Chapter 27

Elena's POV

I stood frozen in the middle of the luxurious apartment, my thoughts whirling like a tempest. How had my night gone from a simple outing with Zoe to standing in a penthouse that Dominic had apparently purchased for me? Everything about this situation was surreal.

His bare chest gleamed in the low light, every sculpted muscle a reminder of nights I'd tried desperately to forget. The memory of his skin against mine sent an unwelcome heat coursing through my veins.

"Are you planning to stand there all night?" Dominic's voice cut through my thoughts. "Or do you need me to help you wash?"

The suggestion snapped me out of my daze. "I can manage on my own," I replied quickly, retreating toward the bathroom door he'd indicated.

"Are you certain?" His lips curved into that infuriating half-smile. "Your back is difficult to reach."

I slipped into the bathroom without responding, closing the door firmly behind me. Only then did I dare to breathe properly, leaning against the cool wood as I tried to calm my racing heart.

The shower was indeed enormous, a glass enclosure with multiple showerheads and built-in seating. It could easily accommodate two people, as Dominic had so casually mentioned.

I stripped off my clothes, avoiding my reflection in the expansive mirror. I didn't want to see the flush I could feel creeping across my skin, or the way my pupils had dilated at Dominic's proximity. My body's reaction to him was humiliating in its predictability.

The hot water felt heavenly, washing away the lingering scent of the club and the tension of the evening. I closed my eyes, letting the steam envelop me, trying to think clearly about my situation. But clarity remained elusive.

Instead, unbidden images of Dominic flooded my mind, the way his muscles had rippled as he removed his shirt, the intensity in his eyes when he'd said he wasn't ready to let me go, the heat of his palm against my thigh under the table at the club.

My hand drifted lower, almost of its own accord. I bit my lip as my fingers found the sensitive bundle of nerves between my thighs, already swollen with need.

*This is pathetic*, a voice in my head scolded. But I couldn't stop. The physical relief was too tempting, too necessary after weeks of tension and denial. I leaned against the shower wall, increasing the pressure and pace of my fingers, imagining they were Dominic's.

A soft moan escaped me, echoing slightly in the spacious shower.

"Need assistance after all?"

I gasped, my eyes flying open to find Dominic standing just outside the glass enclosure.

"How long have you been there?" I demanded, mortification burning through me as I tried to cover myself with my arms.

"Long enough." His voice was a low. "You look beautiful when you pleasure yourself. But I think we both know my hands would feel better than yours."

I wanted to be outraged at the intrusion, to order him out. But the words wouldn't come. Instead, I found myself frozen.

Dominic's eyes never left mine as he slowly stripped off his remaining clothes. My mouth went dry at the sight of him fully naked, already hard and eager.

He stepped into the shower, the space suddenly feeling much smaller with his imposing presence. Water cascaded over his powerful body.

"Tell me to leave," he said quietly, stopping just short of touching me. "If that's what you truly want."

It was a challenge, and we both knew it. I should tell him to go, to respect my privacy and the boundaries I'd tried to establish when I ended our arrangement. I should remember the pain of seeing him with Olivia, the humiliation of having our relationship exposed.

But what I came out instead was: "Stay."

His smile was triumphant as he closed the remaining distance between us, one hand tangling in my wet hair while the other traced the curve of my waist.

"Say please," he murmured against my ear, his breath hot on my skin.

My pride rebelled at the command, but my body was beyond such concerns. "Please," I whispered.

His fingers traced a deliberate path down my body, circling my nipples until they hardened painfully before continuing lower. When he finally slid two fingers inside me, I gasped at the sudden intrusion, my body arching against his hand.

"So wet," he murmured against my throat. "So ready for me." His thumb found my clit, circling with devastating precision while his fingers curled inside me, finding that spot that made my vision blur.

"Dominic," I moaned, unable to control the way my hips moved against his hand, seeking more pressure, more friction.

He withdrew slightly, only to push back in with three fingers this time, stretching me in a way that bordered between pleasure and pain. I whimpered at the sensation, my inner walls clenching around his digits.

"You're so responsive,I could watch you like this for hours."

He controlled my pleasure , slowing when I got too close to the edge.

"Please," I begged.

He leaned in, his lips brushing my ear. "Tell me what you need, Elena."

"I need to come," I gasped, beyond pride or pretense. "Please, Dominic."

"Like this?" He curled his fingers more firmly inside me, more focused as he drove me toward the brink.

I cried out as the first wave hit me, my body clenching around his fingers in spasms I couldn't control. He didn't stop, working me through the orgasm and pushing me toward another before the first had fully subsided.

"That's it," he encouraged, his voice with desire. "Show me how much you want this."

I couldn't stop the sounds escaping me, that would have mortified me if I'd been capable of rational thought. My nails dug into his shoulders as the pressure built again, my entire body trembling on the edge of a second release.

The climax crashed through me, leaving me shaking and gasping against the shower wall as waves of pleasure pulsed through my core.

"Elena, you've already come twice. And I've only used my fingers."

I was beyond shame, beyond hesitation. "Please give me more," I begged.

"What do you want?" He gripped his hard length, using it to tap deliberately against my swollen clit, sending jolts of electricity through my oversensitized body.

I moaned at the contact, my hips instinctively pushing forward. "I want you inside me."

Then he withdrew completely, leaving me aching and empty. I made a sound of protest that turned into a moan when he sucked his fingers into his mouth, tasting me with evident satisfaction.

I placed my hands on his chest, pushing him back just enough to look into his eyes.

"Why didn't you go home with Olivia tonight?" The question had been gnawing at me since we left the club. "She was practically offering herself to you."

Dominic's expression darkened momentarily. "Is that what you want to discuss right now?" His hardness cock insistently against me, a reminder of our current position.

"I need to know."

A strange smile played at his lips. "Are you jealous, Elena?"