Leaning my head against the cool wood of my front door, I pull in slow, soothing breaths until my heart is no longer trying to leap out of my chest. And all of that work flies out the window when three hard knocks sound on the other side of the door, making me jump back. I clasp myhand over my mouth to keep the scream clawing its way out of my chest from hitting the air.
A faint buzz rings out from my purse, which is clutched in my hand, and I dig it out quickly to silence it, only pausing to see that my screen is lit with a text notification from Dominic.
Dominic:I’m at your door. Open up.
A wild fluttering of butterfly wings starts up in my belly, and my poor heart starts a rapid tattoo it can’t possibly sustain. If it keeps going at this pace, I’ll go into cardiac arrest before I get to see Dominic without his clothes. And I’ll be one angry dead woman if that happens.
I unlatch the lock with shaky hands and lose my breath altogether when the door swings open and reveals Dominic standing on the other side. He’s unfastened several of the buttons on his shirt, and I catch a glimpse of the exquisite pectorals I ran my hands across less than an hour ago. Raw, masculine energy vibrates off of him as we stare at each other. Me, breathing in his scent and trying desperately not to fall headfirst into the pools of liquid heat that are his eyes. Him, doing nothing to hide the desire pouring off of him.
“What are you doing here?” I breathe.
Dominic pushes past me, and I step back to allow him through the doorway. Electricity arcs between us as his shoulder brushes mine. I push the door closed again and turn to find him mere inches away from me, both of his palms pressed flat against the door on either side of my head, caging me in. For the first time, I don’t mind that he’s the wolf and I’m the prey, because I want more than anything to be devoured by him.
My breasts brush against his chest with every breath I take, nipples hardening at the delicious friction I’m desperate to have more of. Dominic brings his forehead to mine, his lips brushing over my mouth.
“You let him kiss you,” he growls, nipping at my lips before raining kisses along my jaw and down my neck.
“On the cheek.”
I tilt my head to give him better access, and he uses his new vantage point to bite down on the exposed tendon. It’s a light bite, more pleasure than pain, but the scrape of his teeth on the sensitive flesh has me arching into him. Both of his hands come down, abandoning their post on the door to cup my breasts. He runs a rough thumb across each of my nipples through the fabric, and I cry out.
Then his fingers are dipping into the cups of my bra, freeing the swollen flesh from the restraints of satin and lace. Cool air whooshes across my skin, making my nipples tighten into peaks that are so hard it’s almost painful when Dominic rolls one between his deft fingers.
“It doesn’t matter.” He dips his head down to take the bud into the wet heat of his mouth. My head falls back against the door with a moan. “I own your kisses now, which means you don’t give them to anyone but me. You got that?”
His words send a shiver of satisfaction rippling through me, the most primal part of me responding to the claim he speaks against my skin. It’s a declaration, a promise of possession and passion I thought was lost to me forever, that speaks the darkest parts of me. I’m ready to give in to him completely, but the idea of crossing this line with him before we’ve hammered out the details of our agreement is nagging at me.
“I haven’t said yes yet.”
Dominic pauses and pulls his mouth away from me with a reluctant growl. There’s no mistaking the incredulous look on his face as his eyes search my face. “Your mouth hasn’t, but your body has.”
I flush as his heated gaze drops to my exposed breasts and move to try and cover them up. Dominic grasps both of my wrists in his hands and pins them to the door.
“Dominic…”
“Say yes, Sloane.”
He dips his head and starts his assault on my breasts all over again. They’re still restrained by the fabric, but it doesn’t stop him from lavishing attention on them, kissing and suckling until my skin is chafed from the hair of his beard and my need for him is coating my thighs.
“Oh God.” I’m coming apart at the seams, panting desperately as my mind works overtime to hold on to the point I was trying to make. “You’re not fighting fair.”
When he pulls away from me this time, his smile is sinful. “I told you I was a bastard, angel. Are you really surprised?”
“No. I’m not.”
He nuzzles into my throat. “Say yes.”
It’s supposed to be an order. A command. But somewhere underneath the stern timbre is a thread of desperation that feeds the fire he’s stoked in my veins. The idea of him wanting me so badly, so desperately, that he’s on the verge of begging sends a heady rush of power through me.
“Why are you doing this?”
The muscle in his jaw starts to jump. “Because none of the men you spend time with are worthy of being with you this way.”
“And you are?”
A shadow passes across his face as if my words hurt him, and I almost regret asking the question. “No, but I’m not going to let that stop me from giving you what you need.” His fingers dig into my wrists. “Say yes. Let me take care of you, even if it’s just for tonight.”
“No, I—” I pause to figure out exactly what I’m going to say, and his entire face falls as he starts to pull away. “I want more than a night, Dominic.”
