by M. S. Parker
Tom put a cup of coffee in front of me and sat down at my elbow. He'd come to the penthouse to talk rather than me going into my office at Trouver L'Amour. I hadn't yet moved my things into the office that Dominic had assigned me at the Snow Enterprises headquarters. I supposed he was working from there, but I hadn't been in yet.
“Here’s the thing,” Tom said, dragging my attention away from the computer and the two million browser tabs I had open. “If Dominic wants to set up a foundation and have it actually be a recognizable force when it comes to combating child abduction and human trafficking, it'll take time. You can’t grow an oak overnight and these aren’t like the companies he’s gone in and rescued either.”
“I know that,” I grumbled. Coffee in hand, I leaned back and glared at the screen. There was a reason I hadn't gone into business.
“He’ll want this place to survive beyond him, thrive without him, should something happen.”
My gut clenched and I looked up at Tom. The mere thought of losing Dominic scared the shit out of me.
Tom patted my hand. “Relax. It's hypothetical. If he really wants to do this, he has to do it from the ground up—and make it last. There’s no shortcutting the IRS, but there are other things that need to be done while he waits.”
“I don’t think you quite understand how his mind works,” I said dryly. “Telling him that we have to build up to this and that it takes time just won’t work with Dominic. His mind is like…”My voice trailed off as I tried to think of the appropriate way to describe it. Finally, I blurted out the only thing I could think of, “He’s a hyperactive bunny on speed.” Shit. My cheeks flushed. “Please don’t tell him I said that. Or Cecily.”
Tom burst out laughing. “So, what you’re telling me, is that he loses interest in things very quickly?”
“He does like to find new projects to hold his interest.” I thought that sounded diplomatic enough, especially after my less-than-appropriate comment. “Once this is up and going, it’s likely his attention will move on to something else. He'll still want it to keep doing good, so I do know it’s all the more important to make sure it's strong from the beginning.”
Tom nodded approvingly.
I continued, “As long as we're in the building process, once we get it up and in the starting stages, he’s going to be fine. Once something is stable, he’ll wants to move on to something new. That’s just how he is. He’s a creator. He wants to build things. It doesn’t matter if it’s a company or a new chain of hotels or a dating agency. Now it’s the foundation. He wants to build things, but the wait involved in this sort of endeavor is going to drive him nuts.”
“There’s nothing to be done for it.” Tom gave me a conciliatory shrug. “This is government we’re dealing with. I’m sure he’s had to work with building permits and tangles with licenses and that sort of thing.”
I nodded. “What I needed to do was find a way to keep him occupied and engaged while we’re waiting on the paperwork.”
“Where is the foundation going to be housed?” Tom asked after a moment.
I slid him a look and then slowly started to smile.
***
“It’s perfect.”
“Is it? I’d thought it might be adequate, but it’s been so long since I’ve been here, I'd almost forgotten.”
I looked at Fawna over my shoulder and grinned. “It’s absolutely perfect…and if it’s not, I might ask Dominic if we can move it. Look at how gorgeous this place is.”
I had brought Fawna and Tom along with me to give me their opinions since I still wasn't entirely sure what I was doing. Fortunately, Fawna had found several properties that Dominic already owned and this big old house in Chelsea was the third on her list.
I’d known the moment Vincent pulled to a stop in front of it that we’d struck gold.
“He bought it a few years ago,” Fawna said, walking next to me as I climbed the steps to the porch. “He never got around to doing anything with it.”
I paused just inside the door and ran a hand down the molding along the nearby window. “When was it built?”
“Early 1920’s.” She grinned at me as we walked further into the front room. “Can’t you just see the gangsters and their girls gathering around a table over there, drinking their bootleg liquor?”
She gestured and I turned to look.
An idea started to form. Speakeasies, girls in sparkly dresses with feathered head-bands, men in pinstripe suits and wingtips. I let it simmer there as we walked through the place.
“Renovations will have to be done,” Tom said, stopping in a narrow doorway. “You need bigger rooms, conference areas.”
“Yes.” I nodded. “That’s good.”
“Good?” Fawna laughed. “And you were talking about how impatient Dominic gets?”
I shot her a wide grin over my shoulder. “This is something tangible, something he can focus on while everything else is being done. It’s exactly what he needs.”
Fawna smiled at me, a knowing glint in her eyes. “I knew you were going to be good for him.”
***
Two days. That was all it took.
Okay, two days, lots of coffee, little sleep, lots of help from Tom and some brainstorming with Fawna over the phone. And I was pretty sure I'd skipped some meals somewhere along the way. I didn't even notice it until the second night when Dominic brought me pizza.
“Are you avoiding me or just really focused on something?” he asked, settling down behind his desk and eying me shrewdly.
I’d been up since five and I wasn’t even tired, but I did have a headache. Putting my computer to sleep, I picked up a slice of pizza and grinned at him. “Why would I avoid the man who just brought me pizza?”
“You didn’t come to bed until almost midnight last night.”
I grimaced. “It'll probably happen again tonight, but I’m almost done. I'm just finishing hammering down details.”
He studied me as he took a bite of his own slice of pizza. I didn't know how anyone could make eating look so damn sexy, but Dominic Snow could do it.
“So, it’s really, really focused.”
“Yes.” I rolled my eyes. “You ask for big orders and then you wonder why they take so long.”
A smile tugged at his lips. “If you need help, make sure you reach out to somebody in legal or the charity arm…something.” He frowned, thinking it through for a moment before he shook his head. “I don’t know where to really point you.”
“I’ve got it under control,” I assured him. “I should have a proposal for you tomorrow.”
“I hope so, Miss Davidson.” He gave me a sad look. “I’m feeling neglected.”
Damn if that wasn't sexy. “I’m very sorry, Sir.” I licked my lips and lowered my lashes demurely. “I’ll make it up to you.”
A familiar heat slid into his eyes. “I'll hold you to that.”
He looked away then, steering the conversation to safer ground and I wanted to hug him for it. If we got distracted now, I wouldn’t have the proposal finished tomorrow. Apparently, he was more patient when it came to sex than he was in business.
We finished up the pizza and he gathered up the trash. It was something he wouldn’t have done a few months ago and I found myself smiling. He caught sight of it and put the box and plates down. I caught my breath as he leaned over me.
“Remember, Aleena. Tomorrow, you focus on me.” He bit my earlobe and then slid his hand between my thighs.
“Yes, Sir.” I moaned as he pressed his fingers against my now-damp panties, then whimpered as he moved away.
Fuck.
***
It had been almost midnight when I'd slid into bed, the sheets cool against my bare flesh. He'd been on top of me before I'd even had the chance to reach out and brush my hand down his back.
He'd taken me hard and fast and when we'd both come, he'd pulled me into his arms and I'd fallen asleep the same way, hard and fast.
Now as the clock ticked closer
to five, I paced the floor and tried to think of something special I could do for him to fulfill what I'd promised and make up for neglecting him.
I could cook him dinner and serve it to him wearing nothing but my collar. My entire body flushed. Granted, we might not make it to dinner...
Or he’d draw it out and make us both suffer.
A few weeks ago, he’d bound me with rope from my wrists to elbows and then my ankles to knees. He’d kept me like that for nearly two hours and fed me dinner…then fed me his cock…and then he’d pushed his cock into my ass and brought me to a hard, driving climax and I hadn’t been allowed to make a sound.
My pussy throbbed at the memory and I shut my eyes for a moment. I had to keep my mind occupied so I didn’t look over at the easels I’d set up, or the mockups for the redesigned house in Chelsea, the one year plan, the five year plan, the ten year plan…
I was so nervous. I wished he would just get there. This was the first really big project I’d handled for him by myself. I usually took care of personal ventures like parties. Nothing like this. This wasn't just me helping Amber manage the personal side of the business things. This was monumental and if it succeeded, it could change lives.
Yeah, I was a bit anxious.
I didn’t realize how much so until I spun around and saw Dominic standing in the middle of the floor. I let out an undignified squeak and heat flooded my face. Heart racing, I stared at him. “Dammit, you scared me to death!”
He came toward me, moving with a slow, sensual prowl. His eyes were the kind of deep blue that made me shiver.
Oh fuck.
He put his hand on my chest, over my racing heart.
“You feel pretty alive to me,” he murmured. Then he leaned in and pressed his mouth against mine.
I hummed and sighed as his slid his tongue past my lips, stealing away what remained of my breath in a deep, drugging kiss.
But when his hand slid down to my ass, I caught his wrist and pulled away. Nervous, I smiled.
“Not yet. I want to…” I looked over at everything I’d put together. “Can I show you something first?”
***
When I finished, I crossed my hands over my stomach and looked at him. My gut was twisted into knots as I waited for his reaction. “Well?”
He was standing in front of the mockup of the redesigned Chelsea house. He didn’t look at me but I could see a thoughtful expression on his face.
He sighed, sounding more disappointed than annoyed. “So…nothing official can be done for at least three months.”
I suppressed a smile. I loved that I was one of the only people who got to see this side of him. If he'd been around anyone else, he would've been barking orders, trying to figure out if he could do anything to move things forward.
“No. But we can start doing the PR right away.” I pressed my fingers together. “I was thinking we could do a launch party to get the word out. Now would be the best time with the light so heavily on you, your mom, the case…”
He turned and stared at me with the faintest of smiles on his face. “Who found the house? You or Fawna?”
“Fawna.” I stuck my tongue out at him.
“And the party?”
“My idea.” Biting my lip, I shrugged. “I…well, I figured it would be a nice way for everybody to get a look at what we’re planning and you can start talking about donations and get the pump primed, so to speak. Maybe some of the people you know might be interested in being corporate sponsors.”
“I can handle the money myself.” He flicked a hand dismissively.
“You shouldn’t.” Shaking my head, I gestured at the business plans Tom had helped me devise. “So many charitable foundations struggle and if you can seriously bring in money, you can spread it out to them. Since you’re not allowed to turn a profit, you can invest in your mission or spread it out into other nonprofits. And this could become big, Dominic. Sponsors can help improve visibility and everything.”
He ran a hand along his jaw and I could see him going over what I'd said. “Who helped with the business plans?”
“Tom.” I scowled at him and loftily added, “I did most of it. I’m getting better.”
He laughed and then before I knew it, I was pressed up against the couch. “I think I can forgive you for neglecting me, Aleena. You did amazing.”
“But…” I lowered my gaze to his mouth. “I'd still like to make it up to you.”
***
The Chelsea house had gotten a fast and dirty clean-up for my first solo-planned fundraiser, so when Dominic and I climbed out of the car Saturday night, we took a moment to look up at it and imagine what it would look like when it was completely done.
“It’s going to be amazing,” I said.
He slid a hand down my back. Through the silk and sparkles and fringe, I could feel the heat.
“It’s already amazing.” He kissed my neck. “You are amazing.”
I shivered a little. He stroked the diamond necklace around my neck. It wasn’t exactly keeping with the flapper dress I wore, but I didn't care about that. This was Dominic’s mark of possession to the world—the one I could wear in public—and I wanted the world to see it.
He took my arm and escorted me up the short brick walkway to the front door. It had been crazy trying to get this put together on such short notice, but we'd managed it. I'd had people from the PR arm of the Winter Corporations step in to spread the word and help me get everything organized.
The doors swept open to allow us in and I smiled when I saw the staff standing along the wall. They were dressed in black trousers, stiff white shirts, and bright blue armbands stamped with snowflakes. Next to each armband were the words, In From the Cold.
All the staff helping with the function, from the wait staff and bartenders to the people who handle parking wore the bands.
In From the Cold. That was what I’d dubbed the event, playing off Dominic’s name and the company. Snow. Winter.
But Dominic had decided he liked the phrase so well that he wanted to use it for the charity's actual name. He said it fit. Too many children, too many families, too many victims were left broken from child abduction and human trafficking.
It did fit.
In From the Cold wasn’t going to solely focus on bringing people home or raising awareness. We were going to do it all. Human trafficking and child abductions like Dominic’s were something too many people didn’t want to think about. And while people didn’t think about it, the victims suffered. Sure, it would get in the news once in a while when it was some little blonde kid or someone famous. Or if there was some sort of dramatic rescue involved. The others...all of those others...they were left out in the cold.
Inside the front doors, a thrill went through me as I saw what had been accomplished in such a short amount of time. My first step in getting this thing set up had been to hire an event planner and he stood in the middle of the foyer, dressed in a flamboyant purple suit from the 1920's, his hands moving wildly as he directed.
When he caught sight of us, he came over and caught me by the face, planting a loud, smacking kiss on my lips. I tensed, but he was already pulling away.
“You, my darling. There you are, finally.” He slid Dominic a coquettish look and then winked at me. “I can see why you took so long. I doubt I would've made it here at all.”
Nathan held out a hand and I glanced over at Dominic. He cocked his eyebrow at me and then accepted the man’s hand.
“Dominic, this in Nathan. He pretty much took over and made my life livable this past week.” I made the introductions, but Dominic already had that restless look on his face. “Nathan, I think we’ll take a walk-through unless you need me.”
Nathan flapped his hands at me in a clearly dismissive gesture. “Go, go.”
A few moments later, we were on the upper level where it was somewhat quiet. Somewhat, but not a lot. I ducked inside one of the rooms that faced out over the street, eyeing the covered tables scattered throug
h the room. The tables were tall, no chairs. Nathan said it would encourage people to talk for a while without lingering too long in anyone place. The more mingling done, the more attention was brought to the cause.
“It looks…” I turned and then found myself caught between Dominic and the window. His hands closed over my upper arms and he nudged me up against the nearest wall.
I looked up at him, wide-eyed. Fuck. His mouth closed over mine. Hungry, hard and demanding.
Need grabbed me by the throat and I started to reach for him, but he caught my wrists and dragged them up over my head. Frustrated, I jerked against his hold, but all I accomplished was making him tighten his grip. He knew exactly how much pressure he could use without leaving any marks. It was a delicious thrill.
Not that I minded when he marked me, but I didn’t think it would do for me to walk around with bruises on my wrists tonight. Not ones that would clearly look like his fingers.
I sucked on his tongue and he growled, his hand coming up to my throat, his thumb pressing against the delicate hollow at the base. His mouth left mine and slid along my jawline, leaving fire in his wake.
He pressed a kiss to the delicate skin under my ear and then whispered, “Do you have any idea what I’m going to do to you tonight?”
“No.” I shivered a little when he pushed his hand between my thighs. “Will you tell me?”
“I haven’t decided if I want to tell you or not.” There was a teasing note in his voice.
Bastard, I thought. But I was smiling and my heart twisted in my chest. He never used to play. Oh, he’d make that taunting sort of remark, but that note of playfulness was new.
“Maybe you can give me a hint.” I licked my lips as he lifted his head to study me.
“Maybe I will. What sort of hint would you like?” He pressed his knee against me more firmly and my dress rode higher.
“Will I be able to talk?”
“Maybe.” He moved his thigh again.
I shuddered. I was all but riding his thigh now. Under the sexy little flapper dress I’d found for the night, I wore the sort of lingerie a woman from the twenties would have worn…raw-edged garters and a garter belt, tap pants instead of panties. The silky undergarment was no barrier and I whimpered when he slid the hand that was on my neck, down to my hip and started to drag me back and forth on his leg.