35. Dominic
35
Dominic
T he admission I made hangs between us, heavy with implications I can’t fully acknowledge.
I’ve said too much.
And nowhere near enough.
The vulnerability in her expression should send me running. Instead, it pulls me in.
My body knows what it wants even as my mind wars with itself. The heat building between us is undeniable. I can see the same hunger reflected in her eyes, feel it in the subtle trembling of her body.
“Tatiana,” I murmur, my voice rough with desire.
Without thinking, I take her hand and lead her toward my bedroom. She follows willingly, her steps matching mine, her fingers intertwined with my own.
Once inside, I close the door behind us. The soft click sounds final, like a decision made.
I pull her against me, one hand at the small of her back, the other cradling her face. I lower my mouth to hers, claiming her lips in a kiss that’s nothing like our others. There’s no battle for control, no struggle for dominance. Just hunger and desperation and something too close to tenderness.
She responds immediately, her body melting into mine, her arms wrapping around my neck. I deepen the kiss, my tongue sliding against hers, tasting, savoring.
When we break apart, we’re both breathing hard. I rest my forehead against hers.
“I need you,” I tell her. A truth among many lies.
Her eyes search mine. “You have me. For now.”
Those last two words twist like a knife. For now.
Because this has always been temporary.
Because I’ve made sure it stays that way.
I kiss her again, harder this time, trying to drive away the thought of losing her. My hands move to the buttons of her blouse, undoing them one by one until the silk hangs open, revealing her lace-covered breasts. I push the fabric from her shoulders, letting it fall to the floor.
“You’re so fucking incredible,” I murmur, taking in the sight of her. “A Greek goddess. Aphrodite reborn. Every curve of you is a stanza. Every inch a whispered poem. Skin carved from moonlight, body shaped by starlight. How does a man witness heaven and still remember how to breathe?”
Her chin quivers, and a tear drops from her eyes. “Oh god. I thought you were just another ruthless billionaire, cold and transactional. How could I have been so wrong?”
“Sh... Tatiana,” I tell her, wiping away the tear. “No tears tonight.”
She flashes a brave smile. “Okay.” Her hands reach for my tie, loosening it with practiced efficiency. Next come the buttons of my shirt. Her fingers brush against my skin as she works, each touch sending heat racing through me.
“I’ve thought about this all day,” I admit, watching as she pushes my shirt from my shoulders. “Having you in my bed again.”
“I’ve thought about it, too,” she confesses, her hands trailing down my chest to the waistband of my pants.
I capture her wrists, stopping her. “Not yet. Tonight is different.”
“Different how?” she asks, her head tilting slightly.
“Tonight I’m going to take my time with you.” I release her wrists and reach behind her to unclasp her bra. “Tonight I want to memorize every inch of you. My Greek Goddess.”
The bra joins her blouse on the floor. I run my hands over her shoulders, down her arms, back up to cup her breasts. Her nipples harden under my touch, and I brush my thumbs over them, drawing a soft gasp from her lips.
“Remember our contract?” I ask, bending to press a kiss to the curve of her neck. “The personal comfort clause?”
She nods, her eyes half-closed as I trail kisses down to her collarbone.
“I’m invoking it,” I murmur against her skin. “But tonight isn’t about release. It’s about taking what’s mine while I still can.”
Her breath catches. “Dom...”
I silence her with another kiss, walking her backward until her legs hit the edge of the bed. I lower her onto the mattress, my body covering hers, careful to keep most of my weight on my elbows.
“You wore my marks before,” I remind her, nipping at the sensitive spot where her neck meets her shoulder. “I want to mark you again.”
“People will see,” she protests weakly, even as she tilts her head to give me better access.
“Good,” I growl against her skin. “Let them see. Let them know you belong to me.”
I suck hard at the spot, drawing the blood to the surface, marking her as mine. She moans, her fingers digging into my shoulders. When I pull back, there’s a dark red mark blooming on her pale skin.
Mine. Even if only for two more days.
I work my way down her body, leaving similar marks on her collarbone, the swell of her breast, her ribs. Each mark a testament to my possession. Each mark a memory I can take with me when she’s gone.
Her hands tangle in my hair as I move lower, my tongue tracing patterns on her stomach. I undo her tailored pants, dragging them down her legs along with her underwear. She lies naked beneath me, her chest rising and falling with each quick breath.
“Do you have any idea what you do to me?” I ask, running my hands up her thighs.
She reaches for me, her fingers working at my belt. “Show me.”
I stand up just long enough to remove the rest of my clothes, then return to her. My cock is hard and aching between us. I take her hand and guide it to me, letting her feel my need for her.
“This is what you do to me,” I tell her, groaning as her fingers wrap around my length. “Every fucking day.”
“Dom,” she whispers, her voice thick with want. “Please.”
But I’m not ready to give her what she wants. Not yet. I move down her body, settling between her thighs. I brush my lips over the sensitive skin of her inner thigh, feeling her shiver beneath me.
“I need to taste you first,” I tell her, my breath hot against her center. “Need to make you cum on my tongue.”
She whimpers, her hips lifting in invitation. I don’t hesitate, diving in with a hunger that surprises even me. My tongue finds her clit, circling the sensitive bud before flicking over it. She’s already wet, her pussy slick with arousal. The taste of her is intoxicating, and I moan against her, the vibration making her gasp.
I slip one finger inside her, then two, curling them to find that special spot. Her thighs tense around my head, her hands fisting in the sheets. I work her relentlessly, my tongue and fingers in perfect sync.
“Dom,” she cries out, her back arching. “Fuck. I’m close.”
I increase the pressure, sucking her clit into my mouth as my fingers pump faster. She cums with a shout, her body convulsing around my fingers, her thighs clamping down on my head. I work her through it, not stopping until she pushes weakly at my shoulders.
When I raise my head, she’s looking down at me with glazed eyes, her chest heaving. I crawl back up her body, pressing a kiss to her lips so she can taste herself on my tongue.
“That was just the beginning,” I promise her, reaching for the bedside drawer. I pull out a condom, tearing the foil with my teeth.
She takes it from me, sitting up.
“Let me,” she says, and rolls the latex over my cock with deliberate slowness.
I hiss through my teeth at the feeling of her hands on me.
Once the condom is in place, I push her back down, positioning myself at her entrance.
“Tell me you want this,” I demand, the head of my cock nudging against her. “Tell me you want me.”
“I want you,” she says without hesitation, her hands running up my arms to my shoulders. “I’ve always wanted you.”
The admission hits me harder than I expected.
I push into her in one smooth thrust, burying myself to the hilt. We both groan at the sensation.
“Fuck,” I mutter, resting my forehead against hers. “You feel so fucking amazing.”
I begin to move, setting a slow, deep rhythm. This isn’t about rushing to completion. This is about savoring every second, every sensation. This is about making her remember me long after we’ve signed those annulment papers.
I hook one arm under her knee, changing the angle, pushing deeper. She gasps, her nails digging into my back.
“Mine,” I growl against her ear, emphasizing the word with a particularly deep thrust. “Say it.”
“Yours,” she gasps, meeting each of my thrusts with a lift of her hips. “I’m yours.”
The words send a surge of possessive pleasure through me. I increase the pace, driving into her with more force. The headboard begins to knock against the wall, the sound a counterpoint to our labored breathing and Tatiana’s increasingly loud moans.
“Touch yourself,” I command, feeling the pressure building at the base of my spine. “I want to feel you cum around my cock. Touch yourself now!”
She frantically slips a hand between us, her fingers desperately finding her clit. I watch her face as she works herself, her eyes half-closed, her lower lip caught between her teeth.
“That’s it,” I encourage her. “Show me how you like it. Show me!”
Her movements become more frantic as she gets closer. I can feel her tightening around me, her inner walls gripping me like a vise.
“Dom,” she pants. “I’m going to...”
“Wait!” I demand, my voice rough with exertion. “Look at me.”
She stops touching her clit and her eyes fly open, locking with mine. The connection is almost too intense, too intimate. For a moment, I consider looking away, breaking that dangerous link.
But I can’t. I’m captivated by the sight of her falling apart beneath me.
“Please...” she begs.
“Wait...” I remain absolutely motionless. Drawing out both of our releases.
“I can’t...” she says.
“You can ,” I tell her.
I let the moment drag out.
Then I smile cruelly. “Okay. Go.”
She looks down at herself and begins working her clit again.
“But look at me!” I command as I resume ravaging her. “Look at me when you cum.”
Her eyes snap to mine.
“Dom,” she cries out again, and then she’s cumming, her body clenching around me, her eyes never leaving mine.
The sight of her in the throes of pleasure, combined with the rhythmic pulsing of her pussy around my cock, sends me over the edge.
I thrust once, twice, and then I’m cumming too, my release hitting me with an intensity that borders on pain.
“Tatiana,” I groan as I empty myself into the condom.
For a moment, we stay like that, connected, our breathing gradually slowing. I’m careful not to crush her with my weight, but I don’t want to separate from her yet. Don’t want to break this fragile connection.
Finally, I pull out carefully, dispose of the condom in the bathroom, and return to find her still in my bed. She’s staying in my bed again, like last time. Hasn’t retreated to her own room to maintain that crucial distance. Good.
I slide in beside her, pulling her against me. She comes willingly, her head resting on my chest, her arm draped across my stomach. I trace patterns on her shoulder, my fingers skimming over the marks I’ve left on her skin.
“You’re staying, again” I observe.
She nods against my chest. “Is that okay?”
“Yes,” I say, perhaps too quickly. I clear my throat. “Yes, it’s okay.”
We lie in silence for a while, the only sound our synchronized breathing. I stare at the ceiling, trying not to think about how right she feels in my arms. Trying not to think about the fact that in two days, she’ll be gone.
“What happens when the two days are up?” she asks suddenly, voicing the very question that’s been tormenting me.
I tense beneath her. What can I say? That I’ve promised to introduce her to my brother? That I’ve already betrayed her trust in the worst possible way?
“We sign the papers,” I say instead, my voice carefully neutral. “Go back to our lives.”
She’s quiet for so long I think she might have fallen asleep. Then, so softly I almost miss it, she says, “What if I don’t want to?”
The words hit me like a physical blow. I close my eyes, fighting against the surge of hope they trigger.
“Tatiana,” I begin, not sure what I’m going to say.
“I know,” she interrupts, speaking quickly. “I know we had a deal. I know this was supposed to be temporary. But what if...” She trails off, not finishing the thought.
What if it wasn’t? What if we gave this a real chance? What if I could be the man she deserves?
But I’m not that man. I’m broken, damaged by guilt and fear. I’ll only hurt her if this continues.
I gently cup her cheek, holding her gaze steady as I say, “I’ll tell you a secret. Something they don’t teach in boardrooms or put into contracts. All my life I chased power, believing it could protect me from loss, believing wealth could shield me from pain. From heartbreak. But hearts can’t be guarded.”
I pause, feeling the weight of my own revelation. “I tried to guard mine, Tatiana. With steel walls and ironclad contracts. With distance and control and every defense I could construct.” My thumb brushes across her cheekbone. “And still, somehow, you found your way in. Past every barrier. Through every protection. Proving what I never wanted to admit.”
Her eyes question me, and I find myself continuing despite every instinct screaming to stop. “That no matter how hard we try to protect ourselves, some connections can’t be denied. Some people slip past our defenses without even trying.” I press my forehead to hers, voice barely audible. “You’ve done that to me, and I’m still trying to understand what it means. Tonight... tonight, you’re here. You’re mine. That’s all that matters right now. That’s all that’s important.”
She watches me, eyes searching mine, and I know I’ve said too much and not enough all at once. But it’s all I can offer her tonight. This fragment of truth in a sea of complications. The rest will have to wait for a courage I’m not sure I possess.
For now, though, she’s in my arms. Warm and real and mine.
It has to be enough. Even though I know it never will be.