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“What of it?” I turn away because to love is showing weakness and as she grips my hand, she turns me back to face her. “I want to love you, Dom.” she says in a sad voice that cuts me deep.
“I want to know what it’s like. To be the center of someone’s world and make them the center of mine. To grow together and make plans—together.”
She looks worried. “But this isn’t love, not really, not yet. I want it to be. Ithinkit could be, but how can it be? We’ve only just met.”
Reaching out, I stroke her face that is fast becoming my favorite thing to do and whisper, “You’re wrong, baby girl. In my heart I’ve been waiting for you all my life, which is why I am so scared of you walking away from me.”
Now I’ve exposed my heart to this woman, I feel like a pitiful fool and yet the expression in her eyes makes me catch my breath.
“I’ll stay.” She says softly, seductively and calmly. “I will stay because I want to, and not because you are forcing me to.”
She steps closer and this time her hand traces a light path down my face and as she cups my face in both hands, she kisses me long, luxuriously and slow. A sweet kiss of acceptance. A kiss of new beginnings and promises. To seal the deal we made in extreme anger, borne out of desperation. Flora accepts me for who I am, and I feel exactly the same.
CHAPTER29
FLORA
Ilove this house. As I head toward the dining hall, I hope there is lots of food because I’m so hungry, I may pass out from lack of it right now. Either that or Dom’s declaration of love back there. I never expected that. Lust maybe, but never love. He is silent beside me and is probably regretting even saying it, but in moments of passion the truth has a habit of coming out.
It warms my soul for once in my life, knowing that somebody wants me despite my past.
To break the silence, I say reverently, “You have an amazing home, Dom.”
I’m not kidding either because I am overawed by the wealth here. The paintings that stare down from the walls wouldn’t be out of place in an exhibition of masters. The sculptures on pedestals make it feel as if I’m walking around a museum and the antique furniture that gleams as we pass appears centuries old with so many stories to tell absorbed into their polished wood.
“It’s all shit.” He growls, making me say indignantly, “It most definitely isn’t shit. I know my art and this stuff alone must have cost millions.”
“If you’re impressed by money, prepare to be dazzled.” He laughs bitterly. “All of it earned by blood, ruining lives and bringing pain and misery into the world. Not so attractive now, is it?”
He appears in a strange mood and I’m guessing he’s already regretting letting me poke inside his heart back there, and I shrug.
“Well, I love it, blood and all.”
He turns and regards me through glittering eyes and just like that, I want him again.
He stops and pushes me against one of the huge paintings hanging on the paneled wall and holds my wrists above my head, so the robe falls open to the waist, my bare breasts exposed to anyone who cares to walk by.
“Would you like me to fuck you against this masterpiece? Would that turn you on? It can be arranged.”
The desire lighting his eyes is like a flame to a moth and I say with a catch to my voice, “If you insist.”
He leans in and bites down hard on my lip, causing me to groan out loud and only approaching footsteps cause him to pull back and wrap the robe firmly around my body.
I am pulled beside him the minute someone rounds the corner, and I recognize the man who stood beside him at the gala. Like Dom, this man has one hundred bastard tattooed in invisible ink on his forehead, and I watch as his dark amused eyes take in the scene.
He nods to me with respect and says lightly, “We need to talk after your meal.”
Dom nods. “I’ll call you when we’re done.” As the man makes to pass, Dom says quickly, “Pasquale, arrange for the closet to be filled next to mine. Miss. Corlietti is moving in. Arrange it.”
The amused grin of his soldier tells me this man knows his boss on a more personal level than most, and he nods. “Consider it done.”
As he moves off, Dom grips my hand in his and says tightly, “We should eat. You are a delicious distraction, baby girl, but we need our strength to continue this conversation in the bedroom.”
He winks, which disarms me a little because the wickedness in this man is like paraffin on a flame to me. As I follow him inside a huge dining room, I note the immense table that stretches the length of the room and gasp, noting that it’s set for two at one end.
“Why is this table so big?” I stare around me in amazement and Dom shrugs. “So I can fuck you on it and you won’t fall off.” It makes me laugh out loud and as he does the same, I stare in astonishment as it transforms his features. Gone is the scowling, dominant male and in his place is a sexy, handsome man who is very attractive to me right now.
Shaking his head, he pulls me after him and holds out my chair before taking the one by my side. As he pours me some coffee, I could be excused from believing everything about this situation is normal.
