Chapter 19

CHAPTERNINETEEN

Dom’s golden eyes shone in the dark, full of magic and anger.

"Where have you been, Stella?" he demanded, and then the embers in his eyes suddenly extinguished. "Why can I smell blood?"

"B-bathroom, Dom. Quickly, I’m hurt," Stella said. He carried her around the furniture before setting her down on the bathroom counter and switching on the lamp.

His pissed-off expression vanished as he went pale. Blood stained the front of his shirt and her coat was soaked through.

"I may have gotten into a fight." Stella fumbled with her coat, but Dom pushed her hands away and took it off himself.

"For fuck’s sake, Stella, you need a med-mage," he said and swore. He grabbed a towel and pressed it over the wounds.

"No. Brown leather bag under the sink. There’s a purple vial in it. I need to get in a bath with that tonic in the water. A med-mage friend gave it to me in a trade. It will heal the cuts. They look bad but aren’t deep."

Dom didn’t argue. He flipped the bath’s taps on and tipped the tonic in the water, turning it a cloudy blue.

"You are in so much trouble," he muttered, pulling off her boots and helping her strip down to her underwear.

"If it helps, this wasn’t how I wanted the night to go either. Unclip my bra and turn around," she said. Dom did as he was told, muttering under his breath the whole time. "Yes, yes, I know, I’m a terrible person, and you are going to lock me up."

Stella wriggled out of her underwear, dropped the bloody towel, and climbed into the bathtub.

"Okay, it’s safe to turn, but grab me some wine from my desk, would you? This is about to really suck."

"Unbelievable." Dom disappeared and came back with her wine. She managed two mouthfuls before agonizing pain started to wrack her body. Dom caught the bottle as she dropped it.

Stella clung to the sides of the bath, swearing like a sailor as the blue water glowed bright and the healing magic kicked in.

"What’s happening?" Dom asked, his voice cracking. "Tell me how I can help."

"Just...stay. This won’t last long." Stella gasped in a tight breath, shutting her eyes so she wouldn’t have to look at the worry and terror on his face.

When the stinging pain eased, she opened her eyes. Dom had found a small stool to sit on and was drinking from her bottle.

"Save some for me," Stella croaked. "And stop looking at me like that. The tonic will heal the cuts better than any stitches. I just need to sit in this bath for a while. Fuck! What a disaster of a night."

"Why don’t you tell me about it?" Dom said as he stripped off his ruined shirt and started rinsing it in the sink. Stella’s tongue tied as she watched the muscles in his arms and shoulders flex.

Well, that’s better than the wine for a distraction.

"Stella?"

"What?"

Dom sat back down. "What happened? I thought you agreed not to look into any of the people on the list without me."

"I hadn’t heard from you all day, so I figured after last night you were out and—"

"Stop lying. You knew I wouldn’t just give up."

"Okay, how about this? My best friend has been gone a whole week, and I was tired of not doing anything about it. I don’t like feeling powerless, Dom. I’m done waiting around for permission from you or for something worse to happen." She snatched her wine bottle and swigged another large mouthful.

"Just tell me what happened." He folded his arms over his bare chest, and it made her even angrier.

Still, she couldn’t go anywhere until the tonic worked its magic, so she told him about Massimo, the gambling den, and the fight in the street. Dom ran his hands through his hair.

"Mio Dio! You could’ve been killed for a stunt like this. What’s the matter with you? I honestly wonder if you have a death wish," he said once she was done.

"I don’t," Stella replied and shut her eyes, swallowing her tears. "I just miss her, Dom."

"I know, I’m sorry. I came to make sure that you were okay and nearly lost my mind when I realized you were gone. I thought..." Dom didn’t finish the thought, only reached over and started undoing her braid. "You’ve got blood in your hair."

"You thought I had been taken too?" Stella guessed. Dom nodded. "Shit, I’m sorry."

"You’re back, and that’s all that matters. Though why you thought going to a gambling den alone was a good idea, I’ll never know." He scooped up water in his big hands and started washing her hair.

"Because they would’ve known you on sight and would’ve probably stabbed you and dumped your lovely body into a canal," Stella replied, leaning her head back and almost groaning as he started massaging shampoo into her scalp.

"You think my body is lovely?"

Stella looked his bare chest over, gaze following the scattering of dark hair over hard muscle. "Yes, it is, and I’d like to keep it that way. I won’t let you get hurt because I dragged you into this mess."

"You’re protecting me? Oh, my Stella, you’re crazier than I thought," Dom said softly, supporting her neck as she slipped back and let him rinse out her hair. She smiled up at him before sitting back up.

"You secretly love it," she said.

Dom used a cloth to wipe the blood from her face. "It’s not a secret."

It had been a long time since anyone had taken care of her, and she pressed her cheek into his palm. "Thank you for being here."

"How are your wounds feeling?" he asked.

Stella felt for the cuts, but they’d already closed over. "Almost healed entirely. The med-mage knows her shit. It’s why I traded with her and kept the tonic for an emergency."

Dom’s frown deepened. "You get cut up a lot, do you?"

"Not as a habit, but it’s good to be prepared," she admitted. "Massimo’s men are looking for a man, and I laid enough trails for them to track instead of me. It will be fine, Dom. At least we can rule Massimo out as a suspect. He was in love with Clarissa. He isn’t behind her disappearance."

"Well, as long as we can rule him out as a suspect," Dom said sarcastically. "Do you even hear yourself? You getting this hurt is not worth any information."

"It is to me. Now, pass me that clean towel."

Dom handed it to her and looked in the other direction as she stood up and wrapped it around herself. Her cuts were now bright red scars. Stella swayed, but Dom’s hands came up to steady her.

"Easy, you lost a lot of blood," he said, gently lifting her out of the tub and setting her down.

"I’ll be okay." Stella hobbled past him, her muscles aching everywhere, and went behind her changing screen. She pulled on a men’s pajama shirt, dried her hair with the towel, and combed out the knots.

Dom was still waiting for her, leaning against the bathroom door with his arms folded. His golden eyes were hot as they drifted over her bare legs.

"Do you need food?" he asked gruffly, looking away.

"I’ll be fine. I think I just need some sleep." Stella walked over to him and kissed his cheek.

"Thank you, Dom. I appreciate the hair washing and wound care." She didn’t want him to leave, so she kept leaning into him.

Picking up her cue, Dom put an arm around her waist.

"That’s not how you say thank you, Stella," he replied. Stella’s hands rested on his bare chest as he pulled her closer.

She fluttered her lashes at him. "No? What about a gift basket? I’ll make sure it’s an edible one."

Dom’s mouth twitched. "Stop trying to make me smile. I’m still angry at you."

"I’m terrified," she said, feigning a gasp.

Dom growled, and she felt it reverberate through his chest. "You should be."

Then he kissed her. Unlike last time, Dom didn’t try to be polite. His mouth slanted down over hers and plundered it. Stella wound her arms around his neck as she rose on tiptoes to better meet his lips, her own magic sparking inside her veins in response to his. Dom groaned.

"We need to stop," he said breathlessly. "If you keep kissing me like that, I won’t be able to leave."

"Then don’t," Stella replied. "Stay with me tonight."

Dom’s expression went from pain to lust and back to pain again. "I will, but I promise to keep my hands to myself."

"Why would you do that?"

"Because you aren’t well enough to be able to take what I want to give you," Dom said, sucking her lip. Desire streaked through her. From the chuckle he gave her, he seemed to know it too. Her face heated. "Stop looking at me like that, Stella, I’m serious."

"Well, stop kissing me," she said, pushing out of his grasp. She went and climbed into bed. "Are you coming for some boring, platonic cuddling?"

Dom ran a frustrated hand through his hair. "Yes, I’m coming." Stella’s heart pounded as he climbed in beside her and pulled her up against him. "But just so you know, there is nothing platonic about it."

"Prove it," she said. She bit back a gasp as Dom kissed the shell of her ear, lightly dragging his teeth over her lobe.

"Stop provoking me, or I’ll provoke back," he warned.

Stella wriggled backward, so her ass pressed up against him. His answering growl had her biting her lip, trying not to laugh.

All her humor vanished as he ran a warm hand up her bare leg, over her hip, and circled her stomach. His fingers traced along her ribs and rested on her heart.

"Someone’s heart is racing."

"It’s probably busy trying to make up for the blood I lost tonight," Stella said, voice cracking. "You should probably keep doing that, you know, for health reasons."

Dom ran his face down the side of her neck, his stubble sending little pricks of excitement through her.

"God, I love the way you smell," he admitted. "I haven’t been able to get it out of my senses since Carnevale."

"Really?"

"It’s how I found you when you and Luca were being attacked."

"How do I smell?"

Dom’s fingers stroked a lazy circle again, lightly grazing the curve of her breast. "Sweet like honey, spicy like nutmeg, and under that, there’s arousal."

"What do you mean arousal? Like all the time?"

"Well, definitely when you are around me."

"You smell like a smug male," she replied, making him laugh.

"Come on, you can do better than that." Another slow circle, fingers almost but not quite touching her breast. Stella was going to cry if he didn’t do it soon.

"Cedar and heat," she said finally. "And as I said the other night, I can feel your alpha magic; it smells like warm spice. I can’t explain it better than that. But definitely strong notes of smug male."

"Can you blame me? I’ve wanted you right here, like this, for eight months now. I’m allowed to be smug," Dom replied.

"Really? I didn’t think of you at all."

"Why don’t you stop lying?" Dom didn’t give her a chance to respond as his fingers slid higher over her shirt to circle around her nipple.

Stella’s legs clamped harder together. He was barely touching her, and her body was responding embarrassingly quick.

"You know what I think?"

"Tell me," Stella said, arching into his touch. Dom’s hand drifted back down her thigh, lifting it so he could move his leg between hers. His fingers trailed up her inner thigh.

"You thought about me a lot and regretted throwing your phone away. You hated that you wanted me so badly—hate that you still do, because you love being in control, even about who and what you want."

Dom’s other arm curved around her, pulling her even closer to him. His lips kissed a slow, fiery path down her neck.

Stella’s legs were trembling, and she couldn’t make them stop. "And what is it you think I want?"

"Oh, love, I can smell what you want."

Stella couldn’t take the teasing anymore, she took his hand and placed it between her legs.

Dom’s fingers ran over the center of her wet satin underwear. "And I can feel it."

Stella flushed hot in the darkness as his big hand cupped her mound, the heat and pressure making her whimper.

"Is that so?" she said, fighting not to grind against him. "Are you going to give it to me?"

"Not until you say the magic words," Dom replied, nipping at her neck.

"You have more magic words? I thought I already said them."

Dom slid his hand under her underwear, and a small growl rumbled through him. She wasn’t the only one struggling. She could feel his hard length press against her.

"You are going to have to say..." Dom brushed his mouth against her ear. "Domenico Aladoro, I submit."

Stella’s heart stuttered. Antonio had tried to tell her Dom was hunting her.

You had to fall for a predator shifter, didn’t you?

"Why would I do that? I didn’t have to last time," she said, trying to find a workaround.

"Last time I didn’t know what I had found and made stupid mistakes, like letting you leave. This time I know what’s at stake, and I’m playing to win."

"I can’t imagine submissive prey would be as much fun to play with," Stella replied, desperately trying to think.

"You’re so, so wrong about that." Dom gently ran his fingers through her slick folds. "So wet and perfect for me, my Stella. Do you need a reminder of how good we are together?"

Stella’s hand moved behind her to grip onto him, her mind hazing as he tortured her with slow pleasure.

"I think that’s a yes." He moved his leg to widen hers and pushed two fingers inside of her.

Stella gripped him tighter, her breath coming in tight gasps as her hips moved in time with his deep strokes. She turned her face to his.

"Kiss me, Dom," she begged. His firm lips found hers, tongue sliding in her mouth in torturous sync with his fingers inside of her. Stella’s orgasm was building like lava at the base of her spine.

She broke away from his lips to catch her breath, her hips moving faster as he slid in another finger.

"That’s it, my Stella. Let me give you what you need." Dom’s eyes were glowing, his voice all alpha. His other hand moved to grip her breast roughly, making her groan.

"Dom, please." Stella didn’t even know what she was asking for.

Dom’s mouth came down to where her neck met her shoulder, and as his teeth sank into her, Stella’s orgasm broke her with pleasure so intense it almost hurt as her body shook with release.

Dom’s tongue swirled over the bite, kissing his way slowly back up to her mouth as he removed his fingers from her.

Stella pushed her hands through his hair as she kissed him softly, over and over.

"Dom," she whispered, her breathing still too fast.

"Yes, Stella?"

"I thought about you too. A lot. Too much. All the time," Stella admitted.

Dom’s eyes shone as he covered her cheeks, her forehead, her nose in soft kisses. "Good. It makes me happy to hear it."

"And I’m glad you stayed tonight," she said, curling against him. His arms went around her, holding her close.

It felt so damn good. Everything with him always did.

Dom pressed his lips to her hair. "I keep trying to tell you, I’m not going anywhere, Stella."