by L. P. Dover
Dominic carried me to his room and laid me on his king-sized bed, his scent surrounding me. The room was dark, except for the light from the hallway filtering in, but I could see his face as he stared down at me with raw, hunger-filled eyes.
After kicking off my shoes, I moved farther up the mattress and rested my head on one of his pillows. Dominic crawled on the bed and laid beside me, propped up on his elbow. He traced the hem of my shirt with his finger, lightly grazing my skin underneath. Chill bumps fanned out over my flesh, making him smile. “I love that my touch does that to you.”
I bit my lip. “It does a lot more than that.” My center grew wet and I rubbed my legs together to create the friction I craved.
Groaning, he rolled on top of me and parted my legs with his knee. His gray gaze was smoldering hot as he brought his mouth down over mine, softly at first, but then demanding, as our tongues twisted together. “I want more,” he rasped.
“Take it, it’s yours,” I breathed back.
Dominic tore my shirt and bra away, and once my skin was exposed his hands were all over me, massaging and kneading. He squeezed my breasts with his rough hands, and pinched my nipples, making me cry out in both pleasure and pain. To ease the sharpness of the sensation, he licked and sucked each taut nipple while thrusting his arousal between my legs.
His hands fumbled with the button of my jeans, and slowly slipped his hand inside. Deftly, he entered me with his fingers and groaned against my lips. “Fuck, Faith, you’re so damn wet. I can’t wait to be inside you.”
“Then what are you waiting for?” I breathed, arching my back off the bed, pushing my breasts in the air.
Dominic laughed a deep, husky sound. “Soon, baby. We have plenty of time.” He pulled my pants and underwear down, tossing them to the floor.
I was naked, aching to the point I thought I’d go crazy, and he wanted to take things slow. I don’t think so. Narrowing my gaze, I scowled. “You’re evil, you know that?”
“That’s right. But now that I have you, I can take all the time I want.”
Taking him by the shoulders, I pushed him over and straddled my bare body on top of his. His clothes were still on, but that was about to change. “We’ll see about that.” His cock bulged against his pants, and I stroked my hand over it as I moved against him.
Dominic’s eyes rolled in the back of his head and he hissed, “If you keep doing that, there’s no way I’ll be able to hold out. It’s been too long.”
I smirked, fully aroused at the thought of turning him on so thoroughly. “That’s the whole point,” I muttered seductively.
Pulling his pants down enough to free him, I took his arousal in my hand and massaged him hard, gliding my palm up and down his length. Dominic sighed and closed his eyes, sucking in a ragged breath as I bent down and flicked the tip with my tongue.
His body jerked and he moaned. “Fuck.”
Smiling, I wrapped my lips around him and sucked. He tasted so good. His balls were loose in my hands, and I rolled them around gently as I sucked him off.
Breathing hard, Dominic grasped me by the shoulders. “Faith, I need you to stop.”
I teased him for a few more seconds before releasing him, staring up at him with a triumphant smile. He rolled me onto my back and took off his shirt, before pinning me down on the soft mattress. Biting one of my nipples, he sucked it greedily, causing me to scream out.
Reaching over to his bedside table, he fumbled in the drawer until I heard the crinkling of a wrapper. I was breathless underneath him, and my heart pounded with anticipation. Dominic opened the foil packet and rolled the condom down his length. I was on birth control, but I could tell him another night.
Caging me between his arms, my hands grabbed his hair to pull him closer. He settled himself between my legs, and I spread them wide. The tip of his cock pressed against my opening, and he circled it around, preparing me for what was to come.
Gazing into my eyes, Dominic rubbed his nose against mine and slowly began kissing me again. With short, easy thrusts he entered me gently. I hissed with the initial pain, but it slowly ebbed away. The fullness of him inside of me was erotic and sensual; the pain of his cock stretching me wide was a good hurt. It’d been a long time since I’d been with a man.
“Are you okay?” he asked, slowing his thrusts.
Wrapping my legs around his waist, I pushed my hips into his. “Does that answer your question?” I moaned.
Dominic continued his slow rhythm for a while, before picking up speed, pounding his flesh against mine. I was on the brink of losing control, and I was sure he could feel it by the way my insides tightened around his cock.
“Let go, Faith. Come for me,” Dominic murmured in my ear. Those words were all it took to send me over the edge.
I cried out his name, clenching my legs tight around his waist. I dug my nails into his back and trembled relentlessly. My orgasm came hot and swift, pouring over my body as I rode each delicious wave of pleasure. Dominic grunted loudly as he came, thrusting hard as he released.
We were both breathing hard and exhausted, but there was still a throbbing ache between my legs demanding more. He gently slid out of me and took off the condom, throwing it in the wastebasket beside his bed. He pulled me into his arms and kissed me. “You were so tight and wet, I about lost my mind.”
I smiled lazily at him, fully relaxed but ready for another round.
A concerned look was in his eyes. “Are you sore? I didn’t hurt you, did I?”
I moved my hips around to gauge the pain. “I’m a little sore, but it felt good. I could do it all over again.”
Groaning, he looked down at his cock. “Do you see what you do to me? I don’t think I’m going to be able to let you out of this bed if you keep teasing me.”
Smiling, I bit my lip and rubbed his cock. “We have a little bit of time before dinner. Think of it as an appetizer. Then, we can come back for dessert.”
Dominic reached over and grabbed another condom from his dresser. “You’re too much, you know that?” It was then I noticed a skull tattoo on his back. I’d never seen it before. I had to remember to ask him about it later.
“You have no idea,” I said, taking the condom from him. “No idea at all.”
Chapter Nine
Faith
“You look beautiful.” Dominic came up behind me and kissed my bare shoulder. I decided to wear my hair up in a fancy bun to go along with my evening gown. “I love the dress on you.”
Grinning, I finished applying the rest of my makeup and smiled at his reflection in the bathroom mirror. “Thank you. You look pretty handsome yourself.”
He had on a black tux with his brown hair gelled to perfection. I was going as his date to the gala, not his assistant. He’d made that perfectly clear last night after our third round in bed.
“Are you sure you’re ready for people to know about us?” he asked, his gaze concerned as he stared at me in the mirror.
Turning to face him, I wrapped my arms around his neck. “I’m sure. You explained the risks already. No one’s going to want to mess with me anyway. I pack a hard punch.” Last night, he’d warned me about his enemies, about how they could possibly try to use me to get to him. With Reed and the others around, I wasn’t worried in the least. I pitied anyone who tried to come after me. There was a lot of pent up aggression inside of me from my ex.
Dominic sighed. “I don’t want to see you get hurt, Faith. My world isn’t something you’re used to. There’s always a risk. We have to be ready for anything.”
I snorted. “Trust me, I’ve heard plenty of stories from your sister. I can handle it.”
There was a knock on his suite door, and then, voices echoed down the hallway. Dominic leaned down and kissed the side of my neck. “Marco must’ve let the others in. Take your time and we’ll leave when you’re ready.”
Butterflies fluttered in my stomach. Dominic had a way of making me feel special, in ways that no one else had ever made me
feel. However, the fluttery feeling in my stomach was nervousness too. I knew Reed had feelings for me, and he was just down the hallway, no doubt about to realize what was going on the second he looked at me. I was happy, and even I could see how much I glowed.
Dominic walked out of the bathroom and I took one last glance in the mirror. I know what Dominic’s family has faced in the past, what he’s trying to do to change that without losing their dominance. And I know that there’s no turning back. Once I’ve made this decision — being with Dominic the leader I’ll be fully ensconced in the family. And I’m ok with that.
I’ve been with someone who didn’t care about me, and I think I knew that deep down. But Dominic and his family, his sister, have always been around when I needed them. Maybe I always needed someone— no, needed Dominic— and I’m just now realizing it.
Taking a deep breath, I slowly walked through his bedroom and out into the hallway. There were so many voices from the living room that I couldn’t tell how many people were in there. When I turned the corner, I got a good look at the room. I hadn’t seen Marco around much, but he stood in the kitchen with his son, Luca, and Francis and Isaiah, while Reed, Micah, and Connor congregated in the living room, drinking whiskey with Dominic.
Reed noticed me first and smiled, and of course, Dominic noticed the exchange. I walked over to them and stood beside Dominic. He slipped his arm around my waist and nodded toward Micah and Connor. I’d met Micah before, but never Connor. They were both tall and muscular, and dressed in black tuxes, but Micah had brown hair and Connor’s was chestnut-colored. You could see part of Micah’s tattoos on his neck which gave him more of a tougher look than the others.
Dominic set his glass down on the mini bar counter. “Faith, I know you’ve met Micah already.”
Micah winked and held out his hand. I could tell it was going to be fun having him around. “Yes, I have,” I said, shaking his hand.
Micah grinned. “It’s good to see you again, Faith.”
Dominic nodded toward Connor. “And this is Connor MacCabe.”
Connor shook my hand, his expression serious. “Nice to meet you, lass.” Dominic had already told me that Connor was a part of the Irish mafia. He’d killed one of his own family members and now they were hunting for him. The Irish were supposedly one of the roughest mafia clans around.
I loved the sound of his accent. “Same to you.”
Dominic leaned in close. “We’re about to leave. You’ll be riding with me.” His hand slid slowly off my back as he walked away. Micah and Connor followed him to the kitchen, leaving Reed alone with me.
Reed smiled and raked his gaze down my body. “You look amazing tonight.”
The man was seriously going to make someone happy one day. “So do you,” I said, squeezing his arm. “Did you have a good day yesterday? I never got to see you.”
His grin widened. “Had some work to do. There was a certain lawyer I needed to deliver a message to.”
My stomach knotted up. “Which one? My ex or Randall Mitchem?”
Reed chuckled. “Mitchem. Let’s just say he was shitting himself by the time I was done with him. He agreed to a video conference call with Layla on Monday. Guess he was too afraid to see her in person.”
Layla had a devious streak in her. I always knew she was a dangerous woman. “Well, that, and she’s pregnant,” I laughed. “She doesn’t need to be traveling so much.” I opened my arms and hugged him. “Thank you for helping. I’m so ready for it all to be over.”
He hugged me back. “I know. Looks like everything’s going to work out for you though. I wouldn’t be surprised if your ex doesn’t lose his shit and contact you. It might be a good idea to have someone close by.”
“I agree,” Dominic stated. I didn’t even realize he’d walked up. Reed slowly let me go, and I stepped back. Dominic slid his arm around my waist and stared at Reed, not angrily but making sure Reed knew I was unavailable. “We ready to go?”
Reed met my stare but kept his face blank. I had no doubt he’d ask me about everything the second we were alone. “I’m ready,” I said, looking up at him.
Reed walked off and followed all the others out the door. Dominic held my hand but stopped once we reached the door. Expression serious, he stared right into my eyes. “Stay near me and the others tonight. If anyone tries to ask you a bunch of questions about yourself, just feed them a bunch of bullshit. I don’t want anyone getting close to you. They’ll use any information they can to find out more.”
I nodded. “Got it.”
When it came to the other mafia families, they played dirty. Layla had her own troubles when it came to men. There was a guy who was part of the Cartwright family who’d seek out her boyfriends and threaten to hurt them unless they left her alone. It eventually got to the point where she couldn’t date because she was afraid her boyfriends would wind up dead.
Dominic opened the door and we took the elevator down to the lobby, and then to the parking garage. Everyone had started pulling out by the time we got to his car. Dominic reached over and held my hand as he drove. The butterflies came back. I never knew how much I’d love little signs of affection like that. Philip never held my hand in public. Now I realized it was probably because he wanted to appear available.
“I’m pretty sure Reed knows about us now,” I said.
Brows furrowed, Dominic glanced over at me. “You’re not mad at me for putting my arm around you, are you?”
I shook my head and he focused back on the road. “No. I just don’t want you throwing it in his face.”
He squeezed my hand. “I’m not, Faith, just as long as he doesn’t try to come between us. He’s made it clear he wants you safe, but I can do that without him. If he becomes a problem, I’m sending him back to Wyoming, whether I need him or not.”
I liked having Reed around. He was a good friend and someone I could trust if things went sideways. “I’ll talk to him,” I offered. “He won’t be a problem, I promise.”
Dominic lifted my hand to his lips and kissed it. “Okay.”
It wasn’t long before we pulled into the parking garage of Avery Hall where the gala was being held. Dominic parked and held out his arm as we approached the entrance so I could hold onto him. Reed and the others stood by the door and followed behind us as we entered, all with their game faces on. Heart racing, I stared at the double doors at the end of the hall where two men in waiters’ uniforms awaited us. Soft, classical music and voices echoed from the other side. I knew what to do and how to act, but it was still nerve-wracking.
The young, male waiter by the door smiled. “Enjoy your evening, Mr. Corsino.”
Dominic nodded at him. “Thank you.”
As soon as the waiter opened the door, I held in my gasp. I’d been to parties before, but nothing compared to what I saw before me. Everything sparkled and twinkled, from the chandeliers on the ceiling, to the women’s dresses and jewelry. There was a small orchestra set off to the right, playing a smooth melody, while others waltzed to the tune on the dance floor. It was as if I’d stepped back in time. There had to be at least two hundred people around, and a lot of their gazes were on us.
Dominic pulled me closer to him. “They’re just admiring how beautiful you are.”
I snorted. “Yeah, right.”
He chuckled and we started walking through the crowd. There were a few evil looks my way from several of the women, but I kept my head held high. I wasn’t about to let any of them intimidate me. A man with slicked back, dark hair and a smug smile on his face had his eyes on us he approached. I’d seen him before, but I couldn’t remember his name. He stopped in front of us and that smile of his grew bigger, more sinister. The vibe he gave off had chills running down my spine; I didn’t like him.
He held out his hand. “Good to see you, Dominic.”
Dominic tensed and shook his hand. “Cadoc.”
Cadoc turned that grin of his to me and reached for my hand. I didn’t want him touching me, b
ut it was too late; he already had my hand. “My how lovely you are. I’m Cadoc Cartwright.”
He kissed my hand, and I politely pulled it away. “Faith. It’s nice to meet you.”
Cadoc turned back to Dominic. “She’s a beauty.” Then his attention averted to everyone behind us. “I see your numbers have gone up.”
Dominic smirked. “What do you want, Cadoc?”
He nodded toward a group of men in the far corner. “We have some business to discuss.”
Cadoc smiled once more at me and then turned on his heel to head back to that group of men. Dominic sighed and leaned in close to my ear. “I’ll be right back. Stay with Reed, Micah and Connor.”
He glanced back at Marco, Luca, and Isaiah and they followed him over to Cadoc and the others. Micah slapped a hand on Reed’s shoulder. “I’m gonna take a look around.”
Connor narrowed his gaze as he searched the room. “Same here.”
Once they were gone, Reed scanned the room a few times before settling his attention on me. “Say something, please,” I begged.
He turned to the dance floor and smiled. “Dance with me?”
By now the waltzing had stopped and everyone danced normal. Reed held out his arm and I took it. “Okay. Don’t get mad if I step on your feet.”
Reed chuckled and it made me feel so much better. “I might be stepping on yours.”
Once we got out to the dance floor, he placed a hand on my waist and clasped my other hand. I looked over his shoulder at Dominic who glanced quickly at us before focusing back on the group of men. “Who are all those people?” I asked.
We slow danced to the music and moved around until he could look over at them. “Ah, yeah, I know who they are. Most of them are the top bosses of their families. You have the Cartwrights, Salvatores, Kazakovs, Rossis, and the O’Briens.”
“Which ones are the worst?”
