by M. S. Parker
I think I also heard my heart crack.
Right down the middle.
Eventually, he slept.
It wasn’t until that moment that I let myself climb out of the bed and dress. I slipped out of the house in silence, hardly daring to think about what I had done.
Chapter 7
Aleena
I awoke sore.
There was a time when I’d woken in this state before, but the memories hadn’t been anything like this. That time, I’d been flooded with shame and misery and regret.
This time?
There was just…wistfulness.
Last night had been a fantasy. A dream. Something that wasn’t likely to ever happen again and I knew it, but damn if I wouldn’t relish those memories, even if I didn’t wonder about the cause behind them.
His nightmare.
I couldn’t help but recall the scars I’d seen on Dominic and wonder if the nightmare from last night lay behind whatever had caused those marks on his body. Something had marked him, and not just physically.
I can’t claim any great insight, other than instinct, but I’d be willing to bet everything I had that I was right.
Last night, he’d been like a different man, one chased by demons. I could see the echoes of those demons on me even now. The mirror showed the evidence as I dressed, revealing what I hadn’t seen in my haste to hide myself in the covers last night.
The hickey on my neck was only one mark.
My hips bore the marks of his hands. My breath catching, I stared at myself, my breath hitching as I recalled how it had felt, to have him driving into me, his breath ragged in my ear.
“Stop it,” I told myself. “Just stop.”
Averting my gaze, I tugged on a pair of jeans—nice and casual. It was the weekend, after all. I topped the jeans with a pretty blouse and a scarf, hiding the mark on my neck.
I took a little time to deal with my hair and then I brushed on some make-up and glanced at the clock. I’d had four hours of sleep.
Not a lot, but I couldn’t lay in bed when I had work to do.
***
I’d thought—hoped—that his nightmare, the party, all of it, would allow me some peace.
I hadn’t even had five minutes inside the house before he found me. Leaning against the counter, whittling down the task list for the day, I nibbled on toast and guzzled coffee and had absolutely no time to brace myself.
One moment I was alone.
The next…
“Aleena.” His tone was soft and heat bloomed in my stomach.
Slowly, I lowered my cup of coffee. He stood in the doorway.
Behind him, organized chaos reigned. Pierson and Co—as I’d taken to calling the staff at the main house—were out in full force. Already, they’d made a significant dent and it wasn’t even eight in the morning.
Oddly enough, it was their presence that gave me some modicum of control.
I sipped at my sugar-laden coffee and smiled at Dominic over the rim. I was pleased with the professional slant of said smile, too. “Good morning, Dominic.”
“I think we need to talk.”
I glanced past him into the hall and then looked down at the phone I had just put down, at my agenda, pursing my lips. My heart skipped a beat, but he didn’t need to know that. Nor did he need to know how the sight of him standing there in worn jeans and a battered T-shirt made him look completely and totally biteable.
“Oh?” I glanced at him and then took a sip of my coffee. “Was there something on the agenda for the day? I’m going to be pretty slammed getting everything in order after last night, but I should be able to free up some time within the next few hours.”
Denial, as they say, isn’t just a river in Egypt.
He scowled at me and then reached out and flipped my phone over. “Fuck the agenda. We need to talk.”
A knot lodged in my throat as I slanted a look up at him. The expression on his face was one I hadn’t seen before. Concern…and the slightest edge of panic.
Abruptly, I understood.
I was his employee.
We worked together, and more than that, we had a weird set of living arrangements. I could only imagine where his thoughts were traveling. I drew in a deep, slow breath, preparing myself to say something—anything.
He beat me to it.
“I am so sorry about last night. I don’t know what got into me. I never—”
“It’s okay.” I plastered a smile I didn’t feel on my face. The last thing I needed to hear was that I wasn’t his type, that we didn’t move in the same worlds, or that he hadn’t meant any of it and that it had been a mistake. I knew all of that.
“No, it’s not!” A bit of his control slipped. “We didn’t...I mean, I didn’t...” He ran a hand through his hair. “Damn it!”
“Okay.” I ran my tongue across my teeth and put down my cup of coffee. Crossing my arms over my chest, I studied him. “Why don’t you just tell me what’s on your mind, Dominic?”
He gave me a puzzled look, as if he couldn’t figure out why I was being so calm. “I don’t know what you remember about last night, but we didn’t use any protection.”
Oh, that. I looked away and hoped my flush didn’t show. “Yeah. I’m aware.”
“I am so sorry,” he repeated. “I don’t know what came over me. I know better. And you shouldn’t worry about anything. I get tested every couple months, just in case and I always use protection.” He paused, and then added in a wry voice, “Or at least it used to be always.”
I really was an idiot, I thought. Nausea pitched and rolled through me, but I’d deal with that later. Looking away, I jerked a shoulder in a shrug. “You…look. I didn’t think about it either. You don’t have anything to worry about on my end. I’m clean.”
“It’s not…” He swore. “Damn it, Aleena. It’s not just that. I know better.”
“I’m twenty-one years old,” I snapped, shooting him a dark look. “I’ve been aware of what sex—and the consequences—are for quite a while. So technically, I know better, too.”
He sucked in a breath, then stopped. “Okay. Okay. Look, I’ll have Maxwell drive you to the pharmacy in town. Plan B is covered by your insurance—”
“No.” I sucked in a breath as I realized just where his train of thought had gone.
Plan B. So that’s what this is about. He was freaking out because he was worried he might have knocked me up. Turning around, I picked up my coffee and stared out over the lavish gardens.
“Relax, boss. I’m on the pill.” I fell back into matter-of-fact, professional mode. That explained things. Bad enough to fuck an employee, but to knock one up would’ve been worse.
I mentally thanked Molly for persuading me to go on the pill four months ago.
“You are now dating and condoms are not hundred percent safe,” she’d insisted.
Dating…
It was the only guy I’d dated since moving to Manhattan and it’d been a disaster. He’d turned out to be a complete prick but thankfully I found out before sleeping with him. I was still on the pill, however.
I fought not to cringe as I heard Dominic heave out a sigh of relief.
All that panic, I thought dismally. Apparently, the thought of having a baby with a woman like me was just too hideous for him to comprehend.
Casually, I gathered up my dishes and moved to the sink. “There’s nothing to concern yourself about, sir. It was a heat of the moment thing. Neither one of us was expecting what happened.”
I turned to face him, ready to excuse myself, but that just didn’t seem to be in the cards. Dominic cleared his throat, shifting his weight uneasily. “Okay. Well…yeah…”
He cleared his throat, looking humiliated as he turned away. “Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way…” He went to the refrigerator and took out an energy drink. “We really should talk about what happened.”
No. I mentally shook my head at the very thought of it. I wasn’t going to do this. Maybe th
at was crazy—weren’t guys the ones who were supposed to be resistant to the idea of talking about things? As I stood there, feeling awkward and uncertain, I realized that I was the one who didn’t want to talk about this. I didn’t want to have the emotions I was already feeling for him laid bare.
Clearing my throat, I said, “Look, Dominic, last night was a fluke.”
It was the truth and I knew, but admitting it made it no less painful. I forced myself to smile, like it was no big deal. But it was…and it hurt.
As I spoke, his brows shot up, but Dominic said nothing.
“I don’t know how much you remember,” I said, turning away before I could read the answer on his face. I didn’t want to know what he really thought about last night. “I came into the house because I’d forgotten my phone. I heard a noise from upstairs and thought you were in trouble.” I kept things simple. “It looked like you were having a nightmare of some kind.”
“You woke me up,” he said softly. “I remember where things went from there.”
I shrugged. “Like I said…it was a fluke. It was the heat of the moment. Neither of us was thinking clearly.”
“Aleena.”
No. I wasn’t going to think about the way he said my name. It didn’t mean anything special. Not to him.
“It didn’t mean anything,” I said. The words almost came out harsh. “I’m not expecting anything from you. I don’t think we’re in a relationship and I’m not going to accuse you of sexual harassment.” I turned slightly and gave him the best smile I could. “No blackmail, or lawsuits. It was just sex. End of.”
“Just sex.”
I looked over at him. His expression was blank.
Silence stretched out, and then after a moment, he cleared his throat. “Okay.” He took a drink and then continued, “Okay, look…yeah, last night complicated things. For the record, I never assumed you would try and accuse me of harassment, although…” He turned away and braced his hands on the counter. “If you did, you’d probably have a case. I put my hands on you, Aleena. We both know it.”
“Yeah, well, I didn’t knock them off,” I muttered.
He glanced at me through his lashes.
I glared back.
After a moment, he looked away. “I’m sorry. It shouldn’t have happened.”
“Agreed.” I inclined my head.
He nodded. “I don’t do this. I don’t do relationships and complications. With anyone, especially not an employee.”
“That sounds…” Lonely, I thought. “Wise.” Then I smiled at him. “Stop worrying. We’re good. We’ve got a working relationship and believe me, that’s all I want.”
He smiled at me, that polite, professional smile that I was sure made a lot of women swoon. But I’d seen his real smile, the one that made his eyes light up. This one was only a shadow compared to the other.
Chapter 8
Dominic
I’d seriously fucked up.
I knew that if I told Fawna what I’d done, she’d not only agree with me, she’d probably slap me upside the back of my head for doing something that stupid. The kiss at the ball had been dumb enough, but what happened that night was even worse.
But to be honest, my mistakes had started far earlier than that. It had started almost the moment I’d seen her standing at the door of my penthouse.
It had gotten worse over the past few weeks and had culminated last night. The moment I’d had her in my arms, I’d known I’d made a mistake. She’d fit there perfectly, as if we’d been made to dance together.
That accidental kiss that hadn’t been as accidental as I’d made it out to be…if I’d just not done that, then maybe I would have been okay.
But I told myself if I tasted her, if I tried that sweet mouth, I’d see that she wasn’t as sweet, wasn’t everything I was hoping, thinking…
And I’d been right.
She was more.
Just sex.
She was wrong. I’d had plenty of just sex—so I should know.
Two weeks since it had happened and I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I stared at my computer screen without really seeing what was on it. My concentration had been shot for the past few weeks, ever since the night Aleena and I had slept together.
Aleena had proven to be a godsend, there to help me smooth out the bumps and hurdles that came with any new business. She had a head for this. I loved business and the business of making money, but the organization required was something I loathed.
Aleena, though, she just might turn out to surpass Fawna. She was organized in every way I wasn’t and she could follow-up on things I never thought of until I didn’t realize I’d need them. My life was already flowing smoother.
And yet…it wasn’t.
Sex was easy—and terrible as it sounds—forgettable. Usually. Although it had been over two weeks, I hadn’t forgotten Aleena.
Needing to get away from her, I’d told her last night I had a project I needed her to take care of and I’d pointed her in the direction of my home office.
It was, in a word, chaos.
Fawna rarely ventured inside unless she had to and since most of the business matters I needed dealt with could be done via email or through our synced calendars, she didn’t have to very often.
Life was easier that way—for her and for me, because I didn’t want to listen to her bitch about how disorganized I was and she didn’t have to listen to me bitch about how I didn’t need my home office to be neat. I didn’t need to impress anybody there. That was the one place I didn’t have to be in control or worry.
But it would keep Aleena busy and I could have a chance to think. It would also give me a chance to be away from her without thinking about how her hair had felt in my hands, how soft her body had been under mine and how her pussy had felt, clutching at my dick as I drove deep inside her.
It had been a wasted effort.
Even here, in the offices of Trouver L’Amour, I hadn’t been able to get away from her. Even now, with Valentine’s Day behind us and March breathing down my neck, several clients were curious about my enchanting dance partner and a few people had congratulated me on the publicity stunt.
There was a buzz and I looked up, pushed the speaker on my phone. “Yes?”
“Mr. Snow, you have a call from Jefferson Sinclair.”
Immediately, my black mood plummeted even more. I almost told my administrative assistant to tell him I was out, but she’d done that twice already and I suspected he’d keep calling. He’d emailed twice, too.
“Thanks, Amber. I’ll take the call.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose and then snagged the phone.
“Hey, Jefferson. How are you doing, man?”
“Dominic!” Jefferson’s voice, deep and smooth, came through the phone. He belonged to that dreaded new money crowd, but in a move that appalled my family, Jefferson and I had become friends. His father had been district attorney up until he’d had a heart attack and it was entirely likely Jefferson would follow in his footsteps—the attorney part only, I hoped.
“What can I do for you, Jefferson? I’m pretty tight on time these days, trying to get this new business up and going.”
“That, my friend, is why I’m calling.” Jefferson didn’t waste a moment. “The woman—that angel you had on the dance floor. Please tell me you’re not involved and please tell me you can introduce me. If she’s a client, then sign me up.”
“Ah…”
Something came through in my voice.
Jefferson hesitated and then asked, “Are you involved?”
“No,” I said after a moment. “No, we’re not.”
“But…” Jefferson blew out a breath. “Okay. Sounds like you want something to be there.”
I pushed back from my desk and moved to the window. “I don’t know what I want.”
“Dom, when have you ever?”
Closing my eyes, I said, “That’s not the issue. Look, I can’t help you out with this, but if you’re w
anting to sign on here, I can—”
“Nah, man.” Jefferson cut me off. “The party was amazing and it sounds like you’ve got a good thing going, not that I’m surprised. You’re like Midas. But I barely have time to sleep these days and you know how half your crowd sees me. I’m that uppity lawyer who has the balls to think I’ve got the right to sit at your table.”
I laughed, but there wasn’t much humor in it.
“I’d rather neither of us sit at that table. It’s a pain in the ass,” I told him.
“Fine. We’ll head back to my dad’s old neighborhood and find us some real food—something that’s meant to be eaten, not just sit on a plate and look pretty. And maybe you can tell me about this woman of yours.”
“She’s not mine, Jefferson.” That admission caused a pang every time I thought it.
“You sure about that?”
Before I could answer, he had another call come in. “Okay, rich boy,” Jefferson said. “I gotta go. Been waiting on that call. Listen, you drop me a line if you feel like getting together.”
He was gone before I had a chance to say anything else.
Dropping the phone into the cradle, I braced my hands on the table.
She’s not mine.
You sure about that?
Yeah. I was sure. But I sure as hell wanted her to be mine.
I could feel her skin under my fingers, against my tongue. It had been so soft, like silk. And the way it had felt to sink inside her…
“Damn it!”
Tired of fighting it, I dropped down on the couch and leaned back, staring up at the ceiling.
She wasn’t mine. Wouldn’t ever be mine.
But if she was…
There was nothing about her I didn’t like. That core of steel, her humor, the kindness.
And now…groaning, I slid a hand down my chest and cupped myself through the fine wool of my trousers.
I’d entertained a few fantasies of her submitting to me, her low, velvety soft voice rough with need as she said, ‘Yes, sir’.
She’d submit. One night in bed—no, after that first kiss, I’d known. Maybe that was why I’d been so stupid. I’d been around her long enough to get a rough idea and the thought of it had been slowly driving me crazy, but now I knew. When you’ve been in this lifestyle as long as I have, you start to develop an eye for it.