by M. S. Parker
Shivering, I wrapped my arms around myself and rested my forehead against the window.
Sometimes, I wished I’d never left Iowa. Life had been easier there. Emptier, but easier. Maybe I hadn’t fit in and some of the people there were as small-minded as Penelope, but at least they were used to me. No one made a scene every time I walked into a store.
I was so tired of it. I tried to find the excitement from earlier, but it was just gone.
Somewhere off in the apartment, I heard the front door open, but I didn’t move. I couldn’t find the energy to shove away from the glass or turn toward the door. I just wanted to stand there and do nothing. Think nothing. Be nothing. It was just easier that way. It always had been.
7
Dominic
I rode up the elevator in a state of anticipation.
I hadn't been able to wait and had left the office an hour earlier than usual. I'd called Francisco and had been assured that dinner would still be ready when I arrived. Aleena and I would be able to take our time before heading to Olympus. My heart skipped a beat at the thought of taking her into the club. From the first moment I'd met her, I'd wanted her there with me. Now it was going to happen and I was equal parts terrified and excited. I didn't think I'd be able to bear it if it freaked her out.
At least she seemed like she was looking forward to going. Vincent had contacted me earlier and asked me where Aleena could find the best shoes, so I gathered she'd gone shopping. I was looking forward to seeing what she’d found. She had eclectic, but impeccable taste and more often than not, no matter what she was wearing, I wanted to peel her clothing away and fuck her senseless.
I went inside, desire burning, and then I stopped short.
Francisco met my eyes grimly and gave a pointed look toward Aleena’s room.
Dinner was laid out, as I’d requested, but Aleena wasn’t there. I wouldn’t have thought much about that normally, assuming she was doing something until I got home, but the look on his face was telling.
“What’s wrong?” I asked quietly.
Francisco looked down, his eyes going straight to his highly polished black boots. “Perhaps it would be better if you talked to her, Mr. Snow.”
“I’m talking to you,” I said.
Francisco blew out a rough breath and then he nodded, shoving away from the counter. He moved into the kitchen and I followed, watching as he quickly and expertly put together a salad. “She was out shopping,” he said, his words as economical as his motions. “She visited several stores, bought several items. Then she ran into somebody you know.” His gaze was thin and sharp. “Penelope Rittenour.”
My heart plummeted. What had that bitch done? Slowly, I turned my head and followed the path of the stairs, upward toward where Aleena’s rooms were.
“I don’t know what happened,” Francisco said quietly. He shook his head at my unasked question. “She won’t say. But Vincent…” He sighed and then continued, “He said that...words were exchanged.”
Penelope Rittenour was going to pay for whatever she'd done to Aleena. But not now. Aleena needed me.
I gave a short nod and put my briefcase down before glancing at the table. “Will the meal hold?”
“I can put it away.” He hesitated. “Or shall I wait?”
I almost said yes, that I wouldn't be long, but I had a feeling Aleena would need more than just an encouraging word and what she needed was more important than anything else. “Go ahead and put things away, then go home. We'll reheat if we have to.”
The fact that he didn't protest my reheating the food told me more than anything how upset Aleena must have been.
A few short minutes later, I stood outside her door and knocked. She didn't answer right away, so I knocked again.
Finally, her voice came, low and rough. “Just a minute.”
Like hell. I opened the door and went inside.
She stopped in the middle of the floor, her mouth twisting in a scowl as she glared at me. “Just a minute means I’m not ready,” she pointed out as she dropped her gaze.
“I know.” I moved toward her, not taking my eyes off of her. When I was close enough, I twisted my hand in her soft hair, tugging until she was staring up at me. “What happened?”
“Nothing.”
The lie didn’t show in her eyes, but I heard it, felt it. Dipping my head, I pressed my mouth to her lips. I kissed her softly, then pulled back just enough for me to speak. “What happened?” I asked again as I released her hair.
She sighed and shifted away, tucking her head into the crook of my neck. “It’s nothing, Dominic. Stupid.”
“Tell me anyway.” I curved my arms around her and waited. Patience for something like this wasn't one of my strong points, but I would do whatever she needed, be what she needed.
She clung to me, hard and tight for another moment and then pulled away. Reluctantly, I let her go. A part of me wanted to order her to let me hold her, but I knew that wasn't the right way to handle this.
Her voice was flat. “I went shopping.” She gave me a quick and brittle smile over her shoulder. “I wanted to knock you dead, you know?”
“You do that always.”
The smooth gold of her cheeks flushed and I was happy to see a bit of happiness flash across her eyes.
“Anyway...” She fussed with her necklace. She rarely did it anymore, but when she was nervous or upset, those slim fingers would still sometimes seek out that delicate chain, as if asking for comfort from the grandmother who'd given it to her. “I’d found a dress—well, an outfit. A blouse and a skirt.”
She lapsed back into silence, fingers moving back and forth across her necklace.
My curiosity got the best of me. “Can I see it?”
She frowned, then shrugged. “Okay.” The word was devoid of emotion.
I followed her from her living room into her bedroom and saw the outfit laid on the bed. With one glance, I could see her in it. And see me taking her out of it.
“It looks a lot better on…” She ran her hand over the skirt, then picked it up, clutching it to her as she turned toward me. Several different emotions ran across her face. “I needed shoes. Vincent took me to a place that had been recommended by the shop owner. Penelope was in there and, of course, she started on me. I don’t…”
Her hands tightened on the skirt and I waited to hear what that bitch had said to upset Aleena so badly. When Aleena’s soft green eyes flew to mine, I didn't see hurt. Instead, the anger there burned through me.
“She doesn’t even love you, dammit. She doesn’t love you, but she hates that I have you and she doesn’t. She could never make you happy, wouldn’t even want to try.”
Shock rarely stunned me into silence, but I found myself struggling for the words as I realized why she was so angry. I stared at her. This woman just might stun the hell out of me. Hell with that. She already had.
Aleena continued, eyes still flashing, “She pissed me off. Made a bunch of noise about how the store was going downhill if people like me were allowed in there.” She picked up the blouse and laughed, the sound harsh. “I told her to shut up and you should've seen her face.”
I wished I would have. Just the thought of it would've made me smile if I hadn't been dreading what came next.
“Vincent came in before it got too bad. He must have radar because he mentioned how he’d spoken with you and how 'Mr. Snow' thought I’d be better off at a different store. The shopkeeper looked like she’d swallowed a lemon when she realized I wasn’t some little match girl off the streets. So, I left. That's it.” She held the two pieces up and looked at me, her eyes blazing as she changed the subject. “What do you think?”
I stood there, staring at her and feeling the weight of the love I felt for her washing over me. What had I done to deserve her?
“I think,” I spoke slowly as I walked towards her. “That you are the most incredible woman I’ve ever known.”
“Ah…” She blinked and then looked down at the
outfit she held in front of her. “Well, if that’s your reaction, I should go shopping—”
I caught her face and kissed her, slipping one arm around her to tug her up against me, trapping her clothes between us as I backed her up against her bed. The sheets were cotton, a high thread count but nothing like the silk I used. The bed was nice and sweet, and solely hers.
I’d never made love to her in here.
This was her space. Being with her in here would have felt like it would cross an unseen line. But those lines had been blurring for some time and lately, I couldn’t even sense the lines.
The only thing I could sense was that I had to touch her, had to kiss her, had to hold her.
I needed her.
Needed her in a way I'd never needed anyone before.
As I brushed a kiss across her lips, she sighed, my name escaping her in a whisper.
I swallowed the soft sound before kissing my way along the elegant line of her throat, easing her back until she was stretched out on the bed, staring up at me. She still clutched the clothes even as the robe she’d been wearing rode high on her thighs.
I crawled up to kneel across her hips, reaching for the belt and tugging it free, baring her to my eyes. Full breasts rose and fell with each breath, her nipples tight, begging for me to take them into my mouth. But I held back.
I put the blouse against her bare chest, smoothing it into place as though she was wearing it. She watched without a word as I smoothed it down, from her shoulders to her waist, pausing to mold the shape of her breasts through the material, circling her tight nipples. I watched as her pupils dilated and her lips parted. Her lashes fluttered. I dipped my head and kissed the line of her jaw, up to her ear.
“Beautiful.”
“It would look better if I were wearing it,” she said, the words breathless.
I reached up and traced her bottom lip. “I wasn’t talking about the clothes.”
Leaving the blouse in place, I reached over and picked up her skirt. I smoothed it over her hips, from her thighs to her knees. It would end just a few inches higher once she had it on, thanks to her amazing hips and ass. It would fit her like a glove, clinging to her and highlighting every beautiful curve, drawing the eye of every straight man in the club.
They would look at her and they would want her.
And she was mine.
I stretched out on top of her, needing to feel her body under mine. With the clothes crushed between us, I caught her mouth. I tugged on her hair, angling her lips toward mine. She opened for me and we shared one long kiss after another, exploring each other’s mouths as if memorizing every inch. She caught my tongue between her teeth and bit down.
Fuck me.
Lust shot straight through me and I snarled, the urge to take her driving everything else from me.
I wanted her and I wanted her now.
I reached down and tore at my belt, one-handed, clawing it open and then doing the same with my button and zipper. As she sucked on my tongue, I somehow managed to free myself from my trousers and wrap my hand around my cock, groaning at the cool brush of air against my burning skin.
I needed her so badly.
I tossed her clothes aside, not caring where they landed, thinking only of burying myself in her wet heat. She opened her legs, her eyes boring into me as I pushed inside. She was impossibly tight around me and I tried to go slow. She lifted her hips to take me inside, shoving up to meet me, her hands tearing at my shirt until she was able to dig her nails into flesh. I hissed. Her greed, her hunger matching mine, feeding mine.
Desperate, so desperate for her, I growled and withdrew. I held her there for a moment, then slammed into her, driving deeper.
More. I needed more. More of her. All of her. I needed her to be mine. Body, heart and soul.
And I knew what I needed to do.
The words burned inside me, a fire hotter than anything I'd ever known.
I tore my mouth from hers and she tried to bring me back, tried to kiss me.
Curving my hand against her jaw, my palm against the delicate skin of her throat, I stared into her eyes. I shook my head. I could feel the mad flutter of her pulse under my fingertips, feel each and every breath. She started to lift her head and I squeezed, waited until she relaxed back against the bed.
“Do you see me?” I demanded as I thrust into her.
“I see you.” Her voice was rough, ragged. Raw. Her nails bit into my chest again and I knew I'd be marked. Knew that's what she wanted.
She wanted to mark me. Claim me. She was mine, but I was hers. I twisted my hips and drove deep inside her yet again. Her pussy clutched at me and the muscles that gripped my cock clenched tighter and tighter. I hissed out a breath, I pulled out and then surged deeper and held there, lodged so deep inside of her, I couldn’t have gone any deeper. There was only one thing I needed to do.
“I love you.” I stared into her eyes as I said the words. The first time I’d ever said them to a woman. The first time I’d said the words to anybody in a very, very long time.
Her eyes went wide.
I pulled out and thrust deep, said the words again.
This time, she reached for me and I let her. She curled her hands around my neck, plunging her fingers into my hair. When she pulled my mouth to hers, I didn’t resist. I let her kiss me and there was more than just hunger to her kiss this time. There was love and laughter and a promise of something I'd never known before.
We’d had sex before, and we'd made love before, but this was something different entirely. I couldn’t put a name to it and I wasn’t sure I wanted to. I wasn't sure I could handle it.
My climax welled up and I couldn’t fight it, just as I couldn’t fight the desperate way Aleena pushed me closer to it, her body moving with mine.
This wasn’t about the need to control anything.
This was…claiming.
Me claiming her. Her accepting it.
Her claiming me. Me accepting it.
“I love you,” she breathed as her body tightened around me. She arched up against me, crying out as she came.
“Mine,” I ground out the word as I followed her.
I collapsed on her. Despite having come, my cock was still hard and throbbing. I wanted more, wanted a lot more, but my muscles had gone to putty. Her pussy fluttered around me, sending the most delicious sensations through me. Her body twitched underneath me and I rolled us until she was on top of me, our bodies still joined. I never wanted to leave her.
“Tell me again,” she murmured, the words a bare whisper in the quiet room.
I slid my hand up her naked thigh and smiled. Her pretty new clothes were a twisted mess next to us and mine were in even worse shape. I was pretty sure she'd been grabbing her clothes instead of the bedspread. My pants were tangled around my knees, my shirt open. I was also pretty sure some of the buttons had been torn off.
And I didn’t give a damn.
I said the words as firmly as I could manage, wanting there to be no mistake. “I love you.”
She hummed under her breath, a low pleased sound. “I thought that was what you said.”
A moment later, she stretched and rolled off of me, hissing as my cock slid out of her. She snuggled up against me and I groaned as that long, lazy movement had her rubbing up against me.
“I should move.” She sighed. “Get up, clean up. Going to take me forever to get ready. I think we kind of trashed my clothes.”
I wrapped my arm around her and kissed the top of her head. “We’ll go another night. I think I just want to stay here, holding you tonight.”
She didn’t argue. She just wiggled closer and murmured, “I like the sound of that.”
So did I.
8
Dominic
I left the penthouse earlier than normal the next morning. It was Wednesday and since we normally went to the office together, I left Aleena a note. I'd send Vincent back to get her after I'd taken care of some business.
This wouldn’t wait. I should have already done it, I knew, but I'd kept hoping the woman would show some of the intelligence I knew was buried inside that shallow, vapid brain.
The Rittenours, like so many of the families I’d known most of my life, owned a lovely house in the Hamptons, but they also owned a residence inside the city. Traveling to and from the city could be a nuisance, and having an apartment or townhouse, any kind of second residence, was common.
Penelope’s townhouse was only a block away from the penthouse. It wasn’t unusual for us to see each other on the street or bump into each other at a local restaurant or club. It wasn’t any wonder I felt like I'd had her in my back pocket half my life.
Vincent came to a stop just outside the townhouse. “Keep the car running. This won’t take long,” I said.
I glanced at Vincent and I stopped with my hand on the door.
“She upset her,” Vincent said.
The words struck me as out of place. We were friendly, Vincent and I, but not friends. Not like Maxwell, who'd been more like family than employee over the years. Suddenly, it hit me that, with as much as he'd been driving her around, Aleena might consider Vincent a friend and jealousy stirred inside me. It was stupid, but I wanted all of her tenderness, all of her heart. I wouldn’t demand it though. Not from her. I wanted her love more than her obedience.
“Penelope upset Aleena, you mean.”
Vincent nodded and glanced up at the townhouse. “Penelope made her angry at first, then she was just…sad, sir.”
“I know.” I climbed out of the car, but didn’t shut the door. He didn't say anything, but I felt the need to make sure he knew why I was here. I bent over and met his eyes in the mirror for another moment. “I’m taking care of it. It shouldn’t happen again. Not after today.”
To my surprise, he climbed out of the car and studied me, but the look on his face wasn’t that of an employee addressing his employer. His gaze was steady, as if taking a measure of me. I wasn't sure I liked it, but I waited to see what he planned to say.
