AllFreeNovel
Share Us
And that would be fine if, despite my best efforts and the promise I made to myself years ago, I didn’t spend all of my time craving her infuriating presence.
.
7
Sloane
Now
The relief of having Dominic out of my personal space is immediate and intense. My body was in danger of short-circuiting from the zips of electricity and heat passing between us. They were so similar to what I felt in James’ office when I sat beside him, only more concentrated. I assumed it was from the prolonged contact. Our legs pressed together and my body nestled into his side, despite my repeated attempts to put space between us. I couldn’t pull in a breath without touching a part of him, and he refused to move.
A man as big as Dominic knows when he’s crowding someone out. He’s like six-seven for crying out loud! It should be instinct for someone that big to always be aware of the amount of space they’re taking up and adjusting accordingly. I mean it’s just proper etiquette, but the man has proven time and again that when it comes to getting under my skin, he’s all too happy to throw etiquette, morals, and decency out the window.
I roll my shoulders and my eyes when Chase takes Dominic’s exit from the table as an invitation to maul Mal. Within seconds of his departure, they’re both moaning into each other’s mouths and smacking loudly every time their lips collide. It’s sickening.
“I’m going to the restroom,” I mumble to no one in particular since the two people at the table certainly don’t hear me. The backs of my thighs are stuck to the leather seat, so it takes longer than it should to slide out of the booth, but I still manage to escape before Chase’s wandering hands venture into indecent territory.
For the first time, I’m dismayed to find only a handful of people are waiting outside the bathroom. I go through the line in record time, and while my bladder is happy, I’m dreading going back to the table with Mal and Mr. Tall, Bald and Handsy. And Lord help me, if Dominic is back, I’ll find myself smashed between his big body and the most inappropriate couple in the club. Since I have no interest in that particular seating arrangement, I head towards the bar.
I’m cutting through a group of girlfriends who give me the stink eye for interrupting their girl-on-girl dance routine, that’s meant to draw the attention of every man in the club, when a sweaty hand grabs my wrist. My steps skid to a stop and then I’m moving backward, being pulled into an aggressive erection that hits me right in the center of my lower back.
“What the fuck?”
“Dance with me, baby.” The man pants in my ear and the stench of Cognac on his breath makes my stomach roll. “You ran from me earlier, but I’ve got you now.”
I wouldn’t have thought it possible, but my spine stiffens even more as I twist around and catch a glimpse of his face that confirms he’s the guy I ran from earlier. He flashes me a nasty smile, and I try to pull away again, but his grimy fingers dig into my waist, and it feels like he’s ripping through the lace of my bodysuit.
“Let go of me!” I’m shouting, but the words are drowned out by the music. In the dark shadows of the club, we must look like every other couple on the dance floor losing ourselves in each other because no one looks our way.
“You smell so good, baby.” His nose is in the crook of my neck and then I feel a rough scrape of teeth on my skin. A wave of nausea sweeps through me. “I’m not going to let you get away from me again, not when I’ve been waiting all night to get you alone.”
Panic grips me as he starts to walk backward, pulling us deeper into the shadows where there are significantly fewer people. I score my nails into his hands, hard enough to draw blood, but he doesn’t flinch.
“Please.” I plead, but it falls on deaf ears.
Frantically, I search the crowd, looking for Mal, Chase, or even a friendly stranger that can stop me from being dragged into a dark corner to get groped by a drunken stranger.
“Don’t worry. I’m going to take very good care of you.”
I pull in lungfuls of useless air as my brain screams at me to fight, yell or drop to the damn ground, but I’m frozen. Shock rendering all of my limbs useless as a sick acceptance trickles down my spine.
This is happening.
Then my eyes land on Dominic. A hulking figure advancing towards me with danger and violence gleaming in his eyes, and for once it isn’t aimed at me. My heart stutters to a stop and when it starts again, it’s beating twice as fast. I’ve never been so happy to see him.
“Get your fucking hands off of her.”
But he doesn’t give my captor a chance to move. Instead, he catches my hand in his and yanks me towards him. I crash into his chest. Somewhere in my mind, I note that he smells nice—a warm and spicy scent that calms my racing pulse.
“What the hell, man? Get your own girl, she’s mine.” The drunken man is leering at me. Staggering as he reaches out to grab me again. Dominic puts his hands on my hips, shifting me around his body so I’m standing behind him, safely out of my stalker’s reach.
Too bad for him, it puts him face to face with an avenging angel.
“Yours?” Dominic growls, taking a step forward. “You think someone like her could ever belong to a piece of shit like you?”
“Take it easy, man. It’s plenty of ass out here for everybody.” He leans to the side trying to get a look at me. I shrink back, hiding behind the wall that is Dominic’s back. “You had all night to shoot your shot. She doesn’t seem interested.”
A strangled sound leaves the drunk, his voice breaking on the last word. I peek around just in time to see one of Dominic’s fists connecting with the man’s jaw for what I can only guess is the second time. The man stumbles, but Dominic catches him by his throat. Long fingers wrapping around his neck and squeezing.
