The Italian Dom by N.J. Adel

CHAPTER 3

Domenico

 

I didn’t ask Nicky to dance this time, even though her one glance at me when her sister started playing the violin told me she expected me to. And when she eased out to the pool area before the music stopped, I knew she was disappointed I didn’t give her the chance to blow me off. Again.

Yes, little kitten, my game has changed, and you’d better keep up.

In fact, I hadn’t spoken to her at all since the day I saw her leaving the mansion and refused me for the second time. I could tell it infuriated her.

It didn’t mean there had been a moment in the past days that I hadn’t thought about her.

I listened to the music. Angelina Bellomo—Lina as Nicky insisted on calling her sister till today—did play like an angel. This was the third time I’d heard her play live, at her wedding, today, and almost two years ago at Tino’s restaurant before they even got married. That was when I first laid eyes on Nicky.

I never spoke to her that day or made any indication I liked her. She was dancing with Tino, and he was very protective of her. I thought she was the girl he was obsessed with and tried, out of honor and loyalty, to get her out of my mind, thinking she was taken.

Tried.

Imagine how thrilled I was when I found out she wasn’t Tino’s woman.

Imagine how fuming I was when I learned what had happened to her when she was a kid; for weeks, the fuckers I had to arrange for their meetings with their maker had very long and loud red trips to get there.

A round of applause yanked me out of my thoughts. I clapped with the rest as Signora Bellomo took her bow. She joined Tino in a dance as more music streamed from the sound system in the walls. My gaze traveled to the French doors that opened to the pool. Nicky was still out there.

I took a deep breath and headed out. I’d made her wait long enough.

She was sitting by the pool ladder, eyes closed, elegant heels lying next to her, golden cascades swinging down her back as she moved her head with the music, sparkling light blue fabric inched up her long legs, the water reaching her knees as she splashed it.

Beautiful. So fucking beautiful.

I wanted to hike her dress all the way up and take her right here. Many times.

My cock stiffened at the thought, so I cleared my throat, hiding my desire for now. “Nicky.”

Her head whipped toward me as her foot jerked in the water, making a louder splash. “The fuck? You startled me. What are you doing here?”

“What are you doing here all alone?”

“I asked you first.”

I chuckled as I got out my vape and waved it at her. “Your turn.”

She shrugged. “Getting some air.”

“Air? It’s an indoor pool.”

“And it’s twenty-five degrees outside. Here is the only place I can be by myself away from your kind without freezing my ass off.”

My kind? I smirked. “Well, this ass is meant for much better things...”

She grumbled and cursed. I bit my lip on a laugh. She was so hot when she was angry. “Domenico, you’d better get back inside.”

My name never sounded so good. What else would sound so sweet coming out of that mouth? I wanted to hear it all. I got out my vape and took a drag. “Or what? You’ll kick me in the nuts again?”

“Yeah.” She glared at me through the smoke, her nose crinkling. “Hey… What’s that you’re smoking? It doesn’t smell like tobacco.”

I dragged one of the recliners to her side and sat. “Hash.” I offered her the vape. “Wanna try?”

She arched a brow, her face incredulous. “You sure you’re one of those mobster guys with all the crazy, uptight rules around their women?”

“I’m a Lanza and have been a made man for the past thirty years, so yeah, definitely one of those mobster guys.” I leaned in. “But you’re not my woman.” Not yet.

Something flickered in her eyes, something furious. “Damn right I’m not.” Then she yanked the vape and sucked in a breath.

Her lips hung apart for a second before a puff of smoke came out. I licked my lip reflexively, big twitch in my cock.

“Good stuff.” She held the vape out, the tips of her fingers at the bottom, like that would prevent me from touching her hand if I wanted to.

Although I wanted to tease her and feel her tremble under my touch, I took it back without touching her fingers. A girl like Nicky needed to be treated with care even when teased. “How do you know it’s good?”

Her jaw twitched for a second before she put on a stern face. “I’m in college, and I don’t give a shit if you tell Tino.”

I bit the inside of my cheek on a laugh. There she was. The little girl she was trying to hide underneath, afraid of Daddy’s punishment.

A twisted jolt of jealousy and fury bit me. Jealousy of the bastards at her school she might have smoked with and fury at what she might have allowed them to have then. All her firsts should have been with me. Wasn’t it enough what her father had stolen from her? From me?

Jealousy of Tino, and not because I thought the little girl in her might have had a crush on him. She hated him. I had no doubt about it. But hate was much stronger than love.

Fury at my ally because Nicky didn’t only hate him, but she feared him too. Those feelings, hate and fear, took over you more than anything else could. Consumed you. Fucking ruled you. These, too, should have been mine. Must be only mine.

And for that to happen, I needed to play my cards right. “Who said I’d tell?”

“Dunno. Maybe you think you can blackmail me or something.”

I cocked a brow. “Into what?”

“Into doing whatever the fuck you want from me, Domenico.”

“And what do you think that is?”

She rolled her eyes at me. “Something I don’t give, especially to your kind.”

Little relief washed over me, knowing that she didn’t. Hadn’t yet. I leaned closer. My lips closed around the smear of her lipstick on my vape, my tongue savoring her lingering taste. So fucking sweet. How would her lips really taste without the lipstick?

Her eyes went back and forth from my gaze to my mouth. I smirked, filling the air between us with smoke. “My kind knows how to respect, protect and take care of a woman…and above all, knows how to please one.”

“Good for you. But guess what, Casanova? If a man doesn’t respect me, I make him, and I don’t need someone like you to protect or take care of me. As for pleasure, I have a hand and a battery-operated cock. They work just fine.”

“Oh,” I laughed. “I see. But I can assure you,” I bent farther, my lips almost touching her ears, “my hand and my Dom-operated cock are much better.”

“Fuck you.”

“With pleasure, signorina. Just say when.”

Her hand flew up, looking for my cheek, but I caught it before she slapped me. “Careful now. Respect goes both ways. If you don’t know how to respect a man, I’ll have to teach you.”

She tried to take her hand out of my grip, but I wouldn’t let her. “Teach me? Who the fuck do you think you are?”

“The guy you’ll be screaming his name over and over and over as he keeps you high on orgasms for the rest of your life. The guy you’ll be purring and hissing under in no time, little kitten.”