Chapter Twenty-Seven
Dominic
Sweat soaks through my T-shirt as I lean against the cool metal of the elevator, chest heaving, and muscles aching from the two-hour workout I just subjected myself to.
Thumbing the button for my apartment, I tip my head back, closing my eyes as I run my hands over my face, sighing.
No matter how many punches I threw at the bag, how many weights I lifted, or how many miles I ran on the treadmill, I couldn't force Alicia Garcia out of my mind.
The whole time I was working out, I kept remembering her hands running across my body, and the way her eyes sparkled when she looked up at me, like how the studs in her nose do when the light catches them at the perfect angle.
Her tongue sweeping across her lips as my hand tightened around her delicate throat replays over and over again on a loop inside my head.
It's torturous.
The doors slide open, revealing the silent, darkened hallway that leads into my apartment, and my muscles relax slightly when I hear no movement from inside.
Hopefully, that means she's asleep.
Kicking off my trainers, I walk through to the living room, stopping just inside the doorway as my eyes sweep across the room, pausing on the sofas when images of the scene from earlier play in my mind like a movie.
My heart rate kicks up as I think about the touch of her body against mine, and then my mind drifts, thinking about how it would feel if it was my tongue swiping across her lips instead of hers.
Huffing, I pinch the bridge of my nose and shake my head as I move over to the sofa.
I need to stop allowing her to distract me.
I was confident after my conversation with my father that I'd be able to keep her out of my head, and focus on the shit I need to do, but it's near on impossible.
Instead of being at the office, dealing with the legitimate side of business, and meeting with the exporter for a shipment that's going out in a couple of days, I've been sat at home pretending to work when realistically, I've been distracted by Alicia and her skimpy little pyjama sets.
I have paperwork to go through for Jericho's clubs, something my father has been hassling me about since yesterday, and although I've been flicking through the contracts, I can't remember a single word that was written on them.
When she's around, I can't focus on anything else.
She draws me in, completely clouds my vision.
That's exactly why I pushed her away earlier before I was tempted into going any further.
I didn't want to push her away, though, but I had to remind myself to get a grip on things before they spiral too far out of control.
I regret it, but I have business to handle, and I need to help Jaylen figure out the details of the illegitimate shipment we have coming into the marina next week.
If it was up to me, I'd stay here with her every day so I knew she wouldn't be getting into trouble and causing mischief, but the longer I stay here with her, the more infatuated I become.
I can't have her knowing that I'm interested in her in any way because she'd use it against me to get what she wants.
Thinking back to our conversation earlier, during the heated moment we shared, I frown.
I know she was riling me up on purpose, wanting a reaction from me, but then I did the unexpected and told her I'd go back to leaving the apartment and give her a sliver of freedom.
She agreed too easily, and I have a feeling it's exactly what she wanted to happen.
Can I really trust her to follow the rules?
Or is she going to twist things once I'm not here, like she did last time?
Realising I have no faith in her actually following through with not leaving the apartment other than to walk the dog, I get up from the sofa and quietly make my way upstairs.
Heading straight into my room, I grab the handcuffs from my wardrobe—which I'm glad were put back here for me—and then I carefully make my way back down the hall towards her room.
Pressing my ear against the door, I wait a moment before twisting the handle and opening it, silently stepping inside and closing the door behind me.
My gaze swims across the room, taking in the lamps she's placed on either side of her bed, one of which is switched on, casting a warm glow across the room.
Glancing at the mess of hair products scattered across the dressing table beside me and the small pile of clothes by the bathroom door has me wrinkling my nose.
I'm glad to see she hasn't changed too much of this room. It still looks familiar to how it did before she moved in.
A soft sigh echoing through the room has my eyes darting to her sleeping form, and when I spot her bare legs resting on top of the covers, I gulp.
She's lying on top of her duvet, on her side with her smooth, short legs spread apart slightly, one stretched out straight as the other is curled up to the side.
My burning gaze drifts up her legs to the apex of her thighs, and I sink my teeth into my bottom lip to contain the growl rumbling through my chest as I stare at the lacy red material that's barely covering her pussy.
My dick stirs beneath my trousers, and I slam my eyes shut as I take a deep breath, fisting my hands at my side as I try to keep control of myself.
The cold bite of metal digging into my palm has me glancing down at the cuffs I'm holding, and I remember why I came in here in the first place.
Rolling my shoulders, I walk towards the bed, not daring to lift my eyes from the floor until I'm beside her.
My stomach stirs as I peer down at her serene face, and my eyes get caught on her slightly parted lips.
Feeling my cock thickening inside my jogging bottoms, I shake my head at myself and quickly loop one of the cuffs around the horizontal pole of her headboard, clicking it shut.
Carefully reaching for the arm tucked beneath her head, I stretch it out above her until I clamp the other cuff around her wrist, locking it into place. Then I swipe her phone from her nightstand and shove it in my pocket, that way, she can't call for help tomorrow.
I'll just have to come home throughout the day and check on her myself.
When she doesn't wake up, I take a couple of steps back, retreating from her room, but I freeze when I reach the end of her bed, and she stirs slightly. A soft groan releases from her as she buries her head into her pillow and stretches her legs out.
My gaze immediately snaps back to between her legs, and before I can even think about what I'm doing, my hand is fisted around my covered cock, trying to relieve the pressure building inside of my gut.
I should be hightailing it out of here, but instead, I take a step closer, my eyes skating over her body.
The sight of her in a lacy red camisole and a pair of tiny matching shorts while cuffed to the bed has my hand firmly brushing against my dick, and a pleasure-filled shiver rushes through my body.
Completely lost to the allure of the temptress in front of me, I slide my hand beneath my jogging bottoms and boxers, and begin pumping my fist back and forth along my length, quietly groaning in relief as I do.
My fingers slide across the metal bars on the underside of my dick, causing it to twitch in my hand.
Swiping my thumb across the tip, I gather the pre-cum leaking out of me and spread it over my cock as I use my other hand to yank my boxers down, freeing my engorged dick.
Every logical and rational thought has flown out of my mind as I take another step closer until my knees brush against the mattress.
I reach out with my free hand, caressing the round globe of her arse cheek before letting my fingers slip between her thighs, pressing gently against the warmth emanating through her thin shorts.
My eyes briefly flick up to her face before returning to where my hand slips further between her legs until I feel the small bump of her clit beneath my fingertips.
Squeezing my dick in my other hand, a deep exhale rattles through my chest as I circle my fingers around her clit, watching with rapt attention when her legs twitch slightly.
My tongue swipes along my bottom lip, and my heart pounds violently as I watch her lips part and her eyelashes flutter.
Lust consumes me as I gently stroke my hand along the seam of her shorts, and before I can stop myself, my fingers slip beneath the edge of the material until they connect with her wet slit.
Feeling her arousal has me feeling dizzy, and I hold my breath as I swipe my fingers through her folds until they reach her clit again.
My hand around my dick tightens, the metal balls digging into my palm as I stroke myself, a longing grunt forcing itself out of me.
Fuck, it's been too long since I've allowed myself any pleasure.
I circle my fingers over her clit once more before I feel Alicia's thighs clench around my wrist, and I hear her gasp.
My eyes dart to her face, and shock courses through my veins when they connect with hers.
She stares at me for a moment before her eyes widen.
"What the—" Her words cut off when she glances down, seeing my hand still leisurely moving along my swollen dick, and I watch as realisation dawns on her face.
She attempts to sit up, but the cuff around her wrist stops her from lifting herself too far. Her legs trap my hand between them, making her aware of the contact between us.
Flicking her eyes to the cuff around her wrist, to my face, and then to where her thighs are clamped around my hand, she gapes at me.
"What the fuck are you doing?" she screeches, kicking her leg out at me and swatting at my arm with her free hand, trying to remove mine from her shorts. I press my fingers firmly against her wet core, feeling the added arousal that's pooling between her thighs since she's woken up.
Her hips jolt from the connection, and I smirk down at her.
"Oh, little viper, don't act so surprised. I can feel how much you want this."