CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
DOMINIC
In the beginning I tried to go slow with her, though it nearly killed me. I’d been thinking about this girl for weeks, and I wasn’t going to just grunt and get off. This wasn’t a fuck. This was Melanie. We fit together so flawlessly I could swear I’d been made to slide into her body. I’d wondered if she’d be shy or reserved between the sheets, but to my delight she didn’t hold back at all. And when I said dirty things, filthy things, she absolutely fucking loved it.
“What are you doing?” she whimpered when I teased her, pulling out just as she was getting to the brink for the third time since I carried her in here.
“Making you work for it,” I answered, easily offering up resistance when she tried to tighten her legs and draw me back in. Her eyes had been closed as she bit her lip and let me consume her as I pleased. Now those blue eyes opened and fixed me with a look of frustration.
“I don’t work for you right now, Mr. Esposito,” she said, but she was lying. I could feel it in the way her heart pounded and her body trembled.
I chuckled and raised myself up on my elbows so I could see her more clearly.
“Oh yes, you do, Miss Cruz.” Fucking hell, I loved the feel of her tits against my chest. Full and ripe, with a perfect mix of softness and firm perfection, they felt as good as I knew they would.
Melanie frowned up at me, those eyes that were such a rare dark-blue flashing with obvious annoyance at having her moment thwarted.
“The hell I do,” she said through clenched teeth, and I almost thrust into her hard once again. That fiery attitude of hers drove me nuts in a major way. But I was so damn close, one more push into that sweet body would be my undoing, and I didn’t want to be undone just yet.
I nibbled her neck. “Relax. We’re just gonna have a little talk first.”
“A talk?” she sputtered. “Now? Right freaking now?”
“Right freaking now.”
“Dominic,” she moaned, writhing underneath me. “I can’t take it.”
I wasn’t sure I could take it either, but the longer the buildup the better the reward. “Melanie, what were you doing right before I rang the doorbell tonight?”
She scowled. It was so damn cute. “I was taking a bath, you idiot.”
“Hmm.” I rolled my hips against her, and she let out another whimper. “A bath, huh?”
“Yes,” she said in a strangled voice. She was biting her lip and holding on to my arms so tightly her nails dug into my skin.
“Is that all?”
She glared at me, then softened and shook her head, seeming almost embarrassed. “That’s not all. I was thinking about you. I was wishing you were with me.”
I smoothed her hair away from her sweaty forehead. “I’m with you now, Mel. I’m not going anywhere.”
“Good,” she whispered, and I covered her mouth with mine.
I eased into her gently this time, and when we came at the same moment, it was both earth-shattering and tender. We shuddered with the aftershocks, and I held her for a long time before I started to worry that my weight might be crushing her. Melanie sat up and watched as I rolled off and got rid of the condom. She had pulled a sheet up over her chest, and the small gesture of modesty made me want to rip off her flimsy cover and ravage her all over again.
Instead I turned off the bedside lamp and opened my arms. She let me gather her to my chest, and I enjoyed the contented sigh that escaped her lips as she settled against me.
“Are you tired?” she asked in a dreamy voice while my fingers lightly tugged on strands of her long hair.
I yawned. “No.”
“You sorry?”
I snorted. “Hell no.”
She burrowed into me and kissed my neck. “That’s a relief. If you’d said yes, I might have either cried or thrown my five-pound volume of Shakespeare’s collected works at your head.”
“Melanie,” I said seriously. “I’ll never make you cry.”
She raised her head and looked at me. “And I’ll never throw a five-pound book at your head.”
“Sounds like a fair treaty.”
She shivered once and wrapped the sheet around her shoulders. I wished I hadn’t turned off the light so I could see her expression.
“What about you?” I asked her. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah.” She laughed. “I’m just a little out of practice, I guess. It’s been a while. I mean, after things ended with James, I dated here and there, but nothing lasted. Maybe they were turned off by the fact that I was divorced, even though it wasn’t much of a marriage to begin with. Or maybe it’s just me. It’s just hard to trust again once you’ve been burned.” She suddenly leaned over, kissed my shoulder, and then rested her cheek there. “Don’t burn me, Dom,” she whispered.
“No,” I said quickly and wrapped my arms around her, kissing her forehead. “I may be an unholy pain in the ass, and sometimes you might want to throw that Shakespeare book at me after all, but I swear I’ll always be straight with you. No games, baby. That’s not what this is.”
She was silent for a minute. “Then what is it?” she finally asked.
I didn’t know how to answer that question. There was nothing simple about what we’d started here.
Melanie was still my employee, which, according to my own standards, meant she ought to have been automatically off-limits.
My brother still wouldn’t approve if he knew what I’d just done.
And we were still all in the middle of the highly stressful ordeal of opening a new restaurant.
But none of that meant I’d consider giving Melanie up. I’d made that decision when I rang her doorbell an hour ago. Now that I had her, I had every intention of keeping her.
“It’s right,” I told her. “That’s what it is. I think this moment was inevitable from the day you walked your sexy ass into my restaurant. So don’t question it.”
Melanie kissed me. “Blunt as ever. But there’s a romantic streak in you, Mr. Esposito, and I’m not going to let you forget that I’ve seen it.”
I smiled. “So you have me all figured out, huh?”
She traced shapes lightly on my chest. They felt like hearts. “You’re honest, Dominic. I may not always like what you have to say, but you’re always authentic.” She stopped tracing hearts and snuggled closer. “That’s why I’m crazy about you.”
At this rate I might never stop smiling. “Yeah?”
“Yeah,” she sighed and then let out a short laugh. “And believe me, I’ve tried not to be.”
I rolled on top of her. “Stop freaking trying,” I ordered.
She laughed again. “It’s too late anyway,” she teased.
I rolled off again and collected her against my chest once more. It felt good to hold her this way. I stroked her hair and listened to her breathing become deep and even. I thought she was falling asleep, and I would have been happy to follow. But as I sifted her long hair through my hands, she suddenly stirred and closed her hand around my dick. By all rights I should have been far too tired to manage another round of energetic sex, but my anatomy had different ideas.
“Hey, is there a showerhead in that bathtub of yours?” I asked suddenly.
“Well of course,” Melanie said with some surprise. “Wait. Where are we going?”
I had picked her up, sheets and all, and was heading for the bathroom. “To fulfill a fantasy.”
She giggled. “Does it involve the shower?”
“Yup. The shower and you and me and a variety of crude positions.”
Melanie threw her head back with a groan. “You just might wear me out, Dominic.”
I set her down on the floor and turned the shower on. “I’m sure as hell gonna try, sweetheart.”
We did sleep, eventually. It felt like only seconds passed between the moment I shut my eyes and when I opened them again to find the gray morning light filtering through the blinds in Melanie’s bedroom. She was still asleep, her head on the pillow beside me, and even though she was sexy as hell with her hair surrounding her in a dark cloud, those rosebud lips parted, and the flowered quilt only half covering her perfect body, that wasn’t why I stared at her with my heart in my throat. Melanie Cruz had managed to awaken something inside of me that I thought I didn’t possess.
The only other time in my life I’d ever felt anything even close to this was when I was also the worst version of myself, when I had started something for terrible, selfish reasons, never intending for it to mean anything other than a good time with a small dose of vengeance. In the end I’d hurt everyone, even myself, and forged a rift that even time and distance would never solve. I’d had no excuse, other than being young and stupid and furious over a bitter family war. Sometimes there were no explanations as to why those who shared your blood were the ones who wound up wronging you the most. Or why you turned around and did the same to them.
“Good morning,” said a gentle voice, and I looked down into the sweetest sight I’d ever laid eyes on. Melanie’s eyes were open, and she was smiling shyly.
I smiled back. “Good morning, beautiful. How do you feel?”
She stretched. “Sore, but in the best way possible.”
“I like the sound of that.”
“You should.” She poked me. “It’s your fault.”
“Didn’t hear any complaining from you last night.”
“I’m not complaining now. But if you notice that I’m walking funny at work, you’ll have to keep your mouth shut.”
The mention of work sobered me. Today at four o’clock my brother and I were opening the doors to a new restaurant. But the number one thing on my mind was that I hadn’t really figured out how I was going to keep my hands off Melanie all day, every day, and pretend that the only thing between us was a cordial working relationship. If I had any common sense, I would have at least waited until we were several weeks past the opening of Espo 2.
“Dominic?” Melanie said my name tentatively, and propped herself up on one elbow. I saw the uncertainty in her face. She wasn’t sure I was taking this seriously. She wasn’t sure I was taking us seriously.
I gently touched her cheek. “I was just thinking about how I don’t know how I’m going to get through the day without kissing you.”
She smiled and grabbed my hand, kissing the palm. “You’re pretty charming when you want to be, sir.”
“Good thing that’s not very often. It might get exhausting.”
Melanie frowned, looking around the semidark room. “Have you seen my phone in here?”
“You dying to call someone so you can brag about screwing the boss?”
She made an offended noise and wrinkled her nose. “Jerk.”
I grinned. “Thought you said I was charming.”
“Only when you’re not being an asshole. I just wanted to see what time it was.”
I looked toward the window. The sun was rising.
“It’s time for me to leave.” I sighed and reluctantly left the bed in search of my pants. I didn’t want to go. Melanie followed me to the door in her robe. I kissed her hard and hugged her tight.
“I want to see you later,” I whispered in her ear.
She peered up at me with an innocent smile. “It’s unavoidable. Today’s the grand opening. And I’ll be at work in an hour.”
I ran my hands all over her body and pressed against her. “That’s not what I mean.”
She bit her lip and blushed. “I want to see you later too. We’ve got a long day ahead.”
“We sure as hell do.”
“You nervous?”
“Fuck, yeah.”
She smiled. “Everything’s going to be amazing, Dominic.”
I tipped her chin up and kissed her once more. “Everything’s already amazing.”
It was early enough that I should have had time to run home for a quick shower and still make it to the restaurant before Gio headed out his own front door.
“Dominic!” Melanie yelled when I was halfway to my truck.
I turned around, and she blew me a soft kiss. I pretended to catch it. Then I smiled like a demented thing throughout the entire fifteen-minute drive home. I was still smiling as I jogged over to the front door of my condo.
I stopped smiling when Gio emerged from his place two doors down.
He gaped at me. “Dom?”
“Oh, hey,” I said as casually as I could while thinking, Shit! Shit! Shit!
His eyes narrowed. “Are you just getting in?”
“What? No, I just ran over to the dumpster to toss a bag of trash.”
Gio gave me a flat stare. He knew I was lying, and I felt shitty about lying to him. But the truth would have made things even messier.
“I’m heading over to Espo 2 now,” he said.
“Well, that’s two days in a row you’re beating me to work,” I said cheerfully.
“Dom, you’ve put in twice the amount of hours I have. I know that. You want a ride?”
“Nah.” I shook my head. “I’ve got a few things to do at home, and then I’ll be right over.”
“I see,” Gio said, and locked his door. He started to move past me, but I stepped in his way.
“Is Leah completely better?” I asked. I wasn’t used to feeling distant from Gio. I hated it.
“Yeah.” He smiled a little. “Full of sass and sweetness, just like her mom.”
I almost came clean right then and there. I almost said, “Bro, I met this incredible girl and I really love being with her and she happens to be our most important employee and I know we’re on the eve of a make-it or break-it situation with everything we’ve been working for and you’re depending on me to keep my head together, but I’m asking you to be cool with the fact that I spent last night in her bed anyway, okay? Okay?”
I changed my mind, though. I’d tell Gio everything, absolutely everything, but this wasn’t the time. I could see the stress on his face, and there was so much riding on the new restaurant being a success.
“See you in a little bit,” I said.
“Sure,” he said. Then he walked briskly to his car and took off. I watched his taillights disappear.
Forty-five minutes later I walked through the front door of Espo 2, bracing myself for an awkward start to the day, but Gio seemed far more cheerful. Neither of us brought up any touchy subjects. The fact that the soft opening had gone so well meant we’d already gotten most of the details ironed out. All the food deliveries had been made yesterday, and the bakery owner we’d hired to supply the restaurant with several varieties of desserts had dropped by with a box of samples to congratulate us on the grand opening.
Melanie strolled in just as we’d filled our mouths with fresh cannoli. We locked eyes for an intense second, and I had a flashback to last night and the way she’d writhed under me, shrieking my name as she came. I tried to force the image out of my head.
“Want a cannoli, Melanie?” Gio asked as he held the box out.
“Sure.” She smiled and took one.
“These are damn good,” Gio commented as he polished off the one in his hand. “But nothing beats those huge pastries Papa used to keep in the dessert case at the old place, right, Dom?”
I grinned. “Ah, those bad boys were easily eight inches long. They were a meal unto themselves.”
Then I realized the sexual innuendo in my own words, and I nearly choked. Melanie noticed too. She bit her lip to stifle a smile. Luckily Gio seemed oblivious.
“No shit,” he chuckled. “I cut my teeth on those monsters. They were epic.”
Melanie took a tentative bite. “Mmm, these are good.”
Gio started talking about the stack of takeout menus he’d placed at the counter, and I had to avoid looking at Melanie so I wouldn’t get distracted by thoughts of how much better she looked when she wasn’t wearing clothes and the way she moaned and clutched me when she came.
“Dom!” Gio said, and snapped his fingers. “You listening? Looks like you’re a million miles away.”
“I’m right here,” I croaked and then cleared my throat.
“You sure you’re okay, Dominic?” Melanie asked sweetly, and when I caught her eye, I knew she had correctly guessed where my mind was.
“I’m fine,” I said evenly. “I’m touched by your concern, though.”
“I’m glad you’re touched,” she said, and it looked like she was trying not to laugh.
I immediately steered the conversation back to the takeout menus because Gio was looking at both of us kind of funny and I didn’t want it to be apparent that two out of the three people in this little meeting had screwed each other’s brains out last night.
“Well,” Melanie said, “the staff is going to start arriving around one so that will give us plenty of time to get everything in place before we open at four.”
“And then tomorrow we start regular hours,” Gio reminded us. “Which means we’ll be open before lunch.” He drummed his fingers on a nearby table. “I think we’re ready. What do you think, Dom?”
“I want to do some final run-throughs in the kitchen, but yeah, we couldn’t be more ready.”
“Melanie?” Gio ventured.
“I agree,” she said, and her happy smile just about melted my heart. “We’re ready.”
The three of us scattered in order to pursue our own last-minute tasks. My nerves were starting to get the better of me. Given all the enthusiasm we’d drummed up for the new location, there was no reason to believe that we wouldn’t be successful. But nothing was for sure.
At ten minutes to noon, Jason texted me to let me know he was five minutes away and that he was hauling me off to lunch whether I liked it or not.
“Esposito boys!” Jason bellowed when he busted through the door.
“What’s up, Jay?” Gio grinned as they fist bumped.
Jason looked around with his shrewd, dark eyes. “I’m impressed,” he said. “This place is destined to be the new downtown trend. Sorry I couldn’t make it to the event the other night. I was burning the midnight oil, working on this massive courthouse bid. But nothing’s keeping me from opening tonight.”
“I’m glad,” I said, “but there’s no way in hell I can run out of here and go to lunch right now.”
“What?” He seemed outraged. “It looks fine. The sign on the door says you’re not open until four today.”
“Jay.” I tried again to explain to my stubborn friend. “I’ve got a ton of shit to do. It’s opening day for fuck’s sake. I can’t just take off.”
“Half an hour,” he insisted. “I’ll bring you right back, I promise.”
“Ah, go ahead, Dom,” Gio said. “He’s not going to shut up until you go.”
“Your brother is absolutely right,” Jay said. “By the way, I’ve got good news, Dominic. I convinced the twins you were having a bad night when you blew Briana off. Apparently they like a challenge. They’re willing to give you another shot.”
“You mean both of them?” Gio said, looking confused.
“Never mind,” I growled because Melanie had crept out of the office and was standing there listening to every word.
Jason pouted. “Come on. One of these days you’ll have to relax on the work and play a little, or you’ll explode in an unholy shower of pent-up sexual aggression.”
Melanie’s eyes were on me. Gio was staring off toward the kitchen and probably pretending the conversation wasn’t happening. I just wanted Jason to shut the fuck up.
“Fine, let’s go,” I said abruptly while trying to muscle him out the door. “Thirty minutes is all I’m giving you.”
“Wait a minute.” He fended me off with ease. Jason worked out four days a week—it wasn’t so easy to muscle him anywhere. He pointed to Gio. “You coming with us? I swear I’ll keep wild tales of the bachelor life to a minimum. You can even show off pictures of your kid, and I’ll say nice things about how cute it is.”
“She,” I told Jason. “My niece is a girl, and her name is Leah.”
“Right, right,” Jason said absently. “So how about it, G-Man?”
Gio shook his head and chuckled. “Thanks, but my beautiful bride promised to stop by and bring me lunch.”
“Lucky man,” Jason said, but I knew he was being the Jason version of polite. For a smart guy he had a painfully short attention span when it came to women. I couldn’t even guess what it would take to domesticate him.
Melanie still hadn’t said a word, and I was hoping to get Jason out of the way before he noticed her, but no such luck. His eyes lit up when he caught sight of her standing there quietly just beyond the dining room.
“Well, hello again,” he said, running a hand through his hair and offering up his most diabolical grin. “Melanie, right?”
She cocked her head and looked at him with what seemed like amusement. “That’s right, Jason. Good to see you again.”
“It’s good to be seen. What are you doing right now?”
“Just about to go grab a quick lunch before the staff starts arriving.”
“Excellent,” Jason declared. “You’re coming with us. I need somebody more entertaining than this guy to talk to.”
Melanie glanced at me. Jason would unquestionably keep his hands to himself as soon as I said the word. Yet I was bothered by the hungry way he kept looking at the girl I’d already started to think of as mine.
“Thank you,” she said politely, “but I’m . . . ah . . . meeting a friend.”
“Really?” Jason frowned. “Where?”
“Well . . .” Melanie looked at me for help.
“Come on,” I said impatiently, and nudged him a little harder toward the door. If he resisted anymore, I just might throw him through it. “Melanie has better things to do than sit through lunch with our ugly asses.”
Jason was insulted. “Who are you calling an ugly ass, you East Coast ape?”
When I finally hustled him out to the street, he stopped cold and just stood there, staring at me.
“What is it now?” I asked, not sure I wanted to hear the answer.
“You and Melanie,” he sang out, and beamed like he’d just solved the cold fusion enigma.
I shook my head and acted like I didn’t know what he was talking about. “Nope, your instincts are getting rusty.”
“Like hell they are,” he scoffed. Then he leaned forward eagerly. “So does the fact that you’re her boss make it extra hot? Do you order her to get down on her knees and take dictation? Does the word overtime possess an entirely different meaning now?”
“Jesus, shut up,” I hissed.
He laughed out loud. “I knew it. And my instincts are sure as shit not rusty. You’re totally into that girl.”
“Yeah,” I mumbled, and pushed him off the curb and toward his car. “I’m into her. Like in a ‘can’t sleep at night’ or ‘keep my thoughts out of the gutter’ kind of way. Happy now?”
My best friend shot me a smug smile. “Very.”