Tempting Sophia Page 4

  With Dom all I had to do was lie there. There was no taking control from that man; he was too alpha to lie back and let the woman do the work. It was like he’d majored in giving a woman pleasure. He knew every single button to push to get me off, and he pushed them all—often. He never got his until he forced at least two from me.

  I squeezed my eyes closed as visions of us together flooded my conscious thoughts. I still remembered it like it was yesterday. And now I couldn’t stop thinking about it.

  The alcohol did nothing to lessen the sudden arousal coursing through my blood and making my nipples painfully hard. If anything, it made it even worse. I was no longer just drunk; I was drunk and horny, which was a deadly combination for me.

  I turned on the sink and held my wrists beneath the cold water until the fire deep in my belly finally began to subside. It wasn’t gone, but it was at least manageable.

  Or so I thought, until I pulled open the door and stepped out into the hallway to find him leaning casually against the wall across from the restroom, one ankle crossed over the other as he sipped from his glass. I didn’t need to smell it to know what it contained. Dominic was a bourbon neat man, always had been. And that goddamned suit. The man was sex and sin wrapped in tailored Armani.

  “You okay, beautiful? You’re looking a little flushed.”

  Why? Why did he have to be so good-looking?

  “You stalking me now?” I asked, willing the quiver that was running through my body to stop. “That’s kind of creepy, even for you.”

  “Not stalking. Just looking for a quiet place for a few minutes.”

  Liar. I arched a single brow. “And that quiet place just so happened to be right in front of the women’s bathroom?”

  He pushed away from the wall and moved closer, step by step, until he was merely inches away. His intoxicating cologne filled my nose at the same time his massive frame filled my vision, making me breathless. My forehead barely reached his nose. I’d forgotten how it felt to be around a man so big. I was tall for a woman and had an addiction to stilettos, so it wasn’t easy to find a man taller than me when I was in heels. But Dom had always towered over me, making me feel petite and delicate. No easy feat. My chest began to rise and fall at a rapid pace as desire took hold.

  “Are you okay, Soph?” God, I couldn’t handle the gentle concern that laced through his words. “Are you sick?”

  I turned on my heels toward what I hoped was an exit. “I need air,” I panted, suddenly feeling stifled. Ignoring the beat of his shoes against the tiles as he followed, I pushed through a set of doors, almost crying in victory when the cold night air whipped against my face.

  “Jesus, baby. Are you insane? You can’t stand out here dressed like that. It’s freezing.”

  He wasn’t wrong—winter had officially fallen on the Pacific Northwest—but I didn’t have it in me at that moment to care. “I-it’s f-fine. I just n-need a minute.” My teeth chattered as I crossed my arms over my chest for warmth.

  “Christ,” he grunted. “Fine. But I’m not going to let you freeze to death. Wear this.” A second later I was engulfed in warmth as his scent swirled all around me. Dominic took me by the shoulders and turned me to face him, pulling his jacket tight around me and rubbing my arms. “There,” he said softly. “Better?”

  I wasn’t sure if it was the alcohol or if I was just too weak, but as I looked up into his deep brown eyes, shining with so many emotions, I felt myself softening. Little by little the ice that had encased my heart for ten years began chipping away.

  His fingers on my arms tensed. “When you look at me like that, it gives me hope,” he whispered, stepping closer.

  “How am I looking at you?” I asked, equally as quiet.

  Another inch of space between us disappeared. His words whispered across my lips. “Like you could forgive me.”

  Part of me wanted to. So badly. “Well, when you look at me like I’m the most beautiful woman you’ve ever seen, it makes me want to forgive you,” I found myself saying, the wine and champagne having loosened my tongue.

  “You are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen,” he declared in a gruff rumble. “Inside and out. No one has ever compared to you, baby.”

  “Dominic….” I dropped my head, giving it a shake. “You have to stop.”

  His fingers rested beneath my chin, forcing my face back up to his. “I’m just speaking the truth.”

  I tried to take a step back but his grip on me was unrelenting, refusing to let me escape. “I can’t do this right now, Dom. I’ve had too much to drink, and I… I just can’t.”

  He leaned in close, but just as I thought his lips were going to hit mine, he moved. The course stubble on his cheek lightly scraped against my face. His words made me shiver as he whispered in my ear. “I’m not going to kiss you right now. I want you to have complete control of your senses the next time I taste that pretty mouth of yours.”

  I sucked in a harsh gasp as wetness pooled between my legs. God, how I wanted him to kiss me. Right now, my brain screamed. Kiss me right now!

  “I’m going to make you so crazy you’ll beg me for it.”

  “Dominic,” I said on a sigh, leaning farther into his solid body until my breasts crushed against his chest.

  “And when I finally get you underneath me, I’m going to bury myself so deep beneath your skin that you’ll have no choice but to forget the past. I’m going to make every inch of you crave me: your body, your mind, your heart. I’ll drive you so wild you won’t remember how to live without me. Then, once you’ve finally given yourself to me, I’m never letting you go.”

  I let out a startled yelp when his teeth nipped my earlobe, sending sparks of pleasure straight to my core.

  I was a panting, trembling mess of lust and need when he finally stepped away, releasing my arms.

  That velvety tenor in his voice drove me mad as he said, “See you soon, baby.”

  Then he left. And I didn’t know what I wanted to do more, scream and curse his name to the stars, or chase after him and beg for him to give me everything he’d just promised.

  The bastard.

  Chapter Five

  Dominic

  I stood in the shower with my hand wrapped around my cock, squeezing and jerking while picturing that glazed-over look on her face from a few nights before. Fuck, I could still smell the faint scent of her perfume from leaning close and whispering in her ear.

  I let out a groan and pulled harder, stroking my throbbing dick while wishing it was her warm heat instead of my fucking hand. I’d been hard for her since walking away from that party. I couldn’t remember how many times I’d jerked off to just the memory of that gasp, or the small, subtle delirious yelp she let loose when I nibbled her ear.

  I wanted her to go home and think of me when she was in bed that night. I wanted her to lose control and touch herself because of my words. I had no doubt she was wet after I left her, but my plan backfired, making my cock stand at attention every time I pulled up the memory of that conversation. I spent the rest of the weekend whacking off like a goddamned teenager.

  And here it was, Monday morning, and I was still suffering from my craving for her.

  “Fuck, fuck, fuck! Agh!” My cum shot against the tile of the shower before mixing with the water and going down the drain. I gave my cock a few more tugs until I was spent… at least for the time being.

  I finished showering and went about my morning routine, purposefully picking out one of my nicest suits to wear to work. I’d known Sophia as a scrawny girl, not that I paid much attention to her at that time. I’d known her as a teenager, and watched as she grew into the stunning woman who finally caught my eye and twisted me into knots that I never wanted to untangle. And she’d seen me grow up as well. She once told me that she’d had a crush on me for years, thinking I was the most handsome boy she’d ever known, but that it was the sight of me in a suit the first day I went to work for my father after graduating college that she remembered
the most. The woman was putty in my hands whenever I dressed for work. On those rare mornings we spent together when she came home from college, I was always late to work. One look at me and she’d pounce like a cat.

  Stopping at the Starbucks close to our building, I got a cappuccino for me and Sophia’s favorite vanilla latte. I had every intention of stopping on her floor to give it to her, but fortune was smiling down on me that morning when I stepped onto the elevator in the lobby to see her standing there, looking like sin in a black wool coat that hugged her curves and ended just above her knees, giving me a perfect view of her succulent legs down to her black fuck-me heels.

  “Just the woman I was hoping to see.” I smiled, hit the button for my floor, and went to stand beside her. The doors began closing when someone’s hand shot between them to keep them open. “Take the next one.” My tone had a little more bite than I intended, but I didn’t care. Waving the wide-eyed man back, I jabbed the Door Close button as best I could with two full hands until we were alone.

  Once we were closed inside the small box by ourselves, I turned back to the woman who’d been driving me out of my mind.

  “That was… I can’t believe…,” she stammered. “That was incredibly rude!”

  Ignoring her scolding glare, I extended a hand her way. “Here, I got this for you.”

  She eyed the cup cautiously, like it was a snake coiled to strike. “You got me a coffee?”

  “I did. You don’t have to sound so scared about it. We agreed to be civil, didn’t we?”

  She slowly reached for the paper cup and brought it to her plump red lips. I had to fight off the erection that wanted to spring to life at the sight of her lush mouth puckering to take a sip. I was pathetic.

  At the first taste, her eyes went big. “A vanilla latte?”

  “With skim milk,” I answered, hit with a spike of uncertainty that I’d gotten it wrong. “That’s still your favorite, right?”

  “Y-yeah,” she replied quietly. “I just can’t believe you remembered.”

  I took a step closer to her, knowing I was invading her personal space, but I couldn’t help myself. I could be buried inside of her and it still wouldn’t feel close enough.

  My voice came out ragged as I said, “I remember every single thing about you.”

  I heard her stilted breath. I could see the faint flutter of her pulse in her neck beneath the flush rising up her skin, and I knew she’d spent the past couple of days thinking about me since I last left her.

  “How was your weekend?” I asked in a low, teasing voice. Just as I’d hoped, her pupils dilated, the black threatening to swallow up the gorgeous ocean blue, and that blush deepened to a darker red on her cheeks. I knew that look well. I’d seen it many times when we were together. It was the look she’d had seconds before we fell into each other in a tangle of carnal bliss.

  “I—”

  “I spent all weekend thinking about you. I still remember what you feel like, what you sound like. I remember like it was yesterday,” I told her. “Did you think about me?” A broken gasp left her lips while her body swayed closer to mine. “Spent all weekend with my hand wrapped around my cock just thinking about it,” I growled into her ear. “Only time I’ve come harder in my life was when I was inside you.”

  She released a whimpered moan and I knew she was close to breaking. I wanted to ask if she’d touched herself while she thought of me, but I didn’t want to push my luck. Besides, we were only a second away from reaching my floor. Despite my body’s protest, I moved away just as the elevator dinged and the doors slid open. I took a step off and looked back to see her leaning against the elevator wall, panting uncontrollably.

  “If I remember correctly, you still owe me that date I bought at the auction,” I reminded her. “I’ll be cashing in on that very soon.” With that warning I gave her a reprieve, turning and sauntered away. But the smile on my face remained as I headed for my office.

  Almost, I told myself. It wouldn’t be long at all until I had Sophia Vaughn right where I wanted her. Back in my life and in my bed.

  And this time I wasn’t going to lose her.

  I’d barely been in my office for fifteen minutes when I heard “Why the hell do you look so happy?”

  I lifted my eyes from my computer screen to find Caleb standing in the doorway of my office with a scowl etched into his face. I hadn’t known him long, but he was typically the most laid-back guy in the offices—probably had something to do with the fact that he fucked his way through the greater Seattle area every weekend. “I think the better question is why do you look so fucking miserable?” I returned.

  He moved into the office and collapsed into one of the chairs across from me, raking his hand through his hair in agitation. “It’s Daphne, man. That chick’s got my shit all twisted up.”

  I leaned back in my chair, unable to hold in my laughter. “Still immune to your limited charms?”

  “Fuck off,” he grumbled. “And yes. What the fuck’s that all about? I can’t remember the last time I had to chase a piece of tail like this. I’m losing my goddamned mind. I mean, I get the whole thrill of a challenge thing, but this is ridiculous.”

  Despite the fact that the dude was notorious for screwing anything that moved, I took pity on him. “Look, man, let me give you some advice. I’ve known those girls for a long time. Daph’s not the kind of woman who gets off on the chase. This isn’t a game for her, that’s not what this is about.”

  “Then what is it?” he asked with a hint of desperation, resting his elbows on his knees. “Help me out, ’cause I can’t wrap my head around this.”

  I knew the story of Daphne’s past only because she was best friends with my sister. But I wasn’t willing to divulge information that wasn’t mine to give and risk being on the receiving end of any more of Sophia’s ire because she felt I’d betrayed her friend. I had to tread carefully.

  “It’s not my story to give. But I will tell you this, that girl’s been burned in a bad way. She’s not putting up a challenge for you. And when I say that, what I mean is it’s never going to happen. You have a reputation known to the whole country and most of the world. She’s not going to get near you with a ten-foot pole.”

  He flopped back in the chair like he’d just deflated. “Jesus, dude. Way to break it to a person gently.”

  I held my hands up in surrender. “Hey, just trying to be honest. I think you should cut your losses and move on to the next one. Daphne King is in a whole other league.”

  He stood from the chair and shoved his hands in his pockets. Instead of looking defeated like I assumed he would, his expression was one of determination. When he glanced at me and muttered, “Yeah, well we’ll just see about that,” I didn’t have a good feeling.

  However, I had more important things on my mind than my coworker’s love life, or lack thereof. I had my own challenge to worry about.

  Chapter Six

  Sophia

  My legs felt like jelly as I slowly made my way through the floor to the office I shared with Lola and Daphne. I was walking in a complete fog. It was a wonder I didn’t run into any walls or trip over my own feet.

  I dropped my purse on my desk and started removing my coat on autopilot, barely conscious of my movements. It wasn’t until Lola spoke up that I snapped out of my stupor.

  “Whoa. What’s wrong with you? You look like you’re about to pass out.”

  There was a strong possibility that I would if I didn’t get myself together, not that I’d be willing to admit that. If I gave Lola even an inkling that I was feeling anything for her brother at all, she’d be like a dog with a bone. She was only slightly less annoying than her mother when it came to wanting me brought into the family fold.

  “Nothing,” I lied. “I’m fine, just feeling a little off. I think I might be coming down with a cold or something.”

  She and Daphne shared a dubious look before she turned back to me. “You feeling all right? Do you need to go home?”


  Home was the last place I needed to be, all alone with nothing to keep myself from thinking about Dominic. “I’ll be just fine,” I told her, doing my best to smile sincerely.

  She didn’t look any more convinced. “You sure?”

  I sucked back more of the vanilla latte and looked at my girlfriends with determination. “Positive. Now could you quit fussing over me? We have a show to do.”

  Luckily that got them off my case, and we went about our morning as usual. Only difference was that my mind was completely preoccupied with the one person I shouldn’t even be thinking about, and my entire body felt like it was still hot and tingling from the inside out.

  It was so bad that I was having trouble paying any attention to the people calling into our radio show, Girl Talk, Washington’s most popular talk radio show. We gave relationship advice to women in need. We’d grown so popular, we were something of local celebrities. My job was typically something I thrived on. Leave it to that asshole to screw with my head and take my focus off something I loved.

  The name of our next caller popped up on the computer screen in front of me just as Lola wrapped up with the current one.

  “Well, this is interesting,” I said with a smile into my mic. “Looks like we’ve got our first male caller in a long time.” I smiled at my girlfriends. It was extremely rare for men to call in to our show, but when they did, it was always quite amusing.

  I leaned closer to the microphone and put on the subtle sultry voice I used when men called in. It wasn’t enough to make them think I was flirting or interested, but it helped in making them less defensive. “Good morning, Craig. To what do we owe the pleasure?”

  “Uh… m-morning,” the guy spoke. His voice wasn’t very deep and had a nasally quality to it. He sounded nervous, so Daphne went into mother mode to try and soothe him. That was her specialty, keeping Lola and me in line and making the callers feel comfortable.