Elemental Fear (34 page)

"It could get chilly"

"I have a few ideas to keep you warm.” He wiggled his eyebrows. I slapped him playfully on his hard chest.

"Stop it. Blimey I show you a bit of skin and you turn into a randy hormonal teenager"

"I admit I'm a little...horny where you are concerned, but come on! I've waited fucking year’s woman, to see your sexy little naked arse. That much pent up frustration could take me years to overcome, in fact quite possibly the rest of my life, so I hope you’re ready for the long haul.” He smiled and kissed the tip of my nose.

My heart thundered in my chest with pure joy at his words "mmm...it's a tough job but I suppose someone has to do it" I said with a flippancy I certainly wasn't feeling.

"Tease.” He chuckled and nuzzled into my hair.

My body froze, my back straightened, my muscles tightened into high alert and my ears buzzed with the rushing of blood. I tried rational thought but my heart pounded blocking out any reasoning.

"Baby what's wrong? Eve, look at me, what did I do?" I swallowed against the fear.

"N...nothing" I all but whispered.

"Something's wrong, your body is rigid, I did something, trust me and tell me what I did wrong?"

I knew in my mind I was being irrational, I knew Dominic wouldn't physically hurt me; he had the ultimate power when it came to breaking my heart. But him calling me a tease was obviously a trigger for my body to react, I hated being like this, this frigid mess that spoiled everything, we were joking having fun. That's what Elliot hated the most that I couldn't just relax and go with the flow of life, that's why I angered him so much. More so when he said I was being a tease, but the truth is I
didn't really know how to be a tease, when he accused me of it I wasn't trying to be, that always confused me....

"Baby I've lost you, come back, talk to me" Dominic's voice penetrated through my haze. He sucked in a breath "I'm a fucking idiot, it's because I called
you a tease...I didn't mean it Eve, I was just...” He shook his head "I was being playful sorry"

"It's
okay" I whispered a little ashamed of my reaction.

"No, it's not. Listen we will work through this, but I'm going to mess up, a lot probably, but I need you to tell me when I do. I'm useless at guessing how you feel. I will joke about sex and stuff but trust that I won't push you, I will only touch you in that way when you feel ready, when you want to be touched that way okay?"

I nodded with tears prickling my eyes.

"You know how I feel about you, I vow those feelings will never change. We can wait; you need to feel in control of how you feel about intimacy. And please I beg you, do not take this as rejection because of what I saw or what I know. Nothing changes my opinion of you, or how I feel about you. I love you, I think you're the most beautiful woman I have ever seen, the only thing that has altered is
that now when I look at you I appreciate what a strong, courageous and blood amazing woman you truly are. If I get to kiss you and hold you and nothing more then I will still feel divinely blessed. I will joke, I will make inappropriate remarks about your ridiculously sexy body, but come on I do have a dick.” He held his hands out at his sides.

I chuckled at him.

“Eve I promise, all joking aside, if you never feel you can be intimate with me again after what happened then we will live with that. Until you are in control in here.” He tapped my temple “and here.” He tapped my chest over my heart “I will wait. I love you baby, we have the rest of our lives to be together. We can learn to walk again before we run, okay?”

Tears spilled down my cheeks as I nodded at his sweet words. Again he was like the English bloody dictionary of the best things to say.

“Come here.” He tightened his arms around me pulling me close to his chest.

“I love you” I whispered into his shirt.

“Not nearly as much as I love you baby”

"So now we’re official, as in you are all mine,
” He smiled and I couldn't help giggle in return "does that mean we get to tell people? I can finally tell that little shit Johan to keep his grubby fucking hands off my woman.” He grumbled looking over the top of his glasses at me.

We were standing
in his kitchen, him eating cereal whilst I had buttered toast. We decided I would stay here with him last night, although my back regrets it this morning. Inflatable mattresses are not the most comfortable thing in the world.

I laughed at his grumbling and shook my head.

"He does it to wind you up, and you play straight into his hands. I'll never understand the male ego. Do you forget I stayed at his house, in his bed and not once did he touch me or say anything even remotely inappropriate? Besides I think there is going to be speculation in the tea room because I’ve covered you in love bites, I am so sorry."

Dominic walked towards me circling his arms around my waist pulling him into a hug.

"I like having your mark on me, lets people know you’re hot for me.” I laughed and patted my hands at his chest. “And...you only need to understand one man, that's me baby. As for staying in shit-face’s bed, well that’s another matter altogether – I don’t know whether to smack him in the face or shake his hand. It has to be my passive aggressive personality.” He proudly puffed out his chest and adjusted his tie.

I couldn’t help the loud laugh that forced its way out

“Passive...you? The more time I spend with you the more caveman you become”

"I was going for romantic. Caveman would be me handcuffing you to the bed out of sight of all the other men wanting to steal my girl...actually that's a fucking genius idea" laughing he cupped my bottom and lifted me to him. I let out an unbecoming shriek wrapping my legs around him and started laughing as he carried me to his bedroom.

"Dominic we will be late, and you are not handcuffing...wait do you own handcuffs?" I asked seriously. I wasn’t entirely comfortable with the idea of being shackled to something.

His deep laugh reverberated through his chest.

"No, so stop shitting bricks. I need to brush my teeth and put my contacts in but I like you wrapped around me. I like it more when you have nothing on...”

"Not happening when we have to be at work in half hour" I wriggled in his arms to try and get to the floor, we definitely didn’t have time this morning.

"I can be quick.” He grumbled pouting and giving me sad puppy eyes.

"No you can't. Besides you’d still take longer than half hour being quick" I protested. He erupted with a loud laugh "baby you do realise that's a compliment"

"What. Ever!" I pouted.

“Well just come with me, I like having you near me. I’m not over the novelty of having you here with me yet. I keep thinking I’ll wake up and it’s all going to be a dream. I’ve woken up three mornings on a trot with you lying beside me, and it’s the best bloody feeling in the world
.” He squeezed my bum and pulled me closer to him. I played with the hair at the nape of his neck and brought my mouth to his. He immediately parted his lips, his tongue entered my mouth and he groaned sending delicious heat low into my tummy.

“Do you think it will?” I gasped as he kissed a warm trail down my neck.

“Hmm?” He mumbled as he sucked at my neck.

“Will the novelty wear off?” I threw my head back and whimpered as he licked at the sensitive hollow of my throat.

“Never! We will be completely embarrassing to our kids with how affectionate we are, the

grandkids –“

“You want kids?” I asked shocked.

“Yeah...why don’t you?”

I considered this; I never thought children would be a possibility in my future because there was no way I would bring a defenseless baby into Elliott’s world. I couldn’t protect myself let alone a baby.

“I...it was never something I thought possible” I said quietly.

“Oh...shit babe sorry I never thought of it that way. Do you though? Would you consider a family...with me?” He looked into my eyes and chewed his lip, his nervousness making him even more adorable.

I fixed the little fairytale in my mind of beautiful miniature Dominic’s running about, a boy with
dark blonde hair and his daddy’s smile while I cradled a gorgeous baby girl with her daddy’s eyes. A smile broke out across my face.

“Sounds perfect” I said stroking the length of his nose with mine. “But I thought you didn’t want all that, marriage and kids. I specifically remember being there the morning you broke up with Vanessa and told her you didn’t want any of that.

“I didn’t with her. Kids and marriage is a lifetime commitment in my eyes and when I marry it will be until death us do part...Vanessa drives me up the wall after an hour, marrying her would have been accepting something less and it wasn’t fair to her or me. You are my from this day forward...in sickness and in health...I love you baby. And I may be freaking you out a bit with talk of marriage and kids but the truth is I’ve waited a long time for my chance again, and now that I have it...I’m never letting go.”

A lump formed in my throat and tears prickled my eyes. Could it be possible that this
bubble of happiness could last?

*****

“Good morning gorgeous” shouted Johan from the end of the corridor leading to our offices. Dominic’s hand at the small of my back slid to the curve of my hip, pulling me closer to him.

Johan either ignored the move or didn’t notice it as he walked quickly towards us; he scooped me into a bear hug lifting me off of my feet.

“Thanks for bringing my girl back.” Johan said turning us towards my office. I pushed at his shoulders when I noted the look of absolute rage on Dominic’s face. Dominic stepped forward towards us when Jasmine called to him from behind us.

“Dominic your back..
.” She chuckled “I see someone is glad to have his girlfriend back.” She chuckled, “He’s been like a bear with a sore head these past few days.” She shook her head laughing, my cheeks heated, burning with embarrassment.

“He’s not –“ I started but Johan literally carried me into my office and closed the door. I softly punched at his shoulder and he released me.

“What did you do that for? Dominic looked furious?” I snapped, and then softened my tone at his teasing grin. “You did it to wind him up didn’t you?” I shook my head not needing an answer. “Why is it you feel the need to alienate all of my friends and family, particularly my sister. What have you been up to?”

“Hey, Ellie and I are the best of buddies, she loves me
,” he said holding his hands up in mock surrender.

I picked up a pen from my desk and pointed it at him.

“You know full well who I mean. What have you been doing to Lou?” He swallowed and a slight blush coloured his cheeks.

“I haven’t done a thing; I was my usual devilishly charming self. She spent most of her time at her boyfriends
.” He snarled the word boyfriend, taking me back a little. He slumped in a chair in the corner of the room “What does she see in that guy anyway? He’s a total douche-bag, like really. She can do so much better than him. She is way too good for him, I mean yeah, she’s grouchy in a morning and has this weird habit of sticking her feet under your ass when watching TV to keep them warm, and she leaves the bathroom door unlocked when she takes a freaking shower...she screamed like I was a serial killer when I walked in...I mean how the fuck was I supposed to know she was in there.”

I sat at my desk silently watching Johan. He sat staring out of the window into the corridor but he was clearly somewhere else in his mind. I hid my mouth behind my fist to hide the huge grin on my face.

“He kept turning up late to take her out, who does that? And he never told her how beautiful she looked or how good she smelled, or how gorgeous her hair was when she left it loose. He just took her for granted, completely. He’s a dick and he makes her unhappy, I can tell. Because when she’d leave for their dates she would be on a high, but when she came home she would be so low I wanted to pound his face into the ground. I then had to spend the night trying to make her smile, and watching crappy chick flicks so she would be happy again.” He let out a long huff.

Beautiful? Gorgeous? Home?

“Johan?” I said smiling.

“Hmm
?” He mumbled still staring out of the window lost in a Louise haze. “Do you like my sister?”

His head snapped in my direction and he pinned me with a powerful glare. His blue eyes intensified with the dark set of his eyelashes and eyebrows.

“No...well yeah, she’s nice but...how do you mean?” He stammered his cheeks reddening. I widened my eyes at his completely flustered appearance.

“I mean do you like her...like her?”

“No.” He shook his head adamantly “I'm not...I don’t do...no! She’s a friend. I don’t like how douche bag treats her that’s all.” He stood up, straightened his tie, all the humour I associate with Johan disappearing leaving a hollow looking man.

“Johan – “

“I’ve to get back to my office. I...I just wanted to check you had...that everything...” He didn’t finish, he cleared his throat and left my office, leaving me in a complete state of confusion.

I would definitely be asking Lou about that later.

The day flew by especially catching up on emails and data transferring, it was amazing how much it back logs after a couple of days.

Dominic never mentioned this morning that he’d arranged my lunch like he had the few days before I went to Paris with him, so I grabbed my bag and left my office, I noticed that his was empty.

“Must still be in meetings” I muttered to myself and thought to bring him back some lunch. I headed down to the lobby waving a greeting to Lucinda. I walked out into the cold wintery atmosphere and shivered pulling the lapels of my coat around me tighter, stuffing my hands deep into my coat pockets. I turned left and started walking in the direction of the bakery when a hand grabbed at my elbow yanking me to turn in their direction. The air in my lungs froze and I choked on a gasp.

“Angel are you bloody deaf? I was shouting you”

“Sorry...I...I....never heard you” the blood ran from my face and I felt ridiculously light headed.

“I missed you last week
.” He smiled making my stomach churn “I called your house a few times but Lou said something about you being in Paris?”

I swallowed the huge lump in my throat and started shivering, not from the cold either “Mr Ealing sent me over there to deal with the production of a new product. We discovered –“

“Yeah, yeah boring shit Angel, like I give a damn. What I do care about though is that my mother told me that Dominic was also in Paris...at the same. Fucking. Time. Care to explain that to me” his grip at my elbow tightened painfully and I cried out twisting my arm trying to get it free.

“It was work. I didn’t tell you because I knew you would hate the idea, and it was for two days. I had to go, under my boss’s instructions.” I pulled at my arm again but this time instead of letting me go he pulled me into his arms. Wrapping them around me and holding me captive against him.

“You are going to pay for that. I hate when you lie to me –“

“I had no choice” I pleaded.

“Yes you did and you didn’t have to go to Paris and fuck my brother” his voice remained eerily calm, a little like the calm before the storm, devastating when the storm finally hit. “My mum is also under the impression we weren’t a couple anymore...care to explain that?” I started to shake my head but he continued

“You made me look like a fool; I don’t like looking like a fool. But we’ll discuss this later
.” He looked over my shoulder as a car pulled up to the curb “Oh lookie if it isn’t Casanova himself”

I turned to see Dominic getting out of the car with two other gentlemen in suits and an elegantly dressed lady who was holding a black leather folder file.

The way I was stood and how Elliott’s arms were wrapped around me it could easily be misconstrued for two lovers in an embrace. Dominic knew better though and I dreaded his reaction. As I watched Dominic escort his guests into the foyer, he nodded in the direction of Lucinda and said something to the eldest of the gentlemen. I watched as he spoke to the man but kept his eyes fixed on me.

A firm hand gripped my chin turning my face harshly to look up at him. Then cold rough lips landed on mine and I fought back nausea as it settled deep in my stomach. I whimpered when his sharp teeth bit into my bottom lip followed by the metallic taste of blood.

I screwed my eyes tightly shut and prayed he would stop soon.

Cold air rushed in hitting my damp lips and face as Elliott disappeared. I opened my eyes in time to see him hit the wall at the side of our building and a very pissed off Dominic pinning him against it. Dominic held Elliott by the throat and even from here I could see the pressure he was using from the panicked look in Elliott’s eyes and the bright red of his face.

“Dominic –“

“I know what you are you little fucker. Touch her again and I promise I will rip your throat out. You don’t touch her anymore, you don’t talk to her, in fact you don’t even fucking look at her
? I find out you so much as breathed the same air as her and you will meet a very painful end. Do we understand each other?” Dominic shouted.