Page 31 of Darkest Retribution

“Yes, sir,” she mumbles grudgingly, and then her eyes slide closed.

Sir?

I watch her for a second, possibly too stunned to move. What would she look like, kneeling beside me obediently while I worked? How would her skin feel underneath my fingertips? What would she sound like after I teased her for hours and then finally touched her where she desperately wanted me to? Could I find it in me to hold back for that long?

They’re all questions I’ve asked myself before, but now the urge to find out makes it almost impossible to control myself.

Gripping the laundry basket more tightly than I need to, I force myself out of her room and back downstairs. The last thing I need to add into my life is another person I have to protect. Even more than that, Jade is a package deal. And I’d never forgive myself if something happened to Rosie because of me.

“Mister Dominic! I wanna watch this one.” Rosie holds up a DVD case. Looks like a princess movie.

“Sure thing.”

I get it set up for her, and once she’s settled on the couch, I start the laundry. I have to check the tags on Jade’s clothes to make sure they can all go in the washing machine, but it’s worth it. The last thing I want to do is ruin her shit.

In the kitchen, I start with the dishes, figuring that’s the most overwhelming and time-consuming task. While I stand at the sink, my mind wanders to places it shouldn’t.

Jade standing from my tub, water droplets running down her body. Her in nothing but a pair of heels, bent over my desk. The way she’d tense up and then cry out as she came from my fingers.

By the time I’ve finished doing the dishes, wiping off the counters, and sweeping the kitchen floor, I’ve given up on keeping my thoughts clean. Apparently, no matter how much my mind knows I can’t have Jade, my body won’t get the damn memo.

It’s not just your body, and you know it.

There’s a vibrating sound from the kitchen island. A quick glance, and I see Jade’s phone lit up with a text.

Stupid Face:Ignore me again, and there will be consequences.

Odd. I wonder who Stupid Face is.

As I head into the laundry room to start a second load, I glance at Rosie. She hasn’t moved from where she plopped onto the floor since the start of the movie. Seeing her stare up at the TV makes my chest ache. It reminds me of a time that’s painful to think about.

After I move Jade’s clothes to the dryer and throw in a load of laundry that was already sitting by the washer, I start searching for a mop. Maybe it’s overkill, but Jade has looked so tired lately.

I can’t have her, I know that. But I can at least take care of her and Rosie for an evening. Iwantto.

Fuck, what kind of sappy bullshit is that? You’ve been in your head too much lately, Dom.

The mop isn’t in the laundry room. Maybe there’s a closet or something I missed?

Back in the kitchen, Jade is standing by the island, her dark hair in a messy bun. She’s staring down at her phone, and when she looks up and sees me, the frown on her face deepens.

“Did you clean my house?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah, just the kitchen. Rosie fell—not while she was on her bike—and when I came in to clean her up, I saw... well, you know.”

Slowly, she nods, taking in the cleared-off counters and the empty sink. “You brought me upstairs?”

“Didn’t want to wake you with the noise.”

I expect Jade to make some type of comment about how she’s capable of cleaning her own house, but she doesn’t. Instead, she leans her elbows on the counter and rests her face in her hands.

Fuck. She’s not going to start crying, is she?

Other than on Sunday when she teared up, I’ve never seen Jade cry. She’s as in control of her emotions as I am. But right now, I’m not sure what’s going on with her.

“Hey.” I move until I’m standing right next to her. Gently, I smooth my hand up and down her back. “If I overstepped—”

“You’re fine.” The words come out of her mouth harshly, but not in her usual, sarcastic way. Maybe I should be taken aback, but it’s then that I notice she has her messages pulled up on her phone. And, as I watch her more closely, I see the slight tremor in her hands.

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