8. Dominico
8
DOMINICO
S eeing Sofia break down in my arms, her body shaking with sobs, shatters something inside me. The walls I’ve built around my heart, the defenses I’ve erected to keep her out… they crumble to dust in the face of her pain.
In that moment, I realize I would do anything to ease her suffering, anything to take away the anguish that haunts her eyes and the grief that weighs down her soul.
And when she looks up at me, her blue eyes shimmering with tears… I kiss her.
It’s a kiss born of desperation, of a need so profound that it overwhelms every other thought and feeling. Her lips are soft and pliant beneath mine, and the taste of her, God, the taste of her is just as intoxicating as I remember.
She hesitates for only a moment before melting into me, her body molding to mine like it was made to fit there. And suddenly, all those old feelings come rushing back, a tidal wave of emotion that crashes over me and pulls me under.
I want her. I want her with a ferocity that takes my breath away, with a hunger that consumes me from the inside out. I thought I had buried those feelings long ago, that I had snuffed out the flame of my desire for her the day I shattered her heart.
But now, with her in my arms and with the heat of her skin seeping into mine… that flame roars back to life, burning brighter and hotter than ever before.
Our kiss turns frantic, desperate, our hands tearing at each other’s clothes in a frenzy of need. I back her toward the bed, my lips never leaving hers, my fingers tangling in her silky hair.
We fall onto the mattress in a tangle of limbs, our bodies moving together. I worship her with my hands and my mouth, tracing every curve and hollow of her body.
Sofia’s legs spread slightly, allowing me to slip two fingers into her wet core with ease. I pump my fingers in and out of her quickly while my thumb circles her clit. I can hear her breathing get heavier as she gets close to the edge.
She cries out as she reaches her climax, her inner walls clenching around my fingers. I smirk as I slide them out of her. Her eyes glitter as she watches me suck on my fingers. I nearly moan at how good she tastes.
Fuck, I missed this. I missed her.
Before she can say anything, I thrust into her wet pussy, filling her, claiming her as mine. She arches beneath me, her nails digging into my back as she cries out, her breasts heaving. The sensation is overwhelming, the feeling of her tight heat enveloping me, the sounds of her gasps and moans filling my ears.
It’s like coming home, like finding a piece of myself that I never knew was missing. In this moment, with Sofia writhing beneath me, her face contorted in ecstasy, I feel whole in a way I haven’t in years.
We move together, our bodies slick with sweat, our breaths mingling in the charged air between us. Each thrust, each roll of my hips, each slide of skin against skin, sends shockwaves of pleasure through me, building and building until I’m teetering on the edge of oblivion.
And then, with a final cry, Sofia shatters in my arms, her inner walls clenching around me like a vise. The sensation is too much, too intense, and I follow her over the edge, my own release pulsing through me in waves of pure, unadulterated bliss. My thrusts become sloppier and shallower as I finish riding out my high, nearly blacking out from the intensity of it.
As we lie there, our bodies still tangled together, I feel a sense of euphoria wash over me. The way Sofia responded to my touch, the way she came undone in my arms several times… it gives me hope that maybe, just maybe, we can find a way to move past our issues. That we can build something real and lasting together.
But then, just as quickly as the moment began, it ends.
Sofia pulls away from me, rolling off the bed and grabbing her pillow. She turns to me, her eyes cold and hard, all traces of the passion we just shared gone.
“Where’s the nearest empty bedroom?” she asks, her voice flat and emotionless.
I stare at her, stunned by this sudden shift in her demeanor. “What? Sofia, you can’t sleep in another room. We’re married now. We have to keep up appearances.”
She scoffs, her lip curling up in disdain. “I don’t give a damn about appearances, Dominico. And I certainly don’t care what the help think.”
I sit up, my heart sinking in my chest. “Sofia, please. Don’t do this. We were making progress, we were?—”
“Progress?” she cuts me off, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “You think that just because we had sex, everything is magically fixed between us? That I’m just going to forget all the pain and betrayal and fall into your arms? You really think your dick is that good?”
Her words hit me like a punch to the gut, knocking the wind out of me. “Sofia, I… I thought…”
“You thought wrong,” she snaps, her eyes flashing with anger. “This changes nothing, Dominico. I still hate you with every fiber of my being. And the only reason I let you touch me tonight was because I hoped it would get me pregnant so I won’t have to sleep with you again for at least another year.”
“Don’t say that. Don’t reduce what we just shared to some kind of… transaction.”
She laughs, the sound harsh and bitter. “But that’s exactly what it was, Dominico. A transaction. A business arrangement. You got what you wanted from me, and now I’m done with you.”
She turns to leave, but I lunge forward, grabbing her wrist. “Will you just talk to me? Let me explain, let me?—”
She wrenches her arm out of my grasp, her eyes burning with hatred. “There’s nothing to explain, Dominico. You made your choice all those years ago. Don’t you remember what you said to me? I haven’t forgotten. And now, you have to live with the consequences.”
Sofia’s words cut me deep, each one a sharp reminder of the pain I caused her all those years ago. I’m trying to be understanding, to give her space to work through her anger and resentment.
But there’s only so much a man can take before his patience runs out.
I feel my temper flare, hot and fierce, a match to the icy rage in Sofia’s eyes. “You know what, Sofia? I get it, okay? I fucked up. I broke your heart. But do you really need to keep bringing it up every five fucking minutes?”
She recoils as if I’ve slapped her, her eyes wide with shock and disbelief. “Excuse me?”
I let out a harsh laugh, shaking my head. “You heard me. It’s been four years, Sofia. Four years , and you’re still holding onto this grudge like it’s the only thing that defines you.”
Her face flushes with anger, her hands clenching into fists at her sides. “How dare you? You have no idea what you put me through, the pain you caused me?—”
“Oh, spare me the melodrama,” I snap, cutting her off. “You want to talk about pain? You want to talk about suffering? Try growing up in a family where your every move is scrutinized, where you’re constantly reminded of your duty and your obligations . Try living with the weight of an entire empire on your shoulders, knowing that one wrong step could bring it all crashing down.”
I step closer to her, my eyes narrowed. “You think a little heartbreak is the worst thing that can happen to a person? It just shows how sheltered and immature you really are, Sofia. Grow the fuck up and get over it already.”
She stares at me, her mouth hanging open in shock. For a moment, I think she might slap me, or burst into tears, or both.
I snatch my pillow from the bed, my movements sharp and jerky.
“You know what? Fine. You can have the damn bedroom,” I snarl, my voice tight with barely controlled fury. “I’ll find somewhere else to sleep. Anywhere is better than being near you right now.”
Sofia flinches, but her expression remains hard and unyielding. “Good. I’m glad we’re on the same page for once.”
I let out a harsh laugh, the sound devoid of any humor. I’ve had enough of this. “Oh, we’re on the same page, all right. In fact, I think it’s time we end this charade once and for all.”
Her eyes narrow, suspicion and confusion warring in their depths. “What are you talking about?”
I meet her gaze head-on, my jaw clenched tight. “In the morning, I’m going to speak to my father about getting our marriage annulled. Clearly, this was a mistake from the start.”
Sofia’s mouth falls open, shock and disbelief flashing across her face. “You–You can’t be serious. Our families, the alliance—my father’s wishes—you’d throw it away, just like that?”
I shrug, a bitter smile twisting my lips. “Why not? It’s not like this marriage means anything to you, anyway. You said it yourself, it’s just a transaction, a means to an end.”
She stares at me, her expression unreadable. For a moment, I think I see a flicker of something in her eyes… pain, regret, maybe even fear.
But it’s gone as quickly as it appeared, replaced by the same cold, hard mask she’s worn since the moment we said our vows.
“Fine,” she says, her voice flat and emotionless. “Do whatever you want, Dominico. It makes no difference to me.”
With that, she turns and walks out of the room, her head held high, her shoulders squared like a soldier marching into battle.
I watch her go, my heart sinking in my chest. I know I went too far, that I let my anger and frustration get the best of me.
But it’s too late to take it back now. The damage is done, the rift between us wider and deeper than ever before.
And as I stand there, I can’t help but wonder if this is what our marriage will be like from now on. Will it be like all the other arranged marriages, a cold, empty shell devoid of love or warmth or tenderness?
My parents’ union was an arranged marriage, but they grew to love each other. Or as much as my father could love. But my mother adores him. The sun rises and sets on him.
Could Sofia and I ever have something like that ? Maybe not love, but mutual respect?
I don’t know. I don’t know anything anymore.
Sofia will never forgive me.
And I can’t spend the rest of my life trapped in a loveless marriage, a union built on lies and resentment and bitterness.
I have to end this. I have to set us both free before we destroy each other completely.
I toss my pillow back onto the bed, my movements heavy with defeat. Tomorrow, I will go to my father and tell him that the marriage was a mistake. That Sofia and I are too different, too damaged to ever make it work.
And then… then I will let her go. I will release her from the vows that bind us, from the duty that chains her to me.
It’s the only way, the only path forward, the only chance we have at finding some semblance of peace.
Even if it means losing the only woman I’ve ever loved. Even if it means facing a future without her by my side. I have to do what’s right.
For her, for me, for both of us.
No matter how much it hurts. No matter how much it breaks me.