He raised his eyes in her direction and very calmly stated, “You would do well to not curse me, young lady.”
He crossed his legs and eyed her. “I don’t think you quite understand what kind of man that I am. That trick of a boyfriend of yours owes me $100,000 dollars. Now… you can bail him out by being my arm candy, as you word it, or you can go back to work for him until I kill him. You don’t look like the kind of person whose conscious can deal with his blood being on your hands.”
“I’d like to have your blood on my hands,” she snarled.
When he stood and took long strides in her direction, she backed up wondering if she’d crossed another unseen line. Tan suit, silk tie and chocolate brown Italian leather shoes. Damn it!
“There are things we’d all like to have. Me for instance—I’d like to have your hot pussy wrapped around my throbbing cock. Close your mouth, dear, before something flies in. Or better yet, before I fill it with my cock that seems to get hard every time I’m in your presence.” When he was assured she had no smart ass comebacks he continued. “I’ve already checked your bank accounts, Lydia, and I know you’ve been putting money back—money Donald gave you. He wasted no time starting to pay you, yet he can’t pay me. Of course I’m sure he’s trying to impress you. Now that I have you under lock and key, maybe he’ll see things my way.”
“Then take the money he owes you out of my account, Dominic, and let me go.”
“You’re not the enabling type, Lydia. If you bail him out he’ll only be back in trouble. No… I don’t think that will help Donald. You’re willing to bail out a man you hardly know. Are you fucking him?”
“Fuck you, Dominic,” she hissed in his direction as she stood, making her way over to the bars.
“I have every intention of fucking you.” His voice was calm, his gaze steady. One of his long fingers stroked back and forth over her hand that was clenched tightly around a steel bar. He watched her face, studying every detail of it. The way she studied his hand, like she was in a trance, only intensified the need in him.
“I want you to listen to me very closely, Lydia.” Her eyes slowly traveled up his arm, studying everything, until they finally landed on his face.
“A man who looks like you… you could have any woman you want. Why me?”
“I’ve developed an appetite for you.”
“You’ve been following me for two days. I highly doubt you’re lovestruck.”
“Oh, I never said anything about love. And the following you for two days, so you say.”
“You’ve been following me longer than I’ve been working for Donald?”
“You’ve been working for Donald longer than two days.”
“Oh God, Dominic! You know what I mean.” She threw her hands up in the air in frustration.
“Did I not instruct you last night of my strict religious beliefs?”
“Yes, sir. I’m sorry, sir.” She mocked him with a salute.
“Then why are you addressing me as: God?”
“You are such a sarcastic ass. I’ll give you the money in my account. Please, just let me go.”
Donald was having fun watching her exasperation with him. Toying with her to purposely make her angry was becoming one of his favorite pass times. Not much amused Dominic. She did.
“Are you telling me how to handle my business affairs, Lydia?” Once again he raised an eyebrow as if he was baffled by her defiance of him. Entertained would be a more definitive description. What is it about you, Lydia, that so intrigues me?
“No. I am just offering to pay his debt. Isn’t that what you want?”
“Do you love him, Lydia?”
“No!” she immediately answered.
“Very good, Lydia. You’re being completely honest with me. We’re going to need that trust in the work we’ll be doing.”
“Yeah, I get that, I mean putting me in jail really speaks of your trust for me.” She rolled her eyes before continuing. “What kind of work would that be?”
“Lydia… Donald is responsible for paying his own debt. You, on the other hand, are interest. You work for me now. You allowed yourself to be paid to make him look good. Now… as I have clearly stated, you’re going to help me. It’ll be fun. You can make me look good.”
“Dominic, you don’t need me. As I have clearly stated, you have women.”
“You’re correct. I have access to some of the most beautiful women in the world. It’s you I want. Only you will do.” He placed his hand on his hip purposely pulling back the tailored suit coat he wore, revealing the holstered gun she had yet to notice up until then. “Do you have a problem with that, Lydia?”
“No, Dominic!” It’s not like you’re giving me a fucking choice. “For the umpteenth time, what will I be doing?”
“The first thing you’ll be doing is taking a shower. You look like shit.”
“Thank you. I appreciate that. You look like a hitman.”
“Interesting choice of words, Lydia. Now come with me. It’s time to take a shower.”
Chapter Ten
It was evident to her that he had been following her for quite some time. Her personal hygiene products being in the shower, her makeup case she carried in a large fishing tackle box, and even her toothbrush with her brush and comb that were all neatly arranged on the large double sink bathroom counter, gave witness to the length of time he had been stalking her.
The hot water felt good running over her body. The thought of him stalking her intrigued her as well, sending a jolt of excitement to her system. It took a certain kind of man to do it right. Even though it had only been a fantasy up until then, she still understood that you had to be a real predator to pull it off. There were two kinds of stalkers: the creepy kind you avoided, and the ones like Dominic. She knew instinctively it was an art—it had to be in you. It was in Dominic. She could feel the moistness settling between her legs at the thought of danger that he represented. It wasn’t just the sinister energy that followed him like some ghost hovering around him everywhere he went—it was his job. She wasn’t sure what it was yet, but it meant she could go back to doing what she loved. She missed working at what she did best. Dressing up and changing her persona to work a con was a high for her—a jolt to her system that electrified every nerve ending in her body. It stimulated her mind when she’d think of new ways to do a job. Bumping into a man and lifting his wallet gave her a sense of power, a way to pay back all the men who had tried to fuck her over. While they were checking out her tits, she was lifting their debit card. Knowing she could get caught was an adrenalin rush. Getting away with it was an aphrodisiac.
A cool breeze caused her to open her eyes and see him standing in front of her. Maybe he was the ghost. He’d managed to make his way into the bathroom without her hearing him. He’d managed to insert himself into her life and she never knew she was being followed.
“How...?”
His fingers twisted in her hair pulling her head back. He studied her throat before he nipped at the side of her neck until he reached the sweet spot where a woman’s neck meets the curve of her shoulder. The tiny gasp that came from deep in her chest drove him crazy. His lips crashed down on hers, taking her mouth in ownership. His need to possess was growing by the second.
He picked her up with ease, clenching his fingers into her ass cheeks as he lowered her down on his hard cock. She cried out as her body stretched to take him in.
“So fucking wet. You haven’t been fucked in so long. You need me as much as I need you.”
“Who are you?”
“I’m the man who is going to keep you in a gilded cage. I’m the man who is going to free you up to be who you really are. Touch yourself baby—touch yourself while I fuck you like you’ve never been fucked.”
His lips locked over one of her hardened nipples. His thrusts were hard, demanding, like he wanted to climb inside of her and own her.
Her pussy clenched. Her whole body felt like every nerve ending was being surged with
electrified current. She grabbed onto him like her life depended on him. She held on to him as her body gave way to the orgasm that raged through her like some beast devouring its prey.
She could feel his cock throb as an orgasm overtook him, and she knew by the way his body trembled that he had felt the same intensity she had. She’d crossed a line. Somewhere deep inside of her she knew he’d never let her go. Not until he got whatever it was he wanted. What was it he had said? That he wanted her. That no one else would do.
Was her past coming back to haunt her? It had been so hard to kill that woman—that girl. The one who whispered in her ear during the daylight hours. The ghost who haunted her dreams calling her back into a life she buried long ago.
Secrets… they have a way of resurrecting. They wait for years, giving us the delusion of a new life, and then they come back when we least expect it.
They dried off and he ushered her into a huge walk-in closet. It looked more like a store. Her eyes landed on the shelf with wigs of various colors, styles, and lengths. He knows…
Chapter Eleven
He stood, allowing her to take it all in. It was a lot for anyone to handle, even a woman with her training. He respected her because unlike others she was self-trained. You could train a person and make them a professional, but there were a very few who were born with the abilities needed in his line of work. In fact, he’d never run across one who had the innate abilities—until then.
“I bought you everything you’ll be needing. I brought your things too. Having your things here will make the transition easier.”
She ignored his statement, making one of her own. “You know.”
He put his hands on her shoulders and turned her around. He needed to see her eyes—needed to get a read on her.
“I know everything about you. I’ve spent months studying you, researching you. I have access to any records I want. It’s a necessary evil in my line of work. I haven’t just researched your past, I’ve also analyzed your body language. You’ve tried so hard to be good. I learned a long time ago that no matter how far or fast you run, you can’t outrun yourself. Embrace who you are.”
“Those records are supposed to be sealed.” He could see the confusion on her face. The need to know how he could access sealed records.
“I have access to records others don’t.”
“So you are a hit man?”
“I’m whatever I need to be—whatever the job calls for. I only take the jobs I want.”
“Oh… a hit man with a conscious. Well… I feel so much better now.”
She uses sarcasm to cope. Good to know. “If it makes you feel better to lash out at me, that’s fine. For now. I understand this is a lot to take in.”
“So it isn’t about the money?”
“No… the money’s a means to an end.”
“And the end is me. How much do you know?”
His fingers clenched into a pressure point between her neck and her shoulder and she winced. His voice came out as a menacing snarl through gritted teeth. “I know everything—right down to where you buy your fucking lace panties.” He leaned in, his voice barely a whisper because he knew people always listened better when they couldn’t hear you well. “I own you. The fact you have to press your knees together every time I threaten you tells me all I need to know. By the time I’m finished, the chains won’t be the only manacles that keep you restrained”—he took a finger and tapped at her temple to make his point—“they’ll be here, in your mind.”
She backed up, swinging her hand back in attempt to slap him across the face. His lightning fast reflexes ensured he caught her wrist before she could connect. He bent it back just enough to let her know he could snap it if he wanted to.
“Foreplay. We have to work to do, darling, and I just finished fucking you. You’re insatiable.”
“And you’re a bastard!”
“I most certainly am, and you would do well not to get on my bad side.”
“I didn’t know you had a good one.”
“Get your shit together, girl. We’ve got work to do.” He slowly untied the sash on the robe she was wearing and savored the moment, studied her body. “So beautiful.” He slipped it off the back of her shoulders and directed his attention towards her clothing. I’m the insatiable one when it comes to her. All those nights of watching her, standing over her when she slept, and she never knew. From the moment he laid eyes on her the obsession in him grew—like tentacles wrapping their way around his being and squeezing his will to withstand her away. He didn’t want to be delivered from her grasp. He wanted to do the same thing to her that she had unwittingly done to him—and he would.
He fingered through the dresses before he settled on a black one with a plunging neckline. He made his way over to a chest of drawers and pulled out tagged lingerie.
She picked up the black lace G-string and waved it back and forth at him just to taunt him. “Two hundred and fifty dollars. There’s nothing here. What the fuck did you pay two hundred and fifty bucks for?”
“It’s La Perla. Only the best for my little troublemaker. Later on, I’m going to rip them off of you and gag you with them. If you spit them out, I’m going to spank that tight little ass of yours. Then, I’m going to fuck you so hard you’ll never want to leave your gilded cage.”
“I can’t wait.” Her answer manifested in a sarcastic roll of her eyes. “Look…”
He turned, raising a sardonic brow and looked at the nude woman standing akimbo. “I love how comfortable you are with your body,” he said, ignoring whatever she was getting ready to say.
“I just figure if you’ve been stalking me for months you’ve already seen everything anyway.”
“I’ve stood over you and watched you sleep.” What was that in her eyes? Fear, excitement or both?
“How the hell did you get in my house?”
“I came through the window before I had a key.” The direct look in his eyes gave her the impression that it was normal behavior for him. Just another day’s work.
She didn’t know what else to say, so she just said the first thing that came to mind. “I’m not fucking anybody for you—ever!”
“You’re damn straight you’re not. If you fuck anyone else, I’ll kill him.” He leaned in nose to nose. “And then I’ll kill you.” The humor in his eyes did nothing to mask the seriousness of the statement. She knew he’d really do it. She wasn’t sure why he was obsessed with her. There never is a logic to obsession, it just is. It’s a beast that grows with time when fed even a morsel of development. Any act of bringing it to realization bolstered the need for more.
“You really are a sick stalker, you know?”
“Thank you. Now back to the matter at hand…”
“Yes… the matter at hand is I need to know what the job is.”
“Let me… dress you. Then, I’ll go over the file with you.” He stood expecting a smart remark, and when she seemed to be satisfied for the moment, he continued his search for the perfect clothing.
“Put these on for me.” He waved his hand towards the antique vanity bench where he had neatly placed the items he’d taken so much care to pick out.
“Are you OCD?” She couldn’t help but notice the orderly way he’d laid out the clothing.
“Lydia, you know I like control. You’re a smart girl, and you haven’t stopped studying me since the day you walked into my restaurant.”
His cock jumped when she finished putting on the G-string with the laced thigh highs attached to the garter belt, and she slipped on the heels he’d set out.
“You did that on purpose—put those heels on. You don’t even have the dress on yet.” He reached down, grabbing the nipple concealers he had laid out, took the backing off and placed them with precision over each nipple. “I purposely bought the ones with adhesive so I see the pain on your face when I rip them off later tonight.”
“Oh, you don’t want to cram them down my throat along with the La Perla G-string?”
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“No. The G-string will do. Put the dress on, you little cock tease.”
She purposely swayed her hips in a provocative manner just to taunt him—because she could. If she was going to go back to being a con artist, then she might as well enjoy the journey.
Chapter Twelve
She glanced at herself in the large mirror as she made her way through the lobby of the high end hotel. Though she was taken aback by the difference in her appearance, she looked damn good. Blood red lipstick, straight jet black hair (or a wig in this case) with bangs and huge designer sunglasses that hid her face and probably cost more than she made in a month. At least the son of a bitch has good taste. For some odd reason, the thought of him brought a slight curve of her lips in the form of a smile. I have to admit, I do miss the adrenaline rush.
Her system went on high alert when she saw her mark seated at the bar. Bullet points he’d given her went through her head. A full to do list on how to take down this poor guy who had made his way to the top of Dominic Romero’s shit list. Note to self: stay off the list.
“Could I get a Bloody Mary please?” Matches the lipstick. She resisted the eye roll at the thought. She purposely scooted in next to the man on the list. She turned on her New York Upper East Side accent that she’d honed to perfection years ago. “Thank you.” She smiled endearingly at the bartender.
“I couldn’t help but notice your accent. New York, right?” He didn’t waste any time. Works for me. The quicker I take this son of a bitch down, the quicker I get away from Mr. Tall, Dark, and Deadly. Another faint smile as she thought how she’d moved him up from tall, dark, and dangerous to tall, dark, and deadly. I still wonder what his job title is. Hitman or stalker will work for now.
“Yes, born and bred.”
She took a moment to study the man seated next to her. Grey hair that gave him a distinguished look, navy blue tailored suit, designer watch, high dollar shoes. That does nothing for me. She shook the confusion away. Why in the hell did the asshole holding her prisoner turn her on with the whole shoes and hands thing? Damn it. Damn him.
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