Page 17 of Reckless Desire

She walked gracefully over to the mini wet bar in the corner and opened the cabinet. She selected a couple of bottles and set them on the smooth, white Ibiza quartz countertop. Vincent joined her to take a look at the options himself.

“Let’s go with the Highland Park.”

“My daddy always taught me to pour your own troubles.”

“Your daddy’s right. Unless there’s a bartender on duty, I’ll handle my own. Thank you very much.”

Dominique passed him a glass, flashing a smile that could light up any room. Vincent felt himself blushing like he was back in high school, dealing with his first real crush. Underneath the recessed lighting, the light hit the diamond above her upper lip and caught his attention, as did the nose ring.

“Your piercings are sexy, by the way.”

Her face flushed a color of crimson. She nervously bit her lower lip. “Oh, thanks. I got them on a whim with my girl, Chas, when she went to get a tattoo and a couple of piercings.”

“I know about the Queen tattoo. Do you have any more? Any other piercings?” He knocked back the shot and poured another one.

Rather than respond, she took the glass of vodka and cranberry she’d poured for herself and returned to the desk. Vincent observed from the bar until Dominique opened a drawer and reached inside, pulling a manilla folder from it. She was ready to talk. He went back over to the desk. Once he was seated, Dominique raised her eyes to meet his. She pushed the folder over to him. He picked it up and began skimming through it.

“Everything we need to discuss about this relationship moving forward is in there. It includes my soft and hard limits. If you’d like to modify anything, I’m happy to review it, but I can tell you now, there’s little I’m willing to negotiate on.”

Vincent stroked his beard. “Hmm.”

“What?” Dominique asked, lowering her glass after taking a sip.

“It’s not what I thought.”

“What did you think it would be?”

Vincent closed the folder and slid it back across the desk. His gaze didn’t leave hers as he spoke earnestly. “Feelings shouldn’t be off the table. They can’t be, not between us. ‘Cause if you think I’m not in this for more than your body, think again. This isn’t something with an expiration date. I’m here for you no matter how long it takes. There’s no time limit on what I want with you, so do not place one on this. Everything I’m willing to be to you and for you, consider it to be for … infinity. And ever since that first night, we saw each other, neither one of us can deny what we feel when we’re together. I think we both know this will never be one-sided. You want to Dom me as much as I want to Dom you. So, what do you think, Dominique Nyari Benoit? Willing to negotiate?” He lifted his glass, sat back, and watched her over the rim as he took a sip.

Her voice was barely above a whisper. “This isn’t how it works … rules are in place. I don’t commit to anyone.”

Vincent leaned forward. “We all have desires, Dominique. Don’t let some rules you made up hold you back from what could be an incredible connection. Let’s explore this.”

“Vince, I … I don’t know.”

He placed his glass on the desk and rose from his seat, walking towards her side of the desk. Vincent extended his hand to her, and she put her much smaller palm in his. With a gentle tug, he pulled Dominique to her feet. “I know. I’m different. Shit, you’re different. Let me in, Dominique,” he whispered, his eyes never leaving hers.

She slowly nodded her head. “Okay.”

Vincent released her hand and slipped his arm around her waist, pulling her close. “Do I have permission to kiss you?”

“Y-yes,” she stammered out.

His gaze was fixed on her slightly parted, heart-shaped lips. He could feel her ragged breaths as he closed the gap between them. Vincent cradled the back of Dominique’s neck and angled his mouth over hers. Her eyelids fluttered shut once their lips met. He pressed against the softness of her pillowy lips before sucking and nibbling at her lower one. His tongue lingered in the space between their lips, relishing in the sweet tang of cranberry on her breath. The way she tasted was simply exquisite. Just from kissing alone, it seemed like he was becoming intoxicated by her.

The kiss deepened with Dominique tugging at the hem of his sweatshirt. Vincent pulled away from her long enough to help her take it off. Dominique let out a low growl of need. Their lips crashed together hungrily, exploring each other’s mouths with their tongues. Every so often, their teeth grazed against the other’s tender skin.

“Ow!” Vincent reached up and felt the wetness on his bottom lip right as the familiar metallic taste flooded his tongue.

Dominique’s eyes were dangerously low. She tucked her bottom lip in her mouth and ran her finger across Vincent’s lip, then sucked the digit covered in his blood. “I’m sorry. I got a little carried away.” She took a few steps backward, then slowly pivoted to face the bookshelf.

Suddenly, he heard the sounds ofCrazy Downreverberating off the walls. Dominique removed the bunny ears. She turned around and began strutting toward him, motioning with her head for him to back up. Without breaking their fixed gazes on each other and using her as his guide, he slowly inched backward from her desk. As LAYA crooned out the lyrics, Dominique’s expression became intense. It was as if she were silently repeating the words from the song to him. He understood her plea of wanting honesty and her desire to make a real connection with him. She could let go of her inhibitions. He, too, was vulnerable with her. Dominique stopped him when he reached the sofa, leaving inches between them. Vincent peered down into her dark brown pools, seeing the apprehension and unrest swirling there. At the same time, he also saw the yearning and longing for everything he could awaken in her. He reached out for her.

Dominique took a step forward, closing the space between them. She slipped her hands underneath his tank top and lifted it up. Vincent helped by raising his arms and pulling the undershirt over his head. He watched her take a moment to regard the ink on his upper body. Her soft fingertips lightly brushed over the intricate tribal designs. While she ran her fingers across his chest, Vincent reached around and undid the clasp of her leather harness. With a gentle tug, it slipped off her body and fell to the floor with a quiet thud. His jaw dropped when he saw the straight barbell piercings adorning her nipples. The tiny diamond studs on the ends of the bars caught the light and sparkled.

He’d seen pierced nipples before, but her perky and bountiful twins holding the jeweled barbells were sheer perfection. Vincent stared at the honey-soft mounds, unable to choose which one he wanted to suckle from first. He scooped them up, squeezing, molding, and reshaping them with satisfaction.

“Fuck, Dominique, they’re beautiful.” Vincent hissed and then swiped the pad of his thumb across one nipple before teasing it into a tight, hard point.

---