“Then burn, little wife. But remember, when you call for God, I’ll be the one answering.”
My breath seizes in my chest, but I manage to seethe. “Fuck you.”
His jaw ticks and his nostrils flare. In the next breath, he storms toward me until my back hits the wall. With a primal growl, he slaps a palm on the wall beside my head, caging me in. “Watch your mouth.”
My chin lifts in defiance. “Or what?”
His eyes darken, mouth curving in something too sharp to be a smile. “I’ll put that fucking mouth to good use…make you choke on my cock until the only thing you scream is my name.”
The air between us crackles, and I feel the heat spreading between my thighs. My heart hammers so loud I swear he hears it. I try to talk, but somehow the words are stuck in my throat. Jesus, it’s hot in here.
His eyes drag over every inch of my body, making me feel like I’m being stripped bare. Then, finally, he steps back, just far enough for me to breathe again.
“You’ll go to dinner with me,” he continues. “You’ll use the card. And you’ll stay the fuck out of my room.” He pauses, staring at my lips briefly. “Unless I decide to ruin you in it.”
My hands tremble at my sides. I want to spit in his face. I want him to drag me back against the wall. I want both, and that’s the problem.
The bastard knows it.
***
If there’s one thing Dominic is unaware of, it’s how far I’ll go to make a point.
The car drops me in front of a boutique so grand that it looks like a museum. Two of Dominic’s men wait outside the entrance.
When Sharon and I walk inside, we meet a row of attendants standing at attention like they’re waiting for a queen.
My eyes briefly scan the exquisite interior, and my heart skips a beat when I catch a familiar figure. Average height, with more than a few strands of grey hair and a composed stance. But as the person turns, I realize that it’s not him. It’s not Enzo, and I am oddly disappointed.
Maybe because, in my books, he’s still the only one who defied the odds of what a man in his position should be like. He’s ruthless, but I believe there’s a part of him… that’s different.Unlike other people, when Father mistreated me—which he did frequently before his people—Enzo didn’t glance at me like I was trash; rather, the look in his eyes usually held the opposite.
Initially, I dismissed it as pity, but when you see enough of someone’s suffering, pity fades. His didn’t, in fact, I think it grew.
A short brunette steps forward, pulling me out of my thoughts. “We’ve been expecting you.”
Of course they have. Dominic doesn’t do anything unplanned. He probably sent them a dossier on me: height, shoe size, measurements, favorite color, psychological profile... And knowing him, he probably even told them how they should smile when they greet me.
The brunette sales associate leads me toward a rack of muted-colored, straight-cut evening gowns. I stare at them for a full five seconds before my mouth curls in distaste.
“I’ll take that one instead.” The words leave my mouth before I can think twice.
The associate blinks hard, taken off guard as she assesses the gown I pointed at. “That’s not among the selection.”
“Then that’s the one I want.” My voice is assertive because I already smell Dominic’sassholeryat play.
She hesitates, wringing her hands. “Mr. Moretti was very clear about the kind of gowns to prepare.”
My brow arches. “And what did he say?”
Her voice drops cautiously. “He said it must be modest. No bare skin.”
I roll my eyes, already irritated. Not only did Dominic book the entire place, but he also hand-picked a collection of gownshedeemed “appropriate” for me. “Well, you can report back to him that I’m not getting any of those.”
I bet Sharon is already doing that.
For a second, the associate looks like she might protest again. Her mouth opens, then shuts again when I arch a brow. It’s amazing what the right angling of your head can do. Finally, the woman nods. With a flick of her wrist, another sales associate scurries to strip the mannequin. If Dominic thinks he’s going to control my entire life, he has another thing coming.
The dress I chose is blood red, featuring a very high slit on one side and a bare back.
