Chapter 12: Candace

Shit. This is all I need now.

Please, God, don’t let me be stuck inside here with him.

Not him and not this.

I squirm out of Dominic’s arms like I can’t get away quick enough while he moves to the panel and presses the button to talk to the maintenance department.

“Sorry, we’ll be a few minutes. There was a power cut in the engine room,” a male voice says.

I don’t even know who’s talking. I’m just grateful for the assurance of being held up for only a few minutes. Then again, a few minutes could be enough to make me crazy around this man.

I kneel, grab my bag, and start picking up my things. Along with my phone and keyring, I have a bunch of pens, makeup, and mini notepads. Dominic lowers and starts helping me too.

“It’s okay. I got it.”

“There’s no harm in helping you pick up your pens, Candace,” he replies, but he doesn’t look at me.

As he continues gathering my pens, I feel embarrassed I have so many. I have almost one of every color known to man and highlighters. There are more pens and miniature notebooks than makeup, making me look like the nerd I was back in high school. Intelligence is great, he has it, but a nerd is a whole other species.

An unwelcomed blush sweeps over me when he spots the little origami angel he made sitting by a larger notebook. I vaguely remember putting it in my bag. Now I curse myself for doing so because it looks like I'm carrying it around with me, which I technically am.

Dominic reaches for it, and his brows lift in surprise when his eyes link with mine. My cheeks burn, so I look away and focus on gathering the last of my pens.

He gets up, straightens his shoulders, and I stand too. He’s still holding the angel, and it’s clear from the uncanny look in his eyes he wants me to ask for it.

It sends a shiver of annoyance through me because he can see I want the angel back.

My heart beats out of cadence when he reaches forward and takes my bag from me. I only release the breath I’m holding on to when he drops the angel inside and hands the bag back.

“There you go, Angel,” he says, and I grit my teeth at the nickname.

We stare at each other for what seems like forever, and I wait for the elevator to move or the doors to open so I can flee. This tension is too much for me.

Dominic breaks the stare first by dipping his head for a second, but he doesn’t look away or resume leaning against the wall like he was when I first stepped in. Instead, his eyes become hard, flat, and emotionless, and I have a feeling I’m about to have that conversation he wanted to have last night.

“Is this really how we’re going to be?” he asks, raising his palms. My heart grips when a flicker of sadness flashes in his eyes. "Candace, you and I are seriously going to be these people who can barely say two words to each other?”

“I guess it is what it is,” I answer, maintaining my stance.

Now he looks pissed. “What it is? What the fuck does that mean?”

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Well, we’re stuck here, so we might as well talk. Tell me what you mean by it is what it is.” He searches my eyes, and I feel my guard slipping.

The thing is, I want to get the shit off my chest. I just don’t want to talk to him about it.

“It’s nothing.”

“It’s not nothing.”

“Yes, it is.”

“Candace, what do you want me to do?”

“You don’t have to do anything Dominic, that’s the point of it being nothing.” I throw back. God, I really don’t want to do this today.

“Okay, answer the original question then. Is this how we’re going to be? If this is what you want, then I’ll leave you the fuck alone.”

Numbness fills my mind because I don’t want this. Of course, I don’t. I’m so hurt, though. I can’t see past what I feel.

“Answer me,” he demands.

“That’s not fair.”

“It’s a simple question. Do you want me to leave you alone? God knows there’s every reason why you should. It was me who nearly killed you.” Shame fills his face.

“I forgave you,” I remind him.

“You did, but nearly killing you is not exactly something that can be easily forgiven, and I don’t deserve forgiveness for what I did.”

“I still did it, and you knew that before you left.”

He presses his lips together. “So, let’s talk about the other problem then—the thing you can’t forgive me for. There are so many things it could be I don’t know which one it is. So, tell me.”

“You left,” I choke out, hating the thick emotion infused in my voice. “It’s the fact that you just left. I forgave you for the worse thing you could do to me, and you left me.”

His eyes darken. “Baby, I had to leave.”

“No, you didn’t.” I shoot back. “You’re seriously telling me that was the only thing you could think of doing? Leaving? And for so long? Without a word?”

“Candace, I was worse than what you saw. I had to leave.”

“And where did you go? To some magical place where they fixed you?”

“I did rehab.”

“Dominic, we have some of the best doctors in L.A. Everything you did could have been done here. But you left. You left me when I needed you. All I wanted was for you to stay. I hoped you’d stay because we were together. I hoped it would be enough for you, but it wasn’t. I wasn’t enough, just like the past.”

His lips part, and shock registers on his face. When tears sting my eyes, I know I don’t have any more strength left in me.

“That’s not true.” He shakes his head.

“It doesn’t matter.”

“It does.”

I try to turn away, but one strong hand clamps around my arm, holding me in place. He catches my face with the other. The caress of his fingers over my cheek whispers memories of his touch, making me crave what we were and what we could have been.

I can’t seem to break away from his riveting stare or the sexual magnetism that charges the air with passion I’ve only ever felt with him. The memory of the feeling makes my lungs squeeze in anticipation, my body eager for more.

The energy that passes between us grows into something hot, carnal, raw, and damn it, the wild desire overcomes my willpower and compels me to move to him too when he lowers to my lips.

His full soft lips brush over mine, and like that first kiss we shared, it feels like he’s tasting me from the way he lingers there, motionless. It’s the opposite for me. That wild crackle of desire ignites my soul, awakening everything I ever felt for him.

It takes seconds for all those emotions to combust into a craving so ravenous it weakens me. So, when he slips his hand behind my head and deepens the kiss, I already know there’s nothing I can do besides kiss him back.

His tongue sweeps over mine, and the wild but sweet thrill of kissing him makes my body bow to the sensation. I can’t help but melt into the granite walls of his chest when he pulls me flush against him, closing the space between us.

The hardness of his body against my curves sends a thrill of electricity through me. Arousal claws through my body with the same vicious force, making my traitorous pussy clench with desperation for this man to be inside me.

His fingers run through my hair, while mine tug at his shirt and run up the peaks of muscle lining his abs.

Something greedy then takes over, turning greed to hunger, and he shoves me up against the wall, taking hold of my waist to push my dress to my hips.

In that moment, I lose my mind at the same time as I drop my bag again.

His hands on my body feel like coming home. God, how I missed his touch. His fingers slide over the lace of my panties, and he moves the fabric aside so he can push his finger into my pussy. I gasp against his lips and moan out loud when he starts moving his finger inside me.

Our eyes connect, and I know I should tell him to stop, let me go, or leave me alone, but none of those words form on my lips. Instead, I moan out my pleasure and grasp on to his shirt.

“I want you,” he growls with a ravenous stare that heightens my arousal.

He wants me?

“I can’t. We shouldn’t,” I attempt, but he tightens his grip on my face, and anything else I was going to say fades from my mind.

“Can’t? Shouldn’t? Those sound like asshole words. Empty and not no.” A sinful smile lifts the corner of his lips, and my need for him soars on hearing his words.

“Dominic…”

“I need you. I need to be inside you right the fuck now.”

Just for a few fleeting seconds, reality forces its way in, and I think of what he means. He wants me, but he shouldn’t have me. I shouldn’t allow him to. I shouldn’t—

Fuck. His pumps speed up, and I can’t remember why I’m not supposed to be with him. His lips come back to mine, and it’s me who pulls his shirt right out of his pants.

He doesn’t need any more encouragement than that. The wildness takes control and all I hear is the clink of his belt buckle.

I leave his lips just long enough to see him shove his pants down his legs and take out his cock, which I barely glimpse. I just remember how big he is and how tight I’m going to be. Like last time, it’s going to hurt because I haven’t had sex in two years, not since him.

When Dominic picks me up, I wrap my legs around him like I’m programmed to and take a deep breath as I feel the head of his cock at my entrance. I suck in another breath as he pushes up into me, his face contorting at how tight I am.

He thrusts upwards, pushing into my body, pushing pleasure into my soul. I have to grab onto his shoulders from the impact and the spellbinding effects of his cock.

One hard thrust breaches my pussy, and his cock spears me, feeling so good even though it hurts. It’s a sweet hurt that makes me want more even though he’s giving me what I want.

“Jesus Christ, you feel so good,” he groans. “Your pussy is so tight.”

“Fuck!” I cry.

“Yes, I will. I absolutely fucking will fuck you.” He promises with a streak of possession that frightens me.

Before I can take my next breath, he starts moving inside, fucking me like he owns me. And I allow him to.

I allow him to like I wasn’t the same woman who told Helen not even half an hour ago that Dominic was out of the picture.

Lies.

All God damn lies, and all I’ve been doing is lying to myself every time I thought I could and should hate him.

He speeds up his pumps, burrowing into my body, tunneling deeper.

I bounce up and down on his cock, taking it all. Blood pumps in my ears when my orgasm takes me, and I come so hard I think I might pass out.

I throw my head back, arching my breasts into his face, and he presses back, placing his lips against my skin in the valley between my breasts, sucking on the swell.

With my walls squeezing his cock, it only takes a handful of seconds before I feel the warmth of his cum pulse inside me.

My hands go limp, and I focus on relaxing my rapid breath. My eyes close when he holds me closer, and I don’t want to open them. I don’t want to face the jabs of reality I feel pushing against my mind.

My breath calms but speeds up again instantly when I hear something in the background, but I can’t quite identify the sound. Then a voice makes me jump.

“That should be fixed now,” the voice from the intercom says, and I scramble out of Dominic’s arms.

My legs wobble when he sets me down, and I stare at him with wide eyes as he tucks his cock back into his pants.

I can’t believe what we just did.

I can’t.

Sex.

Us.

We just had sex and in here. At work. In the elevator. There are cameras in here. Jesus Christ.

“Oh my God,” I breathe out, bringing my hand to my mouth.

“Candace,” he reaches out to touch me, but I back out of his grasp.

“No.”

The elevator starts moving, and he looks at me. A flush of heat races across my skin, and I stare back at Dominic, not quite knowing what to say or do.

“Candace—”

“No, leave me.”

The elevator doors ding open.

“I have to go,” I say, stepping away from him. “I have to.”

I’m about to rush away when he grabs my arm. “We have to talk.”

Talk?

“No. I can’t talk to you.”

“Why the hell not? We need to talk.”

“We just had sex, Dominic,” I throw back.

Correction, we just had unprotected sex. Thank God I’m on birth control, or I’d have other things to worry about.

“All the more reason to talk.”

I can’t do this. Not when I feel more confused than ever.

“You told me not to wait,” I retort and wrench my arm free from him. “You told me I shouldn’t.”

I don’t know why I bring that up. It almost makes no sense than it does when he stares back at me with his lips parted.

Before he can say anything else, I grab my bag and rush away from him. When I hear the elevator doors close, taking him away from me, my knees wobble again.

I can barely breathe.

My heels click against the marble flooring as I take the corner. The sound isn't supposed to be loud, but with my body sensitized from Dominic's touch, all my senses feel amplified a hundredfold.

I have to stop in the passageway and bring my hand to my heart. I make a fist as the truth hits me with a problem I don't know if I can ignore.

I still want him.

I still want Dominic.

What is wrong with me?

What the hell is wrong with me?

Things between us are a fucking mess. But if I'm to cut past the shit and talk basics, the answer is I want him.

It was foolish of me to think I could move on. Hard reality hits me when I realize I’m not sure I can. And that complicates things on so many levels.

How can I carry out this plan of mine with Jacques when I feel this way?

And, after what I just did?