Chapter Twenty-Five
Alicia
By the time I get home after spending the day with Sophia, Jess and Rory, night has fallen, and the apartment is blanketed by darkness, so I safely assume Dominic is still out, most likely avoiding me, just as I'd hoped.
Unclipping Jellybean's lead, I let her wander off while I jog up the stairs and into my room, changing into a comfy pyjama set and fluffy socks, all while glancing down at the heap of messages lighting up on my screen from the group chat I've now been added to.
A smile plays on my lips as I walk out of my room, thinking about how surprisingly nice the girls have been towards me, and how easily we all clicked.
It was nice to feel accepted.
As my feet plant themselves on the floor of the living room, which is illuminated by the city lights from the window, I hear movement from down the hallway, and my shoulders slump as my eyes flutter closed and I release a sigh.
So much for avoiding him.
Before I make my way into the kitchen, a conversation I had earlier with the girls—ways to further get to Dom—reappears in my mind, and my teeth sink into my bottom lip as I debate on whether I should follow through with Jess' suggestion or not.
"If you really want to get under his skin, be seductive. Show him what he can't have. Wear something cute, but sexy, and be around him. I promise, it'll drive him insane."
When I hear Dom grumbling in the kitchen, his gruff tone has my mind made up.
Smirking, I unbutton the top few buttons on the pink cotton T-shirt I have on, and roll up the waistband of my pyjama shorts until I'm sure half of my ass cheeks are on display.
I saunter into the kitchen, making sure to add an extra sway to my hips.
Dom's back is facing me from where he's seated on a bar stool at the kitchen island, and before he turns around, I snap my eyes over to the cupboards, feigning indifference to his presence, even though I can feel the flush appearing on my skin.
I'm aware of the moment he looks at me, because I can feel his gaze burning a trail over every exposed inch of my skin. I hear a faint growl echo throughout the room when I stand on my toes and reach for a glass from one of the higher shelves.
I spin around, glancing at him from the corner of my eye, frowning slightly when I see him staring down at his phone. He shovels food into his mouth, seemingly unaware of my presence, and completely unaffected by my attire.
Moving over to the fridge, I open the door and scan my gaze over the contents, looking at the lower shelves.
Spotting a carton of orange juice in a lower shelf of the door, I bend down, keeping my legs straight and purposefully pushing my ass into the air as I grab the juice from the fridge.
Again, the feeling of his eyes coasting over my body slams into me, and I'm glad my hair is hanging around my face to cover the smirk that lights up my face. But when I stand up and glance over my shoulder, I see he's once again staring down at his phone.
Am I imagining things?
Has he been looking at me, or am I just making a fool of myself, and I've convinced myself he's looking at me because deep down I want him to?
Huffing, I pour myself a glass of orange juice and then turn to face him, assessing his drawn brows and the fierce look in his eye as he stares at his phone screen with his chin resting on his fisted hand.
Dejected by his lack of attention, I down the remainder of my drink, put the glass in the sink, and then return the orange juice to the fridge before hightailing it out of the room.
By the time I'm walking up the stairs, I hear the metal bottom of the bar stool scrape across the floor of the kitchen, and I all but sprint up the remainder of the stairs and crash into my room, shutting the door behind me.
Feeling mortified, I slink over to the bed, throwing myself on it face-first, groaning.
The feel of my phone vibrating against my covers has me patting around with my hands until my fingers connect with it. I roll over, looking at the screen, expecting to see another message in the group chat, or possibly one from my sister. What I don't expect is a message from the devil.
Satan:
Have you rethought your answer to my proposition?
Alicia:
My answer is still no.
Huffing, I throw my phone back on the bed and stare up at the ceiling.
When my phone vibrates again, I'm ready to tear Lenny's head off, but when I pick it up, I see it's a message from Jess in the group chat.
Jess:
Lissa, you've been awfully quiet since you've been home…
Sophia:
Maybe she's tied to the bed again
Rory:
Or she's followed along with Jess's idea and is currently getting dicked down
Sophia:
As much as I'd love that for her, I don't want to think of my brother doing that to her
Laughing at their messages, I roll back onto my stomach and start typing a response before they make more assumptions.
Alicia:
Certainly not getting dicked down, and thankfully I'm not chained to a bed again.
I did however try out Jess's suggestion, and I'm mortified. Will never be doing that again
Jess:
Oh no, what happened?
Sophia:
Was he a dick to you?
Alicia:
He didn't even acknowledge me…
A few seconds after I press send, Jess starts calling, and I instantly answer.
"Please don't tell me you're calling to give me some more of your bright ideas," I groan.
"Nope, I'm here to suggest the same one," she says.
I sit upright, staring at myself in the mirror of the dressing table across from me, and seeing my undone buttons has me grimacing.
"No, Jess. That's a terrible idea."
"No, it's not, I promise. You just need to keep trying. I have no doubt he did notice you, and he probably pretended he didn't so he could get under your skin, but we're doing this to get under his, and if you carry on teasing him, it'll work."
"I felt desperate. It was mortifying," I add, shaking my head.
She sighs. "Yeah, I get that, but Lissa, you're easily one of the most beautiful women I've ever known, and I know for sure Dom thinks the same.
You have an effect on him, it's obvious to everyone.
So, you carry on teasing him, work him up, get him frustrated, and eventually, he'll get sick of having you stuck at home with him, and hopefully he'll loosen your lead a little bit. "
"Loosen my lead?" I scoff. "I'm not his pet."
"In his mind, you probably are, or he wants you to be anyway. You'd be easier to control if you were, and as I told you earlier, Dom is all about control."
Glancing at myself once more in the mirror, I groan and hang my head in defeat.
"Fine, I'll carry on trying, but only for a couple more days because if he keeps ignoring me, I fear I may lose all my confidence."