by L. P. Dover
That made me laugh. “That’s what I’m worried about, Layla. I’ve been hurt before and I don’t want it to happen again.”
She sighed. “I know. Maybe give it some time before you jump into a relationship if you’re worried.”
Unfortunately, that was the last thing I wanted to do. Patience was never a virtue of mine. With Dominic, I didn’t want to wait to be with him. I didn’t know if I could.
“So what did you want to talk to me about?” I asked, switching the subject.
“Oh, my God, you’re going to love this. It’s good news. We got the call in late last night.”
Excitement jolted through me. “What is it?”
“Okay, here it goes. Bryce did some digging and we found some dirt on Philip’s lawyer. He’s been having an affair.”
“Well, I’ll be damned,” I said, laughing. “Could be some good blackmail.”
“Exactly. The slimy bastard deserves it. Randall’s not going to want that getting out to the public, especially since the woman he’s screwing around with is Senator Joseph Montgomery’s wife. He’s way more powerful than Randall. Talk about career suicide.”
That was exactly what I needed to hear. It felt like everything was finally falling into place. “Think he’ll admit to Philip tricking me to sign those papers?” I asked.
“I have no doubt. Bryce and I are going to schedule a meeting with him on Monday. If Randall’s smart he’ll have everything taken care of by Tuesday. You’ll get all your money back.”
“Yeah, about that,” I mentioned sheepishly. I was pretty sure she didn’t know about what Dominic had done at the condo.
“Oh no, what did you do?”
“Well,” I said, pacing back and forth across the floor, “Dominic had a moving company come in and clean out the condo. I sold everything that was in it. The money should be coming to me today.”
Layla chuckled. “Seriously? Why am I not surprised?”
“Will I get in trouble for it?”
She scoffed. “Um … no. Philip owes you a whole hell of a lot more than that. If he wants to avoid jail time, he’ll give you anything you want.”
What I wanted was the past five years of my life back. “With the money I’m getting from everything in the condo, I should be good. I just want to be done with Philip. I don’t want to see or talk to him ever again.”
“All right, I’ll make it known when I see Randall.”
“Thanks, Layla. All I want is for Philip to know he didn’t get away with screwing me over. That’s not how the world works. Hopefully, karma bites him in the ass someday soon.”
Layla laughed. “Oh, it will, don’t worry. I’m just glad it’s all coming to an end.”
I breathed a sigh of relief. “Me too. Now I can go out and enjoy life. Thank you for doing this for me.”
“No problem. Now go out and have fun. Maybe you and Dominic can celebrate together.”
“Are you sure you’re okay with that?” I questioned.
She snorted. “You’re my best friend, Faith. And like I said, you’ll be good for him.”
We said our goodbyes and I felt like I was on top of the world. Philip was about to get screwed up the ass and I was finally going to get the happiness I deserved. I grabbed Isaiah’s number off the counter and typed out a text. It was time to go shopping for a gala dress.
***
Spending the day with Isaiah felt like old times, only Layla wasn’t with us. When we were in college, he used to be her bodyguard at times. I’d always been too nervous to talk to him. He was a giant, about a foot taller than me and I was five foot eight. With being a bodyguard, I could see why he needed to be serious. He looked to be in his late thirties with a shaved head and a well-built muscular body, but there was no sign of a wedding band. I felt bad for having him drive me everywhere when I could easily go shopping on my own. Apparently, Dominic didn’t want me alone. Now I knew how Layla felt with a bodyguard. People stared curiously at me every time Isaiah went with me to a store. You could look at him and tell he was security. What I found most amusing was that people snuck photos of me, thinking I wouldn’t notice. Guess they thought I was someone famous. I had to admit, it was kind of fun.
Isaiah took me all over the city until I found the perfect dress. It was deep purple in color and strapless with a little bit of beading across the bust; very elegant and beautiful. I even had Isaiah stop by the Magnolia Bakery on the way back to the hotel so I could pick up some of their famous banana pudding and a couple of vanilla cupcakes. If I was going to celebrate, I was going to do it right.
Isaiah pulled into the parking garage, and I grabbed my bags. “Thank you for everything, Isaiah. I really appreciate it.”
He parked the car and opened my door. “You’re welcome. Do you want me to get those?”
He nodded toward my bags, and I shook my head. “I got it. Thank you though.” We walked to the elevator and he pressed the button. “So,” I said, looking up at him. The entire day he’d spent keeping his eyes on everything around us, but this time, he met my gaze which I didn’t expect.
“Yes?” he asked.
Nervously, I cleared my throat. The man was intimidating, and I could see a darkness behind those bright green of his. “Do you like your job?”
He nodded. “For the most part.”
The elevator doors opened and we stepped inside. “Are you always on the clock or do you get to go out and have fun?”
His lips tilted slightly. “I’m well taken care of Ms. Hilliard. I can’t complain.”
With Dominic having his fair share of women over the years, I guess it was easy to assume that a man with Isaiah’s looks would have his as well. “Have you always wanted to be a bodyguard?” I wondered.
He shrugged. “Yes and no. My father watched over the Corsinos until he died in a car accident. He owed them a huge debt, and to pay it off, he had to work for them. The debt then extended to me. Dominic tried to release me from it, but I wanted to stay on. This life is all I know.”
That made me respect Dominic even more. The elevator opened and we walked into the lobby toward the private elevator that’d take us up to the top floor. “Faith?” a voice called out.
I circled around to see where the voice came from. Sitting on one of the lobby couches was an old friend of mine from college, Samuel Hill. I hadn’t seen him in five years. He looked the same with his blond hair and playful brown eyes that reminded me of a puppy dog. We were study partners, and both graduated with Business degrees.
“Sam,” I squealed, rushing over to him. “What in the world are you doing here?”
He stood and hugged me. “I’m meeting a client here for dinner. Figured I’d show up a little bit early.”
“It’s so good to see you. It’s been too long.” I let him go and stepped back. Isaiah came up beside me, and Sam peered up at him nervously. Isaiah had that effect on people.
“I have to go,” Isaiah said, his voice low. “Will you be okay down here?”
“Of course. I’m going to catch up with Sam for a few and then I’ll be up.”
Isaiah nodded and stared at Sam for a few seconds before leaving. It took all I had not to laugh. Once Isaiah was out of sight, Sam breathed a sigh of relief. “I thought your boyfriend was going to kill me.”
I burst out laughing. “Isaiah’s not my boyfriend.” Then it hit me, I didn’t know who to say he was. “Actually, I’m going through a divorce.”
Sam’s eyes widened. “Did you marry Philip Mackenzie?”
I nodded. “Unfortunately. Things should be finalized next week. Then, I won’t have to deal with any of his mess again.” The day I found out he cheated I’d gotten all necessary paperwork together to change my name back to Hilliard. I didn’t want any connection to him whatsoever, other than our law firm, but I knew that was lost.
Sam shook his head. “I’m so sorry, Faith. I knew back in college that he was a douche bag.”
“You and everyone else,” I replied, laughing. “J
ust wish I’d have listened to my gut.”
“Are you and Layla still friends?” he asked. He’d had the biggest crush on her during college, but he never asked her out.
“Of course. I talked to her just this morning. She’s married and living in Wyoming now.”
“Wow,” he said, looking disappointed. “I missed my chance. I saw on the news about her father and their family. Who would’ve thought they’d have ties to the mafia.”
They didn’t just have ties, they were part of the mafia. “Yeah, it’s been craziness,” was all I could say.
We both laughed and he nodded toward the restaurant bar. “Want to grab a drink with me while I wait on my client? I still have a few minutes.”
I glanced over at the clock behind the check in desk. It was still early and dinner wasn’t going to be ready until six. “Sure. I’d love to.”
We walked over to the bar and I set my bags and purse down on the floor. Sam chuckled when he noticed my Magnolia Bakery bag. “Let me guess, banana pudding?”
Grinning wide, I nodded. “And cupcakes. Old habits die hard. I can’t live without it.” The bartender came over, a young woman with short black hair and glasses, and took my order. “What have you been up to the past few years?” I asked, focusing back on Sam. “I haven’t heard anything from you since we graduated.”
The bartender gave Sam his gin and tonic and he took a sip. “I opened up a brewery in Hoboken. It’s called District 8. Ever heard of it?”
I shook my head. “No, but it sounds awesome though.” The bartender set my Bloody Mary down and smiled before walking off.
Sam brushed his shoulder off. “Not trying to brag, but it kind of is. It’s done really well the past couple of years. We supply a lot of our beers and wines at big events.”
“That’s great,” I said, tasting my drink. “Right now, I’m not doing much of anything other than being Layla’s brother’s assistant. That’s only because I lost my job at the law firm when Philip decided to screw me over.”
Sam about choked on his drink. “You work for Dominic Corsino?”
I bit my lip. “Yeah, kind of, but not really.” I didn’t know how to label it.
“He’s supposed to be at the party I’m working at tomorrow night. Are you going to be there?”
That caught me off guard. “Seriously? You’re going to be at the gala?”
He nodded. “I’m meeting Cadoc Cartwright here to discuss the details. When he mentioned the Corsinos, I knew the party would be a huge money maker.”
That was for certain. “It will,” I said, still surprised. “And yes, I’ll be there.”
His smile brightened. “Great. You’ll have to try out my signature beers. Maybe after the party you can sample some of them and tell me what you think?” Then, as if everything shifted, his eyes focused on something over my shoulder. “Or maybe not?” he said, his voice low.
I didn’t realize what was going on until a familiar voice echoed behind me. “There you are.” Dominic’s voice made everything inside of me tighten. I turned to find him leaning against the bar with a smile on his face.
“Hey,” I said.
His grin widened. “Hey. Isaiah said you were down here.” He glanced over at Sam and held out his hand. “I’m Dominic Corsino. You are?”
Sam coughed nervously. “Sam Hill. I’m a friend of Faith’s.” He shook Dominic’s hand, almost cautiously as if Dominic was going to do something bad. It was strange how others were afraid of him. I’d seen Dominic’s softer side, the side that would never hurt anyone.
“We went to college together,” I stated. “Sam had a huge crush on Layla.” I wanted to make sure Dominic knew there was nothing going on. Some women loved making the men they were with jealous, but I had no desire to play games.
Dominic’s smile widened. “Good to know.”
“He’s also working at the gala tomorrow night. Sam owns District 8 Brewing Company.”
A look of respect passed across Dominic’s face, especially when he focused back on Sam. “I’ve heard your beers are some of the best. I look forward to trying them.”
Sam beamed. “Thank you. I hope you like them.”
Dominic leaned in close, his voice by my ear. “Still coming up for dinner?”
I finished the last of my Bloody Mary in one gulp. “Yep. We can go right now.”
The bartender recognized Dominic and hurried over. “Can I get you anything Mr. Corsino?”
Dominic shook his head. “Just put their drinks on my tab, please.”
“Will do, sir,” she said.
Dominic grabbed my bags off the floor and I stood. “We’ll see you tomorrow night, Sam.”
Sam stood and smiled. “I look forward to it.”
I turned to walk away, and Dominic walked closely by my side as we headed toward the private elevator. “How was your day?” he asked.
“Pretty good. I found a dress and I ran into an old friend.”
We stopped at the elevator and his gaze bored into mine. “Yeah, I saw that. Isaiah told me you ran into someone. Thought I better check it out and see who.”
It took all I had not to smile, and I completely failed. “Were you jealous?”
He shrugged, but then grinned back. “Maybe a little. It’s not easy letting you out of my sight. I already know Reed wants you.”
The elevator door opened and he followed me inside, the air around us growing even more electric than before. “You have nothing to worry about,” I said.
Dominic moved closer. “Don’t I?”
How the hell was I supposed to control myself around him? My restraint grew weaker every second I was around him. I took the Magnolia Bakery bag from it and held it close to my chest without smashing the cupcakes. “Actually, you do. This is all mine.”
Dominic chuckled. “Oh yeah?”
He playfully tried to grab the bag and I squealed. “You can’t have any. I’m ready for dinner to be over so I can eat it all.”
Once the elevator opened, we walked across the hall to his suite. “I already know about your obsession with the bakery. Layla used to go there all the time with you.” He opened his door and held it for me.
I never knew he paid attention to things like that. Even my own husband forgot what my favorite things were. I walked in to his living room and set my things down on the coffee table. “Speaking of Layla, she called me this morning. I didn’t want to bother you.” The excitement I’d felt when Layla told me came back with a vengeance. I couldn’t wait to tell him.
Dominic’s lips pursed. “You never bother me, Faith. You can call me anytime you want.”
My stomach fluttered. “I’ll remember that.”
He waved me on. “Tell me. What’d she say?”
A big smile spread across my face. “They found out that Philip’s lawyer is having an affair with a senator’s wife. This is huge. Either he admits to Philip tricking me or his affair goes public.”
Dominic chuckled. “Fucking moron. I knew Layla would find something.”
I nodded. “She’s hoping to have everything finalized by Tuesday. I’ll finally be free. Of Philip, of everything.”
His eyes darkened. “He hasn’t tried to call you, has he?”
“Surprisingly, no. Why?”
He shrugged. “Just asking. I might’ve paid him a little visit while you were cleaning out your office.”
Mouth gaping, I stared at him as if he’d lost his mind, but in a way, it was kind of a turn on. “What did you say?”
A sexy smile spread across his lips. “I might’ve told him thank you for being such a fuck up.”
“And?” I prodded. “What else?”
Dominic stepped closer. “I also said that if he tried to contact you, I’d break his legs. He wanted to see you, so I stopped him.”
The only way I wanted to see Philip again was to watch karma kick him in the ass. Chills ran down my spine. People did crazy things when backed into a corner. Philip was about to get a rude awakening. “Yo
u don’t think Philip will try anything stupid when all of this backfires on him, do you?”
Dominic lifted his hands to my face, towering over me protectively. “If he does, he has to go through me first. Want to know what else I told him?”
“What?” I whispered, wishing he’d kiss me.
“I told him that you’re mine.”
I sucked in a breath. “I am?”
He nodded. “I want you to be. But again, I don’t want to keep you here if you want to be somewhere else.”
There was no thinking twice about it. I knew where I wanted to be. Sliding my hands up his chest, I closed the distance between us. “I don’t want to be anywhere else. I want to be right here.” His eyes searched mine, but I didn’t waste any time. I pressed my lips to his and he growled deep in his chest, moving his arms around my waist to hold me tight. My skin was on fire, desperate to feel his touch. He opened my lips further and I moaned, my body wanting more.
“You have no idea how long I’ve waited for this,” he murmured, breaking the kiss.
I sucked in a breath. “Probably as long as I have.”
He slid his hands under my shirt and ran his fingers over my bare back. My whole body trembled, and he smiled. “We have some time before dinner. What do you want to do?”
My gaze turned to the hallway where just a couple doors down lie his bedroom. My mind told me to be cautious, but my heart and body was ready. Looking up at Dominic, I nipped his bottom lip, loving the sound of his groan. “Let’s go to your room,” I said, rubbing my body against his.
Eyes dark with need, he picked me up in his arms. “You sure?”
I wrapped my arms around his neck. “Yes. I’m ready.”
He kissed me again, his lips trailing down my neck as he carried me down the hall. I’d never felt such intensity with a kiss before. It was an overwhelmingly erotic sensation, like my body wasn’t equipped to handle it, but I wanted to keep going, to see how far I could go. I never knew feelings like that existed.
