Dominik

by Sawyer Bennett

  She makes a choking sort of sound—more disbelief than anything—and I get just a glimpse of her eyes rounding in shock before I’m spinning her around and pushing her down over my desk.

  Her palms slap onto the cherry wood, her torso pressing onto a stack of folders that contain scouting prospects for next year. I step in behind her, press my pelvis to her ass, and lower down over her. My palms come down on the desk near her head, and I bring my mouth to her ear so she can hear me very clearly. “Enough with the recriminations. You should have it out of your system by now.”

  Growling, she moves her fingers as if she’s going to pull the tie out of her mouth. My hand locks around her wrist. “Leave it. I like not hearing you for a change.”

  Another tiny growl escapes her, but it has no punch since she wiggles her ass against my thickening cock.

  “Admit it,” I whisper, grinding into her ass. “You came here because you wanted this.”

  Willow shakes her head frantically, and I chuckle. “Liar. Beautiful, fuckable liar. You totally want it. It’s why you came to the owner’s box.”

  She starts to shake her head again, but I slide my other hand between her legs to cup her possessively and she arches against my touch.

  “I’ll give it to you, Willow. If you want it.”

  A low, keening sound comes from her throat. I take that to mean it’s not just something she wants, but something she needs.

  The rest is a blur. I think it’s the way she rocks backward into me, grinding that lush ass against my hard length. How she doesn’t remove the tie from her mouth, even though she’s more than capable. Choosing silence instead of the opportunity to tell me I’m right about the reasons for her being here.

  Somehow, her leggings end up around her ankles. I also manage to get one shoe off and one pant leg pulled free. I force her legs apart, kneel, and work her with my mouth from behind. She squirms against me, squeals against the gag. When she’s a writhing, sopping mess, I surge up with my cock in hand and my pants low around my waist. Slamming into her—claiming her as mine—is the best fucking feeling in the world because Willow came back on her own volition.

  I have no clue what it means.

  For all I know, it’s still just sex to her.

  Maybe more, since Willow is the most complex woman I’ve ever met.

  We have a lot of talking to do, but first… fucking.

  I drive into her over and over again. Willow plants her feet and pushes back against me with every thrust, forcing me in deeper whether I want to be there or not.

  But, oh… I want to be there.

  Deep inside of her—every fucking chance I can get.

  Reaching out, I put one hand on her shoulder and with the other, I yank the tie out of her mouth before grabbing her hip to hold her steady as I fuck her over my desk.

  “Admit it, Willow,” I grunt, plunging my cock into her. “We’re good together.”

  I get nothing but gasps and moans in response.

  I draw my hand back, then let it fly forward to crack down on her ass. It’s something we discovered she likes very much… on that very first night we were together.

  Willow yips, slamming back onto my cock so hard it actually hurts. I smack her ass again, the resounding blow causing my hand to tingle. “Admit it,” I growl.

  “We’re good together,” she gasps, then her back arches so deeply I think her spine might break as she starts to come. I can feel it all over, her orgasm leeching into me and mine gallops forward to meet her pleasure.

  I push in hard, plant deep, and unload eight fucking days of pent-up frustration, lust, and worry into her. Vaguely, I hear the buzzer in the arena going off, signifying the end of the game.

  My team is down there on the ice, presumably having kept our lead and won game two, yet… I can’t find it within me to be bothered to care right now.

  Because the woman splayed out underneath me has once again rocked my world in a way I can’t compare to any feeling I’ve ever had before.

  What I have with her is unique, and therefore, it can’t be taken lightly anymore.

  I bring my palms to the desktop again, lower myself onto her, and brush my lips across the nape of her neck. “You okay?”

  “More than,” she mutters and although I can’t see her face, I can hear her smile.

  “You’re coming home with me tonight,” I order, allowing no room for argument.

  “Okay,” she whispers… seeming totally replete.

  “And you’re staying with me, at least until the playoffs are over,” I press, needing her to agree to more than one night.

  “Okay,” she says again without an ounce of hesitation and I feel triumphant.

  “Good girl.”

  CHAPTER 16

  Willow

  Things have changed, and I don’t understand any of it. One minute, I was furious with Dominik for trying to be so controlling and spilling the beans to my family about how dangerous my job is. The next, I was walking into his Santa Monica home for a four-day romantic getaway so I can see where he lives and meet his friends.

  In between the infamous desk sex—which may go down as the best I’ve ever had—and him opening the door to his hillside beach home, so much has happened.

  The morning after my return to the States, I met with my parents for breakfast and we had a heart-to-heart conversation. Basically, my dad raged while my mother patted his hand the entire time in quiet solidarity. When it was all said and done, we came to a quiet acceptance of each other’s positions.

  Or, as my dad grumbled, we reached a stalemate.

  Basically, I refused to stop doing what I love doing, but I did promise to be more transparent with them as to exactly what the danger level is and to keep them up to date on the security and protection I have onsite to help alleviate their fears.

  They refused to stop worrying, but they did promise they would support my need to continue my chosen, and much loved, career. I also promised I would be very choosy in the assignments I accepted, and I wouldn’t take on too many dangerous assignments in deference to their fears.

  Dax and I are a different matter. There’s no talking to him about this because he doesn’t listen. He’s much like Dominik in how he thinks he knows everything and is basically a caveman when it comes to women in the line of danger. We’re also at a stalemate and luckily, I haven’t been around him that much, since he’s all dark glares and frowns.

  I spent most of my time this past week with Dominik at his house in Phoenix. Honestly, I’d been a bit of a slug. While he went off to his office at the arena each day to do whatever it is he does to run his conglomerate of billionaire things, I’d sunned poolside, read books, and cooked new recipes for dinner. I was in pure vacation mode really. Still am.

  Of course, the second round of the playoffs dominated everything for us. The Vancouver Flash turned out to be a bit more formidable than the Seattle Storm, but we took them down in game five. That left us with four days until the next round started—the conference finals—and Dominik suggested a trip to California.

  I agreed because things have definitely changed, which is mostly my doing.

  It stems from my acceptance of the fact Dominik is different, not just from other men, but from people in general.

  Bottom line… I’m fascinated by him.

  Wildly attracted to him.

  And terrified of him, but I love danger and adrenaline, so it’s like the overly used cliché of a moth to flame.

  Dominik somehow managed to burst my bubble of self-preservation against heartbreak and letdown, and I’ve decided to take the risk. I have no idea where this is going, but I’m curious enough to let it play out.

  Now, I follow Dominik into his home as he effortlessly maneuvers our luggage. Let’s face it… he’s as built as his hockey players.

  There’s no stopping my gasp of amazement and shock as I take in the living area overlooking the sparkling Pacific Ocean. It has floor-to-ceiling doors open to a patio running th
e length of the house, giving me an unobstructed view.

  “Holy cow,” I murmur as I walk that way. “How do you ever get anything done with this view?”

  Dominik chuckles as he sets the suitcases down. He takes my hand, then leads me over to a sliding door that opens onto the patio. It’s dotted with comfy furniture, fleece blankets draped over the edges. I don’t imagine those are left out here all the time, a theory that’s bolstered when I spot a tray loaded with a chilled bottle of white wine and two glasses, along with a charcuterie board. When he notices what I’m focused on, he grins. “Mrs. Osborne set the house up so we can enjoy the day with no distractions.”

  Indeed, she had. I could happily spend the entire trip on the patio, relaxing, reading books, and occasionally getting lost in the scenery.

  “Are you a relaxer?” I ask as he heads over to the wine. It’s on a low table bordered by a couch with two cushioned gliders on either end. I hurry to the couch and curl up on one end, pulling a blanket over my legs. It’s seventy degrees, but we’re on the shaded part of the patio and it’s a little chilly with the breeze from the ocean.

  “What do you mean by that?” he asks as he works at the cork with finesse.

  “I could literally spend all day out here doing nothing,” I explain. “Can you do that… or are you someone who always needs to be doing something?”

  Dominik pulls the cork free, raising an eyebrow before he starts to pour. His lips quirk upward. “You know the answer to that.”

  I realize I do.

  Dominik is a mover and a shaker. He’d never be able to do nothing for an entire day. A few hours maybe, but never more than that.

  I stay silent as he pours a second glass for himself before settling down on the couch beside me. Placing a glass in my hand, he says, “If you want to sit out here for the next four days, I’m down with that. I want this to be a nice getaway for you.”

  “Why?” I ask suspiciously. I take a sip of my wine, appreciating the clean, crisp taste. Simply perfect.

  Dominik rolls his eyes. Reaching over with his free hand, he pulls my legs over his lap, then resettles the blanket over me. “Because I invited you here, and I don’t want you to regret coming. You’re so squirrely about some stuff, and I don’t want you to be able to make any excuse not to come back one day.”

  I leave that be. He’s making future plans and although I’ve opened myself up to something that’s definitely more than “just sex,” I can only take this day by day.

  Dominik settles into the cushions. He props his feet on the coffee table, which is a heavy stone piece with a copper top. “Everything still cool with your family?”

  It’s a casual question. Lord knows he understands the rift that has been between the members of my family since they learned the true nature of what I do. I’ve also forgiven him for his part in it. He didn’t intentionally spill the beans.

  “Mom and Dad are as okay as they’ll ever be with it,” I say as I wiggle into the soft cushions with a contented sigh. “Dax is still giving me the stink eye.”

  “Your brother is a button pusher,” Dominik replies with a chuckle. “He’s uncomfortable with what you do, so, in turn, he’s going to make you uncomfortable about it.”

  I grin. “Which is why I greatly appreciate you letting me stay with you for the past week… and for inviting me to California.”

  Dominik snorts. “Who are you kidding? There’s no ‘letting’ you stay with me. You wouldn’t even be here—nor would you have stayed with me in Phoenix—had I not ordered you to do so. You’d have never come willingly.”

  I stare at him a moment, my mouth hanging open in surprise. “That’s not true.”

  “It’s so true,” Dominik maintains with a pointed glare. “You have stubborn independence down to a tee. But whatever… I don’t mind giving you commands and watching you obey. Turns me on, actually.”

  I swing my hand to smack him in the chest. He laughs but then sobers, eyes pinned on me hard. “You’re lucky to have a family that loves you so much.”

  His words punch into me deeply, but they’re not a revelation. “I know that. I realize how incredibly lucky I am.”

  Dominik smiles, then lets his gaze drift over the ocean. He takes a sip of wine, seemingly content in the silence.

  “What about your family?” I ask. “Are they crazy protective of you like mine are of me? Or are they more hands-off?”

  Dominik never loses his smile, but sadness fills his eyes. “I don’t have a family.”

  “What?” I exclaim, sitting up a little straighter. How did I not know this? I’ve been deeply intimate with this man… known him for a few months… yet I hadn’t known that about him. “How can you not have a family?”

  Twisting his neck to bring his attention back to me, he gives a tiny shrug. “Lots of people don’t have family, Willow. In my instance, it was shitty luck, I guess. My parents died in a car accident when I was nine. I went to live with my grandpa—my mom’s father—but he died when I was eleven. There weren’t any other family members besides an estranged uncle on my dad’s side who wasn’t interested in raising a kid. So I went into the foster system. Bounced around from house to house for a while. Saw both the good and bad side of the system, but let’s face it… I was unadoptable. No one wants to bring an older kid into their home on a permanent basis.”

  I don’t know what to say, but I manage to stutter, “That’s… that’s… awful.”

  “It wasn’t an easy existence,” he says. He’s so matter of fact about it that my heart actually hurts for him.

  “How so?” I force myself to ask, even though I think I’d rather go back to not knowing this sad bit of information about him.

  “There’s no protection in the foster system,” he explains, shifting slightly to place his arm over the back of the couch so he can face me. “In foster homes, there are usually multiple kids so you have to fight for anything you want. The best hand-me-down clothes, food, attention. It’s worse in the group homes. I went into one when I was fourteen, and I didn’t come out until I was released from state care at eighteen. I had to fight for everything I had there, had to protect my stuff from being stolen, and had to sleep with one eye open every night.”

  I have no clue what expression is on my face, but Dominik must see something that makes him start to backpedal. “Not that it was all bad,” he rushes to assure me. “I had some good experiences there. Honestly… I think the way I was raised is what made me the man I am today. Allowed me to learn how to claw my way to success.”

  Shaking my head, I pull my legs from his lap and cross them Indian-style, leaning more toward him. This conversation had left relaxed mode and moved straight into intense. “You’re sort of blowing up all my horrible stereotypes here.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “It’s just… you’re so put together and successful. Kind and generous. As a society, I think we believe anyone who comes from anything other than a functioning family unit has little-to-no chance at success.”

  “That’s probably true,” he says with a thoughtful nod.

  “But you…” I poke the center of his chest with my forefinger. “You’re a multimillionaire—”

  “Billionaire,” he corrects with a sly grin.

  I know this, of course, but I enjoy downplaying his wealth. “Whatever. The point is… you thrived. Flourished. It’s frankly… amazing. I mean, think about it. You’re so confident. Where did you get that? What role models provided it to you, because I’m guessing it wasn’t anyone in the foster system, right?”

  Something sparkles in Dominik’s eyes. He tucks his chin in, smiling playfully. “I think someone might like me for reasons other than orgasms.”

  I scoff, giving him a backhanded slap against his arm before turning my attention to the ocean, trying to act as if he’s not the most interesting man I’ve ever met. “I don’t like you at all.”

  “You like me so much it scares the crap out of you,” he teases, though there’s
a thread of meaning under it.

  I ignore him, gazing at the blue water as I sip my wine.

  Dominik pulls my legs onto his lap again, and I settle comfortably into the cushions. We’re silent for a while as we just laze the time away in each other’s company.

  He doesn’t press the issue, and I’m glad. Because it wouldn’t take too much goading from him to make me admit I do like him a hell of a lot more than I ever dreamed possible.

  And I’m just not ready to do that yet.

  At least not out loud, because that makes it far too real. And when it becomes real, I’ll have to buckle down and make some firm choices about how I want to continue to lead my life.

  CHAPTER 17

  Dominik

  My orgasm is so powerful I nearly blackout. It’s always so fucking earth-shattering with Willow. Each one feels like the most powerful earthquake is tearing me apart from the inside out.

  That the intensity of our lovemaking hasn’t waned at all over the weeks we’ve been together is amazing.

  My body collapses on top of hers, and I vaguely sense her unwinding her legs from my hips where she’d had them locked tight around me. I gather her in my arms, chest heaving from the exertion, and roll to my side, taking her with me.

  I consider it a miraculous triumph that she now puts her arms around me in return because the Willow Monahan I first fucked had not been a cuddler by any means. Now she snuggles in close and presses her cheek to my chest, her own lungs still gasping for air after that workout.

  The grand plan I’d had to bring her to southern California for a mini-vacation hadn’t panned out like I’d envisioned. I’d visualized dinners in fancy restaurants, meeting some high-profile celebrity friends, or maybe dancing in a few of L.A.’s finest clubs.

  Instead, we stayed at my house almost the entire time. We grilled out, walked on the beach, and spent lazy hours on the back patio. While she read books, I worked on my laptop. And because there’s no fighting the physical need we seem to have for each other, we did a whole lot of fucking. It’s been a perfect four days.