“Isn’t it obvious? I came here for you.” In what fucking universe did anyone think I would allow my woman, my Rosa, to go to the bar and get drunk with no supervision?
She was mine.
Mine to love, mine to protect, and mine to soothe. My body craved her, and she needed me too, if the heat she displayed back in the hospital was anything to go by. Time to end this fucking bullshit and finally reclaim what rightfully belonged to me. Although Don and Damian begged me to be careful and wait until the grand finale, I couldn’t. Vito already knew about my plans, so everything else was just a moot point.
Tonight, I planned to give us what we both waited so long for.
Each other.
Rosa
He was here!
My heart beat rapidly against my ribcage while my eyes drank him in. God, but the man was magnificent.
His broad shoulders were covered in a silk shirt and he wore well-fitted jeans. With a light five o’clock shadow, he had an edge that just spoke to me, begging me to run into his arms and let him handle all the problems in my life. I wanted to feel his lips on mine again, where I didn't have to pretend to be someone I was not.
And all those emotions scared me. Especially with him sitting so close, his thigh brushing against mine, awakening my body on a different level. “I—” My voice shook from my turmoil, and I did the only rational thing in this situation.
I dashed to the washroom in the back of the establishment, in my haste even forgetting my purse. Quickly stepping inside, I closed the door and marched toward the mirror. Taking deep breaths, I turned on the tap and dampened paper towels, using them to wipe the sweat from my neck, hoping the coolness would calm me.
What the hell was I doing here anyway? This whole girls’ night out wasn't for me, not to mention none of them were my close friends anyway. Just a bit dizzy from the drinks, I was in no way drunk, so maybe I could go to hospital, get an IV drip to remove all the alcohol from my body, and work the night? That way I wouldn't have to see my parents or Oliver ‘til tomorrow evening, which would be a perfect solution.
Surely Dominic would leave or move on to someone else. As much as his company unsettled me, I knew full well it just had to do with the chase. He was the pakhan of the Bratva after all. Vito whored around all the time, changing women like gloves. Married, engaged, single. He loved them all. Why should Dominic be any different? He probably had ladies all over the world. It just happened to be this time he found me intriguing, or maybe he simply wanted something Oliver had. The idea of him and other women brought pain, like someone stabbed me with a knife right in my chest.
What a freaking dramatic thought. This guy just showed up in my life out of the blue and desired me.
With determination, I walked out, my heels clicking loudly on the marble floor, my gaze on the stage where Ciara chatted and danced with some red-haired guy. Stopping in my tracks, I studied him for a second, wondering where I could have seen him.
Blurred images of university and an auditorium flashed through my mind, but it was so fleeting I had a feeling I imagined it. I couldn't dwell on it much, as strong arms grabbed me, taking me into the shadowed corner between the washroom and stage. I would have screamed if my nose didn't catch the familiar scent of Dom.
Leaning forward, he trapped me between his chest and the wall, plastering his arms on both sides of my face while his breath fanned my cheeks. “Let me go, Dominic.” The stupid shiver that always ran through me when I spoke his name refused to go away, and it annoyed the hell out of me.
“Do you really want me to,Angelica?" he whispered against my ear, and I barely resisted closing my eyes for a second to enjoy this sensation he awoke in me. Shaking my head to remove the fog, I studied his facial expression, and despite the desire reflected in his amber pools, his jaw was hard, as if he was angry.
“Why do you do that?" I asked, surprising myself. He furrowed his brows, creating a deep line between them.
“I do a lot of stuff, beautiful. What exactly do you mean?"
“Why do you say my name this way... like... you are mocking it or something? Almost like it disgusts you," I finished, feeling like a freaking fool. First of all, who cared what the dude thought, and second of all, even if he did, it was none of my business. I had met this guy yesterday, managed to let him kiss me, and somehow gave him the impression that it was okay to assume I would be willing to sleep with him.
Even though my body screamed “hell yeah” and was on board with the idea, I rationally understood how stupid it was.
I’d contacted my psychologist that morning to question her about this situation, and she assured me that sometimes it happened with amnesia. When we didn’t recognize people or loved ones around us, we tended to form unexplainable bonds with strangers. She thought that my fascination with Dominic came from a deep place of trauma of the fact that I’d forgotten my love for Oliver, and somehow my emotions for him awakened the desire for Dom.
What a freaking crock of bull! I thanked her and once again high-fived myself for stopping my session. Where did Ciara and Dad find this shrink?
“Hey, where did you disappear to?" He gently raised my chin, so I wouldn’t be able to hide my gaze from him. "Are you all right?" It didn't escape my notice how he decided not to answer my question.
All becoming too much for me, I snapped, “You know what, Dominic? No, I’m not all right. You show up in my life, creating chaos, don’t listen when I tell you to stay away, and then wait for me to hop in bed with you just… because. Not to mention my family is pressuring me into marrying a guy I don’t remember. Let’s not forget my sister, who seems to be in love with him. In three days, the most important event of my life has to happen, and it scares the shit out of me.” I puffed out air, spilling all my dark worries onto him. Swallowing the lump in my throat, I pushed him away. “Just let me be.” With that, I focused my attention on Ciara, and right in that second, she spun around, facing me.
“Hey, girl. What’s going on?” she asked worriedly, while the guy behind her smiled at me.
Seriously, Rosa? You could have told him we have finals coming up in a week, so we need to study together. Now he’s going to kill me.
Aaron? Anton? Why would such names come in my mind along with these strange words? Ciara snapped me from my train of thought. “Angelica?”
Hugging her close so she wouldn't see my face, I whispered in her ear, “I’m needed back at the hospital. I think I’ll just crash there for the night.”
