AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I will.” His eyes darkened at someone behind me, and I knew he’d found the night’s conquest. Midforties and still happily a bachelor. With a kiss on my cheek and a handshake for Dominic, Troy disappeared into the crowd, leaving us alone.
“You’re good at that.”
I tilted my head back, and Dominic’s eyes roamed my face like he was trying to puzzle me out. He’d been doing that a lot since he’d come home. Had I really changed that much, or was he trying to see if the girl he’d known was still there? I wasn’t sure I wanted to find out. “Good at what?”
“Schmoozing.” He said it with such disgust that I nearly laughed. For such a people person, Dominic despised small talk. It made me like him more.
I hummed, sipping my champagne. “Father taught me to manipulate people, men specifically. Antoni’s the one who taught me to read their intentions, their desires. Both help me figure out what I can offer clients that no one else can.”
“What about your desires?”
I drew my eyebrows together. “What about them?”
“Who figures out what you desire?”
“Me.”
“Do you always get it right?”
No. What did I desire? Privacy? Love? Freedom? I was still thinking when the band shifted into a slow, sensual song, and Dominic held out a hand with a soft smile. “Dance with me, Mari.”
“That didn’t sound like a question.”
“It wasn’t.” He pulled me into his body with a grin. Once I was in his arms, I found I didn’t want to leave. I wanted to enjoy the moment as we swayed together. Tennessee and Moore were nearby, but the illusion of privacy made it feel like we were in our own little bubble, and I didn’t want it to pop.
Everywhere we touched felt electric. The soft graze of Dominic’s body against mine, the brush of our cheeks, the weight of his hand as he twined our fingers together. I pressed myself as close as I could and felt his sharp inhale.
“You look beautiful tonight, mariposa.”
“Thank you. You look very handsome.”
Dominic leaned back to look me in the eye, cheeky grin in place. “Handsome or hot? Be honest with me.”
Pretending I hadn’t been looking all night, I peered down at him. The black-on-black suit was snug on his body, just tight enough to hint at the muscles underneath. It made his naturally tanned skin seem darker, especially when the only color he wore came from the honey-gold pocket square that matched his eyes. He looked delicious. I wanted a taste.
“I’m not sure your ego needs the boost, but both.”
“Is that so?” Dominic leaned in, lips caressing my ear as he spoke. “Would you like to peel this suit off me tonight? Because I’m dying to see that dress on my bedroom floor.” He curved his hand along my hip, dangerously close to the swell of my ass, as he pulled me in. I felt him against me, hard and ready, and I liked it.
Fuck. My thighs clenched with the desire to take Dominic up on his offer. Before I could, I heard a throat clearing behind me. I turned, and there was Greyson, his face carefully blank, the same way it had been for days. “It’s time for your speech.”
Right, the welcome speech. Talking to gangsters and power-hungry men, I could do all day. Public speaking, not so much.
Dominic let me go without a fuss, and I took the arm Grey held out, letting him lead me to the stage. We were silent, nodding to other family heads as we passed, and despite our issues, I felt like a unit again. Like we were on the same page. It’d been so long since I’d felt that way that the emotions nearly toppled me. We can fix this. We just need to talk through it all, one thing at a time.
Determined to take the first step, I spoke. “You look very handsome tonight, Greyson.”
It was an understatement.
Though he often wore suits, this one was nearly black and particularly striking against his coloring. He looked downright edible, and I’d been pretending that both he and Dominic hadn’t soaked my panties the second I’d seen them at the house.
Grey looked at me, eyes trailing slowly over my dress like he’d never seen it, despite being present at every fitting. If I thought I was warm from Dominic’s attention, I was scorching at Grey’s. “You’re radiant tonight, reina. If I saw you on the street, I’d think you were a goddess walking among us.”
I didn’t know how to respond. His words weren’t unusual, but the way he looked at me—hot and possessive—was.
He leaned down and pressed a kiss to the opposite cheek Dominic had. “I don’t like that he got to touch you in it. I’m feeling a bit replaced.”
I reared back to look at him and nearly tripped myself. He said it with the lilt of a joke, but I could hear the truth underneath his words. Was Greyson jealous of Dominic? Was our problem really as simple as feeling replaced?
