24

Fallon

Once I’d reassured my dad I wasn’t dropping Dominic just yet, it was unsurprisingly easy to corral him toward the door and send him on his way. He’d hugged me before he left, and the little girl inside me had rejoiced even as I cringed over her enthusiasm.

But I didn’t have time to worry about the ever-present conflict inside me when I had less than thirty minutes left to get ready. He was going to be here soon, and I could already feel my mind putting on its boxing gloves, gearing up for the battle that was about to ensue.

At the same time, though, other parts of me were revving up. I could hear his deep voice in my ear, feel his firm, full lips against mine, and see the heat in his eyes when he looked at me. I could imagine the perfect fit of his suit across his broad chest and wondered about the body beneath it. Was he in good shape or totally ripped? God, how I would have loved to find out. I couldn’t help but think about what would have happened if that woman hadn’t interrupted what we’d started on the restaurant’s patio.

Would he have taken me back to his place? Would he have stripped me naked and demanded that I keep my eyes on him while he made me come with wickedly talented fingers? Would he have pinned my arms above my head while he thrust deep inside me over and over again? Or pinned my hands behind my back while he fucked me from behind? So many possibilities, and every one of them sent heat to my core.

Pressing my thighs together against the pulsing onslaught of arousal, I stepped beneath the shower head and pointedly ignored the way my nipples pebbled beneath the flow. I didn’t have time to pay attention to my throbbing clit, nor would I give it the satisfaction of giving in to the fantasies that played behind my eyes like a porn reel.

I washed, rinsed, and dried as perfunctorily as I could, then dashed to my bedroom to pick out something to wear. It had nothing to do with the thought of Dominic’s heated gaze on me that had me choosing a halter-style black dress that plunged low in the front. And certainly, the image of him ripping it off me wasn’t what had me slipping into the laciest, skimpiest black bra and panties I owned. Yeah right. Even I wasn’t falling for my own bullshit.

By the time I was dressed, I only had a few minutes left to run a brush through my hair and sweep a bit of mascara across my lashes. I could hear the knocking at my door as I dabbed on the juicy, dark red lip gloss that made my lips look like they belonged on a centerfold. They were my favorite feature, and I wasn’t above playing them up tonight. Corinne had taught me well after all.

At the door, I wasn’t quite prepared for the sight that greeted me. Dominic, of course—but he wasn’t dressed in what I’d come to see as typical-Dominic style. No custom-tailored suit this evening, he was dressed in a black V-neck T-shirt and a pair of jeans that hugged him in all the right places. And just to make sure I had to work extra hard not to drool, I could see the hard, chiseled planes of his chest beneath his shirt and had no doubt now that this man was ripped.

I looked up, only just realizing I’d had my gaze roaming all over him.

The hungry look in his eyes, I was sure, mimicked my own, but he wore a knowing grin. “Thanks for the compliment,” he said before I could open my mouth.

I pressed my lips together and tried to look incredulous. It didn’t work. He laughed. He was freaking laughing at me, but it was just what I needed. I could feel my mind stretching in its boxing gloves, like hands warming up for a fight.

I leaned forward and looked down the street, making an exaggerated show of looking left, then right before leaning back inside.

“Waiting for someone?” he asked, though he didn’t sound the least bit perturbed.

I crossed my arms over my chest. “Just wondering when the rest of your fan club is going to show up.” His smile only grew broader.

“Jealous?” he asked, waggling his eyebrows. “Only in your fantasies, Dominic,” I said.

He scoffed. “In my fantasies, you have a lot less on, and jealousy is the last thing on your mind.”

Asshole. Part of me was pissed and would have loved nothing more than to slam the door in his face.

The other part, though, couldn’t deny the rush that came from arguing with this man.

I rolled my eyes. “I envy the people who’ve never met you,” I quipped. “Shall we get this over with? Or were you hoping for a date right here in my doorway?” I asked, cocking a brow.

His smile fell, but the look in his eyes grew hotter. “I had something else in mind, but if you’d rather invite me in…”

Round one goes to him, I guess.

I stepped outside and shouldered my way past him, not oblivious to the firmness of his chest beneath my arm. I could hear him laughing under his breath behind me, but he followed me to his car and opened the passenger door.