His hands gripped the steering so hard the leather creaked. “No,” he bit out.
“Funny, I don’t believe you.”
“I’m not lying.” He’d lied because he couldn’t stand the thought of losing her and he’d do anything to keep her. He wanted so much more from her than a fuck. He wanted her smiles, her conversations, her everything.
Her eyes cut to him, then cut him to the quick. “That’s the thing about lying, it breaks one’s trust. Now I can’t tell your lies from the truth, Dom.” She lifted her chin and stared out the front window. “Drop me off at the nearest corner. I don’t want to be around you.”
His chest had a crushing weight on it. He hissed in a breath at her blow. “I can’t let you go, Felicity. I care too much.”
She didn’t say anything for a long minute and he glanced over at her to find her blinking rapidly trying to fight back tears.
“Fuck!” His fist slammed into the steering wheel with each outburst “Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!”
She didn’t jump at his outburst, but she did stiffen and he hated that too.
“Pull over,” she repeated softly.
“No, I’m taking you to the estate.”
She tensed. “I really don’t want to be there. We might run into your bruid, after all.”
He hissed at the low jab. “Sweets, you really know how to fight, don’t you?”
She shook her head. “This isn’t about knowing how to fight. It’s about being honest. You lied to me. You made me believe you when this whole time you were never going to leave her. You were never going to give me a chance. It was always her,” she said raggedly, softly, her voice tortured.
“Baby—”
“Take me home!” she screamed, the sound nearly making his ears bleed.
“I can’t do that.” He looked over at her. Tears glimmered in her eyes, her forehead was creased with stress lines, her mouth pulled into a deep frown, and still she made his heart ache. “Don’t you see? I fucking love you, Felicity. I can’t let you go.”
She started blinking fast. “What did you say?” she whispered.
“I said I fucking love you.” His cheeks burned at baring his soul, but if that’s what it took he’d do it a thousand times a day for the rest of his life.
Suddenly her small fist slammed into his cheek. His head jerked left as throbbing pain burst at his jawline. She had quite the punch.
“What the fuck!”
Her chest heaved, her teeth bared, and eyes glowed red as the vampire in her came out. “I hate you.”
“Well, I love you.”
“If you loved me then you’d make me your bruid!”
He stilled and for a brief moment, considering it. They’d plaster her name everywhere. They’d find every little piece of dirt possible on her from her history to her mother's to her father's. They would leave no stone unturned and they’d do it within a matter of hours. Word would spread fast. With Zeke playing ugly, he’d make certain the rumors spread were nasty. Julianna was safe and had an impeccable past; her family was untouched by scandal. Not even Zeke could find dirt on her, but Felicity... Dom had seen Vas’s file on her. They had enough there to make her family look bad which would in turn make her look bad. It wouldn’t work. Then again, with Julianna on his side he was losing the race.
“I love you but I can’t make you my bruid. I’d never win.”
“I hate you.”
Dom rubbed at the twinge in his ribcage, but nothing he did could make it go away. His body felt ragged down to his bones with pain. He pulled up the long drive of his estate and put the car in park.
“Felicity...listen, damn, I’m sorry. I’m sorry about all of this, but I wouldn’t take it back, not if it meant taking back what we had last night and this morning.”
She shook her head slowly. “This is just about sex, isn’t it? Well, if you’re so pent up for it then you can go see your bruid. I’m leaving.”
She slammed out of the car and he followed her, hot on her heels, anger surging. He caught her elbow and spun her around.
“Is she inside?” she said.
“Julianna? No, she went out.”
“Well, I suggest you go find her, because I’m through with you. You’ll have to get your rocks off with her.” She snapped her arm out of his grasp and stalked away in angry steps, her eyes bright with unshed tears.
That’s it. He’d had enough. He was through her attitude. An intense panic had swelled inside him and was about to burst. She’d leave him and he’d never truly know her. Pure male, animal instincts took over.
Stalking after her, Dom halted in front of her, grabbed her hair in a fist and crushed her body against his.
“You’re not leaving me. And if you leave today it’s because I let you go. Now I’m going to finally do what I’ve wanted to do since I first saw you, sweets.” Her eyes flashed and inside he danced a small victory. “That’s right, baby. I’m going to finally make you mine in the only way a man can really know a woman. Are you ready for that?” He brought her closer so she could feel the rigid line of his arousal.
“You need to stop this right now and let me go,” she said calmly, too calmly for his enraged mind. How could she be calm at a time like this? When the whole world felt like it was spinning out of control?
“Listen to me now,” he said and watched a sliver of panic flare in her eyes. “I’m going to give you two choices. One, you follow me to my bedroom and we do this the nice way, or two...” he dipped his head low so their lips almost kissed. “I’m going to take you here in full view of my front yard where I’ll make you moan and scream so loud, sweets that everyone is going to hear it. Now choose.”
“If you do this, so help me, I’ll never forgive you.” Her voice shook with raw emotion.
Dom lips split into a slow grin. “No, you won’t. You love me just as much as I love you.”
Felicity stood frozen before him, then she moved and the action was so unexpected she took him off guard. Or, at least that’s what he told himself when her knee jerked up and landed between his legs. She sprinted for the house and he happened to have a feeling she wouldn’t be running for his bedroom.
The little minx was probably headed for his mother the only soul who might be able to stop him from taking her.
Dominic hissed out a slow, painful breath and then he took off after his woman ready to claim what was his.
Chapter 17
She didn’t make it far. Not by a long shot.
“You made the wrong choice, Felicity.”
Strong hands surrounded her, crushed their bodies together. There was no mistaking the hard prod against her lower back.
Felicity gasped, struggling to control the fire burning inside her. She wanted him so badly. How is it she could love and hate the same person so much?
“We can’t.” The aching words were torn from her throat.
His hands swept up to cup her breasts—his touch possessive as he molded the flesh. She shivered, her knees nearly giving out on her. She might have fallen if he didn’t keep hold of her.
“Yes we can, and we are. I’m not waiting any longer.” He’d finally decided. This was really going to happen and nothing she could do would stop it. She wasn’t sure she really wanted to stop it. A big part of her wanted this. To know him before she left him for good, because she couldn’t forgive him for doing this.
He released her and reason came flooding back. No, they couldn’t do this. So many lives would be destroyed including her own. She shoved him knocking him off balance with the action. She didn’t hesitate but sprinted down the hall away from him. She had to get out of here. She had to get away from him. If she could only get away then everything would be fine. She would be safe from him.