“I hate you. Why are you doing this?”
“Didn’t I tell you that I wanted you? That I mean to have you?”
She swallowed hard. “Yes.”
“You can allow me into your life, Ava, or I will bulldoze my way in. Either way I’m not going away.”
And then his lips were on hers again. Consuming her. Taking everything she had to give. She grew wet and eager for him. Her body rubbed against his. Her passion burned brighter as he lifted the hem of her dress up to her waist. His hand found the silk of her thong and rubbed her mound through the material. She panted against his mouth.
Dominic’s fingers rubbed her through the material, before she grew impatient and bit his lip. He leaned back from her.
“Do it and stop teasing me.”
“Impatient?” His eyes grew dark and with a swift jerk, he tore her panties from her body.
She was bared to his hot gaze. Ava couldn’t help the eagerness that spread through her body as he looked down at her spread thighs. He licked his lips and then he was dropping to his knees. He attacked her with an eager tongue. She cried out as his tongue moved aggressively inside of her, just the way she liked. Why did she fall apart every time he did this to her? Why couldn’t she resist him?
Ava nearly lost her balance as he hoisted one of her legs over his shoulders, pressing her even more firmly against him. His tongue danced along her outer lips licking her sweetly, while she thrashed against him. When his lips closed around her sensitive bud again, she couldn’t take it anymore. Her world exploded and the force of the orgasm nearly sent her to her knees.
As Dominic rose to stand over her, he laughed.
“I hate you. Please leave me alone,” she panted.
“No. Not yet.”
She watched him as he quickly undid the button and zipper on his pants. As soon as they were past his waist, he was lifting her against the wall and sheathing himself inside her. She felt so full.
“No,” she protested. But it was halfheartedly.
Dominic held her, his eyes closed. His jaw was tight, as if he were clinching his teeth together. She could feel him throbbing inside her.
“So good. Just like last time,” he said.
His eyes opened and then he was lifting and lowering her onto him as he pumped into her. There was nothing about this that indicated lovemaking. They were in an elevator that could be accessed at any minute by a concerned technician. Dominic had no time to be gentle. This was all about sex and nothing else. And Ava didn’t mind one bit. Her hands dug into his shoulders, hanging on for dear life as he worked her body harder and faster than he ever had before.
With every stroke of his body inside hers, her passion rose higher and higher. She could feel the crescendo of her passion coming closer and closer. She tightened her legs around him and squeezed her inner muscles and then they both were falling off the edge. His hands dug into her sides as he cried out his own pleasure. She buried her face in his neck as her body shook from the force of her orgasm.
“Ava,” he whispered.
She shook her head. “Don’t say anything.”
“I want this, Ava. I want this all the time.”
She looked at him and pushed his hands away. She slid to her feet and pulled her dress down. Ava tried to ignore the wetness that coated the inside of her thighs. On unsteady feet she walked to the control panel and started the elevator again. When she turned around, Dominic had righted his attire.
“Satisfied? You had sex with me. I guess you’ve covered all of your bases.”
“That wasn’t what this was about.”
“Dominic, stop. Call a spade a spade.”
“I told you. This, the court suit, what we just did was all about getting your attention. I’m not going to let you shut me out.”
“So what are you saying? I invite you into my bed and you drop the suit?”
“No. You give me a chance and I let this go.”
“That’s blackmail. Either I give myself to you or you try to take my daughter’s inheritance. That’s low, Dominic. Real low.”
The elevator doors opened and Ava strode out without turning back. Her heels clicked against the marble floor as she marched through the lobby leading to the front doors of the courthouse.
“Ava, wait,” Dominic called after her.
She ignored him. Tears sprang in her eyes but she blinked them away. What had she been thinking? She was in heat every time she was around him. This had to stop. He was after her daughter’s inheritance and he was using her to do it. Ava threw open the doors and raced down the stone steps that lead to the street.
“Ava, please.”
She whirled around. “Leave me alone. Do you hear me?”
People were looking at them, but she didn’t care. She’d had enough of being used by Dominic. Meaningless sex she could handle, but not when it was crouched in terms of love and happily ever afters. She still had secret longings and he was messing with every one of them. Turning away, she continued marching down the steps. As she reached the bottom stair, a car slowly rolled by. Black. A black sedan.
A chill coursed through her body, but she tried to ignore it. There had to be a million black sedans out there. This couldn’t possibly be the one that had followed her before. She continued walking, still aware of Dominic’s footsteps behind her. As she turned, she saw something glitter in the sunlight.
“Ava!” Dominic yelled.
She turned and found him running towards her. The next thing she knew they were hitting the sidewalk hard as the sound of gunshots rang out.
Chapter Twenty-One
“Stay down, Ava,” Dominic yelled in her ear.
She couldn’t have moved if she wanted to. Gunshots. So many. Her body shook with fear. Someone was shooting at her. Somebody wanted her dead. Dominic’s body covered hers. She was pressed face-first into the sidewalk. She couldn’t see anything. Her heart felt like it would beat out of her chest. Ava had never been so scared in her life. If something happened to her, Maia would be alone. She had to survive.
Ava listened, heart still in her throat. Then she heard the sound of tires peeling away. No more gunshots. It was safe. At least she hoped.
“Can we get up?” she asked.
“Not yet. Let me check things out.”
Dominic’s body left hers. She didn’t dare move. The sounds of screams were all around her. Suddenly, Dominic was grabbing her arm and pulling her to her feet.
“Let’s get out of here now. Give me your keys.”
With shaking hands, she dug into her purse and gave him her car keys. His grip on her arm hurt, but she didn’t say a word as he marched them towards the garage where her car was parked. There was panic all around them. People were running and screaming. In the distance she could hear the sound of sirens approaching. She hoped nobody was hurt.
“What floor?” Dominic asked.
“First.”
“White Mercedes?”
“Yes.”
They entered the garage and Ava pointed in the direction of her vehicle. Dominic raised her remote and unlocked the car. He walked her around to the passenger side and opened the door. Once she was safely inside he shut the door and walked around to the driver’s side. Ava was quiet as he climbed in and started the car. Locking the doors, he looked around in all directions before he turned the car and roared out of the garage.
The street in front of the courthouse was starting to fill up with cars fleeing in a panic, but Dominic managed to make it under the traffic light just as it turned red. With the chaos of downtown fading away, Dominic turned and looked at her. His eyes were dark, his jaw tense. She’d never seen him look so fierce.
“Who’s trying to kill you?”
Ava swallowed. “I don’t know.”
“Truly? You have a habit of pissing people off,” he said, harshness in his tone.
Ava blinked back tears. “I won’t deny that, but that doesn’t mean I deserve to have someone shooting at me.”