AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Oh, I’ve done more than that. “Mhmm,” I murmur. That seems appropriately vague.
“What a snack he is.” She looks speculative. “I should probably thank him for the suite. Personally.”
A hot flash of rage runs through me. Fuck me, I’m jealous. This is very bad. Dominic is a guy I slept with once. Even if we end up sleeping together tonight, it doesn’t mean anything. This is not exclusive, and it’s not permanent. It’s a meaningless fling. A way to scratch an itch. Nothing else. I cannot possibly be jealous of Nicky Z.
Except Nicky is hot. Really hot. She’s got the kind of body that you get by spending three hours in the gym every day. She certainly wouldn’t consider apple pie and ice-cream a suitable lunch. Well, to be fair, she might, but Oscar wouldn’t stand for it.
I mutter something noncommittal. Nicky’s phone beeps an alarm—she’s due at rehearsal—and she tosses it aside and uncurls herself from the couch. “Then again, maybe not. He looks kinda uptight.”
“Dominic Crawford?” Uptight? I picture Dominic leaning back, his legs crossed, his sleeves rolled up to the elbow, his eyes on me as Carter undressed me. I remember his fingers thrusting into my wet pussy, bringing me to climax as I sucked off his best friend. Dominic is many things, but uptight he’s not.
A shiver of pure anticipation runs through me. I’m having dinner with them tonight. A late dinner, in Dominic’s penthouse suite. I can’t wait.
I don’t hearfrom Sammy all evening. At eight, I dress for dinner. When Paul assigned me to this gig, I’d anticipated that I’d be expected to attend Nicky’s shows, and so I’d packed a couple of dresses. I wouldn’t wear a dress to a concert if Nicky were performing in a smaller venue, but the Grand River theatre has a more formal vibe.
I’ve already worn the first one; I wore the black dress yesterday when I went downstairs to gamble with my complimentary vouchers. Yellow sundress then. I get dressed, spend a ridiculous amount of time on my hair, and an even more ridiculous amount of time on my makeup. I’m slipping my feet into gold-toned sandals when there’s a knock on the door.
It’s Carter. His gaze travels down my body appreciatively, and when he lifts his eyes to mine, he looks slightly dazed. “You look amazing.”
“Thank you.” My mouth is dry with nerves. “You look pretty damn good yourself.”
He’s wearing a navy-blue shirt, sleeves rolled up to the elbow, and charcoal-grey pants. I lean closer to him and catch a whiff of his aftershave. It smells like forest mixed with leather and smoke, and it sends my insides clenching with sudden heat.
I am in so much trouble.
His lips tilt up. “Dominic went to Paesano’s,” he says. “He’ll be back any minute now. Want to head up?”
I have to say something to lighten the mood, otherwise I’m going to jump him right here. “And snoop around while he’s not there?”
Carter laughs out loud. “Sounds like a plan.”
Carter leads the way to a stairwell. He gives my sandals a speculative glance. “Only one set of elevators go right to the top,” he says apologetically. “If the stairs are a problem, we can go downstairs and take the company elevator.”
I’ve been thinking about this. “Can we really be seen together?” I ask him. “I mean, the judge forbade anyone close to you from having contact with your nephew, right?”
“That has struck me,” he admits. “It’s not just Judge Bass. Denton Mitchell won’t let you into his poker game if he finds out you know Dominic.” He gives me a careful look. “I don’t like the implication of sneaking around. I wasn’t lying when I said I didn’t need anyone to approve of my choices. I don’t want you to feel like you’re a secret I’m trying to hide.”
He looks troubled. Poor Carter. I feel a surge of sympathy for the man. I flash him a smile. “Let’s take the stairs. I promise you, I’m not offended.”
“Can you walk in those heels?” He gives my sandals a dubious glance. “Do you want me to carry you?”
Cradled against Carter’s broad chest. Mmm. Temptation rises to the fore, and it takes real effort to banish it. “Depending on the job, I need to be on my feet for hours. I can manage.”
Dominic’s place is not what I expected. It’s an open concept layout, of course—that seems almost de rigueur in a penthouse suite. The ceilings are high, the windows are floor to ceiling, and the view of the sunset is truly spectacular. But most penthouse suites feel cold to me. The decor is almost always stark white, with carefully chosen artwork on the wall for pops of color. There’s usually an overwhelming amount of brushed steel and chrome, and the furniture never looks comfortable.
Dominic’s penthouse isn’t that. The living room walls are a charcoal shade of grey, the ceiling is painted bright red, the oversized velvet couch is blue, and the squishy armchairs are upholstered in mismatched yellow fabric. There are plants everywhere, their vivid green leaves layering more color and texture into the room. I stop dead in my tracks. “Wow.”
Carter laughs. “That’s one reaction.”
I look around, trying to soak in all the details. “This is not what I expected.”
“What did you expect?” A voice asks behind me. Dominic flashes me an amused smile as he walks into his living room.
“I’m not sure,” I reply. “Your office looked nothing like this. The hotel rooms are...”
“Blandly neutral,” he cuts in. “You don’t have to sugarcoat it. The Grand River has to cater to a wide variety of tastes, but this is my home. Here, I only have to please myself.”
And he has. There’s something deeply hedonistic about Dominic’s space, and it’s giving me insight into the man. Dominic’s apartment isn’t cookie-cutter. It’s not bland. It’s the home of a man who is secure in himself. The kind of man who has a threesome without worrying about society’s expectations.
