Jade tried to breathe normally, her cheeks burning and the skin beneath her thighs damp.
She felt Dominick close to her ear.
"I'm sure you've never woken up in such a wonderful way," he whispered, his voice huskier than usual.
Her legs were still parted, revealing a glistening vagina from the recent orgasm. She wanted to close them, but Dominick was positioned right between them.
"This is sexual assault," she muttered angrily. Angry with herself for having enjoyed it. "You had no right..."
"You could've pushed me away," he interrupted. "Just now, or back in the other room. If you really wanted to stop me, I would've. I've never forced you to do anything. I always give you some seconds to think..." he chuckled, pressing a kiss to her neck that made her shiver.
"You're shameless!"
Dom raised his face and grabbed her wrists, pinning them above her head.
"I need so desperately..." he murmured, biting gently over her nipple through her clothes, "to be inside you."
With his free hand, he reached down to unfasten his pants. Jade watched with alarm as, lacking a belt, it was easy for him to free his already hard member.
Dom slid the tip along her slick folds and Jade panicked. She couldn't sleep with him. She wouldn't become her mother.
He was just about to push in when a loud knock on the door made him freeze.
Jade immediately tried to push him away—more of a struggle than a success—but she managed to break free and covered herself with the sheet.
"Jade!" Robinson called from the other side. "Are you in there?"
Dominick was about to speak, but Jade threw herself at him, covering his mouth. They both tumbled to the floor.
"Shit," Jade whispered as she hit her arm. "If you make a single sound, I'll never forgive you."
Dominick was clearly frustrated, but her pleading gaze made him grunt and nod.
"Get in the bathroom..." she ordered. "Coming!" she called out loud.
"Alright!"
Dom got up, and so did she. She dragged him to the bathroom.
"I'm serious, Dominick, don't make a sound," Jade said, her eyes darting between him and the door.
"You're going to owe me for this, you know?"
She didn't reply, just walked to the door and cracked it open.
"Robinson!" she exclaimed, a mix of excitement and anxiety in her voice. "I thought you were coming tomorrow. How's your sister?"
"Still in the hospital. She's not doing well..." he admitted. He looked exhausted, with dark circles and messy hair. "My mom told me not to let work fall behind, so I came early. I need to talk to someone."
Guilt flooded Jade. She wanted to support him however she could.
"I just woke up. Could you wait for me at the café across from the hotel? Give me about… twenty minutes? I need a quick shower."
"Sure, I'll use that time to clean up too. I'm beat. See you in twenty."
"Yeah."
He walked off, and Jade let out a sigh of relief—only for it to vanish the instant she felt a sharp slap on her rear.
She jumped.
"Are you insane?!" she turned to him, furious.
He had a wide grin on his face. His shoes and shirt were already back on—just missing the buttons.
"See what you do to me?" he said, pointing to his still-erect length. Jade glanced reflexively and cursed herself the moment she saw him laugh at her expression.
"Could you… could you leave?" Jade asked, pinching the bridge of her nose.
"And what if I don't want to?" he asked, arms crossed.
"Oh God, what did I do to deserve this?" she said, looking up at the ceiling, exasperated.
"What will you give me if I leave?" Dominick asked, his smirk full of mischief.
"I won't sleep with you. I won't agree to anything—"
"Wait," he cut her off. That devilish grin on his face made Jade fear the worst. "I'll leave… if you agree to let me replace the phone I broke."
He walked over to where his jacket was and pulled out the phone, which was practically destroyed.
"I don't want anything that comes from you," she declared, arms crossed.
"In that case…" he let himself fall back on the bed, much to the blonde's dismay. "I'll just stay here. I won't let you leave. And that means Robinson will come back because you never showed up. And I'll be naked when that happens, so he'll see us together… Got that? Together."
Jade narrowed her eyes and sighed in defeat when she saw the determination on his face. She knew Dominick wasn't bluffing.
"Do I have any other choice?"
"I doubt you'll like it," he laughed.
"Fine, I'll take the phone," she gave in. "But I get to choose the model. It has to be the same as the one I had."
"You want that old relic again?" he stood and began buttoning up his shirt.
"It's the only thing I ask. I hope you'll respect that."
"As you wish." He rolled up his sleeves and grabbed his belt. "Want to put it on me?"
"Go to hell," she muttered.
Dominick burst out laughing and grabbed his jacket. He stepped in front of her, lowering his head until he was almost brushing her lips.
"Remember, Jade… third time's the charm," he whispered. "Third time's the damn charm." He gave her a quick kiss and walked out, leaving the blonde frozen in place.
Jade blinked out of her daze and ran to the bathroom. She needed to wash away every trace of Dominick from her body… because from her mind, that would be impossible.
[...]
She did it in record time, having already lost precious minutes with Dom. She practically ran through the hotel and across the street to get to the café.
Robinson sat staring ahead, lost in thought. He had changed clothes and looked more composed now.
Jade approached, slightly out of breath from the sprint.
"Sorry I'm late," she said as she sat down. She grabbed a blue hair tie and tied up her hair. "How are you?"
"Don't worry, I haven't been waiting long. I'm… alright, I guess. My sister's situation has me really shaken. How about you?"
"I'm fine, you know, same as always." She smiled and reached across the table to place her hand over his. "Everything's going to be okay. Do you want to tell me what happened to your sister?"
He sighed deeply, the pain clear in his eyes. He was suffering for someone he loved.
"Ginna… she…" Jade held his hand tighter, trying to give him strength. The internal battle was evident—it was hard for him to speak about something so delicate. Robinson closed his eyes.
"I wasn't there for her when she needed me most. I wasn't there to guide her… and because of that, she fell into the hands of a pervert who sold her. My little sister, Jade. That son of a bitch sold her."
Jade gasped in horror and immediately got up to sit beside Robinson, wrapping her arms around him as he let a few tears fall.
"They abused her. The man who bought her… he got her pregnant. Now both she and the baby are in critical condition. She was mistreated so badly, and now she has anemia."
"Oh my God, Robinson, that's terrible," Jade said, unable to believe what she was hearing. "Do you know anything else? What have the police said?"
Robinson gave a bitter laugh.
"The police are useless. Can you believe they tried to blame my sister?" His jaw clenched at the memory. "I'm sure that man paid them off."
"That man?" Jade asked.
"The guy who bought my sister," he answered through gritted teeth. "Raphaël Banner."
"Isn't that the businessman who was on TV recently, supposedly linked to the Italian mafia?" Jade's eyes widened.
"The very same. That man is drowning in money, and since we're poor and have no evidence… they won't do anything. Everything my sister suffered at the hands of that monster will go unpunished. Damn this government system. Damn all those corrupt cops…"
Jade hugged him again, whispering words of comfort. She was in shock. If something like that ever happened to her little sister… No, if something so awful ever occurred, she wouldn't go to the police—she'd torture that bastard with her own hands.
Dominick
After taking a shower and relieving himself—a rare thing for him, since there was always a woman available—he got dressed and headed straight for Maximiliano's office.
He figured Max was finishing up, since it was already 9:06 pm. He thought about inviting him for a drink and some food—he was starving.
As usual, he didn't knock, even knowing he might walk in on something… but he'd be lying if he said he cared.
"Don't you have anyone better to bother?" his friend asked the moment he saw him enter.
"I do. But you're the better option," he smiled, taking a seat in front of him.
"Your office, or whatever you want to call it, will be ready in a few days. Then you'll have your own space to work and stop pestering me." Maximiliano got up, grabbed two glasses, poured some liquor, and handed one to Dominick.
"I'm going to become an alcoholic because of you," Dom muttered before taking a sip of his drink.
"You don't need my help for that" his friend assured. "Do you need something?" the brown-haired man asked.
"I came to invite you to dinner. I'm starving and don't feel like eating alone. Shall we?"
"Sure." He grabbed his jacket, and the two of them left the office.
As they made their way to the elevator, they started chatting about the situation with Noah, Nikolas's progress, and a few pending tasks. Maximiliano scolded him for sending the girl to his office, but Dom only laughed.
"I'm not joking, she looked like she'd seen a ghost. What did you do to her?"
They stepped out of the elevator heading toward one of the hotel's restaurants. Dominick rolled his eyes.
"I didn't do anything. I don't even know who she is. I sent her to your office because I had some private business with Jade," he added with a wicked smile, remembering the look of ecstasy on the blonde's face as he thrust his fingers inside her.
"Yeah, sure. Leave Jade alone… When you end up worse than last time, don't come crying to me."
Maximiliano burst out laughing, making Dominick frown.
"I still remember your face all scratched up and that ice pack on your dick after she hit you. Epic," he muttered between laughs, and kept chuckling much to Dom's annoyance until they reached the restaurant.
The staff, who knew exactly who they were, led them to the exclusive section of the place. They ordered their food, and a few minutes later, Maximiliano said:
"Lennon."
"What?" Dom gave him his full attention.
"Lennon Scott. That's the name of the poor girl you sent to my office," he said, placing his phone on the table. "She's a new friend of the girls. I got her the job at Jade's request."
Dominick raised an eyebrow.
"She's going to be a maid?" he asked.
"No. She's starting at Gideon's house tomorrow afternoon. His housekeeper quit."
"Gee, wonder why," Dominick snorted. "Now I really feel sorry for the girl. She won't last a week with him, you'll see. Gideon's more unbearable than ever."
"I know, but he's our friend, and we have to accept him as he is." Dom nodded. "Still, I think she might last a bit. She doesn't seem like trouble. Too obedient for my taste… way too submissive."
"I agree. Wanna bet?" Dominick raised and lowered his eyebrows, making his friend laugh. "A thousand bucks says she doesn't last a week working for Gideon."
"Deal." They shook hands. "If she's still working for our grump by next Thursday, I win. But if she quits before five p.m.… I'll transfer a thousand to your account."
"As shy and jumpy as she looks… I doubt she'll survive. Gideon will eat her alive. In fact, let's make it five thousand, makes it more fun." His friend nodded in agreement.
They kept chatting, and when the food arrived, they enjoyed it in comfortable silence.