CAITLIN
"Wait, you are telling me that you had no idea the cartel kingpin was your father?" Dominic eyed me with a hint of suspicion. I had explained the situation to him thoroughly, and his skepticism seemed to be growing by the second as each word left my lips.
It looked like he did not believe me, and if I did not know any better, it seemed that Dominic thought I had played a part in the whole ordeal. That was not the case at all, and I was just as shocked as he was.
I sighed in slight annoyance. "Yes, that is what I am saying."
"How did I miss this?" he whispered to no one in particular and clasped his hands together. I could see the gears turning in his head as he kept his gaze fixed on my dull tiles. A frown formed on my forehead, and I scooted closer to him on the couch.
The same couch where Dominic had completely obliterated me.
"Dominic," I said as I placed my hand on his shoulder. "I know what you are thinking, but I promise it is not like that." The last thing I needed was Dominic thinking I was some sort of spy. For as long as we had known each other, an unexpected bond had formed between us, and it was beginning to develop into the depths of unforeseen romance.
I was finally allowing myself to accept it and cherish every moment of it.
"I know." He managed to respond after a few moments, and a small smile of relief formed on my lips. Dominic grabbed my hand from his shoulder and held it in his own, allowing me to feel a sense of security that calmed every inch of my body.
"You would be dead by now if it actually was like that, angel." He said, and I could tell he was feeling more relaxed when he threw a cheeky smirk my way.
"Thrown into a pot of molten metal?" I asked teasingly, and he let out a breathy laugh.
"Yes." He confirmed with a nod and continued tracing his thumb over my palm. "It does sound very fun. We should try it on someone one day."
"Preferably Lucas," I said in disgust and scrunched up my nose at the thought of his unpleasant touch.
"Do not worry. He will not come near you ever again. From what you have told me, it sounds like your father will do anything in his power to protect you, and I know he has a lot of power."
"I do not understand why he would hide that from me. Am I not good at keeping secrets?" I asked, feeling slightly offended.
"I think you are the best at keeping secrets. I feel like I could tell you anything, and you would do whatever it takes to make sure it stays a secret. However," he turned his upper body to face me, "to ensure your safety, I will be tracking your phone and your car."
"But..."
"No buts, angel. That is final." He said sternly and tightened his grip as a silent warning. He held an expression of seriousness that left no room for argument.
I heaved a sigh. "Okay."
"You know, I am probably going to have to stop seeing you." Dominic muttered and smoothed his hands over his gray joggers. It straightened to emphasize the bulge in the crotch area, which left very little to the imagination. I was momentarily distracted by the sight until I registered what he had just said, and my eyes shot up to meet his.
"That is unfortunate." I scowled. "I am actually starting to like your fat ass."
Dominic's mouth fell open in mock offense. "Starting to? I thought we were well past that stage."
"You are the one who wants to stop seeing me." I said and shrugged before getting up from the couch. I needed to shower, and my skin was starting to feel tacky from my workout.
Dominic followed behind me. "Nobody is going to keep me away from you, angel. Not even your father."
"Better not." I responded and stepped into my bathroom. The thin hoodie was pulled over my head, and with help from Dominic, my sports bra was peeled off my skin to reveal my bare chest. My arms were still weak, and I groaned in relief when they dropped to my sides.
"You need help?" he asked, but his eyes were captivated by my breasts, and his breathing switched to uneven puffs. I smirked when his cheeks reddened slightly while he shifted from foot to foot in an attempt to hide his excitement.
"You can help me shower, but you are going to have to get naked." I mumbled, and in a split second, his own hoodie was discarded to the bathroom floor. He hurriedly started fumbling with the lace tie around his sweatpants before dropping them. I chuckled in amusement and started twisting the knob to achieve the perfect temperature.
"God damn." Dominic muttered once my cycling tights were pooling around my feet.
His dick hung freely between his strong thighs, and regardless of the fact that I had seen him countless times, it still left me stunned each time.
"Do not just stand there. Come on." I gestured for him to join me. After having showered with Dominic a few times, he had quickly learned my routine, such as how I washed my hair and face first with cool water instead of blistering, damaging heat.
"This one, right?" He asked and collected my shampoo from the rack. I nodded and turned my back toward him. With his impressive height, Dominic was tall enough to wash my hair without having to raise his arms too much. I tilted my head backward to allow the water to flow through.
When he started massaging his fingertips into my scalp, my eyes rolled back in my head. "You are so good at that." I whispered as I felt myself relax.
"Oh yeah? When is it my turn?" he asked, and my lips tilted up into the faintest smile.
"You are way too tall. You are going to have to get on your knees if you want me to wash your hair."
"I would get on my knees for you any day." Dominic said so quietly that for a second I thought I might have heard him wrong. His proximity was a hair's width away, and I could feel the warmth emanating from him. It took every ounce of self-control to not turn around and kiss him.
"Dominic," I muttered softly.
"Yes, angel?"
I took a deep breath. "Thank you for being here."
His movements halted before he removed his hands from my hair. With a swift grab of my arm, he spun me around to face him, and my heart trembled when I caught sight of his beautiful face.
"I will always be here for you. You know that, right? I am not going to leave just when things get a little rocky. That is not how this works." Dominic cupped my cheeks with his foam-covered hands and bent down slightly.
The volume of relief that bubbled through my entire being resulted in a small smile forming on my lips. I did not expect it to affect me that way, but Dominic speaking words of assurance was needed and appreciated.
"Tha..."
"Shh, baby. You say thank you way too much." He said softly and kissed the tip of my nose.
Our current position felt more intimate than any sexual experience we had shared, and I suddenly felt vulnerability in his presence. My cheeks warmed with an untamable blush as Dominic held firm eye contact with me without wavering for a split second.
I was the first one to look away.
"No," he grabbed my chin and carefully tilted my head to face him. "Do not do that. You are not someone who backs away, and you are not about to start now."
There I was, completely naked with suds in my hair, underneath the calculating inspection of a man who held such adoration and respect in his eyes when he looked at me. I plastered a genuine smile on my face and stood on the tips of my toes to kiss him.
It was gentle in every sense of the word. The soft, velvety touch of his lips against mine caused a burst of emotions to surge through me unlike anything I had felt before. I leaned back down onto my heels, but Dominic did not separate from me. His mouth followed mine until he was bent over with his hands still firmly on my cheeks.
"I love kissing you." He whispered against my lips.
"Let's finish up here and go to bed?" I asked, and he smiled before pulling away.
"Okay." He nodded. "Turn around."
"Dominic, what are we going to do about my dad?" I asked, looking down at him. The fact that my own father and the man I was seeing were rivals played constantly at the back of my mind.
"We will figure something out. Stop worrying about it." He said and dragged the sock up my foot. He finally stood up and placed a chaste kiss on my forehead.
"Okay." I sighed, deciding to let it go and enjoy the time I had with Dominic.
I stretched out onto the mattress. The feel of my bare legs against the freshly changed sheets was nearly orgasmic, and I let out a throaty groan. My body was exhausted, and I wanted nothing more than to lie in bed and cuddle.
"I have nothing to wear." Dominic suddenly spoke, and I opened my eyes to gaze at where he sat on the edge of the bed. His lower half was covered in one of my pink towels, and it was definitely a sight to behold.
"Stay naked."
It was becoming a regular thing for Dominic to stay the night. The spare toothbrush was opened and officially became his own to use whenever he stayed over. My array of toiletries was suddenly divided between two people, and I did not mind at all.
"I do not know what I did before you. My skin feels amazing." Dominic commented in awe.
"You smell good too." I said with a slight smirk.
"I know, right? We need to go shopping together soon."
"You are literally the cutest person ever. I forget sometimes that you are a mafia boss with the world at your feet." I said and sat up to lean my palms behind me.
"You let me forget that that side even exists. I like it, but it is also very dangerous."
"Dangerous?"
"You are a liability. A weakness of mine. It is dangerous because there are people who will take advantage of that." Dominic said and got underneath the covers with me. We lay on our sides, and he grabbed my waist to pull me closer to him.
I knew the minute I found out who and what Dominic was that I would be stepping into risky territory. It was my decision, and I continued to stand by it regardless of what might happen.
"Then why do you continue to see me?" I asked gently and reached up to stroke my thumb against his full lower lip.
"Because," he paused, "I would not be able to stay away. Despite already knowing that having you in my life would put you in danger, I could not help but fall for you. I am still falling, and I cannot stop. I will not stop until your heart is mine, and even then..." He placed his fingertips underneath my chin and tilted my head up to lay the softest kiss on my lips.
My heart shuddered in my chest, and an unfamiliar wave of emotion caused my body to warm up.
Dominic is definitely worth it.Risky Territory