Dominic stops the car in front of the hotel, turning off the engine.
“Do you want me to walk you inside?”
I shake my head. Dominic has done more than enough.
“Emile, you did nothing wrong. He shouldn’t have forced you to do anything against your will.”
Staring ahead, my words remain trapped.
“This isn’t your fault,” he assures me.
I turn to face Dominic, the beat of my heart racing as his stare overwhelms me in this confined space. He saved me. But why was he even there?
None of it matters. If it weren’t for him, I’d be lying on the dirty, cold ground robbed of my freedom of choice.
And without a second thought, my lips crash onto Dominic’s.
The kiss deepens, my tongue stroking his until my hands carelessly run through his hair. As a soft moan escapes me, a knock of reality moves swiftly and tears me away.
Dominic’s eyes widen, his mouth falling open with his chest rising and falling.
Shit, what have I done?
Shifting my focus to removing my seat belt, I fumble incoherently with quick breaths before blurting out, “Je suis désolé.”
I was sorry. Sorry for walking in the dark drunk and for kissing my boss’ ex-lover with the intention of wanting to forget tonight.
And as quickly as I kiss the man I had been tasked to distract, the same man who saved me from a beast, I exit the car just as fast.
Chapter Four
Dominic
My head falls back into the leather seat.
I force my eyes shut, but all I can hear is the loud thump emanating from my chest. All I see is Emile staring into the night, silenced by her thoughts until, in a bold move, her warm lips capture me.
All I feel is her soft fingers running through my hair.
Fuck, what the hell was that?
My mind begins to jump from controlling the desire she bestowed with just one kiss to anger that springs to life at the scene I had stumbled upon during my walk through the gardens.
A walk I desperately needed to take to clear my thoughts of her.
It isn’t the first time I’ve witnessed a man laced with a desire beyond their means of controlling sexual acts they fantasized over. The memory comes flashing back like a nightmare, the night I walked alone in Central Park after a drunken prom night.
The girl’s screams. The man who forced her against her will until I rushed to her aide. The knife he held against my throat, the threat to end my life before I found my strength and bloodied his face with my fist, and the police arriving within minutes.
Thankfully, my appearance stopped the pathetic piece of scum from taking this poor girl’s virtue against her will.
It was the beginning of the constant nightmares which plagued me during my earlier college years. I retracted from my friends and distanced myself enough to isolate myself without the social demands of being the ‘popular guy.’
And then, I found myself in a random bar one night. The owner had served me, noticed I had arrived alone, and offered to show me another part of the club.
I should’ve been more shocked to see couples naked, fucking each other, or in some cases, a large orgy with multiple partners, but I wasn’t. I was more intrigued than anything. Here, in a safe haven, people acted out their fantasies.
It’s how it all began, the most fucked-up idea to come up with, but when the demand became apparent and the money came pouring in, I became addicted to the power. Somehow, in my twisted mind, I hoped men would use this to play out their desires with consenting women rather than what I was forced to witness.
But tonight was too close to my past.
Emile’s eyes were wide and frightened, just like that young girl. The man, a friend of my father’s, not even Eric’s, had the same thirst as the scum who was sent to jail that night.
I stared at the hotel lobby, questioning my integrity and whether I should make sure she’s okay. She exits the car so fast, too quick for me to say a single word yet enough for her to apologize.
And that alone left me too unsettled.
Roaring the engine, I drive through the streets, clocking record speeds before stopping at the estate. Upon glancing at the time, it’s almost midnight. The party should be ending soon. Allegra had texted me earlier, informing me a driver had taken her back into the city. I’m relieved, not wanting to deal with her.
I need a fucking drink.
Exiting the car, I walk through the back entrance until the party is back in sight. I scan the area, noting that Richard is nowhere to be seen. Thank God. The music blares, and people are still dancing. I weave my way in and out of the crowds, drowning out the laughter, almost envious of the ability to have fun and unwind.
At the bar, I order a scotch, downing it without a single breath. Ordering another, it easily follows the first. After the second, the bartender warns me to slow down.
“I’m sorry, who’s paying your wages tonight?” I bark, frightening the poor kid.
Voices fill the space between us. Eric, I picked up on instantly until Kate joins his conversation.
“Eric, have you seen Emile?” Kate asks with worry in her voice. “We were going to take her back to the hotel?”
“No, not since the catching of the silver balls. Maybe she wanted to score a man and use them tonight,” Eric chuckles. “Lord knows the girl could use a good wham-bam-thank-you-mam inside her little French pus—”
“She’s at the hotel,” I grit.
My face is lowered, eyeing the empty glasses in front of me. The bartender, a smart boy to pick up on my misfortunes, slides another scotch to me despite his earlier warning for me to slow down.
Within seconds, the smell of Kate’s perfume lingers in the air between us. I close my eyes, but it doesn’t create the same feeling as usual. I blame
