Maybe it’s because I think the evidence against Dom’s father is weak. It’s circumstantial.
But then again, I’m probably making excuses because there’s something about Dom that I can’t resist. As a result, I'm sleeping with a man I've been investigating for years. The head of a criminal empire. My father would roll in his grave.
“Stop thinking,” Dom murmurs as he settles between my thighs. When his tongue touches my pussy, all thoughts fly out of my head replaced with sensation. I’m lost to him.
My body responds to him in ways I can't control. The physical connection between us is electric, undeniable.
But it’s more than physical. The truth is, I enjoy talking to him, challenging him, being challenged by him.
No man has ever looked at me like they respect and value my ideas like he does.
Yes he challenges, but he doesn’t condescend. He pushes me expecting me to rise to the occasion.
But this between us is madness. While our bodies fit perfectly, our worlds are at odds.
We live on opposites of the law. I just shared about my life, my father, while he deflects questions about his history.
When I press, he kisses me until I forget what I asked. And I let him. What does that say about me?
My career, my principles, my father's legacy, I'm risking everything. For what? A few mind-blowing orgasms with a man I have no future with? Not that I’m looking for a future with any man, but still. This situation is futile.
He rises over me, sinks into me, and oh my God does he feel good. I let go. I grab on. I let pleasure overtake me.
The next morning I rise to an empty bed. Dom left around two in the morning. It’s unclear if he’ll ever be back. I’m equally hopeful that he will and he won’t. At least we made the most of the few hours we had together.
After my shower, I make coffee and have peanut butter toast as I review the papers I’d brought home last night. Because of this situation with Dom, I haven’t been working as hard on his case. It doesn’t feel right. It feels too much like a honey trap and I can’t stomach that.
But this morning, I decide to review everything I have and realize that I’m viewing it with new eyes. New insights.
I've spent years building a mental image of Dominic Vitale: ruthless mafia don, criminal mastermind, enemy of justice. A man who cares about nothing except power and money and is willing to kill for it. He was just a target of my investigation, not a living breathing human being.
But now I’ve seen the man.
When he speaks about Elena and her children, his face softens. The fierce protectiveness in his voice when discussing Rocco's kidnapping isn't an act. There's a tenderness there that doesn't fit my FBI profile of him.
“Family is everything. The only thing.” He’d said that was something we didn’t understand. At first, I wasn’t sure what he meant. But I’m beginning to understand. His quest isn’t for power or money. It’s to protect. Strangely, that’s my job. How can we have the same goals and yet be on two sides of the law?
I push away stray hair that’s fallen loose from my ponytail, trying to sort through my conflicted thoughts.
Dom carries his family's legacy not just as a burden but as a sacred trust.
He'd die for them without hesitation.
I think back to when I offered to help Elena escape her life. She looked at me like I didn’t understand. At that time, I thought it was fear.
But now, I can see that these men, as macho and misogynistic as they can be, provide greater protection to their families.
Elena is Dom’s cousin, but he’s cared for her, protected her since his father died. Maybe even before that.
Not that these men can’t be abusive, but I’m beginning to sense it’s no more so than any other man. And in some cases, their devotion is the thing of fairy tales.
My eyes drift to the business section of yesterday's newspaper on my coffee table. Dom's company had announced another successful acquisition. Even the financial analysts who don't know his other "business interests" acknowledge his brilliance.
He navigates corporate America with the same strategic mind he uses as a member of La Corona.
Dom would excel in any world he chose. His intelligence, his drive, his leadership make him exceptional even without the criminal empire.
Part of me wonders what he might have become if born into a different family.
