Chapter 13
CHAPTERTHIRTEEN
Stella had expected a reaction from Dom when he arrived home, but a smile with both dimples? No one had ever been that happy to see her when she turned up unannounced.
She could lie to herself about a lot of things, but she couldn’t deny that he was the most gorgeous male she had ever seen. Especially when he smiled.
"You’re breaking into my house now?" Dom asked as he came and leaned against the bench she was sitting on.
"She was almost in too. I think we need to get our security warding checked," Antonio said with a chuckle.
"You are meant to keep the intruders out, not let them in and feed them strawberries, Antonio."
"Ah, well, there was no harm done. Wine?" Antonio didn’t wait for a response but turned and headed through the small door that led to the wine cellar.
"Enjoying yourself?" Dom asked. They were at the same height for once, and it gave Stella a small thrill to be eye to eye with him.
"Immensely," she said, biting into another strawberry. "Antonio is charming and handsome. And I do have a weakness for older men."
"And shedu, apparently," Dom replied. He grabbed her hand and stole the strawberry she had half-finished. His warm lips and slightly rough tongue brushed against her fingers, sending tingles down her arm.
"Hmm, they are good. Antonio grows them in a garden on the roof, don’t ask me how."
"That was mine," Stella said, failing to keep her voice steady.
Dom reached to take another one from the bowl beside her, brushing up against her legs and sending warmth all through her body.
"They were mine first." He bit into the strawberry, and Stella focused on her mixing to avoid the temptation of wrapping her legs around him and pulling him close.
Dom’s smile widened, as if he knew her thoughts and was enjoying every second of her flustered heat.
"Can you keep yourself entertained for a while longer? I need a shower and some fresh clothes to get the day off me."
"I promised to help Antonio with this batter anyway as punishment. I was so close to getting in, and he busted me." Stella laughed. "I’m surprised he didn’t call the inquisitors."
"He wouldn’t have done that because he’s smelled you on my clothes recently. If he thought you were a threat, he probably would’ve just killed you." Dom leaned closer and whispered, "Don’t let the butler act fool you. He is also a bodyguard."
"And you need one of those, do you?" she whispered back.
"Never hurts to have back up." Dom brushed his thumb over her cheek. "Try and keep the flour in the bowl."
Stella’s skin heated further at the brief touch. His eyes widened slightly, and she wondered what his shedu senses were telling him.
She knew she was playing with fire, but she still took a strawberry from the bowl and sucked on it slowly.
"You better go and have that shower, Dom. I actually broke into your house for a reason."
The slow predator smile was back as his golden eyes watched her mouth. "Other than just because you missed me?"
"I’m afraid so."
"What a pity. Here I thought you were just trying to find a new way to vex me. Behave yourself while I’m gone."
"Don’t tell me what to do." Stella stretched her leg out, pushing him gently away from the counter. "Off you go. I have an older shedu to seduce with my culinary skills and charm."
Dom shook his head. "Keep pushing me, misteriosa. You might not like what it gets you."
"Or I might," she said automatically. Shit.
Dom’s energy flared hot around him, but he only laughed, a deep sexy chuckle that slid along her bones, and he went out of the kitchen.
"It’s nice to hear him laugh again," Antonio said, making her jump. "He’s been so sad for months. I’m glad he’s made a new friend."
"Really? What happened?" Stella asked. Dom was almost as guarded as she was when it came to talking about himself.
"I’m not really sure, but a few months ago, something changed, and he became very desolate. I thought it was a girl," Antonio replied. He put two dusty bottles of wine on the bench and fetched a corkscrew.
"Oh yeah. Bianca, wasn’t it?" Stella asked because she hated herself.
"No, I don’t think it was her. Doesn’t matter. It’s none of our business. The important thing is that he’s finally getting over it." Antonio opened the wine and poured some out. He took the bowl from her and handed her two of the wine glasses. "Well done on the batter. Now, you take that upstairs for Master Aladoro, and I’ll bring some food up shortly."
"Are you sure? I’m happy to help."
Antonio waved her off. "You are helping. He’s had a rough day, and you make him laugh. He needs that more than I need your stirring skills."
Beautiful picturesalways helped soothe Stella when she was troubled, so she took her time looking at the art on the walls on her way upstairs. If Dom was responsible for picking out the paintings, then he had good taste. He seemed to favor anything with a baroque flair, heavy on the shadows and light, and it gave Stella ideas for the fake commission she had started.
She didn’t have any idea where she was going as she reached the top of the landing, but the palazzo was small enough that she soon found a set of dark scarlet and gold doors.
"Of course, he couldn’t handle not having Aladoro colors somewhere," she murmured as she juggled the glasses and opened the door. "You better be dressed. I’m coming in."
She found herself in what seemed to be a working lounge room with a desk in one corner, neat but stacked with notebooks, letters, and paper.
Vianello stationary, she realized with a smile.
"Breaking in again?" Dom asked as he came in from an adjoining room. He was in a pair of jeans and nothing else as he dried his hair with a towel.
Stella almost swallowed her tongue as she stared at the muscle she had fantasied over for months. Her attention snagged on the tattoo of interlocking shedu that stretched down one side of his ribs and torso, before disappearing under his jeans.
Say something.
"Wine," she announced, and thrust a glass at him. "And I did call out." Dom pulled on a black V-neck shirt and ran a hand through his wet curls.
"Thanks," he said, finally taking it. "You okay?"
"Yes. Sorry. I should have shouted louder so you could hear me," Stella replied.
"Are you blushing? It’s not like you haven’t seen me naked before," Dom teased and looked her over in a way that reminded her that he had seen her naked too.
She suddenly had the urge to run out of the room.
"I forgot about that." She sipped her wine. "I was pretty drunk that night."
"Whatever lie you need to tell yourself, Stella." Dom gestured at the plush armchairs on the other side of the room. "Have a seat. I have something to show you."
"Did Arkon find something?" she asked as she got comfortable.
"Yes and no. Unsurprisingly." Dom produced a large leather document portfolio and passed it to her. The inside was crammed with letters. "These were sent to him about the people going missing."
"And he still did nothing?"
"According to him, Arkon only read them yesterday. He’s given them to me because he doesn’t want the responsibility of dealing with them." Dom sat down opposite her.
"Mio Dio, people are going missing and no one across the canal even gives a shit because it’s not happening to them!" Stella snapped. She quickly pushed down her magic before she started sparking.
"I care," Dom said, his gentle tone pulling her out of her anger.
Stella rubbed at her cheek. "I’m sorry. A body was found in Coins today, and it’s left me riled up."
"That’s understandable, Stella. You don’t need to apologize for something that you are right to be pissed off about. We are going to have to pool our research and see if there are any crossovers or if these are all new cases." Dom leaned into his chair, admitting, "I think this is a lot bigger than we both realized, misteriosa."
"I brought the other folder of research with me. It’s downstairs with my bag. I also received this from Luna this afternoon." Stella pulled the folded piece of paper from her pocket. "It’s Clarissa’s client list from the days before she went missing."
"Not in your bra this time? How disappointing," Dom said as he took the list.
"Stop flirting with me."
"No." Dom opened the paper and scanned the names written on it.
"Anyone you know?"
"Personally? No. But it looks like she had a lot of House of Wands clients. I recognize a few of these bankers from firms in Santa Croce, and this woman here is a djinn that works as one of Zahir’s secretaries. I’d prefer not to involve him until we have to, but we can always go to him and see what he can tell us about these people."
The casual way Dom spoke of the King of the Djinn was a sharp reminder of who he was, even if she was growing comfortable with him. Seeing him in casual clothes and relaxing in his natural habitat made Stella’s guard lower even further.
The warm feeling growing under her ribs was the reason she had dropped her phone in the canal in the first place.
There could never be a real future for them because he was an Aladoro, and even though her business was a successful one, she would always be seen as unworthy of him by the Venetian elite.
"Is the king really good-looking close up? I saw him once at a Wands party, but there was so much illusion magic in the room that I could never be certain," Stella said, trying to shake off her morbid thoughts.
"I’m sure many would consider him handsome, but asking a heterosexual male about the virtues of another male is quite pointless," Dom replied, not looking up from the list she had given him. "Especially when I know you are trying to push my buttons."
"I wouldn’t dream of pushing your buttons. I was merely asking."
"Just like you were merely going home when you decided to steal my boat." Dom passed the list back. "I’m going to need food if I am going to play investigator tonight. You are going to stay for dinner, yes? Antonio will be devastated if you don’t."
"He was cooking rosemary chicken. Of course I’m staying for dinner," Stella replied. He was looking at her, a small smile on his face. "What?"
"I like that you are here tonight, that’s all."
Stella settled back against the velvet cushions. "The Council meeting was that bad?"
"Something like that. I don’t think my father trusts me anymore." Dom looked away from her and drank some of his wine.
Stella tried to imagine what it would be like to have Pietro be like that with her and couldn’t. They had only had each other for so long, and it’d led to an unshakable bond.
"It sounds like he’s seen you as competition since you took your alpha tests. It’s probably just a little more obvious now. I might be overstepping by saying this, but it’s Rodrigo’s loss. He’s crazy not to want you in his corner," Stella said gently. "You’re a good guy, Dom. I knew it the minute I met you."
"If that’s true, why did you never get in contact with me?" Dom asked.
Straight for the jugular then.
He had a determined look on his face, and Stella knew she couldn’t joke her way out for once.
"Look around you, Dom. What’s the one thing in this room that doesn’t belong?" Stella pointed a finger at her face. "Apart from the fact that I couldn’t contact you without exposing my secret, I’m also not a part of your world."
"You knew who I was the night we met. You didn’t seem to care then."
"The whole point of Carnevale is to live in a fantasy for a night. You were my fantasy. The next day I woke up, and the dream was over. I was just Stella, and you remained the prince of Venice. I dropped my phone into a canal because I wanted you to call and was terrified what would happen if you did. I took back control."
Dom propped his head in his hand, eyes narrowing. "So you were scared."
"I was realistic. People like you choose your partners for their wealth, name, or position. They don’t choose someone from outside of their House either. I have none of those things, even if you did want me for more than a casual bedding."
Stella knew she shouldn’t be telling any of this to him. That it would only make it harder to work with him and then go their separate ways after. She hated how her body responded to his, and worse, how much she actually liked him.
"Stella, look at me," Dom said. She steeled herself and fixed her eyes on his. She could feel every shimmer of alpha power inside of him, and he had never looked so deadly serious.
"Do you really think I need to be with someone for any of those things? I don’t need to gain them. I already have them. As you said, I’m the prince of Venice, and I get what I want when I want it."
Stella couldn’t move, couldn’t think, as his golden eyes kept her pinned, his words smashing through her defenses. She had tossed her phone away because she assumed he would be like all the others.
Her regret produced a sudden pain in her chest, as sharp as the day she had done it.
"And what do you want, Dom? Do you even know?"
Dom looked her over, from her bare toes on his couch to the heat building in her face. "You will have to wait to find out."
Stella didn’t get a chance to think of a response before Antonio entered carrying two trays.
"I hope you are hungry, signorina." He placed the trays onto the table on the other side of the room and immediately began setting out silverware.
"Excuse me, I need to go and grab something."
Stella didn’t dare look at Dom as she put her glass down and hurried out of the room. She didn’t want to offend Antonio by bolting, but she couldn’t handle being in the same room as Dom if he was going to keep looking at her like that.
Stella hurried down the stairs and to the chair by the door where she had placed her satchel bag. She hadn’t expected to come around that night for a confession.
She’d wanted to work on the case, not moon over a man she couldn’t have. She hesitated, trying to think through her sudden panic.
Wasn’t it better that they finally talked out their mutual attraction, even if it did make her feel like she had been stabbed? She pulled on her boots, picked up her coat, and placed a hand on the front door.
So you were scared.Dom had been right about that. She was smart—that was why she was scared.
Do you even know what you want, Stella?
She blew out a long breath and steadied her heartbeat. Of course she knew what she wanted. She just never thought she would have a chance to get it.
Now the chance had arrived, and she was running away. She might be scared, but she was no coward.
Stella let go of the door handle and put her gear back down. With shaking fingers, she took the folder of research from her bag and went back upstairs.