Page 7 of Scorned Beauty (Scorned Fate #5)

“So going back to that young man,” Harriet said while carefully sitting in the armchair. Ginger immediately hopped on her lap and started kneading her thighs.

“Not talking about him. Nothing there.” I started putting the groceries away.

“How about the one who took over my apartment?”

“Phil Harding? I hardly see him. He travels.”

“You said he asked you out.”

“And I said no.” Although I didn’t want to explain that I had a grueling series of awful clinical rotations where I’d seen enough penises, balls, slits, boobs, and asses that seeing someone in clothes was a novelty. The desire to get naked with someone was nil until Dom propositioned me.

Ginger, thankfully, had commanded Harriet’s attention, and it gave me an opportunity to check my phone. Dom sent me a message.

Dom

Just text me when you’re done.

Me

Leave me. Do boss things. I’ll find my way home.

I didn’t wait for him to reply and gave my full attention to Harriet.

She was a true crime aficionado and took part in several message boards.

A hot topic right now because it was local to the tristate area was the reemergence of the Mistress Strangler.

I kept asking her questions about the case so she wouldn’t remember to press me about Dom.

And I succeeded. Ninety minutes later, I was on my way out with Ginger when I spotted the facility administrator.

“Hi, Miss Sheila!” I called out.

She was a tall Black woman with locs and spectacles. She smiled when she saw me, but there was a trace of sadness in her eyes.

Oh no.

“Sloane, I’ve been meaning to call you about your Capstone proposal.”

As part of a nursing student’s last semester, I had to present a case study with a practical application. My project was assisted living facility improvement. Capstone wasn’t merely a thesis. It was based on real-world issues more than theory.

I braced myself.

“The board is not keen on a nursing student studying our operations. There is no money to spend on improvement.”

“It’s a proposal. They can take it or leave it,” I said.

“They’re also concerned you’re going to take too much of the staff’s time, and I can’t push your agenda right now if I want to hire more people.”

What she wasn’t telling me was they didn’t want anyone poking in their business. It was the wrong time for me to be invested in something like this because nursing homes had come under scrutiny for neglect, staffing issues, and lack of training in senior care.

I blew out a breath, deflated. “Thanks for trying.”

“I’m sorry, Sloane.”

I shrugged. “It didn’t hurt to ask.”

Dammit. It did hurt. I was feeling dejected when I exited the establishment, but experienced an odd lift in my spirits when Dom was waiting in front of Delphine.

He was on the phone, but quickly ended the call when he saw me.

Unnerved at the sudden spike of my heart rate, I flushed. I had to remind myself that he wanted sex. I didn’t need wooing. Wooing led to feelings. However, I also told him I had to at least like someone I had sex with.

And I liked this very much, judging from how I couldn’t help the smile that stretched my mouth. And given the Capstone rejection, this was a boost to the self-esteem I needed. I didn’t want to wallow in self-pity, but I welcomed getting lost in the promised orgasms. Please don’t disappoint.

“How long have you waited out here?”

“I drove around and got us more food since you gave what I got for you away. So, around fifteen minutes.”

He reached for the cat carrier.

“You actually did the shopping?”

“What?” he drawled. “Like it’s hard?”

This man. He was equally charming and aggravating.

I felt sorry for anyone who had to go up against him.

Dom possessed overwhelming self-assurance, and I was sure it was on its lowest setting when dealing with me.

And there was nothing more that turned me on than a confident man, which partly explained my attraction to him.

I got into the vehicle, and after he deposited Ginger in the seat behind me, I watched him saunter around the front of the SUV.

“Looks like I’m in deep trouble, Ginger.”

“Meow.”

Dom slid into the driver’s seat and glanced at me. “Any more errands to run?”

“No, it seems you’ve taken care of it. I’m not going to starve. How sure were you I hadn’t left?”

“The receptionist had my number. She was going to tell me if you had left since you refused to answer my text.”

When I remained quiet, he asked, “No comeback?”

I looked out my side of the vehicle and answered as nonchalantly as I could. “There’s nothing to discuss yet. Especially if we don’t know if our hookups will last past this weekend.”

Dom gave a deep rumbling chuckle before making a turn toward my neighborhood. The assisted living home was around fifteen minutes from my apartment.

“Bianca mentioned this about you.”

“Oh, what about?”

“You don’t like to waste time repeating yourself.”

“It saves us from confusion later,” I said. “In my business, the less said, the better. Too many details can muddle the main points.”

“So assuming we continue to hook up…”

“We’ll need defined boundaries.”

“I’m intrigued. I should be the one with boundaries.”

I snorted. Typical , but I expected nothing less.

“I have more to lose here because I could lose my business and my reputation as a nurse before I even graduate. Your organization is built on the illegal and morally gray. No one expects you to be a saint. They would say you’re sowing your wild oats.

You may even get a pat on the back. Meanwhile, a woman who enjoys sexual freedom is called a whore. ”

“Hey—” Dom cut in so sharply, it pulled my gaze from the window and I looked at him. “Never call yourself a whore. I don’t know what kind of men you’ve been associated with, but I admire a woman who is sexually in tune with what she wants.”

“Really? Don’t they have a virginal bride lined up for you in an arranged marriage?”

“Probably. However, a virgin is not on the list of my requirements.”

Though this was not news to me, especially with the more progressive crime families, I couldn’t help being a little more curious. “Why aren’t you married, Dom?”

His jaw hardened, and I thought he wasn’t going to answer me until he said, “I thought we were not letting our personal life get mixed up.”

“Wait, if you’re engaged—” My heart clenched painfully at the thought.

“I’m not,” he snapped. “I’m not with anyone. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have propositioned you.”

Hmm, he was sensitive to my question. Maybe he was recently jilted. That would explain using me as a rebound. Not that I minded. He could totally use me as a rebound as long as he gave me all the orgasms I wanted.

“Good,” I said as the Escalade found parking near my apartment. “Let’s see if your ego is writing checks your cock can’t cash.”

Dom’s chest shook with silent laughter before a suppressed chuckle escaped past his mouth. “Sweetheart, you know I’ve been hard all day and each word out of your mouth has me imagining ways to make you beg.”

I clenched my thighs. Here we go . This man was fun to rile up.

He glanced behind us. “What are we going to do about that pussy?”