"What are we waiting for Thumime asked, brow down slightly inconfusion
Vesperics heart was primiding at 180 beats per minute, fast enough to mess with her brain''s ability to form coherent thoughts.
She was terrified that if she didn''t say something now, things might actually happen, and she''d have to deal with the consequencester
She didn''t trust henself to exin it in some long,plicated way. That left too much mom for misunderstanding. So, she went with the simplest versionat'' si
She took a deep breath, then another. "Is it okay. If this doesn''te with any responsibility?"
Who said thisWoman was timid? she was holid
He didn''t answer right away. He just looked at her quietly for a long, long moment.
It felt like a century had passed, like mushroonga could''ve started growing ou
them.
Finally, he spoke. "It''s iy,"
Then, he nodded provinely. "Vera, whatever.belpa vendeel at rase, we ll do it your way.
vespera blinked, surprised. He was being so agreeable that the honestly started to wonder if this was a fake Dominic
she''d braced herself for a sharp, sarcastic remark. Maybe even for him to toss her aside and walk off moldly, putting an end to this dangerously simmering tension before it went too far
That would''ve been the perfect way to shut it all down, and then tomorrow? He''d art like nothing happened no awkwardness and dema
"You agree? Seriously?"
"Seriously." He nodded again.
Then, he carried her into the mom The motion-sensor lights flicked on, casting a soft amber glow across the dark space.
He didn''t ce her on the bed. Instead, he sat down in the wide, leather armchair by the window, pulling heronto hisp, letting her sit sideways across his legs.
Then, with a voice calm and sincere, he begantalldog. "I understand what your''re afraid of, Vera. I inspect that, and I''m willing to go at your pace"
Meanwhile, inside Vespera''s head, she was shouting, "Yeah well, I feel like my whole line of thinking is wed, sitting on yourp like this is definitely wed, everything about this moment is dangerously wed!"
But he was so gentle and reasonable. How could she argue?
Thanks for understanding," she muttered.
Dominic smiled. "It I respect your feelings and your wishes, shouldn''t you also respect inline?
When he smiled, his fox-like eyes lit up like stars, malding it dangerously easy to lose allmon sense.
Vespera''s intemal warming systems-the ones built to detect traps-were starting to short-circuit. Still, she followed through. "Your wishes?"
"Exactly. You''ve got your perspective, Vera, and I''ve got mine. That''s fair, right?" Domiluic asked, his tone still calm..
"Fair," she replied.
"you don''t want to be responsible, and that''s fine. But for me, my personal belief is that I do need to take responsibility for someone care about. That''s just who
and that''s not wrong either, is i7-
Vespera went quiet,
She took aberath.
Dominic, sensing hertension, gently ran a hand along her back.
"Bx. I''m not trying to trick you, and definitely not trying to push you loto
anything- just let me finish, and you can take a
time you need to think about.
Vesperaewastype, and she knew she shouldert listen any father Hut
*tavaliead," dir said quietly
red a girlfriend. Someone to keep my parents off my back. And because of the way I see rtionships, I looking for somethin that could lead to marriage.
"I want to be upirunt about that, but that don''t mean I expect you to feel the same.
Il you don''t want any of that, that''s okay, You''ll always have the final say.
"?l someday yournge your inled, great. Itt, still fine. We both get to stick to our
own principles. So, how does that sound?!
His wider was low and steady, calm and collected-like he was pitching a business deal
A deal that,pestly, sounded ridiculously good from berside
Die gave let tosi tomove in any direction like andload saying, Har midy boyni
1 want, but hey, take yo
Even though she''d already showers, was will grurious
Did something this good eveneslet in the real world? Even
a allrad, Itve in the house, getfortable. No pressure to buy. I''ve already decided you''ve
carlisi wouldn''t date package sonielling that profesi
stempted, dangerouslytempted,
"Take your time. I''ll give you, say two hours?" Dominic replied smoothly.
He gave her a light smack on the butt "You can think while you shower
The word shower alone made her face light up like a fumuce
aid. Sex, instead, she stood up and went to the
At this point in the conversation, backing out would we post made her look overly
dramatic or like a total coward
she tried to thinki
Want this supposed to be a short term, no string:
(did she suddenly get talked into buying the whole mansion?"
Danding was de toutely the king of smooth-talking maniption
shower after hist no minites, and her decision was made.
Sure, hes proposal was tempting, but there was no such thing as after lunch.
Especially not when the guyhursting it is painfully good-Indling.
she couldn''t let a bit of eaving eventide her better judgment. She opened the door, ready toy it all out.
the chain by the window was empty
She let out a breath she had realized she''d been holding
od that was good. Whatever the reason, his leaving was the best possible
oue.
rxed and dropped onto the bed, letting herself sprawl for a moment. She''d rest for a bit, wait until he was sound asleep, and then sneak back down to her
Chess acted it she could just y dumb and east til moming, she''d be tine.
As shey their, sleep started to creep in. Her eyelids grew heavy. De blink then another until she drifted offpletely.
She was deep in that sweet, hary kind of sleep when suddenly, a voice cut through the quiet. "Vera, you fell asleep already?"
Heleves stopped open
She shot up like she''d been electrocuted, heart pounding wildly, her head thudding in syne with each beat like a bass drum in her skull,
Demi sat on the edge of the bed, leaning in close, his warm breath faning across hertace
The ck silk robe he wore shifted as he moved, shipping lower to reveal the line of his neck and the elegant dip of his corbone.
But someone jolted out of sleep, brain still halt shut down, this was exactly when her willpower was at its weakest
e you. Back again?" she asked, eves locked on his face and despite herself, her gare dropped to his lips as she spoke.
Dominic''s eves were sott, but there was something else there, too-something darker and maic
He dipped a little closer, voice low and smooth. "We agreed on two hours, didn''t we? I''m here to collect your answer."
"Anamwet." Vespera stammered, thoughts tangled and messy. She lifted a hand to her temple, trying to think
The next second, his fund gently but timly pulled hers away and pressed it to the pillow, holding it there with just enough weight to keep her still. "we had a deal Vera. No barking out, no stalling So, yesorno. Give it to me straight."
we aller wave of
wave of spation
His breath was hot. His fingers against her palm sent ripples through her, like
wind sweeping across a golden wheat field in a streams, we building with nowhere to go:II
she managed to get one word out, voice shaking
Th beatha tangled in the inch of space between them, charged and barely held
back
Duminic had always been a manot restraint. The more beautiful something was, the more control he exercised.
He made sur everything was mutual, that she gave herself over willingly. No matter how badly he wanted to lose control, he kept himself in check.
can''t decide?" le whispered.
His other hand shad up, the fingertip brushing lightly across her lips
His gaze darkened like are tossed ck tides, ready to pull her under. And then,
he leaned in closet, so close she could barely breathe
"Should i decide for you? But if I do, you can''t take it back," he said softly.
The quiet night wrapped around them, and his voice-low, coating-stined everyer of bet imagination, pulling desire right to the sustace.
Vespera veliest rose and fell with each shallow bath. She told herself, over and over, "Lust is an lion. You''re not into him. You''re not catching feelings. You''re The second the wood letters lips, his mouth was on ben