by M. S. Parker
“I think so too.”
She made introductions and we chatted for a few minutes, the banality of the conversation allowing me to relax a bit. After her husband, a man she’d introduced as Kurt, glanced past me for the third time, I finally followed his gaze and saw Mitchell Pence leaning up against a wall nearby, staring at me.
“If your boss is even half as smart as he seems to be, the first thing he needs to do is fire that son of a bitch,” Kurt said, his voice blunt.
“Kurt, please don’t start,” Miri said, shaking her head. “Not here.”
“He’s a dick, Miri. A dangerous one.”
“Is everything okay?” I asked.
“Yes, of course,” Miri said, clearly lying through her teeth.
Kurt said, “No.” He gave me a mockery of a smile and then tilted his half-empty wine glass in Pence’s direction. “That man there? He’s a lawsuit waiting to happen. And if I ever see him within ten feet of Miri again, I’ll rip his balls off.”
It took twenty minutes to get the story out of them and my head was pounding by the time they were done. Miri looked humiliated, stressed and frustrated. Kurt was pissed. And now I had to tell Dominic that a CEO’s son, one of the men we’d agreed to keep on as part of the deal, had a long, quiet history of sexual harassment.
Perfect, I thought. Outside, alone at a table by myself, I watched the party going on through the windows. The dinner was done and everybody was socializing, the feeling of relief almost palpable. We’d managed to keep a lid on everything pretty well, but those in management who’d agreed to come over with us had been walking on eggshells as they waited for Dominic to make his move. Now they could all breathe again.
Through the window, I could see Dominic talking to Eddie. I had to admit, he’d done a damn good job. Eddie looked pleased. Happy, really. He could retire at his own pace now knowing that his company and his people would be taken care of.
The door slid open.
I almost got up and left. There was another door inside, but I would damned if I let Penelope think she could chase me off.
So I stayed where I was, idly swaying to the music that played softly from hidden speakers and counting down the minutes until Dominic decided we could leave. That hot tub in my room was sounding really good right now.
Penelope said nothing right away, just came over and sat down on the opposite side of the table. Almost five minutes passed before she finally spoke, “I understand why he’s attracted to you, Aleena. You really are very pretty.”
I could almost hear her adding some sort of clarification. I turned my head and looked at her. “Am I supposed to say thank you?”
“I hardly expect you to have any sort of proper manners.” She looked unconcerned with my response. “You’re attractive and probably a unique change. After all, Dominic’s lovers all tend to be from his world.”
“So, Dominic’s slumming with me.” I gave her a hard look. “You’re hardly the first to point that out. His mother beat you to it, Penelope.”
Her eyes flickered and I smiled. “She told you about that, huh?”
“You’re so crude.” She wrinkled her nose. Then she sighed. “I don’t know why I’m bothering to discuss anything with you. Have fun with him while you can, Aleena. He’ll tire of you soon enough and I’ll be there waiting, as I always am. He knows where he can find me when he gets bored of you.”
Bored. Dominic did get bored easily.
She rose and turned to go, but then, slowly, she turned back to face me. “I’ve always been there for him. I’m the one he turns to when things are the darkest when he’s lost and confused. When he’s hurting, he knows I’ll be there. He always comes back to me. You? You’re just a passing fancy.”
I stared at her. “He always comes back to you? Uh-huh. Sure.” I waved a dismissive hand and went back to staring in at the party. “I think it’s clear how much he needs you.”
Silence, heavy and weighted, fell and after a moment, I turned to look at her.
She was staring at me, a glimmer of icy amusement on her face.
“And does he need you, Aleena?” She glanced toward the window and then started back toward me. “Tell me, when he’s hurting in the night, when the nightmares are the worst, do you know why? Do you have any idea what to say to make them go away?”
I’d been sure there was nothing she could say that would get to me any more than she already had.
I’d been wrong.
The nightmares.
I could still hear the sounds he’d made that night. The first night we’d ever had sex, it had been because I’d woken him from a nightmare. I’d never asked him what it was about and he never offered.
She leaned down, braced one hand on the table. “You do know about the nightmares, don’t you, Aleena?” She paused and then added, “Unless of course he doesn’t allow you to share his bed. He might fuck you, he does have needs, after all. I know that. But there’s a difference between sex and what I can give him.”
She gave me a knowing smile and then turned.
I never saw her leave.
I was too busy staring at Dominic.
She’s just trying to get to you.
I spent twenty minutes trying to convince myself of that. I spent another ten minutes working up the courage to go inside again.
Finally, I had no choice when that ass Mitchell Pence came out.
Swallowing back the bile and fighting a headache, I made my way in and I would have found a dark, quiet corner, but Eddie saw me and caught my arm, guiding me back into the thick of things. “Everything’s going wonderfully,” he said, squeezing my elbow. “Dominic’s been amazing. And both you and Amber have done so much…I can’t thank you enough.”
I smiled at him.
It couldn’t have been a very good effort because he paused and studied me. “Are you feeling okay, Ms. Davison?” he asked.
“I’m fine,” I said. “Just tired.”
“Of course. I’ll…” He paused and then said, “Why don’t we find you a drink? The champagne is…”
I stopped, not hearing the rest of what he said.
In front of me, not even ten feet away, Penelope was talking to Dominic. He had his back to me. She stood at an angle, facing away, their heads pressed close together. As I watched, she reached up and touched his cheek. Dominic averted his head, but didn’t pull away. Penelope settled her hand on his shoulder instead, smoothing it up and down in a possessive gesture.
“I...” Swallowing, I glanced over at Eddie. “You know, I think I should go back to the hotel. I’m not feeling well.”
He squeezed my hand, casting a knowing look at Penelope. “You shouldn’t let her run you off, Ms. Davison.”
“Oh, I’m not…” The words faded, my protest dying in my throat as I met the man’s kind eyes. Finally, I cleared my throat and said, “I am tired.”
“Of course. Allow me to get you a car at least. I’ll let Dominic know you weren’t feeling well.” Then his eyes narrowed on Penelope, clear dislike on his face. “Once he’s done with his conversation, of course.”
I nodded and he guided me away, his hand resting solicitously on my back.
My head was still pounding almost an hour later when I came out of the shower.
I’d hoped it would help, but it hadn’t.
The sight of the man standing in the middle of my bedroom didn’t help either.
9
Aleena
Dominic stood there staring at me, looking almost too beautiful for words.
Rumpled blond hair fell across his forehead while blue eyes studied my face. The elegant tux he wore fit him to perfection, although at some point since I’d last seen him, he’d loosened his tie and it hung open at his throat, the top two buttons of his shirt freed as well.
My heart hurt just to look at him.
“Eddie said you weren’t feeling well.”
Turning away, I rubbed the heel of my hand over my chest. “No. I’m not.”
His heavy sigh filled the room around me. “May I ask what’s wrong?”
My heart’s breaking. I don’t know what to think. I’m trying to figure out if I know you at all…I wanted to tell him all of that, but I didn’t know how to even begin. Taking a deep breath, I let it out slowly and then turned to face him, wondering if I had the strength to even try.
The remote look in his eyes froze every single word that came to my mind. Lamely, I said, “I’ve got a horrible headache.”
Dominic tipped his head back, staring up at the ceiling. “A headache?”
“Yes.” It was nothing less than the truth, but it was lame and I knew it. I could have stayed. I could have toughed it out if it wasn’t for one little thing. Or rather, if it wasn’t for one major bitch by the name of Penelope, I would have been fine. Did I have a headache? Yes. It was brought on by the stress of the party and too little sleep and just being unfamiliar with everything I was doing, but I could have popped a few Tylenol, dealt with it and pushed on.
But I wasn’t going to deal with her goading me, stabbing at me, going out of her way to embarrass me at every turn.
And the uncertainty.
That was the worst of it.
Dominic had said we needed to talk, but maybe I shouldn’t have avoided it. We should have talked and we hadn’t and now I was left not knowing where I stood with him.
The turmoil of my thoughts was interrupted by Dominic’s voice, brusque, almost harsh.
“Aleena, I realize this life is different from what you’re used to, but sometimes, you’re going to have to deal with shit. Headaches, feeling like shit, even rude people like Mitchell Pence.”
I jerked my head up and stared at him.
“Excuse me?”
He rubbed the back of his neck. “I heard he was being a dick. I’m going to assume that has something to do with your headache.”
“Something? Sure.” I tightened the belt on my robe and moved past him, staring outside. I could’ve explained, but I decided to see how things played out. I still didn’t know what Penelope had said. “Just exactly what did you hear about him, Dominic?”
“He made a move on you, didn’t he?”
I slanted a look at him. “You could say that.”
His jaw went tight. “I’ll deal with him, Aleena. But you’re a beautiful woman—”
“I’m a beautiful black woman, Dominic.” Turning back to him, I held out my hands and said, “I’m sure you’ve noticed since everyone else in your life has. I’m half-black. Most of the world looks at me and sees a black woman. Period. You do understand that?”
“Yeah.” He braced his hands on his hips. “Look, Aleena, that’s got nothing to do—”
“That son of a bitch put his hands on me,” I said. I stormed over to him and jabbed him in the chest. “So guess what, Dominic? You don’t get to stand there and tell me it’s got nothing to with jackshit.”
He caught my wrist.
I jerked back. “Let me go,” I warned him. “I’ve had it with people putting their hands on me today.”
Dominic lowered his gaze and slowly, he let go. He didn’t move back though and I could feel tension radiating off of him. “What are you talking about?” he asked quietly.
“What, didn’t Penelope fill you in on all the details?” He didn’t respond and I laughed, shaking my head. “So I’m right, aren’t I? She decided to tell you how difficult I was being.” Bitterness choked me. “I guess I should be grateful that you gave me some benefit and at least assumed he was being an asshole.”
He wasn’t even looking at me now and I started to walk away.
“Aleena, would you please…” He stopped and then after a moment, he tried again. “I want to know what happened.”
“Sure. I’ll tell you.” I turned around. “That prick you agreed to take on? He called me brown sugar and a black bitch and he put his hands on me. You’re fucking lucky I didn’t deck him right there. And then that bitch of a girlfriend of yours had the nerve to tell me to show him respect.”
I went into my bedroom and slammed the door shut. I couldn’t stay here.
The party was over. Tomorrow, we were heading back. Fuck that.
I was going to figure out a way to get back to New York tonight, even if I had to rent a car and drive back myself. I couldn’t stay here another minute.
The door opened and I spun around, glaring at Dominic.
“Get out!” I shouted at him. “I am so sick of you walking in whenever you feel like it!”
He flinched, but didn’t move. “I’m sorry I didn’t knock, but I didn’t think you’d let me in.”
“Damn right,” I muttered.
“I needed you to hear this,” he continued. “Penelope isn’t my girlfriend. I can barely stand the woman.”
“Sure.” Misery crashed and stormed inside me as I grabbed some clothes from the dresser. “That’s why she knows more about you than I do.”
“Penelope doesn’t know anything about me.”
He blocked me when I tried to go around him.
“Yeah?” Angling my head back, I stared up at him. I clung to the clothes I held like they were somehow keeping me from falling apart. “Fine. Tell me about your nightmares.”
He jerked back as if I’d slapped him.
“Okay.” I nodded. That settled it then. “Okay,” I repeated. I ducked around him. “This…this isn’t working for me, Dominic. I think you’re going to have to find a new assistant. I’m going to find someplace else…” My voice cracked and I all but tore the door open, shuddering and shaking. Tears blinded me.
“Aleena, wait.”
I lunged for the bathroom. I had to get away from him.
“You are not leaving me.”
He caught me, pulling me against him. I bucked and thrashed, trying to get out of his embrace, but he was too strong.
“Let me go!” I shouted.
His lips pressed against my cheek, while against my back, I felt the ragged rise and fall of his chest. “I can’t,” he whispered. “I can’t…Aleena, you’re mine. Don’t you get it?”
“Yours?” I started to cry. So that was how he saw me then. A thing. A possession. I sagged and he caught me, lowering us both to the floor.
“Stop, please, baby,” he murmured, speaking softly into my hair. “Don’t cry. Don’t cry…”
“I can’t do this. I can’t…”
“Aleena.” He rubbed his cheek against mine. “I need you. I—”
“Stop saying that!” The words infuriated me and I started to fight him again, preferring anger to hurt.
I drove my head back. Pain lit inside the back of my head and he cursed, but it didn’t stop me. Jerking against his hold, I reared and twisted and managed to get away, but instead of taking advantage of it, I turned and struck out, slapping him hard enough to leave a red mark on his cheek. I raised my hand again and he caught my wrists, jerking me back down on his lap.
“Stop.” The word came out of him in a ragged burst. “You’re going to hurt yourself. Just…just stop.”
“I’m trying to hurt you, you son of a bitch! You need me?” I said it mockingly, letting the misery inside me drip out in each and every word. “You don’t need me. The only thing you want from me is sex, Dominic. You said it yourself. I’m yours. Something to be used when you want it and discarded when you get bored.”
His hands fell away and he looked at me, a look of stunned surprise on his face. “No.” He shook his head. “That’s…no, Aleena.”
I clambered to my feet.
The red mark on his cheek looked like my hand.
The back of my head hurt and I realized, dully, that his nose was bleeding. I’d done that. He swiped his wrist under his nose and looked at the smear of blood left there. For a moment, he just stared and then lowered his hand. “No,” he said again, but the word was faint. “How can you…?”
“Do you realize that we’ve spent more than a month together and you never once took me out on a date?” I said s
oftly. The fury was leaving me just as quickly as it had come on. “And tonight? You said we might as well go together. Like I was some convenient option. You called me your ‘companion’.” I gave him a sad smile. “At least ‘friend’ would’ve implied some amount of respect. And you wouldn’t have had to pretend to not be ashamed of me, because we all know that it’s okay to be ‘just friends’.”
10
Dominic
I didn’t think anything she could have said would have hit me in the gut quite so hard. “You think I’m ashamed of you?”
Blood dripped down the back of my throat.
My face hurt from where she’d slapped me.
But all of that paled compared to the gaping hole that was forming inside me as I realized just how badly I’d messed up.
Eddie had told me to be careful. He’d told me she was hurting and something wasn’t right. The old bastard was a sharp one and he’d seen something between us almost from the beginning. Because he was so sharp, I should have listened. Fawna had told me. Hell, I’d even known Aleena thought I didn’t want to be seen in public with her, but I hadn’t realized just how deep it had gone. Because I hadn’t wanted to see.
Aleena’s eyes were haunted and when I reached for her, she backed away.
“I’m not an idiot, Dominic,” she said, the words hollow. She reached up to toy with her necklace and she touched the diamond collar I’d given her. She fisted her hand liked it burned to touch it and I saw her throat work. Her eyes fell away. “We don’t eat together. You never once wanted to take me out. The few times I asked if we could go out, it was like I’d asked you to the Inquisition. The one time you did ask me something that even resembled a date, you made it quite clear what my place was.”
She laughed and the sound of it stabbed through me.
“I guess I needed rules even for that. You should have explained I was expected to let perverts put their hands on me and take whatever insults rich, bitchy socialites send my way—”
