Chapter 9 THE DINNER
Ava's POV
I lasted exactly two days before I called him.
My finger hovered over his number for what felt like an hour even though it was probably not more than five minutes, my heart pounding so hard I could feel it in my throat, before I finally shakly pressed the call button and listened to it ring. It rang only once and he picked up on the second ring.
"Dominic Hayes."
His voice sent a shiver down my spine and I had to clear my throat twice before I could speak.
"It's Ava."
"I know." I could hear the smile in his voice and it made my stomach flip.
"What's your answer?"
"Can we meet first? To talk about it properly?"
"Let's have dinner tonight then. I'll send a car at eight."
"I haven't said yes yet," I reminded him, even though we both knew I was going to.
"But you will." He paused and I heard something rustling in the background like he was moving papers around.
"See you tonight, Ava."
He hung up before I could argue and I sat there staring at my phone's dark screen for along moment, wondering what the hell I was doing and why I couldn't seem to stop myself. I involuntally pressed the phone on my chest as if that would somehow keep him close.
I blushed at this realization, like I was in a kind of slumber. Then something dangerously thrillling filled my heart. My appartment suddenly felt so quiet, I could hear my watched ticking and literally every sound seemed amplified. It was ten in the morning.
I sat sank on to the edge of the couch with legs crossed, with a feeling I could explain not. I smiled and then stopped abruptly, phone still in my hand. Finally I exhaustively exhaled closed my eyes and for the first time in my life decided to admit, that I wanted this more than I wanted anything else.
At exactly eight PM, a black luxury car pulled up outside my apartment building and I saw Adrian step out from the driver's seat to open the back door with precise elegance.
"Miss Scott," he said with a slight nod as I approached, his expression as unreadable as always.
"You can call me Ava, you know."
"Miss Scott," he repeated, but there was something almost kind in his gray eyes as he waited for me to get in.Hesistaed for just a fraction of a second, I took a breath, straightened my shoulders and stepped in. It was a new environment there in.Cool, leather and dark wool interior and perfectly silent.
The drive took about twenty minutes through the city, and I spent the whole time staring out the window and trying to calm my racing heart while my hands twisted together in my lap trying to convince my self and gaining confidence of what I was going to face.
We pulled up to a restaurant I'd only ever seen in magazines, to me, it was the kind that existed more in dreams than in reality, it was so exquisite the kind of place where you needed reservations months in advance and a single appetizer probably cost more than my weekly grocery budget.
Dominic was waiting outside with his hands in the pockets of perfectly tailored black slacks, and a dark gray shirt that was probably silk stretched across his broad chest, and when he saw me get out of the car his entire face changed into something that made my knees weak.
"You came," he said, walking toward me.
"You knew I would."
"Hoped, not knew." He offered me his arm and I took it, feeling the warmth of his body seep through his shirt sleeve.
"You look beautiful."
I'd spent an hour trying to figure out what to wear and had finally settled on a simple black dress that Maya said made my legs look amazing, but I still felt underdressed next to him.
"Thank you."
He led me inside and I realized immediately why there weren't any other people around, the entire restaurant was empty except for the staff.
"Where is everyone?" I asked, looking around at the sea of empty tables covered in white linens and flickering candles.
"I bought out the restaurant for the night," he said casually, like that was a completely normal thing to do.
"I wanted privacy so we could talk."
Of course he did.
We were seated at a table by the floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked the city, and the view was breathtaking with lights stretching out as far as I could see in every direction. Tables were dressed in immaculate white linens that seemed to glow under the soft canldelight, everything in offered comfort with a hint of indulgence.
The emptiness of the resaturant made the space feel like it had been designed for me. It looked like a theatre stage and tonigth I and Dominic were the actors in a play written entirely in desire, power and unspoken promises.
A waiter appeared immediately, moving with flawless grace and silent as shadow, he had anticipated every need before it was spoken. He came with a wine list and Dominic ordered something in French that I didn't understand, then turned his attention back to me.
"How's your mother?" he asked, leaning back in his chair and watching me with those intense blue eyes.
"Better. Much better, actually. The treatment is working faster than the doctors expected."
"I'm glad to hear that."
"Can I ask you something?" I said, folding my hands on the table to keep them from shaking.
"Anything."
"How did you know? About my mother being sick, about the exact amount I needed for her treatment, all of it. I know I didn't tell you all those details."
He was quiet for a moment, his jaw tightening slightly before he spoke.
"I had you researched after that first night," he admitted, and I should have been angry but somehow I wasn't surprised.
"I wanted to know everything about you, wanted to understand what drove you to accept my offer. When I found out about your mother, about how desperate your situation was, I..." He trailed off and looked out the window.
"I wanted to help."
"Why?"
"Because you're mine now, Ava, and I take care of what belongs to me."
There was that possessiveness again, that edge to his voice that should have scared me but instead sent heat pooling low in my stomach.
The wine arrived and he poured for both of us before raising his glass.