CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER EIGHT

Mila had no idea how he did it. Really. It was like he had some magical power that enabled him to enchant people or something. Valentina liked very few people, but she quickly developed a fondness for Dominic—it was apparent in the way she kept refilling his plate and regaling him with stories of her childhood.

Even James clearly liked him, and James didn’t like any male who had designs on his only daughter. The three were chatting like they were lifelong friends, and Mila knew that Dominic would be invited to eat at this table again and again—even though her parents’ matchmaking efforts would lead to nothing.

She supposed that part of why people quickly warmed to him was that he was super good at keeping the conversation light and easy. No invasive questions, no deep talk, no tricky topics like politics. He just joked and flattered and charmed, putting people at ease. It wasn’t an act, though. He wasn’t playing a part. He was quite simply easy to be around. But he also wasn’t being totally himself.

Draping an arm over the back of her chair, Dominic absentmindedly traced little circles on her shoulder. Which was bold, really, considering her parents were right there. He didn’t dial down his behavior around them. He still invaded Mila’s personal space. Still touched her how and when he felt like it. Still hit her with cheesy lines, although they thankfully weren’t dirty. Not that her parents would care if they were dirty—they found him hilarious.

She should push him away, but he was right that it would be simpler to let her parents believe their little plot was working. Also, she liked it when he touched her. Liked that it eased her cat, who was currently quite relaxed, enjoying the light atmosphere. The feline liked GQ a lot too—mostly because he made Mila smile.

Putting down her cutlery, Valentina took a sip of her wine. “You have spoken much about your pack,” she said to Dominic. “But not of your family.”

Pausing in doodling patterns on Mila’s shoulder, Dominic shrugged. “My pack are my family.”

“I heard it was once part of”—Valentina clicked her fingers a few times—“the Bjorn Pack. It split at one point, yes?”

“That’s right,” confirmed Dominic.

“Did your family leave with you when it split?” asked James, forking some beef.

Dominic drummed his fingers on the table. “No. My parents were dead by then. There was only my aunt and uncle, and they chose to stay behind.”

Valentina lowered her glass, sobering. “I am sorry to hear they have passed.”

“No siblings?” James asked him.

“One,” said Dominic, his voice a little stilted. “He died before I was born.”

Mila’s eyes fell closed, stomach twisting. “Shit.”

Dominic nodded. “Yeah.”

Valentina rubbed his arm. “What happened to the boy?” Yeah, the woman was that comfortable around GQ, she felt no compunction about laying a question like that on him. But before Mila could tell him he didn’t need to answer, he began to speak.

“My mother fell asleep at the wheel and crashed into a truck. She and my father survived. Tobias didn’t.”

Valentina’s face went soft with sympathy. “Did she blame herself?”

Dominic looked at Mila, and she sensed he was thinking of lying or, at the very least, only giving half an answer. Finally, he turned back to Valentina and said, “I don’t know. I haven’t seen her in a long time, although I figure she’s dead.”

James blinked. “You’re not sure?”

“She walked off when I was a teenager,” Dominic explained. “My dad turned rogue and was killed. She never came back, and I’m assuming she didn’t survive the breaking of their mating bond. But I don’t know for certain.”

Valentina once more patted his arm. “As you said, you have your pack. They are your true family.”

His mouth curved ever so slightly. “Yes, they are.”

A little while later, after they’d eaten her mother’s Prague Cake—which was made with Viennese chocolate and absolutely to die for—Mila and Dominic were ready to leave. As he and James laughed about something or other, Valentina took Mila by the shoulders and led her to the front door.

“So much sadness in that boy,” said Valentina. “He keeps it locked up tight. Buried so deep it cannot hurt him.” She gave Mila’s shoulders a little squeeze and then kissed her cheek. “My Mila will be good for him.”

She sighed. “Mom—”

“Go on now.” Valentina practically shoved her out the door. Then she was pulling Dominic into her arms, holding him like he was a long-lost son while James smiled at the sight. Mila was pretty sure her parents liked GQ more than they liked her.

Huffing to herself, she headed down the stairs to the floor below and her own apartment. There were fifteen floors, and Mila lived on the seventh.

Unlocking her front door, she was conscious that Dominic was right behind her. Really, she shouldn’t have let him in; she should have insisted he go home. Instead, she not only invited him in, she got him a beer. He just had this way of making her forget all the other shit going on in her life. She needed that.

He took a quick swig of his beer. “Tell me more about this move to Russia. Make me understand why it’s so important that you leave.”

Okay, this wasn’t making her forget the other shit going on in her life. Not at all. “I’ve put a lot of thought into this, Dominic. A lot. It’s what I want.”

“Are you certain about that?” he asked, his tone neutral. “Moving to Russia is a big step. It’s one thing to stay somewhere for a few weeks on vacation; it’s another to live there.”

“I’ve been going to Russia at least four times a year since I was a kid. I know I’ll be happy there.” She leaned against the counter. “This will be a good thing for me, Dominic. Really. It’s for the best.”

“You have a mate somewhere out there who’s waiting for you, Mila,” he said gently. “Can you so easily give up on finding him?” There was no judgment in his voice.

Mila’s hands fisted. “He’s not waiting for me.”

“And how could you know that?”

She didn’t want to answer, and it made her think of that moment in her parents’ apartment when he’d looked at her, unsure of how to respond to Valentina’s question. He could have given a half-assed answer, but he hadn’t. He’d been honest. Mila lifted her chin. “Because I already found him. He’s committed to someone else.”

Dominic stilled. “How committed?”

“He imprinted on her.”

Head tilted, Dominic took a few steps toward her. “How can you know for sure he was meant for you if he’s imprinted on someone else? His bond with his chosen mate should have blocked the frequency of the true-mate bond.”

“We met before he fully imprinted on her. I sensed we were mates; he didn’t.”

“And you didn’t tell him?”

She shook her head. “He’s happy. I don’t want to mess with that. Plus, I couldn’t take him as my mate after seeing him bonded with another. And then there’s the fact that my cat loathes him.”

Dominic’s eyes widened a little at that. “Loathes him?”

“It shouldn’t be possible to hate your true mate, should it? But she does. And I can’t blame her for that. The way she sees it, he’s the other half of her soul so he should have chosen her. She feels betrayed. Rejected.”

Pausing, Mila took a long breath. “At first, I hated him too. It wasn’t real, though. More of a self-defense mechanism—if I hated him, I wouldn’t want him. But the emotion had no real substance, so it faded over time. He hasn’t done anything wrong. Lots of shifters imprint. Hell, I’m planning on doing the same thing. The female he chose makes him happy, so he decided to bond with her—who could blame him for that?”

Dominic sighed, thinking she had a better attitude toward the situation than most would have. So much about her made sense now, and he could even see why she’d want to hurry into an arranged mating. Discovering her true mate would never be hers had to have left her feeling empty. She was looking to fill the void and, although she might not realize it, didn’t feel able to fully give herself to a real mating. “I’m sorry, baby.”

She shrugged. “It is what it is.”

“Did you know that Jesse and Harley aren’t true mates? They imprinted.”

“No, I didn’t know that. Their bond is very strong.”

“Imprint bonds can be just as strong as true-mate bonds.”

“I know.” Mila rolled back her shoulders. “I’ve accepted my situation. Made my peace with it. I’m ready to move forward.”

“That doesn’t mean you have to relocate to Russia and enter an arranged mating.”

“I don’t have to enter one, no. I’m choosing to see if there could be anything between me and Maksim.”

Maksim . . . His wolf despised him already. “You say you’ve accepted that you won’t have your true mate,” said Dominic, keeping his voice gentle, “but that’s not exactly true if you need to go all the way to Russia to find some peace, is it?”

“It’s my cat who hasn’t made her peace with it, not me. Every time she sees him and his female together, she grows a little bit more bitter. If she’s not around them, maybe she can find contentment with someone else.”

“Wait, what do you mean by ‘she sees them?’ They’re local?”

She licked her bottom lip. “They’re part of my pride. Adele is actually my cousin. You’ve met Joel already.”

“Shit.” That explained the male’s behavior earlier, Dominic thought. Joel had developed an odd sort of attachment to her. Nothing remotely close to a mating bond, but something that made the male feel both protective and possessive. That wasn’t good for Mila or her cat, and it was little wonder that she wanted to be far away from the pride.

Dominic put his bottle down on the counter. “Come here.” He drew her to him, curling both arms around her. She didn’t tense in his hold as he’d expected, she went pliant against him. His wolf rubbed up against her, wanting to soothe. “How many know about this?”

“Just Alex and my parents.”

He rested his chin on the top of her head. “I can see why you feel the need to get away.”

“You’re not going to tell me I’m making a mistake and I should hold out for something better?”

“Do I think you could do better than an arranged mating? Yes, I do. But I can’t blame you for trying to save your cat’s sanity by putting some distance between you and Joel.” Dominic also couldn’t see her ever committing herself to someone she wasn’t sure of, so there was every chance that things wouldn’t work out between her and Maksim, but he didn’t say that. She didn’t need negative comments right then.

Mila pulled back enough to look up at him. “I’d really like to drop this now.”

He wanted to know more about Maksim, but Dominic cautioned himself not to push. She’d already told him plenty, and it hadn’t been easy for her. He wanted to ease the lines of strain on her face. Wanted her smiling and laughing, not dwelling on shit.

“All right.” He brushed her curls away from her face. “I guess we can talk about how hot and desperate you are for me.” Her mouth quirked a little, just as he’d hoped.

“Hot and desperate, huh?”

“Yeah, I’m all ears if you want to share. It’s never good to hold stuff in.”

She shook her head, incredulous.

“Come on, don’t be shy. There’s no shame in admitting that you find me hard to resist.”

“Well, with all that warped charm, how could I not?” she said, her voice dry.

“Exactly. But, hey, it’s fine if you don’t want to talk. We could play a game instead.”

“A game? I’m almost afraid to ask what kind of game your filthy mind has come up with.”

“How about . . . Titanic?”

“Titanic?”she echoed, her brow furrowing.

“Yeah. When I yell ‘Iceberg,’ you go down.” He watched as her smile widened and the lines of strain on her face smoothed out. It gave him a warm, fuzzy feeling to know he could make her tension slip away like that. He tucked her curls behind her ear, thinking how fucking beautiful she was. “Come on, Mila, I promise to return the favor.” He dipped his head and pressed a kiss to her neck. “We’re friends. Friends make each other come.”

She chuckled. “No, they don’t.”

“Special friends do.” He planted a kiss on the other side of her neck and inhaled deeply, filling his lungs with her scent. “Give in to me, Mila,” he coaxed, his voice deep and thick with need. “Let me make you feel good.”

Fighting the temptation building inside her, Mila squeezed her eyes shut. “Why do you have to push this?” Much to her embarrassment, it was almost a whine. “My rejecting you gave you a challenge, I get it, but—”

“You’re not the first person who’s turned me down. The difference between you and them? They were playing a game, wanting to have the upper hand so they could lead me around by my dick. But you . . . there aren’t any mind games with you. No manipulations. You simply respect yourself far too much to be a faceless fuck to someone. I like that. Respect it. Respect you.” Breezing his thumb along her cheekbone, he kissed the soft curve of her lush mouth. “You could never be a faceless fuck to me, Mila.”

Maybe not, thought Mila, but she’d still never be more than a fuck, would she? “Yeah, well, I’m sure you have plenty of special friends. You don’t need another one.”

“Despite what you might think, I’m not someone who’ll fuck anything that moves.” But Dominic wasn’t offended that she might think it—he’d carefully cultivated that image. “I have as many standards as the next person. I’m not ruled by my cock. In fact, I have more self-control than most. I just don’t do commitment. Does that make me a bad person?”

“I never said you were a bad person. And I’m not asking you for commitment—”

“Then stop fighting me.” He nibbled her lips with his own, tempting her, teasing her. “Don’t you want me inside you, Mila? Don’t you want to feel my cock stretching you . . . filling you . . . fucking you?” He grazed her bottom lip with his teeth and then swiped his tongue over the small hurt to soothe the sting. Her body melted slightly into his, and he sensed that she was close to giving in to him, but just not close enough.

He remembered what Taryn had said earlier. Mila knew he was good with words, she wouldn’t be swayed by compliments. He needed to give her something he hadn’t given the women in his past. He’d done it earlier when he gave her and her parents the truth about his family. He’d give her another truth now.

Dominic caught her face in his hands. “I haven’t touched another female since I first saw you on that stage. I haven’t wanted to. Haven’t found one even remotely tempting. I want you so fucking badly, it’s like there’s no room for anyone else in my head. I have to know what it’s like to be in you.”

If Mila hadn’t been looking right in his eyes, hadn’t seen the pure sincerity glimmering there, she might not have believed him. There was also sheer determination there, and she knew he wasn’t going to tip his hat and walk away. But if she did finally give him what he wanted, he might very well walk away afterward. The thrill of the chase would be sated, and then she might not hold any sexual interest for him. Maybe they’d bump into each other from time to time, and maybe he’d even do a little harmless flirting, but that would probably be it. And that thought was sad enough to make her swallow hard.

Continuing to fight him on this was pointless, though, Mila acknowledged. She’d cave at some point. She knew that now. Knew she was weakening. Why not just enjoy one night with him? If there was a repeat of it, great, but if not . . . well, like he’d once said, they’d have fun.

There were many rumors about Dominic’s sexual prowess. She’d heard he was well endowed, had excellent recovery time, and was by no means a selfish lover. All points in his favor. And it would mean that she would have some wickedly fun memories to keep her warm when he was gone.

Dominic cursed when she backed up, and he had to fist his hands against the urge to reach for her and yank her to him. He wasn’t leaving. Not yet. “Mila—” She whipped off her shirt, revealing very pretty breasts spilling out of a black lacy bra. “Fuck.”

“Well, I suppose we could,” said Mila, needing it to be clear that he hadn’t seduced her into acting against her better judgment. Needing it to be clear that this was her decision. Mouth curved, she backed up, intending to lead him to her bedroom. He matched her step for step, following her, eyes locked on hers. She lowered the zipper of her fly, and it was like the sound acted as a trigger. He lunged.

Bunching his hands in her curls, Dominic took complete possession of her mouth. Dominated. Ravished. She tasted of chocolate and the same need that was roaring through him, thickening his cock and testing his control. An instant palpable heat ignited between them and sparked the air like static electricity.

Keeping his grip tight on her hair, Dominic angled her head, sinking his tongue deeper. Eating at her mouth, gorging on her taste. He was fucking ravenous for her. Couldn’t think about anything except being balls-deep inside her.

Lifting her, he pressed her against the doorjamb, feeling her nipples stabbing at him through her bra. He punched his hips forward, roughly grinding against her clit, as he consumed that mouth he was absolutely obsessed with. His wolf urged him on, pushing him to take and possess her right there and then.

Legs tight around his waist, Mila sifted his hair through her fingers, raking her nails over his scalp. His kiss was greedy, intoxicating, and a blatant demand for surrender. His tongue licked and tangled with hers; his teeth nipped and grazed but didn’t mark. She couldn’t drag enough air into her lungs, but she didn’t care. Only wanted more.

She was wet and hot and so damn needy. Delicious endorphins flooded her brain and raced through her body. An untamed sexual energy swept her under, dragging her to a place where there was no room for logic or rational thought.

She let her head fall back as he gripped her ass and rocked his thick cock against her clit. Sexual aggression was coming off him in waves, and he kept letting out little snarls that totally pushed her buttons. The guttural sounds fired her cat’s need.

Mila bit down on his lip. “Fuck me.” His mouth latched on to her pulse and sucked. She melted into him, giving whispered directions to her bedroom as he carried her farther into the apartment. The moment he lowered her onto the mattress, she tugged at his shirt. “Off.”

He obliged her and, yeah, she was pretty sure she almost came. Solid shoulders, hard chest, washboard abs. Just inches upon inches of honed muscle. And when he shed the rest of his clothes, revealing yet more toned skin, a very defined V at his hips, and one hell of an impressive cock, she might have moaned a little in sheer delight.

As he dragged off her jeans and thong, she took a moment to admire the very detailed tattoo of a red Chinese dragon that rested above his heart, ran along his shoulder, and curled around his bicep. “Tell me why you got—”

“Later,” he said, clawing off her bra. Dominic let his eyes drift over her, absorbing every line and curve. She was slender and toned with the perkiest breasts and delicately flared hips. Her skin was smooth and sleek . . . fuck, he wanted to bite it. “Beautiful,” he rumbled.

Filling his hands with her petal-soft breasts, Dominic leaned over and sucked a nipple into his mouth, loving the texture of her. Her claws raked his back hard enough to sting but not hard enough to break the skin. His wolf growled in dissatisfaction, wanting her mark on his flesh.

Dominic drew her breast deeper into his mouth and let her feel the edge of his teeth. She hissed, but the sound turned into a gasp as he latched on to her other nipple. He lavished it with the same attention—sucking, licking, and lashing it with his tongue.

Arching into him, she grabbed a tuft of his hair. “Dominic. In me. Now.”

“Typical cat. Likes instant gratification.” He trailed kisses down her body, pausing briefly to explore the intriguing peacock feather tattoo on her side, and then knelt at the foot of the bed. He spread her legs wide and drew the scent of her need deep into his lungs. A growl rattled his wolf’s chest. “Fuck, you smell good.” Dominic nuzzled her swollen, glistening folds. “It makes me wonder . . .”

She braced herself on her elbows. “What?”

Parting her folds with his thumbs, he blew on her clit. “If you taste just as good.” He swiped his tongue through her slit, scooping up all that cream. “Hmm, you do.” He clamped his mouth around her pussy.

Mila’s eyes fluttered shut. “Oh God,” she rasped, fisting the sheets. His incredibly skilled tongue licked, traced, probed, and swirled, exploiting every erogenous zone that he found. Her breaths came quick and fast as the friction built inside her. Hot sparks of need danced over her heated skin, and her pussy ached to be filled.

Hovering on the brink of a powerful orgasm, she bit her lip almost hard enough to draw blood. “I’m gonna come.” And the bastard eased off. Her cat’s upper lip quivered in annoyance, and Mila hissed through her teeth. “Dominic.”

Lapping lazily at her pussy, Dominic hummed. “Just hold on for me a little longer.” She tasted so fucking good, made the most amazing, smoky, cock-hardening moans. He sipped and licked and savored, stringing her body tighter and tighter without throwing her over the edge. She cursed and squirmed and made a noise that was suspiciously close to a sob. He needed her this way. Needed her mindless and so desperate to come that she couldn’t think straight. Couldn’t think of anything but him.

He dipped his tongue inside her dripping-wet pussy, seeking more of her cream, and her walls fluttered around his tongue. Yeah, she was close. “That’s it, come.” He wrapped his lips around her clit, sucked it gently, and rammed two fingers inside her pussy. She came hard and loud, claws slicing into the bedsheet, her pussy clenching his fingers. And Dominic had to fucking know how that pussy felt around his cock.

Panting, thighs shaking, Mila sagged into the mattress. The rumors about this guy’s sexual expertise clearly were not exaggerated. Awesome.

As his weight settled over her, she opened her eyes and gripped his shoulders. So much leashed power under all that sleek tanned skin, she thought. It was an aphrodisiac to her cat. “You’ve got some skills, GQ.”

His mouth curved into a languid smile. “Glad you think so.” Sliding a hand under her ass, he tilted her hips. “Wrap your legs around me, Mila. That’s it.” He lodged the thick head of his cock in her pussy and heard himself groan. Fuck, she was so hot. So tight. It was a struggle not to slam home in one smooth, aggressive thrust.

Mila bit her lip as, inch by slow inch, he sank his cock inside her. Her pussy burned as it stretched around him, but she didn’t care about the pain. Didn’t care that she felt so full she could burst. She needed him to move.

Dominic growled into her ear. “I’m going to fuck you now, Mila. Going to fuck you so hard, it’ll be burned in your memory. I’ll always be up here,” he added, tapping her temple. “You’ll never forget the feel of me. Never.” He withdrew in one slow glide, grinding his teeth as her pussy tried sucking him back in. And then he rammed home, snarling at the sharp dig of her claws in the flesh of his back. “Fuck, yeah.”

Dominic brutally powered into her. Rough. Deep. Far more territorial than he had a right to be. “And you thought you could stop me from having this pussy.” He bit her earlobe. “I can have it any time I want. You’ll give it to me whenever I want it. Won’t you?”

“Fuck you,” hissed Mila, holding on for the ride as he slammed harder, faster. Another thing she’d heard about GQ was that he was dominantly calm in bed, always smoothly in control. Yet, here he was wildly fucking into her body like he couldn’t get deep enough. She wondered if any other female had seen him like this.

Mila sucked in a breath as he hooked her legs over his shoulders and slid that thick cock even deeper inside her. Then he was powering into her again, his pace absolutely merciless, his fingertips biting into her thighs so hard she knew they’d leave bruises.

Watching the jaunty bounce of her breasts, a sudden image of coming all over them flashed in Dominic’s mind. Fuck, he wanted that. Wanted to see his come sink into her skin. Wanted to mark her with it. Which, of course, he wouldn’t do. But now that he’d thought about it, now that the image was in his head, he couldn’t shake off the fantasy of it.

Growling, he curled over her and bit her lip. Her pussy was tightening and superheating around his cock, and he knew he wouldn’t last much longer. “I’m going to come inside you so fucking hard,” he snarled. “Gonna shoot so fucking deep.” Knowing her clit would still be sensitive, he found it with his fingers and pinched it just right.

Hot waves of sheer bliss fired through Mila, arching her spine. She let out a choked scream as she imploded, hips bucking, claws digging into his back.

“Fuck.”White-hot pleasure tightened his balls, shot through his cock, and whipped up his spine as Dominic came so hard, he felt it in his teeth. He buried his face in her neck as he pumped jet after jet of come deep inside her. Then it was like the strength left them both, and they slumped into the mattress.

Breathing hard and shaking with aftershocks, Mila weakly stroked his back. Damn, she hadn’t felt so utterly sated in a very long time. Although he was surprisingly heavy, she didn’t try shoving him off. She liked having his weight over her.

As the minutes went by, and they each fought to get their breathing back under control, she idly danced her fingers over his back and traced little scars she found. It was oddly relaxing and . . . wait, his cock was twitching inside her. Thickening. “God, the rumors are true about your recovery time, aren’t they?” She felt his mouth curve against her neck.

He swiveled his hips. “I really hope you took my advice and got your rest last night, Mila,” he said softly, “because you won’t get much of it tonight.”

Mila’s eyes snapped open when she heard someone creeping around her room—someone who was exceedingly good at not making a sound as they moved, but there was no way of sneaking up on a cat. She didn’t panic because, despite it being dark, she could see that the dark figure was Dominic. The digital clock on the nightstand said 3:36 a.m. Ah, it seemed that he wasn’t staying. But then, she’d known he wouldn’t.

It didn’t bother her, especially since she’d known exactly what last night was—sex at its most basic, nothing more. And there had been plenty of said basic sex. He’d made her no promises, hadn’t bullshitted her to get into bed. But since it would be fun to make him feel awkward about creeping around, she did something guaranteed to get his attention.

Dominic’s movements stilled. “Why are you humming The Pink Panther theme music?”

“Just thought you might like some appropriate background music while you sneak around my room like a thief,” she teased, her voice drowsy with sleep.

He moved to the side of her bed, fully dressed—which was a shame, because one last flash of his body would have been nice. “I have to go,” he told her. “Didn’t want to wake you.”

“I’m a light sleeper.” Closing her eyes, she snuggled deeper into the pillow. “Now you get out there and own that walk of shame. Oh, and be careful in case any hit men are hanging around.” The bed dipped, and then his hand was brushing the curls away from her face. She didn’t look at him. Just lay there as he pressed what was clearly a goodbye kiss to her forehead.

“Sleep well, Mila,” he whispered, and then he was gone. And for some inexplicable reason, she got the feeling it was highly unlikely that he’d ever seek her out again. Ignoring the way her stomach twisted at that thought, she squeezed her eyes shut even tighter.

Her cat lay down, sulking. For just a little while, the feline had felt something close to peace. Now that feeling was gone.