Page 8 of Ice
“Men are simple creatures and can easily be disarmed.” Dom heard the faint sound of a gun clicking, and his body snapped into survival mode.
He moved, grabbing Sofia’s hands and flipping her on to her back with his body wedged in between her legs. He had her hands above her head and had to wrestle the gun out of her hold. Once he disarmed her, he moved the gun out of reach for both of them and kept her hands high above her head. It made her back arch into his body.
Dom let out a chuckle as he buried his face into her neck. “I see you’re still crazy, Saffi.” He looked up at her. “Were you trying to kill me or prove a point?” he questioned, amused.
“Prove a point. If I wanted you dead, I would have taken you out at the airport. How are you supposed to watch my back when a pair of tits distracts you?” Sofia growled.
Dom shook his head and moved down her body. His lips wrapped around her nipple through her shirt. He heard the slight hitch in her breath, and when he looked up at her to gauge her reaction, he saw nothing but a deep-seated need that matched his own.
He crawled back up her body and leaned in, letting his lips ghost over hers. “Only pair of tits to ever distract me was yours, Saffi. You were always my focus, the only person I’ve ever wanted to protect. If I remember correctly, I’ve told you I’d kill for you.”
Dom let one of his hands trail down her body to settle at her hip. He pushed himself into her and smirked when she met his stroke with her hips.
It had always been like that between them. They’d been able to anticipate each other’s needs and desires. “Like I told you earlier, Saffi. I know you. I have no problem bowing to you outside of these walls and in between these sheets.” He laughed when she rolled her eyes. “But when it’s just the two of us, all I’ll ever see is my sweet Saffi.” He sealed his lips over hers and let his hunger take over as she kissed him back with the same hungry energy.
Sofia was the first to break the kiss, and Dom rested his head on top of hers, trying to catch his breath. She always knew how to push his buttons, getting him to act recklessly and with abandonment.
They didn’t have time for this trip down memory lane, but that didn’t stop the want from coursing through Dom’s body with the need to brand her in some way so the rest of the world knew not to fuck with her, and it wasn’t because she couldn’t handle herself. Dom just wanted it to be clear that she was an extension of him—you touched her, you died by his hands.
“Did you get it out of your system?” Sofia’s icy tone was the cold shower he needed. His father’s words from earlier were ringing in his ears too. Sofia’s grip on his heart and his reactions hadn’t seemed to lessen over the years, if anything, they had gotten worse. But this wasn’t about them, and whatever he was feeling for her, he needed to keep it in check, even behind closed doors.
Dom pushed off of Sofia, hoisting her to her feet as well. He bent down and kissed her lips one last time before stepping into whatever role she needed him to play. “I could never get you out of my system, Saffi.”
His thumb caressed her bottom lip, and he saw the fire ignite behind her eyes. “But I’m not the only one fighting this attraction. You want it just as bad as I want to give it to you.”
Sofia stepped out of Dom’s hold and chuckled. “I don’t remember you being so arrogant.” Her gaze traveled down his body. “Let’s not confuse things, Dom.” Her gaze shot to the bed and back to his face. “As much as I need a good fuck, you won’t be the one to give it to me.”
Dom growled and took a step forward. Sofia crossed her arms over her chest. “Down boy,” she mused, “we have business to attend to.” She went to walk past him but stopped just as her shoulder brushed his chest. “Oh, and don’t let me have to reprimand you for not calling me Ms. Barbati once we walk out of these doors.”
THE RIDE OVER TOTRESBellas strip club was a quiet one. Dom didn’t bother with conversation other than letting Sofia know what changed in certain neighborhoods and who they were going to see tonight.
Sofia was thankful for the silence. It gave her time to study Dom in the darkness of the car ride over here. The way he seemed to watch his surroundings without her seeing him move at all. The way his arms flexed against the steering wheel, making his veins pop. The way he managed to take up the entire air in the car it had her reaching for the window, desperate to get oxygen in the confines of the car.
Dom placed his hand on her thigh, giving her pause. “I’ll turn the AC on if you’re hot. Don’t open the window.” His voice was gruff, and she couldn’t stop the shiver that slinked down her spine at the feel of his hands on her.
Her body was still humming from their earlier interaction. She hadn’t meant to be a dick to him, but she needed to put some space between them. She couldn’t have him lusting after her, clouding her already murky judgment. Sofia knew Dom would play the role of dutiful soldier, but she couldn’t be sure she had a lock on her emotions when it came to him, and the last thing they needed was someone to exploit what they meant to each other.
“Who did you say owns this strip club again?” Sofia questioned, trying to remember if Tres Bella had always been a staple in Brooklyn or if it was something new.
“On the books? A guy named Charlie.” Dom quickly got out of the car and walked over to her side. He opened the passenger door, and Sofia stepped out right into Dom’s chest. She looked up at him with a smirk on her face. “No personal space?”
Dom shook his head. “Gotta protect the assets.” He winked and closed the car door. They headed for the front of the strip club. The line was wrapped around the corner, with both men and women waiting to get in.
Sofia turned and looked at Dom. “Strip clubs are popular again?” She nodded toward the line.
Dom nodded toward the bouncer and pulled out a stack of bills. “It’s more like a club. You’ll see when we get inside.” The bouncer ushered them in despite the groans of everyone waiting in line to get in.
Dom wasn’t kidding about it being like a club. There was a massive dance floor in the middle with stages for the dancers surrounding the dance floor. There were separate VIP sections, and toward the back of the club Sofia could see the private rooms where she guessed nothing was off limits.
Sofia’s gaze shifted to the top of the club. She saw a woman and a man looking down at them, but they disappeared quickly, making Sofia wonder how long they were going to be here before someone requested their presence somewhere.
Dom led the way toward one of the VIP sections, and a waitress immediately came over wearing nothing but boy shorts and pasties. Her face lit up when she saw Dom was sitting in her section, and Sofia had to suppress the irrational bite of territorial jealousy that coursed through her.
The waitress leaned over, placing a hand on Dom’s shoulder. It was on the tip of Sofia’s tongue to say something, but Dom’s hand came down hard on her thigh, giving it a reassuring squeeze.
“The usual, doll.” Dom smiled up at the waitress before turning toward Sofia. “What are you having?” he leaned in so only his voice was heard between the two of them. “Besides wanting to put her head on a platter. Be careful, Saffi. I’m starting to think that talk earlier was more for you than it was for me.” His lips pulled up into a knowing smirk, and she wanted to punch it off of his face.
She removed Dom’s hand from her thigh, annoyed by how right he was. She flashed the waitress a smile that wasn’t friendly and told her to fetch her a gin and tonic. The waitress nodded and scurried off.
