Page 47 of Always You
I wish I could quell the awful emotions that are ripping me apart, but I simply can’t. I want to be unaffected by his presence so that my heart won't be in pieces every time I see him. When I see him, I’m reminded of how little he believed in me. And how he went on with his life with other women—not to mention the fact that he was engaged.
“Angel,” he shouts in his smooth husky voice.
Closing my eyes, inhaling a deep breath, I remind myself I’m doing this forDante.I turn around. The pools of his whiskey-browns are on me. Relief washes over his face. His smile widens at the site of me, along with those dimples I love. He strolls right to me, leaving the hostess talking.
I suck in a sharp breath. Dominic is beautiful, his smooth, olive skin stretched over high cheekbones. God, the way he’s looking at me like I’m the only one in the room. His piercing eyes scan my whole profile with desire. A shiver runs down my spine as his lips press onto my cheek. He smirks knowing what he does to me.
Asshole.
“Angel.” His hot breath scattering around my cheek.
O’ God.Keep it together Mila.
“Dominic,” I reply.
“Why were you walking out?” His confused frown deepens into one of despair.
“You seemed busy.” My eyes roam to the girl—the hostess behind him.
He clears his throat. “No, work-related.”
I stare intensely at him, trying to read him like a newspaper. Ahh, he has slept with her. It shouldn’t bother me, but it does. She still works here. I know I’m being juvenile about his past. The stings tug when I think about how much I hurt in the past, and he moved on. Was she his girlfriend or friend with benefits?
I scoff dramatically. “Sure, maybe today, but other times not too work-related right?” I muster a smile.
“Nice to see you, beautiful.” He winks. Ignoring my observation, he glares over at the hostess giving me a pitbull face. “Alicia, we’ll be in the private lounge. Get us drinks,” he snaps.
Alicia is still glaring at me as if I stole her man. “Sure, Dom.” She grabs the menus handing them to him.
I raise an eyebrow. He only lets those close to him call him Dom. They must be close. He must’ve noticed my observation. He clears his throat once again. “It’s Dominic,” he says in a deep tone.
As he pulls the chair out for me. I blurt out, “You slept with her?”
He frowns. “Why do you say that?”
I laugh. He must think I can’t read him anymore. “Really? Dominic, it’s obvious.”
He groans, combing his fingers through his silk hair. He seems nervous as he narrows his eyes above my head not looking into my eyes.
“Just once, a while back.”
I was fucking right. My stomach clenches painfully.
“You fuck her, and she still works here. Are you still sleeping with her?” I shout not meaning too.Great now I sound jealous.
He reaches for my hand I pull away.
“Angel, no, I’m not with her and I’m not fucking her. It happened like a year ago. I wasn’t in a relationship with her—”
“Wow, your fiancée was a moron to have her working here knowing you slept with her, especially when she practically throws herself on you like... she did when I walked in,” I said, opening the menu, not really seeing what’s on it. He pisses me off. He slept with her, but he still has her around, like—why? Is it because he plans on sleeping with her again at some point?
God. Mila, calm down.I have to keep my heart in check. My heart is in turmoil. I want to deny that he has any power over me, but even as I ty to push my feelings of love to the side, they keep creeping back up. I can’t allow myself to be affected by him. He has moved on as I was trying to—until he appeared. I need to remind myself we are no longer a unit, no matter how much my heart wants it to be true.
“Angel.”
“It’s fine. It doesn’t matter. We aren’t together, you don’t have to explain.”
His shoulders drop as mine stiffen. His expression slides into a frown. “I’ll let her go. You’re right; I shouldn’t have kept her on staff. I don't want you to have the erroneous impression that I don’t respect you. She’s of no significance to me.”
