Page 24 of Torrid Love
Fuck. What have I done?
CHAPTER 6
Dominika
It’s six a.m. and for the past half hour I’ve been watching the sun rise over the City of Angels. It’s a treat for a night owl like myself. When I stepped out on my deck, dawn had just started peeking through the darkness. Now, the sky is washed over by a blanket of warm colors. Soon, the sun will shine bright and LA will be alive with activity.
Being jetlagged has its perks after all.
When my stomach growls for the third time, I decide to feed the hungry beast.
I walk back inside and trail to my kitchen.
I can’t tell you how much it fills me with pride to be able to call this beautiful home in Venice mine. It isn’t a mansion, but it’s nothing like the crammed, dilapidated dump I grew up in. What a departure from where I started soon after landing at LAX. Without Rod, it would still all be a pipe dream. He helped me secure the mortgage on my dream home.
I open the fridge and stick my head inside.
“What to eat? What to eat?”
Since I’m still stuffed from Holly’s meal, I decide to keep it light. A fruit salad is the perfect way to start the day. I grab a small papaya, an Ataulfo mango and a few pre-cut slices of pineapple. I place everything on the counter and go to work. As I dice the fruits, my mind wanders and I find my face heating up at last night’s memory.
That searing kiss.
Flashing back to the delicious sensation of our lips finally touching sets my entire body ablaze—much like it did when Rod was holding me in his strong arms. A tingle of excitement shoots right through me at the memory, like I’ve just discovered a secret world. In many ways, I have.
I can’t believe I was that bold. It’s so unlike me, but there I was squirming into him, wriggling my body against his mighty erection.
Don’t get me started on the way he groaned in need.
God.
I felt safe in Rod’s arms. It’s a sensation I’m rarely able to enjoy in a man’s proximity. Restlessness and anxiety always rob me of the ability to indulge in an intimate relationship with a man. The agonizing fear is courtesy of a predator. It’s different with Rod. I know he’d never hurt me. Trusting him is as natural as breathing.
I know I’m making a big deal out of a kiss, but I can’t help it. That passionate embrace was the hottest and most pleasurable experience of my life. I can just imagine what it’d be like to take things further.
Wait. No.
And just like that, the dream crashes into a wall.
I shake my head, snapping myself back to reality.
Things will never go further with Rod.
He’s made it crystal clear.
‘That was a bad idea.’
Thanks for bursting my bubble, Rod.
I’m such a fool.
What did I expect?
A man with too many options doesn’t have to settle.
My phone pings, putting an end to my self-pity.
I quickly rinse off my hands and run to the kitchen table. I grab my phone and shoot off a response.
