Page 75 of Hard Bargain

The connection hit like a physical force. There was no surprise in Knox’s eyes, only heat and something dangerously close to defiance. The corner of Knox’s mouth curved before he turned back to the dancer, slid his hand into her hair, and pulled her in.

The kiss wasn’t tentative. It was deliberate and performed without haste. The dancer melted into it eagerly, fingers gripping at Knox’s shoulders. The table reacted with laughter and noise, but Knox didn’t pull away.

Dominic was moving before he registered the decision. The staircase felt shorter on the way down. People shifted instinctively as he crossed the floor, his stride alone enough to clear the path without a word.

Cassian saw him coming. He leaned back in the booth, smile widening, and didn’t warn Knox. Didn’t interfere. Just watched as if the entire scene had been orchestrated for this exact outcome.

Smug bastard.

Dominic reached the table just as the kiss tipped toward indulgence. His hand closed around Knox’s forearm, breaking the kiss instantly. The girl blinked up at him, startled, her fingers slipping free from Knox’s hair. She scrambled off his lap a beat later, straightening her dress nervously.

Knox looked up. There was no mistaking what he found in Dominic’s eyes.

“Up,” Dominic said quietly.

The laughter at the table thinned into silence. One of Knox’s friends froze mid-smile. Only Cassian’s amusement remained intact.

Knox rose without protest, but Dominic didn’t release his arm. His grip stayed firm as he guided him out of the booth and through the crowd without looking back.

* * *

The back corridor swallowed the noise as the door shut behind them. The bass dulled to a distant throb, replaced by the heavier sound of their breathing.

Whatever Dominic had been holding in check all night was no longer contained. He released Knox’s arm and stood still for exactly one second. “What the hell was that?” he snapped, stepping forward. His voice had lost all its polish, stripped down to something raw he never let anyone else hear.

Knox’s breathing wasn’t steady. “It’s a club. That’s what happens.”

Dominic’s teeth ground together. “Don’t.”

“Don’t what?”

“Don’t pretend that wasn’t deliberate.”

The silence between them thickened. Knox didn’t deny it. He tilted his head a fraction instead. “You were watching.”

Not a question.

Dominic stepped forward until Knox’s back met the wall with a muted thud. “You wanted me to.”

“Maybe.”

That single word burned hotter than that staged kiss ever could have. “You think that was clever? Provoking me in my own club?”

Knox’s throat worked as he swallowed. “If you didn’t care, you would’ve stayed upstairs.”

That was it.

The fracture.

Dominic’s hand came up, bracing flat against the wall beside Knox’s head. The other slid to his jaw, firm enough to control the angle of his face. “Careful,” he murmured.

They were inches apart. Close enough that Knox’s breath warmed his mouth, the heat coming off his skin impossible to ignore. “You don’t get to weaponize my attention,” Dominic said. “You don’t get to test how far you can push before I react.”

Knox’s pulse jumped beneath his fingers. “And what happens if I do?” Knox whispered.

Dominic kissed him.

Not gentle. Not restrained. It was heat, possession, and the dangerous edge of control slipping from his grasp.