And that was the truth. My want for her had paralyzed me. I’d been too afraid she’d walk away. “There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you.” I cradled her cheek, pulled her toward me, and kissed her mouth.

  She thrust her tongue past my lips, no hesitation like before when she thought sex with me would get us both killed. Maybe she was right in her assumption, but if she needed me, I needed her a thousand times more. Yeah, we’d crossed the line.

  And now there was no going back.

  I sat up and adjusted her hips on top of me. We fit perfectly kissing like this. She nibbled my ear, and the soft spot behind it. Her hands slid down to my crotch. I gripped her wrists and shook my head when she pulled back to look at me.

  “I need to touch you. See you.” I pressed her fingers to my lips.

  A crease fluttered across her forehead. Was that it? She wanted my surrender, but she was afraid to give me hers. Desire unfurled below my navel and rushed into my erection. I rubbed it against her wet core. Her head fell back, and those perfect globes rose up into my face. I pressed against her again, letting her feel the length of me.

  Because now it was my turn.

  17

  He Saved Me

  Emilia

  I licked my lips to ease the bruising from Dom’s
kiss. He held both my wrists in one hand, then held me tighter as I struggled to free myself. I wanted to touch him again, run my lips over his salty skin.

  He shook his head again, his signature panty-melting grin on. “My turn, doll.”

  His erection ground against me, and my mouth watered. This was the point where all my fantasies about Dom ended. Mainly because I had no real point of reference. I had never been with someone like him. I wanted to memorize every inch of him. The feel of his hard muscles under soft skin, his taste, his smell…

  If he left tomorrow, I wanted to keep this moment.

  He ran his hands up my waist and cupped my breasts, crushing them together to suck on both nipples. Jesus. Every time Dom touched me, I felt myself drifting. I couldn’t fight it anymore. He was here, and I wanted him.

  I needed him.

  Dom treated me to another blast of that testosterone cocktail of his. This time he served it with a side of I want you now. He reached behind me and unhooked my bra with one hand while the other one reached inside my panties. His fingers on my aching bud reminded me of how long it’d been since I had any kind of male contact. Too long. His lips on mine were pure ecstasy, full, soft, and so demanding.

  I melted into him, out of ideas as to why we shouldn’t do this. Why this was bad for the both of us. When I opened my eyes, Dom had both hands on my butt cheeks, supporting my weight as he walked me past the sofa and sat me on the breakfast table. His hot blue eyes explored every inch of my body as his hands followed closely behind, leaving a trail of goosebumps.

  “What—”

  He pressed his lips to mine and kissed me hard before he pushed me to lie back on the table like some sort of feast. “I said I needed to see you. Are you telling me you don’t want this?” he asked out of breath.

  I let my weight fall back on the cool wooden table, and he yanked my thong off with a loud rip. A shot of adrenaline rushed through my body and then settled hot and heavy at my core.