Chapter 22 BREAKING POINT
Ava's POV
The next thing I did was walk to Dominic's bedroom.
He was still awake, sitting on the edge of his bed with his head in his hands, and when I pushed the door open without knocking he looked up.
"Who was Sarah Chen?" I asked immediately I stepped in, though my voice wasn't really loud.
His head snapped up and I watched his face change very quickly.
"Where did you hear that name?"
"Answer the question." I said rigidly.
He stood slowly, his entire body tensing
"How do you know about Sarah?"
"I asked you first." My voice was steadier than I felt.
"Who was she and what happened to her?" I asked again.
"She was someone I knew, someone I cared about." His voice was flat, and emotional
"And she died. That's all you need to know."
"She died in this apartment." I said my voice now higher
"Yes." He replied
"And you were questioned by the police."
"Yes."
"Did you kill her?"I asked suddenly and he went suddenly quiet
"Get out." He said as low as he ciuld
"Did you..." I was persistent
"I said get out!" His voice was loud enough to make me flinch and take a step back.
"Get out of my room, Ava. Now."
I backed up slowly but he followed me into the hallway, and I could tell that he was really angry now.
"You want to know about Sarah? Fine." His words came out hard and fast.
"She was my girlfriend. She was beautiful and smart and funny and I thought maybe I could actually love her. And then one night she took too many pills and I found her on my bathroom floor with her lips turning blue." He said, still coming at me.
"I'm sorry..." I said, maybe that'll make him leave because I'm not pretty sure what he'd do.
"I tried to save her." He was closer now, backing me up against the wall with each word.
"I called 911, I did CPR, I did everything I was supposed to do. But it wasn't enough. And you want to know the worst part? Everyone thinks I killed her. Her family, the media, half of New York. They all think I murdered her and got away with it." He added
"Did you?"
His hand slammed against the wall next to my head and I jumped, my heart racing.
"If I was going to kill someone, I sure as hell wouldn't be stupid enough to do it in my own home where I'd be the prime suspect." His face was inches from mine now and I could see the pain behind the anger.
"I loved her, Ava. And I watched her die. So forgive me if I don't want to talk about it with you just because some anonymous person sent you photos in the middle of the night."
He pushed away from the wall and I thought he was going to leave but instead he turned back to face me.
"You want to know about Sarah? You want to understand what happened?" His voice dropped lower, rougher.
"She couldn't handle my life. The pressure, the attention, the people who wanted to tear us apart. She started taking pills to cope and I didn't notice until it was too late."
"Dominic..."
"I failed her." The confession seemed to break something in him
"I was so focused on protecting my empire that I didn't see she was falling apart right in front of me."
I stepped toward him, my anger dissolving into something else.
"It wasn't your fault." I said slowly.
"Wasn't it?" He looked at me and his eyes were raw with emotion I'd never seen from him before. "Everyone I care about gets hurt, Ava. That's why I tried to keep you at arm's length. That's why this was supposed to just be an arrangement."
"And now?" I asked
"Now I'm fucking terrified because you're in too deep and I can't let you go even though I should."
The vulnerability in his voice made my chest ache and before I could think about it I closed the distance between us.
"Then don't let me go." I told him. My eyes went to his plumb pink lips and God! I couldn't just look away, I kissed him.
He kissed back,his hands fisting in my hair while he backed me against the wall again but this time it was different. This time it wasn't about control or possession, it was about need.
"I can't lose you too," he breathed against my mouth, his hands already working at the buttons of my sleep shirt.
"I can't."
"You won't." I pulled at his t-shirt and he helped me get it over his head.
"I'm not going anywhere."
We stumbled toward his bedroom, mouths locked together, and when we reached the bed he turned me around so my back was to his chest and his mouth found my neck.
"Tell me you trust me," he said against my skin while his hands slid down my body.
"I trust you." I said quietly
"Even after everything you learned tonight?"
"Especially after." I turned my head to look at him. "Because you finally let me see the real you."
I could see his expression change as he lifted me easily and carrying me to the bed. He laid me down carefully and stood looking at me for a long moment.
Then he moved closer stripped off the rest of my clothes slowly, he snapped my bra off and my big boobs bounced out freely, his hands ponched my nipples and I moaned.
When I was completely bare beneath him he started at my ankles and kissed his way up, taking his time, making me squirm.
By the time his mouth reached my inner thigh I was already trembling, with my hands fisted in the sheets.
"Dominic, please..."
"Patience." He looked up at me with a wicked smile.
"I'm just getting started."
His mouth kissed my dripping clit and I arched off the bed with a gasp that turned into a moan when his tongue rolled over them slowly.
He took his time, building the pleasure slowly until I was writhing beneath him, one hand gripping his hair while the other clutched the pillow.
Just when I was getting close he pulled back and I made a sound of protest that made him laugh.
"Not yet." He kissed his way back up my body, paying special attention to my breasts before finally reaching my mouth again.
"I want to be inside you when you come."
He positioned himself and pushed in slowly, both of us groaning at the sensation. He stayed still for a moment, letting me adjust, with his forehead pressed against mine.
"Fuck"
Then he started to move, he would suck on my boobs and then go on and on.
He rolled us over so I was on top and I sat up, I hugged him and started taking him deeper while his hands gripped my hips hard.
"You're so fucking ... Shit... You're good" he murmured.
I did, moving in ways that made both of us moan. When his thumb found that sensitive spot between my legs I gasped and moved faster.
"That's it, bitch. Ride daddy!" he encouraged, his other hand sliding up to cup my breast.
"Take what you need. Use me."
The power of being in control mixed with the pleasure building inside me and I threw my head back, chasing the release that was right there just out of reach.
"Look at me," Dominic demanded.
"I want to watch you when you come."
I looked down at him and the intensity in his eyes pushed me over the edge. I came hard, his name falling from my lips, my entire body shaking with the force of it.
He flipped us again before I'd even caught my breath, driving into me with renewed urgency. His mouth found my neck and I felt his teeth graze my skin.
"Mine," he growled against my throat.
"Say it."
"Yours," I gasped as another wave of pleasure built. "I'm yours."
He came with a groan that I felt vibrate through his entire body, and we collapsed togetherm
For several minutes neither of us moved, just lay there breathing hard and trying to remember how to function.
Finally he rolled to the side and pulled me against his chest.
"Stay with me tonight. In here." His voice was softer now, vulnerable in the aftermath. "I don't want to be alone."
"Okay." I smiled and I knew the night would be so long
We lay there in silence and I felt his breathing even out, thought he was falling asleep, when he spoke again.
"Let's do it again" he whispered and my hands immediately went to his cock under the bed spread that covered us.