Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 66453 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 332(@200wpm)___ 266(@250wpm)___ 222(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66453 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 332(@200wpm)___ 266(@250wpm)___ 222(@300wpm)
“There’s nothing between us. There never will be. Even if–” Now I couldn’t help turning to face him. “Even if you never kiss me again.”
Dominic’s eyes widened fractionally. I’d surprised him by pulling out the unspoken subtext into the light. Then they gleamed, and his heavy-lidded eyes went to my lips again. “And if I did kiss you again?”
Before I could even begin to formulate an answer to a question like that, he was cupping my face. His strong, long fingers gripped my chin, and he stared at me with what looked like helpless fascination.
“I don’t fuck associates. Especially not ones who have been with my nephew.”
The words were so bald they jolted me out of my lust-induced stupor. I jolted as if his words were electricity and his fingers the conductors, then pushed his hand away furiously. “Good, because that’s never happening. I’m not–I haven’t. It’s just not.”
“You haven’t what?” Dominic grabbed the arm of my chair before I could push back from the table. He looked genuinely confused, like he couldn’t fathom what I was saying. “You and Jake never…”
“I’ve never. With Jake or anyone else,” I snapped, heat flooding into my cheeks. God, what a conversation to be having with my boss.
I could tell that Dominic was having trouble processing my words. He kept his hand manacled around the arm of my chair. I struggled to push away, but his grip was like iron. He wasn’t even troubled by my attempts. They barely registered. He was too busy trying to absorb what I had told him.
“You’re a virgin,” he said, finally settling on the only conclusion that made sense. “Did you and Jake go to a college for blind people? How the hell did that happen?”
“Because it didn’t. Because there wasn’t anyone I really wanted to do it with. Because a hundred other reasons I’m not going to share with you.”
We stared at each other; Dominic’s hand still locked around the arm of my chair. I had no idea what he was thinking. For myself, I was wondering what it was that ruled a man like home.
“I shouldn’t touch you again,” he said, almost to himself.
“Not if you want more than I can give,” I agreed, even as my mind screamed no, you absolutely should touch me again.
As if he heard me, Dominic’s hand came up. He skimmed his knuckles over my cheek, then turned his palm so that he was holding my chin again, but more gently this time. “What if I only want what you can give?”
There were no words to answer his question. I didn’t even try. I just leaned toward him, drawn like a moth to a flame that was promising not to be too hot, not to burn. Not to consume. When his mouth came down on mine, he was gentler this time. His hand slipped into my hair, but he let me take the lead on the kiss. Not pushing, not deepening.
Emboldened, I stood up and allowed him to pull me down onto his lap. His manhood was hard against me, but he held himself very still, letting me explore him. I let my hands roam over his shoulders, his back, the hard panes of his chest. I’d kissed plenty of boys, but this was different. Dominic was a man, powerful even in his restraint. Touching him like this was like having a tentative accord with a wolf. I knew he was wild, that I could never hope to domesticate him, but I didn’t want to.
I just wanted to feel his mouth on mine, his hands locking rigidly around my waist to keep from wandering. He was letting me map out the terrain, and it was beyond erotic. I don’t know how long we stayed like that. It could have been hours or maybe only seconds. I lost all track of time and place. There was only now, and there was only Dominic.
And then, just like before, we were jolted back into awareness by the elevator. This time, it was the sound of it locking into place, the doors sliding open. The person in the far office was leaving.
Dominic’s arms had turned to bands of iron at the sound. Now we stared at each other, foreheads still together, our breath coming hard and fast like we’d just run a marathon. Then his eyes slid to his door, and I realized it was still open. I’d never shut it after I came in.
A chill worked its way between us. Dominic released me, and I slid off his lap. My legs felt shaky and uncertain beneath me. We’d been stupidly careless, leaving the door open like that. What if whoever had just left had seen Dominic’s light was still on and come to say goodbye?
What if he had, and we just hadn’t realized?
I could tell Dominic’s thoughts were following the same path as mine by the way his jaw tightened. His eyes went from molten silver to bleakly gray. “We can’t do that again,” he said.