13. Dominic
Dominic
I wake up to a pair of intense eyes locked on mine.
I blink. Lena’s propped up on one elbow, her face close to mine, staring.
Morning light spills through the bare windows.
I raise a hand to block it. I realize I’m still in my pants and shirt, while Lena’s wrapped in a sheet, her bare shoulders exposed.
“Hi, gorgeous.” I smile, reaching out to touch her cheek.
She jerks back. “Why am I naked?”
“You don’t remember?” I keep my tone light.
“Vaguely.”
“It was our wedding night.”
She narrows her eyes. “Don’t even. I don’t buy it. You’re still dressed.”
“If you’d let me finish. It was our wedding night, and I didn’t want you sleeping alone. I brought you here and... You really don’t remember? We kissed, and then...”
I search her face.
“Then what?”
“I went downstairs to thank the guests. When I came back, you were already asleep. But we did kiss.”
“Wait. Did you take off my dress?”
“Well... it was more of a team effort. And it wasn’t exactly hard to get off. You know, those tiny straps…” I mimic the motion in the air like I’m undressing her again.
She blinks, and a faint blush rises to her cheeks. Memories are starting to creep back. “Shit. I hit Anton. I mean, like, really hit.”
That’s what she remembers first? Or is she just playing coy, too proud to admit how badly she wanted me last night? Fine. I can play that game too.
“Yeah. No witnesses. By the time I got there, you two were on the floor. He didn’t look great, to be honest.”
She lifts her hands to her temples. The sheet slips, revealing one bare breast, her nipple pink and hard. She quickly covers up again.
“Bit late to be shy around me.”
She narrows her eyes at me, but doesn’t answer right away. Her fingers toy with the sheet’s edge, then grip it like a shield. I prop myself up on one elbow, not even trying to hide the grin spreading across my face. “It’s not like I haven’t seen every inch of you. Very recently.”
“You’re enjoying this way too much.”
“I really am.”
She glares at me. “And you think it’s fair that I’m the only one naked?”
“You’ve got a problem with me being dressed? That can be fixed, you know.”
I hop out of bed and start unbuttoning my shirt in the middle of the room.
“That’s not what I meant. Stop.”
“Too late. You’re right. It’s not fair for you to be the only one naked. Or for me to be the only one touching your body without you getting your hands on mine.”
“Dominic, we’ve never actually talked about what this thing between us includes. The contract didn’t say anything about the intimate part of our relationship.”
I stop halfway through unbuttoning my shirt and raise an eyebrow. “Right. The contract. That thrilling legal masterpiece where you agreed to be my lawfully wedded wife. With zero kissing, touching, and definitely zero orgasms. I must’ve missed that clause.”
She opens her mouth to argue, then closes it again. I keep going. The shirt hits the floor, leaving just my boxers. I step closer. “Okay, now we’re even. We can discuss it. I say… every other day. How does that sound to you?”
“Every other day, what?”
“Sex. Naked. Kissing. Orgasms. Good ones. The kind that makes your legs shake and your sarcasm take a nap.”
She clutches the sheet tighter around her and leans back against the pillows, but her gaze drops, slow and unwilling, to my chest, then lower, for a second. She doesn’t say a word, but yeah, she sees it. My erection’s pressing hard against the thin fabric of my boxers.
“Dominic, stop. Yes, we kissed, yes, some stuff happened, but it was a one-time thing. That’s it.”
“Come on, Sassy. You usually hit harder than this. You’re slipping. No jab about my irresistible charm? No calling me a ‘shameless Casanova’ like that time you thought I couldn’t hear?”
“It’s too early. I think this whole marriage thing is killing my sarcasm. I can’t insult my husband, can I?” She makes a face at me.
“Oh, you’re bouncing back. And yes, you said it. Husband.”
I take a step toward the bed, hand resting on the waistband of my boxers like I’m about to strip.
Her eyes narrow. “What are you doing? Stop. No added clauses. It’s fine the way it is.”
“Not trying to amend the contract. Exploring the gray areas. You know… terms subject to renegotiation.”
“There are no gray areas.”
I grin. “Pretty sure Article 3 left room for ‘ undisclosed benefits .’”
She scoffs. “That was about housing, not your abs.”
“Well, I’m offering both. Prime real estate, excellent views, great morning sun exposure.” I gesture to myself with a flourish.
She rolls her eyes, but I catch the corners of her mouth twitching like she’s fighting a smile.
“I’m serious, Lena. This body doesn’t come with a warranty, but it does come with proof of quality.”
“Oh yeah? From who?”
“You. That kiss last night? Felt like a five-star review.”
She tries not to react, but I see the flicker in her eyes. That split second when she remembers too clearly.
“But you remember the kiss, right?”
“You’re begging now, Dominic. That’s not how you get things from me. You wanted a wife to fend off all the women chasing you. I’m not one of them. That’s why you wanted me, right?”
I pause for a second. “That’s not why.” Then, before I can stop myself. “I wanted you.”
The words land between us, sharper than I meant. She freezes. Surprise flashes across her face.
I push forward too fast. “Anyway, this conversation about orgasms really needs to happen. Just promise me you’ll think about it.”
“You’re joking, right? You’re making fun of me.”
“Of you? Naked and gorgeous in my bed? Not a chance. I’m very serious.”
She gives me a slow once-over, bold this time. No shame. She’s almost playing now. I knew she liked it. I’m right at the edge of the bed, close enough to reach out and touch her skin, to cup her breasts, to kiss her mouth open. But I don’t. Not until she asks. Not until she begs.
“Sassy, your body’s giving you away. Last night, you wanted me.”
“Dominic, I suggest you take that big, fancy bathroom in this suite and use it, so I can get out of bed without dragging the damn sheets with me.”
“Sorry to repeat myself, but I’ve already seen you naked.”
“That doesn’t count. It was dark.”
I take a step back. Then stop. I don’t say anything. I just look at her. Whatever joke I had died on my lips, but I don’t look away.
“Maybe it was dark,” I say quietly, “but it wasn’t dark enough to miss your tears. Lena… why were you crying?”
She turns her head, voice barely audible. “It wasn’t about you. Forget it.”
She goes still, then pulls the sheet up to her chin like she’s trying to disappear behind it. One breath, one glance away, and when she looks at me again, the mask is back.
“How the hell did I end up here? What was I thinking?” she mutters, a smile slipping in half a second too late, like it’s damage control. But I catch it.
“Lena, you don’t have to say it. But you felt it. Last night, in my arms… that wasn’t fake.”
She drops her chin to her chest and avoids my gaze. “Dominic, I swear I’ll walk out of this bed naked, and your erection will be a real problem. And either way, you’re not getting what you want, so do yourself a favor and go shower.”
I take a few steps back. That’s enough for this morning. She heard me. I know she did. My Sassy’s smart, not ready to believe me yet.
“Is that how a loving bride talks? Way to kill a perfect moment.”
She makes a face, clearly relieved I’m letting it go.
My phone buzzes somewhere on the floor. I dig through the jacket. A message from Alice: “Sorry to bother you. Mayor Lang is here. He wants to speak with both of you. I’ll take him to your office. When can you come down?”
Lena’s still in bed, curled beneath the sheets, already slipping into retreat mode, the way she always does when something hits too close.
“It’s time for serious business, Lena. You got your wish. The mayor’s in my office. He wants to talk to both of us.”
***
When I come out of the shower, wearing nothing but a towel, the bed is empty.
The pillows still hold the shape of her body.
Last night, her taste, her soft skin, the way her breasts fit perfectly in my hands, those memories are going to ambush me with brutal, random erections I can’t do a damn thing about.
Her body’s response to mine caught me off guard.
I need a plan. Something to survive being this close to her without actually having her.
I get dressed quickly and step out into the living room. I think I hear noise coming from her room. She’s there. I text her: “You’ll find me in my office, meeting with the mayor. Take your time.”
The mayor is sipping his coffee when I walk into my office. Alice has seated him by the window where I usually have my late breakfast. She even brought him the hotel’s signature croissants. He looks up at me, nods, and offers a half-smile over the rim of his cup.
I’ve always called him Mayor Lang. He’s tall and broad-shouldered, with the kind of presence that commands respect without ever raising his voice.
He’s pushing sixty, but still carries that calm authority that comes from years of making hard calls under pressure.
His gray hair is cropped short, neat and precise, the kind that never seems to fall out of place.
He’s dressed casually: a collarless shirt, a soft gray sweater tossed over his shoulders.
No jacket, no tie. Nothing that says ’office.
’ He looks more like the weekend regular who used to come in for the chef’s tasting menu at our restaurant, the one he always got along with. Except this time, he didn’t call ahead.
He’s sitting comfortably, but his face shows signs of long nights. The shadows under his gray eyes don’t fade with daylight. “Good to see you, Mayor Lang.”
“Congrats, Dominic. On the wedding,” he says, and there’s real warmth in his voice. I feel it.
“I meant to say something last night, but it was a bit chaotic.”