Page 79 of Room Service
“I asked who you were, not what line of work you’re in,” Dorien demands, and fuck me, even in this bizarre situation I find myself turned on by his tone.
The officer clears his throat before introducing the two of them and explaining they are here to talk to me about Derrick. I notice the slight shift of Dorien’s body, but that’s only because I know his body’s reactions. I question it as he keeps his face deadpan, his eyes boring into the officers.
“They came to tell me that Derrick has committed suicide,” I say. “They thought I might be able to help with where to find him.”
Dorien’s jaw is ticking. “And can you?” he asks me, but he knows I don’t, so I shake my head. “Then this conversation is redundant,” he barks.
“And you are?” the officer asks.
“Dorien Dukes, but you already knew that before you got here,” Dorien replies, giving his focus back to the officers.
“And the nature of your relationship with Miss… Elise is what?”
“None of your business. I’ll show you out,” Dorien says, ending any further questions they may have.
My mouth drops open a little at how abrupt he’s being, but this is the Dorien that I first met. No feelings, no emotion. He has no time for the men asking questions about a man from my past, and neither do I.
“If you think of anything, give us a call,” the one officer says, handing me his card, but Dorien quickly takes it before I can, barking, “She won’t.”
“Nice to meet you, Elise,” he says before nodding his head and going to the door, which Dorien is now holding open for them.
When they’ve gone, Dorien closes the door and marches to the bedroom, tension radiating off of him as my stomach starts to swirl, and not in a good way. I follow him, getting to the bedroom as he’s taking off his tie, his back to me.
I watch as he removes his shirt, flinging it on a chair to the side of the room, that tension seeming to grow by the second.
“Dorien,” I say loudly, making him freeze, but he keeps his back to me. “Dorien, look at me.” I keep my tone firm, even as my mind is racing.
He turns slowly, his hands going to his trouser pockets, his head lifting, and his eyes connecting with mine.
I walk towards him, stopping a few feet before him. He’s keeping his shield in place, but it’s too late, he’s already let me see him, and I know that he’s been caught off-guard by the police showing up here.
“Dorien, why would the officers be questioning our relationship?” I begin.
“Because they’re nosey fucks.”
I study him, knowing that there is more to this than meets the eye. “And the reason for you being so abrupt is?”
“I don’t have to justify myself to anybody.”
“You do to me,” I say firmly. “You got Derrick to sign the divorce papers and hand everything over to me, which means you’ve seen him. So, I’ll ask you this once… Did you have anything to do with his death?”
Time seems to stop as we stare at one another, my heartbeat in my throat as I wait for his answer.
He crouches down a little, so we’re eye level, before he says, “No.” One word, nothing further, and I know he’s lying. I can see the storm brewing deep in his eyes that have captivated me for weeks.
And even as I know he’s lying, I can’t feel anything but love for him. He’s the reason I’m free. He’s the reason I’m becoming the woman I always hid away. He’s the reason for colour coming back into my life, so how can I possibly do anything but be grateful to him when he’s given me so much?
I move forwards, my arms wrapping around his neck as my lips hover over his and I say, “Thank you,” before I kiss him with everything I have. My hands find his hair, entwining through the strands as my tongue meets his and his arms hold me tightly. I pour my love for him into my actions, and he lies me down on the bed, covering me with his body before he makes love to me over and over again. No words. No breather. It’s just us amid all of the bullshit we’ve come through.
Chapter Fifty-Six
ELISE
I laid awake for the remainder of the night, when Dorien wasn’t inside of me, thinking about what he’s done. I got caught up in the moment before it truly hit me that he was involved in Derrick’s death, which means it wasn’t suicide. It was murder. Because of me. Because of me, I’ve tainted the man I’ve fallen madly in love with. Because of me, he’s risked everything, and I have no idea how to deal with that. I don’t know how to process how strongly he loves me. There is no doubt that he does, but at what cost? His sanity? His morals?
I worked quietly all day, Celeste thinking that my less than enthusiastic mood was down to hearing that Derrick was dead. But it’s not for the reason she’s thinking, I’m not sad about Derrick, I’m sad about Dorien. About how I’ve changed him, but maybe it’s not been for the better. Maybe he was right when he said at the start that no feelings worked, that one night was all he could give… until he gave me more.
Is it selfish of me to keep him?
