Page 79 of The Summer We Lie

"What's wrong?" he asks again, his dark eyes searching mine in the mirror, his tall frame making the spacious bathroom feel suddenly intimate and small.

Chapter Thirty-Five

Skye

I take a deep breath and meet Dom's eyes in the mirror. "I got an email from Obsidian," I say softly, my fingers nervously playing with the hem of my shirt.

His expression remains neutral, unreadable, those dark eyes giving away nothing. "And?"

"You paid the money," I say, not quite a question but needing confirmation. My heart hammers against my ribs as I wait for his response, afraid of what it might mean.

"Yeah, I contacted them letting them know the deal was complete and to go ahead with payment," he says simply, like we're discussing the weather instead of over a million dollars that just materialized in my life.

I feel so stupid. So incredibly, painfully stupid for being upset, for thinking this was more than what it was. Of course it was just about completing the contract. Of course he would tie up loose ends efficiently, like the successful businessman he is. My chest tightens with disappointment.

"Is that not okay?" Dom asks, brow furrowing as he watches my reflection, those intense eyes studying my face with sudden concern.

I force a smile that feels like glass cutting my face, jagged and painful. "No, that's fine. It's good," I say, even though that's not at all how I feel. My throat tightens around the words, threatening to choke me. "Harper's going to be down soon. You can't be in here."

He comes up behind me, his hands gentle but firm as he turns me to face him. His scent surrounds me, that expensive cologne that's become so familiar so quickly, wrapping around me like an invisible embrace.

"Skye, what did I do wrong?" he asks, genuine confusion flickering in those dark eyes that usually see everything.

"You didn't," I say, shaking my head, blinking back the embarrassing sting of tears. "Like I said, I'm just being stupid. Forget about it."

"I'm not leaving until you tell me what's wrong," he says, his tone leaving no room for argument.

I look down at the floor, at my feet, not wanting to meet his eyes when I say this. "I just didn't think that what we did was, you know... for the auction. I just thought..." I trail off, unable to finish the pathetic sentence hanging between us.

Dom lifts my chin with his finger, forcing me to look up at him. The intensity in his gaze steals my breath, pins me in place.

"You thought it was more," he says, and I nod, feeling utterly pathetic, like a naive child.

"It was more," he says firmly, each word weighted with conviction. "So much more. But you need that money. You were doing this for a reason, and you deserve the money. I want you to have it." His voice drops lower, intimate, the words meant only for me. "I didn't take your virginity because I wanted a virgin. It's actually the opposite—I didn't want a virgin. But I wanted you."

The words hit me like a physical force, knocking the air from my lungs. He wanted me? Not the transaction, not the virgin fantasy, but me?

"Wait," I say, trying to process this information that's rewriting everything I thought I knew. "Why did you bid on me then? If you didn't want a virgin?"

"I didn't," he says, and I feel my stomach drop through the floor. "Ethan and Logan bid on you on my profile. It was their way of hooking me up."

"Oh." Everything suddenly makes more sense, pieces clicking into place. "So you didn't even want any of this? That makes more sense why you were a dick when we first met." The words tumble out before I can filter them.

Dom runs a hand through his hair, a rare gesture of frustration from someone usually so composed. "I didn't, and that's why I came off abrasive the first time we met. I was pissed at them, and I wasn't looking to hook up, so it kinda sucked flying to Pennsylvania and having to turn you down." His eyes darken, something primal flashing in them. "And then it pissed me off more that you were so young and I was attracted to you."

"You were?" I ask, feeling warmth spread through me, replacing the ice of disappointment. "Attracted to me? From the beginning?"

"Are you fucking kidding me?" His voice is rough with emotion, almost angry in its intensity. "I couldn't get you out of my head afterward. Every damn day."

A small smile plays on my lips, impossible to suppress despite my best efforts. Something warm unfurls in my chest.

"Skye, consider the money a gift," he says, his expression serious again, the businessman returning.

"I can't take that kind of money from you," I say, shaking my head, overwhelmed by the implications. "It's too much."

"It's yours, and I won't take it back, baby," he says, dipping down to kiss me, his lips warm and insistent against mine.

I melt into him, my body responding instantly to his touch, every nerve ending lighting up, before I come to my senses and pull back. "You have to go, or Harper is going to catch you in here," I say, reluctantly breaking the connection.