Chapter 39
Dominic
Thankfully, Romeo called one of his men to pick him and Lucia up from the club, rather than accepting the lift I offered. Any other time, I would’ve insisted I take them home, but tonight’s different because it would’ve stolen precious time away from Emily.
It’s been years since I’ve had a woman in my bed—too many to fucking count—because when Lil’ Peach came into my life, she became my world. My first and only priority. She will always be my number one, because I’m all that little girl has, but Emily has become a close second.
I want this with her.
I want it all.
I want it so much I can taste it, but those niggling doubts won’t let me relax. I don’t want to fuck this up. I don’t want to put this woman through anything more than she’s already been through. But I’m sure of one thing, nobody will care, protect, or cherish her the way I will.
Nobody will make her the centre of their world the way I will. No one will fight for her as I would, or move mountains to keep her safe.
Every thought I have, every plan I make, every choice from now on will be with her and my niece in mind. Emily deserves that, and I won’t let her settle for anything less.
My family of two has now become three, and I’ll do everything in my power to make this work. Not just for me, but for Peach as well. She needs Emily in her life just as much, if not more, than I do.
Emily’s small hand is clutched in mine as we move briskly towards my car. There’s desperation in my movements, and my mind feels scrambled, like I have tunnel vision.
Am I really doing this? The answer is yes. I’m no longer going to let my own insecurities stand in the way of losing her.
We round the front of the vehicle, and I shove my free hand into my pocket to retrieve my keys, pressing the fob to unlock it.
I move ahead of her, opening the passenger door, but before she can climb in, my hand comes up, and my fingers curl around her chin. I tilt her face towards mine, not giving her a second to think about it before my mouth crashes down on hers.
The kiss is anything but gentle. It’s hot, demanding, full of everything I haven’t said out loud.
Every promise I plan to keep. Every line I’m ready to cross. And when I finally pull back, my grip lingers, and our eyes remain locked long enough for her to feel it.
To understand that this isn’t over. Not even close. It’s just the beginning.
When I dropped Lil’ Peach off at Dante and Arabella’s, they insisted I leave her there until morning. I agreed, because there was no point waking her for a second time.
I wasn’t sure how things would go with Emily when I arrived at the club, but going home to an empty house is a godsend.
I won’t need to hold back with her. I don’t even need to lock her away in my room.
I can fuck her on every surface of the house if I want to, and that thought has my already rock-hard cock pulsating behind the zipper of my trousers.
The thought of finally being able to bury myself in that tight pussy is almost too much.
For that reason alone, my focus remains forward as I reach down to adjust my dick. Not much has been said on the drive home, but I don’t have to glance over to know that Emily’s eyes are boring into the side of my head. I can feel the heat of her gaze.
I’m not ignoring her, per se; I’m just trying to keep a grip on the thoughts running wild in my head. If I look at her for too long, if I let myself get pulled back into whatever the hell that was in the alley, I won’t make it home before I lose every ounce of control.
I don’t want our first time to be in my car on the side of the highway. I need to take my time and worship every inch of her delectable body. I want to experience every dirty desire I’ve had with her in real time.
I want to learn what makes her fall apart, what makes her gasp my name, what makes her hold on to me like she doesn’t want to let go, and when I’m done, I don’t want there to be a single man on this earth who could ever compare.
As I turn onto our street, curiosity gets the better of me. I risk a glance, darting my eyes in her direction. I’m not sure what I expect to find, but it’s definitely not the goofy smile curving her pretty lips.
“What?” I ask, my brow furrowing.
“Nothing,” she says, her smile only growing.
“That smile says otherwise.”
She lifts one shoulder. “I’m just happy.”
“Happy?”
“Yes. Happy you’re here. Happy Lucia’s plan worked.”
“Plan? What plan?”
“Operation Takedown. She said it was foolproof, that it’s what she used to win over Romeo. I didn’t think it would work, but I was wrong.”
I clear my throat, trying to push down the annoyance rising in my chest. I should’ve known that little spitfire was behind this. “So what you’re saying is tonight was basically a trap?”
Her smile slips, replaced by a small grimace. “It wasn’t a trap, more like a test.”
My eyes narrow. “What kind of test?”
“A test to see if you actually like me.”
“You know I do, Emily,” I grumble.
“After last night, I wasn’t so sure.”
“So she wasn’t really there to be your wing woman tonight? To help you pick up another man?”
“God, no. Why would you think that?”
“Because that’s what that vixen told me tonight was all about.”
Emily gasps. “She did? When?”
“When you were in your room getting ready.”
“Wow, she’s more cunning than I thought.”
“I can’t believe she did that.”
“Don’t be mad at Lucia,” she says softly. “Her heart’s in the right place.”
“I don’t like being made a fool of.”
“You weren’t,” she says, placing her hand on my leg and giving it a slight squeeze, but it does nothing to ease the tension coiling my muscles.
“I almost lost my fucking mind earlier, Emily.”
“You did?”
“She told me she was going to help you find another man,” I growl. “The thought of anyone touching you … touching something that’s mine …” I let the rest of my words die off because my mood is souring fast, and I don’t want to ruin the rest of our night.
“Yours?”
“Yes, you’re mine now, Emily, so you may as well get used to it. And when people touch what’s mine, bad things happen.”
The second the words leave my mouth, I regret them, even though I meant every one.
“Bad things?” she asks quietly. “For them or me?”
I blow out a long breath. “Them, Em,” I say, placing my hand over hers. “Never you.” I turn into our driveway, put the car in park, and shift in my seat to face her. “You’re safe with me. I’d never hurt you, I’m not him.”
“I know.”
“Good.”
“Please don’t be mad at Lucia. I wish I hadn’t said anything now. She’s the first real friend I’ve had in a long time.”
“I can’t just let this slide,” I admit.
“Please,” she says, panic creeping into her voice. “Punish me instead.”
Her cheeks flame red, and my mind goes straight to the gutter. “Punish you how?” I ask, my voice rough with the kind of thoughts I shouldn’t be having right now.
Her eyes dart away for a beat before coming back to meet mine. “You could spank me.”
I roll my lips to hide my smile as red-hot desire flares through me.
I shake my head once, slowly, trying to get a grip.
“Careful, Em,” I murmur. “You don’t get to say things like that and expect me not to take them seriously.
” Her breath hitches, but she doesn’t look away this time.
I lean closer, my hand still covering hers, as my thumb brushes circles against her skin.
The air around us becomes palpable. Thick and charged.
“If I ever put my hands on you like that,” I say quietly, “it won’t be because you asked me to fix someone else’s mistake. ”
“It was my mistake too, I went along with it.”
“You sound like you’re begging to be spanked, mia tortina.”
“Maybe I am.”
Those three words loop in my head as I unclick my seat belt, step out, and stalk around to the passenger side.
I yank her door open with more force than necessary and reach for her hand. My grip is tighter than it should be as we head towards the house, but I’m so fucking ramped up, I can’t remember ever being this turned on.
It’s been so long for me, and I already know the moment I sink into that sweet, tight pussy of hers, I’m probably going to blow my load. I should’ve jacked off in the shower before I left, but even that probably wouldn’t have saved me.
The extent of what Emily makes me feel scares the fuck out of me, but I shove it all down as I unlock the front door and lead us inside.
I flick on the light and drop my keys into the porcelain dish on the hall stand, both things Lucia insisted I needed when she redecorated my entire home. I’ve always known she was chaos, but I’m just now realising how much of a bulldozer that five-foot-nothing woman really is.
Poor fucking Romeo. That man never stood a chance.
I can’t really fault Lucia for what she did, because I wouldn’t be here right now if it weren’t for her. A few hours ago, things with Emily felt hopeless, and maybe forcing my hand was exactly what I needed.
Releasing my grip on Emily, I turn to face her, tugging her petite body closer so my fingers can brush over that damn sexy dress she’s wearing. The one that’s been driving me wild since the moment I saw her in it.
“As much as I love this,” I say, tugging on the fabric, “it’s got to go, but leave the boots on.”
Without hesitation, she steps back, reaches for the hem, and drags it over her head, dropping it to the floor by our feet.
My mouth salivates as I take in the scraps of black lace left behind. Her delicate underwear is clinging to her in all the right places, making it impossible to look away.
She’s perfection, and fuck me, I’m in deep. Deeper than I’ve ever allowed myself to get before.
My first thought is to scoop her up and carry her straight to my bedroom, but I can’t wait that long. I’ve been pining for this for over three fucking years, and I need to break through this barrier I’ve built between us before I chicken out again.