Page 47 of A Good Girl's Guide to Dominance
Rome shakes his hand and the deal is secured when I do, too. Joy explodes in my heart as I realize what just happened. We got the Golden Diamond account—the biggest in Sandcastle’s history. Rome and I did it together, and he just stood up to a known criminal and gangster for me.
I don't want to feel anything for him. After he left me a sweaty mess in my office yesterday, I told myself that he was too confused to feel anything for me, therefore I shouldn't let myself have any feelings about him. I convinced myself that he only wanted me for sex and nothing more, and told myself that I was a fool for giving it to him. I came here today with no intention whatsoever of submitting to him ever again. I was done. But when a man literally risks his life to protect you when he doesn't have to, it changes things.
Yeah, I’m screwed.
Twenty-Four - Rome
“Raise your glass, asshole. I know you don't like to be the center of attention or to have people showering you with praise, but it’s only me, and you deserve this moment. So, let’s go.”
Although I'm reluctant, I do as Nikola commands and lift my shot glass full of tequila into the air. He does the same, and I grin at the proud smile on his face as he clears his throat for a speech.
“Here’s a toast to you, Rome,” he starts, eyes beaming with pride. “You've been through more than anyone should ever have to go through. You've pulled yourself out of the weeds and risen to unimaginable heights. You're a fucking boss, and you just landed the biggest contract in your company’s history after only being there for a few short weeks. You're killing it, bro, and not to get all sappy, but I know both of your parents would be sickeningly proud of you … and so would Natalia. Here’s to you, Rome. Congratulations on the Golden Diamond account.Saluti.”
“Saluti,” I respond.
When I bring the shot glass to my lips, I hope the burn of the liquor purges me of my feelings. I hope the sting that travels down my throat singes all of my emotions until I have none left to feel. I want to set my insides ablaze and rid myself of the confusion that eats away at me like a cancer. The shot definitely helps, but it doesn't take it all away.
Fuck.
Nikola sits across from me in a white, long-sleeved shirt, and every time he looks at me, I swear he can see through me. My best friend still wields the power to know when something is wrong with me, even if I don't want him to. He eyes me closely, leaning back in his seat and looking across the round table like he’s trying to put distance between us to be able to see the whole picture.
“Alright,” he says. “So, tell me all about the pitch. How were you able to convince Nix Malone to do business with a small-time marketing agency? From what I understand, this guy plays in the big leagues. Like, the leagues so big that they can erase you from the planet with a nod of the head or the blink of an eye.”
“It wasn't me who made the pitch,” I admit, already feeling something rumbling within me just thinking about it. “It was Nia.”
“Oh, okay … why’d you say it like that?” Nikola asks.
Shit. Here we go.
“I didn't say it a certain way,” I reply, praying he doesn't pull us into a long conversation. Speaking about it will make me feel about it, and that’s the last thing I want to do when it comes to Nia.
When I finish staring down at the table, hoping that Nikola will move on quickly, I look up to find that he hasn’t. His eyes have that same suspicious glare he always gets when he’s wondering about me. I've given him plenty of reasons to worry over the past year, so I'm not surprised. I'm just not interested intalking about it. Abouther. But regardless of how I feel, Nikola’s eyes stay pinned to me.
“Come on, man. I didn't say it in any particular way. Stop staring at me,” I plead.
Nikola’s furrowed brow displays itself in graphic detail.
“Geez,” he says. “You should be a lawyer, you're so defensive.”
I shake my head as I force a chuckle. “That was a bad joke, Nikola. Do better.”
“Uh-uh, don't try to change the subject and deflect it back onto me,” he replies. “What’s the deal, bro? Who’s Nia?”
Fuck. The mention of her name sends memories of her face flashing in my mind like a movie montage. I remember what it felt like to caress her skin—to feel the warmth of her mouth enveloping my cock and sending me reeling—and I instantly yearn to be near her. It wasn't long ago that she was bent over in front of me, her legs spread as she waited for me to slide inside of her. She dripped for me, needing me just as much as I needed her, and I wonder if she still does. What are the chances that she's thinking about me right now?
“Uhh, hello?” Nikola says, snapping me out of my Nia-induced trance and pulling me back to the reality in front of me. “Damn, Rome. You okay? Whoever this girl is, she must be something special if she’s got you staring off into the distance, daydreaming right here at the table.”
“That’s not … I wasn’t daydreaming,” I lie, forcing dirty thoughts of Nia back into the closet of my mind. “Look, I don't want to talk about it because I know how you get, and I'm not in the mood to have you judging me or jumping leaps and bounds to get to your conclusions. I'm just not in the mood, okay?”
Nikola’s eyes widen as he does an Oscar-worthy job of acting shocked. “I'm not jumping to any conclusions. Goddamn. Why am I the villain all of a sudden, just because you're thinking about some girl?”
“I’m not.”
“Then tell me about her. I don't see what the big deal is. We were talking about the pitch to Nix Malone, and then you started having a wet dream at the mention of the name Nia. You're sonotthinking about her that you can't even tell me about her? Did she do a good job? Did you have to prepare her for the pitch? Is she your best worker at Sandcastle? How did Nix respond to her? Is she nice? Is she mean? How long do I have to keep going with these questions?”
“Oh, my god, Nikola!” I snap. “Her name is Nia Washington, and she did a phenomenal job at earning her chance to do the pitch with Nix, and of executing it with him in person. He loved it and basically hired us on the spot, and he was head over heels for her because … of course he was. Everything about Nia is amazing. She’s stubborn, and smart, and funny, and persistent, and unashamed, and tenacious, and heartbreakingly beautiful. So much so that Nix Malone asked her out to dinner before we left, but I shut that down immediately.”
Nikola stares across the table with saucer-sized eyes. “Wow. You shut it down? Why?” he inquires, suddenly fully invested in my story now that I'm opening up.
