Riveted. Part 5

Dominic growled and surged into her, flicking her c.l.i.t faster and faster until she came against his hand again. He gripped her hips and began moving inside her.

"Look at me."

She turned her head to the side and he bent forward, taking her mouth in a hard kiss. His tongue ravished and ruled, his c.o.c.k pumping into her a.s.s. His chest pressed into the elegant line of her back, her damp, dark hair brushing against his nose, tickling his shoulders. He lifted himself, threw his head back and thrust one final time into her. His c.u.m burst from him in a wild rush, leaving him weak and weightless.

And utterly and completely confused about why he couldn't get enough of Olivia Bradford.

Inside a limousine, Liv listened to Dominic talk to his a.s.sistant, a pretty blonde about his age. Felicia had been waiting at Charleston Executive Airport and she'd boarded the plane to deliver a pair of jeans, a white t-shirt and a very pretty bra and matching underwear set and wedge sandals for Liv.

The woman hadn't had much to say but her disapproval of finding Liv in Dominic's bedroom and dressed only in his shirt was apparent. Liv didn't owe an explanation to anyone, since her current predicament wasn't her fault in any way, shape or form.

Hearing Felicia and Dominic's camaraderie, Liv wanted to get away from the resentment and jealousy goading her. Dominic had taken her virginity, asked her to perform oral s.e.x on him, breached her most forbidden place and spanked her. Now he acted as though she didn't exist.

Liv tightened her fingers across her belly. Whether she wanted to admit it or not, her current predicament was her fault. She'd repaid Blaine for the money he'd squeezed out for her mother's hospital care, chemo and subsequent funeral through her tears and sweat by cooking and cleaning for him. Her anger and grief and desire to rise above her start in life had urged her to ask Blaine to pay her tuition to college. Her GPA had dropped so substantially during her mother's illness Liv had lost all hope of getting scholarships. She'd laid her cards on the table and Blaine had laid his. In the end, he'd had the royal flush because he had the money.

It wasn't until she was well on her way to a prison sentence that her brother confessed he needed the information in those files so he could turn them into cash-money to keep Bradford Industries afloat and pay her tuition.

A burst of sound caught Liv's attention, Dominic's husky laughter combined with Felicia's flirtatious giggle. Anger burned in the pit of Liv's belly, her body still throbbing from all that Dominic had done to her. She might've acted like an experienced s.e.x G.o.ddess last night, infused with adrenaline and hope and a galling fascination with her captor. Like an excessive amount of alcohol left her with a telling hangover, in the light of day, her loss of virginity told on her. Her a.s.s hurt. Her mouth hurt. And her p.u.s.s.y hurt. Most of all, her feelings hurt.

She shifted, staring out the window at the pa.s.sing scenery. Not much to see, she realized. Just miles and miles of trees interspersed with fields and unidentifiable bodies of water every now and then.

She could confess to her role in this entire fiasco and ask Dominic for the chance to reverse what she'd done. She peeked at him through her lashes. Sunlight angled in and he looked like an angel, illuminated in sacred light. Everything about him glowed-golden hair, golden skin, blue eyes. He was a mortal man, though, flesh and blood and too handsome for words.

"Olivia!"

The impatience in his voice alerted her he'd called her name several times. She swung her attention to him. "Mr. Luca?"

The fact she addressed him as "mister" didn't seem to bother him. Their s.e.x fest should've removed such formalities but she'd refused his suggestion she call him Dominic.

"We're taking you to my house. But Felicia has informed me I have several pressing matters, so I will leave you in the care of my bodyguards."

He indicated the two men with a nod.

"I suppose I have to service them too?" she snapped.

Felicia smirked at her and Liv narrowed her eyes at the other woman.

"Of course," Dominic said, his voice a purr, so matter-of-fact Liv wanted to tear his eyes out. "If you wish to be responsible for their castrations, go ahead and service them as much as you want."

The two men stiffened, so she knew they'd heard, but they didn't say anything.

She, on the other hand, scowled at Dominic and spoke her mind. "I didn't mean that and you know it."

"Do I?" he asked coolly.

She didn't want to have a private conversation with such a captive audience. She wanted to tell him she was afraid he would make her sleep with whomever he chose just to get back at Blaine. Hadn't he done all sorts of things to her for that reason? She wanted to tell him if she had to pay with her pound of flesh, she only wanted it to be with him. She plucked at her t-shirt.

"What am I supposed to do while you're gone? If you don't want them to tie me up and throw me in some dark, hideous place, you will take them with you."

"I don't have dark, hideous places in my home, Olivia. Please get a handle on that wild imagination of yours. Am I clear?"

She glowered at him.

He turned to her and drew her face between his thumb and forefinger. "Listen to me, Olivia, and listen well because I don't make a habit of repeating myself. These men work for me. I trust them with my life, so I trust them with yours. If they want to hurt you, they may as well blow their f.u.c.king brains out now because to touch you, other than to carry you from danger, is to sentence themselves to death. Am I clear?"

She nodded.

"As to what to do, the staff has already been instructed you'll be my guest for the next three days. They'll know what to do until I return this evening. You're free to explore my house. Understand you'll be shadowed anywhere you go on the premises."

Huge live oaks offered shade while the magnolia trees with their big white flowers perfumed the air. Yellow jessamine, azaleas, rhododendron, roses and honeysuckle gave his grounds a colorful, artistic feel, the blue catmint bushes bright against the red foundation of his house. Dominic wondered at Olivia's first impression. Frowning, he turned to look out the back window as the limo headed back down the driveway, watching as Albert and Howie ushered her up the wide steps and through the mansion's front doors. The same question plaguing him all night reared up again-what the f.u.c.k was he going to do with her?

As if he didn't know. He'd already done exactly what he'd wanted to do with her from the moment he'd glimpsed her on that stage. It was what he'd continue to do with her until she left.

That is the reason you instructed Mrs. Dobbs to put her in your room, isn't it?

"Nic?"

He straightened in the seat and swung his gaze to Felicia.

"We are still attending the symphony Sat.u.r.day night, aren't we?"

Sat.u.r.day was five days away and by then Olivia would be gone. He and Felicia could return to their arrangement.

f.u.c.k. Since falling into bed with her two months after she'd started working for him, he'd tried to accept Felicia as the woman in his life. She was very good at what she did, reliable and kept his appointments on track. She'd missed a half day in the eleven months she'd worked for him. But he kept backing away, unable to enter into the same type of loveless union his parents endured.

He didn't believe in love one way or the other. Eventually, he intended to marry and provide heirs for the family business as his father and grandfather had done. With Olivia, however, he felt different. He wanted to know more about her. Her ability to adapt to whatever situation she found herself in fascinated him. At the auction, she'd kept her head high. When he'd kidnapped her, she'd remained collected and when he'd f.u.c.ked her she'd responded with pa.s.sion.

Of course, she had Blaine Bradford for a brother. On the surface, she was the a.s.shole's complete opposite. Once Dominic got to know her, he might discover her to be as duplicitous as Blaine and as money-hungry as Dominic's mother.

The thought brought his good sense back. There was absolutely no chance in h.e.l.l he and Olivia could be anything more than what they were. He only knew her in the biblical sense and he'd keep it that way. Any guilt he felt toward taking her virginity had been removed when he discovered she'd sucked her boyfriend's d.i.c.k. Besides, she was carrying around a bag filled with s.e.xual items. She wanted to get f.u.c.ked, so he'd obliged her.

He'd continue to oblige her as long as she remained with him.

"Get Bradford on the phone," Dominic growled, coming to a quick decision. Olivia had to go. He didn't want to continue to use her for s.e.x and he d.a.m.n sure didn't want to frustrate himself trying to have something more with her and thus set himself up for a caring relationship only to suffer disappointment. "Tell him to meet me at his office as soon as possible. Tonight would be excellent. I'm giving Olivia back. She shouldn't pay for his crimes when she had no involvement."

He didn't miss Felicia's expression turn to one of relieved satisfaction, sure it was because he intended to return Olivia.

"I have to meet with Clark. After that, I'll have my driver bring me home so I can await confirmation of my plans."

She patted his thigh and leaned forward, indicating he not disturb himself by lifting the phone and relaying the message to the chauffer. Felicia made herself useful at every turn. Once she'd explained Dominic's intentions to the driver, she leaned back. "You slept with her."

Her accusation wasn't phrased as a question and he clenched his jaw to hold in his surging irritation. "Yes. I'm sure you were already aware of that since you found her in my bed."

She released a sharp breath, her honey-colored eyes hardening. She was elegant and sophisticated, but her cool manner reminded him of the way his mother had treated his father. "I can't wait to see Bradford's face when you tell him you've f.u.c.ked his sister."

Yes, just like his mother. As long as f.u.c.king another woman served a purpose, other than satisfying l.u.s.t, Felicia didn't care who he slept with. That annoyed the f.u.c.k out of him. "You aren't coming. Olivia will be humiliated enough without you being there to witness it."

"You're awfully protective of her for this to have been just a revenge f.u.c.k."

"She's a twenty-one-year-old girl, caught in a battle between her brother and me."

"Which you overlooked or rationalized in order to justify taking her to bed."

He had no answer to that because she was right. Felicia was gorgeous with her peaches-and-cream complexion and pale blonde hair. She had it swept up, revealing the graceful curve of her neck and the perfect lines of her features.

"I'm sorry if I've hurt you or betrayed you," he said tightly, wondering what the h.e.l.l else he could say.

She c.o.c.ked her head. "Are we in a relationship, Nic?"

"No. We're just us."

She swallowed and gazed out the window. "If you compared me and Olivia Bradford, who would meet your standards as the future Mrs. Luca? Whom have you confided in the most? Me or her?"

Neither. He told Felicia just what she needed to know to get the job done and held shallow conversations with her outside the office. He'd told Olivia less than that.

"Whom do you want to confide in? Me or her?"

Olivia. The thought came to him automatically, though he barely knew her. He wasn't sure why he felt he could trust her more than he did Felicia. But remembering her clipped words as she had spoken of her mother and her guarded hesitation did something to Dominic. She was a fighter but oh so vulnerable. Perhaps that was it. He saw through Felicia's guile, whereas all he saw in Olivia was innocence. He'd felt her innocence, taken it, lost himself in it.

He wanted to discover what made Olivia different. Why she pulled at his heartstrings, his libido, his humor.

"What traits do we have that you like?" she continued.

She expected answers but he didn't intend to provide any. If she wanted to amuse herself questioning him while he remained silent, so be it.

He liked Felicia's organizational skills and her no-nonsense demeanor. On the other hand, he liked Olivia's fire and pa.s.sion and loved the way she made him smile. He wanted to know more about her and wished they'd met under different circ.u.mstances. As it stood, he didn't see how they had any hope to have a chance of a relationship.

"Who can you see as mother to your children?"

Olivia. For all he knew, she might be well on the way to being the mother of his child. His plan to send her back to Bradford pregnant hadn't been well thought out but had already been implemented when he'd f.u.c.ked her without protection.

So now what? He and Felicia took precautions against pregnancy, on his end as well as hers. It was the smart thing to do for both of them and he'd never consider putting Felicia in the vulnerable predicament he'd put Olivia in. Did he really expect her to raise his child alone? Besides, a pregnancy would hurt her, not her f.u.c.khead brother.

She had to go back to the a.s.shole. Dominic knew he wouldn't stray from the course he set if she remained. It wasn't in him to suddenly shift directions. If he had his choice, he'd murder Bradford and be done with it. He didn't. The a.s.shole was in hiding, therefore Dominic only had Olivia to use as his instrument of revenge.

"I'm thirty," Felicia said, breaking into his confusion. "I'm ready to settle down and nurture a family. This girl has her whole life ahead of her. A lifetime of experience to gain. This is the twenty-first century, Dominic. Most twenty-one-year-olds aren't thinking marriage and motherhood. You're ten years older than this girl. So not the 'in' thing nowadays. It would be much better if it were reversed. Cougars are all the rage."

"I get your d.a.m.n point, Felicia. I'll arrange for her departure as soon as Bradford calls. When I return her, if he doesn't turn over my files and money, I'll take it out of his a.s.s as I'd intended to do in the first place."

She smiled and he grimaced, turning his attention away from her. His attempt to think of the meeting he'd shortly attend failed. Instead, a pair of green eyes filled with a mixture of emotions monopolized his thoughts and he cursed.

The first sign things were awry was when Dominic walked into the entrance hall and saw Howie standing next to a long ladder right beneath the huge chandelier. Craning her neck, Mrs. Dobbs was wringing her hands. The next sign came when Dominic heard Albert's frustrated voice, along with a series of clanking noises.

"Get down now, Miss Bradford. Mr. Luca has staff to do the cleaning."

"Of course. I heard Mrs. Dobbs." Olivia's voice was m.u.f.fled.

When Dominic stepped forward, he realized why. She stood on the top tier of the ladder, on her tiptoes, holding a bowl. With deft movements, she was unhooking the crystal teardrops of his chandelier. Her hair shone like polished ebony and Dominic itched to run his fingers through the heavy ma.s.s.

"But I'm here and I have nothing to do," she said.

When she stretched farther up, Dominic's heart skipped a beat, right in tune with the collective gasp of his three employees.

"You're going to fall and break every bone in your body, ma'am," Mrs. Dobbs pointed out. "Please, please, for the love of holiness, get down."

"No." Clank. Clank. Clank. "Your concern would be heartwarming if it was for me," Olivia said drily, "and not because you're worried about what Mr. Luca would do if I were to break my neck."

"Miss Bradford," Howie began through gritted teeth, using his weight to keep the ladder in place. But he was too far down to be of any use if Olivia slipped. "We're concerned about both." The man was diplomacy personified.

"Please get real. I do this work at my brother's house and no one watches out for me."

"Get down, Olivia." Dominic strode forward, his voice brooking no argument.

Olivia squeaked in surprise and yelped when she lost her balance. The crystals-his very expensive crystals-went flying, pinging to the marble floor. Olivia went airborne, falling backward, her terrified scream echoing off the walls, her hair flying around her. He was too far away to reach her and he swore he aged ten years in those few moments. By some miracle, Howie and Albert caught her, although the force of her fall sent the three of them sprawling onto the floor. The men's chests cushioned her head and upper body.

After checking to make sure his men were uninjured, he pulled Olivia to her feet. The dazed look in her eyes made him wonder if she hadn't hit her head, after all.

"Are you okay?" he croaked, pressing her head against his chest. Her heart pounded in a furious beat, matching the pace of his. The scent of his bath soap on her skin hit him in the gut.

She stared down at her hands and he saw the blood oozing from a cut on her palm. He reached for her injured hand but she pulled away.

"Yes, I'm fine. No thanks to you. I didn't know you'd returned so your voice was the last one I'd expected to hear." A frown creased her brow. "What are you doing here?"

Besides almost keeling over from a heart attack? "I live here."

She rubbed her hand on her white shirt, smearing it with blood. "You have a very beautiful house."

"Thank you." Noise around him indicated members of his staff were beginning to clear Olivia's mess. "Are you sure you're okay?"

She shrugged.

"It wasn't so long ago that I dropped you off. Do you always manage to get into such mischief?"

The question seemed to drag her from her stupor. She spun on her heel. "I'm not a child," she flung over her shoulder, running toward the staircase.

A few moments later, he heard a door slam. He'd deal with her in a moment. "You two," he said, pointing at Albert and Howie. "In my office. Now."

Chapter Four.