refusal.
Unconcerned, he snatches up the hemline of my dress, exposing me to the warm night air. I shudder, trying to clamp my knees together, but he’s too strong, utilizing brute force to keep them spread. Then his head lowers…
I squeeze my eyes shut, praying that he won’t do what his position implies he might. Every muscle in my body goes rigid in grim anticipation as I feel his breath graze the innermost parts of me.
He breathes in. Out.
In and out.
I think he’s toying with me on purpose, heightening the tension until it’s electric. Unbearable. The folds of my pussy burn, exposed to his heat. Nerves explode, even without the aid of his touch. It’s a cruel, pulsating sensation.
“S-Stop—”
“I could have you begging me to fuck you.” His voice is a grated rasp—as if every word is being torn from the darkest parts of his brain. Those fantasies he’s barely even aware of. “I could. I could have you screaming for me, gushing like a fucking geyser. I’d make you choke on every last word you’ve said.”
The warmth basting my pussy turns hotter. Sweltering. I can’t stop myself from writhing, wanting to pull away.
Get closer…
“But I won’t.” All at once, he stands, wrenching me down from my perch. His grip on my shoulder is the only force keeping me upright. My knees are wobbling, my legs jelly. “You want to know why? The world doesn’t revolve around Ada-Maria’s pussy.”
He lets me go, forcing me to grapple for the railing to find my balance.
Dazed, I watch him re-enter the bedroom as his voice reaches back to me. “Decide if you plan to waste my time or not. You only have one chance to earn my trust. If not, I’ll drag you to Guarida del Tigre myself, and believe me when I say that I will watch, Ada-Maria. But I don’t think you’ll enjoy yourself half as much as you seem to think you will. Jaguar’s world won’t be as kind to you as mine has.”
When he’s gone, the impact of his words resonates like a gut punch. Dejected, I sink to my knees, still gripping the balcony, my eyes on the shadowed landscape below. I’m terrified of what might await me; I truly am.
I’m more terrified, however, by the prospect of what his “protection” entails. Something tells me that Domino Valenciaga has a warped concept of the phrase. The last thing on earth I should strive to gain is his trust.
And yet…
I don’t have a choice.
It’s either him or the unknown, and—at least for now—I’d rather take him.
If only to be the one to push him figuratively overboard in the near future.
Chapter Eight
I wake up in the white room, startled and disoriented. For one, I don’t remember how I got here. I have no recollection of leaving Domino’s room…
In fact, my last memory is huddling on the balcony, still stung from his taunt.
For now, I put the mystery out of my mind and sit upright, realizing that I’m lying on the bed, atop the neatly made sheets.
Alexi isn’t anywhere in sight, at least. Golden sunlight bathes the room in warm shades of yellow that cast a chilling background to the tension still lingering in the air. Domino isn’t around either, but he’s close. I can sense him and his rage smoldering somewhere within the house, waiting to descend.
I’ll make him wait a little longer, though.
I enter the closet and strip my black dress in favor of a new one. This style is lighter, made out of white cotton, and breathable in the heat. When I return to the bed, I find that someone must have come in without me realizing it, leaving a silver tray on the bed. Ines?
I barely pay the food a passing glance, but something catches my eye. A square, white envelope strategically placed upright against a plate of scrambled eggs and beautifully arranged fruit. My name is written across it in sloping handwriting.
Cautiously, I open it, finding just a plain white card with a message written on it. While Ines may have left this tray for me, I doubt she penned these two lines in menacing black script.
I suggest you eat. Or you will regret it.
A friendly morning missive from Domino.
I rip it in half, letting the pieces fall at my feet. Then I turn my back on the tray, fully intending not to eat so much as a damn bite. Let him make his demands and pose all the threats he wants.
But then I realize that I