Page 22 of Scorned Beauty

“All right,” I said, patting Dom. “Get up before you ruin the mattress.”

He winced as he shifted to a sitting position. “I’ll replace it.”

“We can avoid that if you get off the bed now.”

He emitted a disgruntled sound and rolled up. He peered at his side. “The stitches are fine.”

“Good. Still, vigorous activity should be off the table for now.”

A ghost of a smile touched his mouth. “Does that mean we’re more than just a weekend thing?”

“Maybe,” I said, tapping my mouth as if I was considering it. I didn’t misread him. He wanted more of me and that gave me confidence to set the rules. “I’m a fan of spelling things out, but right now, I’m hungry for something else.”

“I’m all for refueling.” Dom opened the bedroom door and paused. “What the…your cat is a pervert.”

“What?” I went around him and dissolved into laughter when I saw Ginger sitting primly at the entrance, looking curious.

“I guess you’re used to her eavesdropping or voyeurism?”

“Let’s just say it was a good idea you shut the door.” I didn’t have to tell Dom that one time Ginger scared one of my regular hookups into not coming back when she positioned herself in close proximity to his hairy balls.

I needed Dom to fuck me again.

“No gifts?”Dom raised a brow at my second rule below the “no dating” one.

We had both showered and I rechecked Dom’s stitches. We were currently in the kitchen eating shrimp fried rice, lo mien, and beef broccoli from the Chinese restaurant next door.

“Is it because it’s the holidays?”

“Not really. But seriously. No gifts. No demands on time and I’m sure you’ll appreciate that, too.”

He made a humming sound while chewing on a bite of noodles. He chased it down with beer, appearing contemplative. “Look, I said that I don’t like the expectations that come with the termgirlfriendormistress, but it doesn’t mean I’m a scrooge. I enjoy giving jewelry after I have a good time with a woman.”

“Or when you end things?”

“Well, there’s nothing to end, remember?” He exhaled an exasperated breath.

“True, this isn’t a relationship.”

“You have a very negative perspective about relationships. Worse than mine. Who hurt you?”

“That’s not important, but we’re shaped by our pasts, right?”

“But we’re not allowed to talk about anything personal. How would I know not to trigger you?”

“I’m more Teflon than you think.”

Dom grumbled something unintelligible, attacking his plate with chopsticks. “I don’t have a problem with that, Sloane, but I have to go to events and I might have to take a woman as adate. Can you handle that?” He shoved a mouthful of noodles into his mouth.

“As long as you’re not sleeping with her.”

“I can’t claim you in public. It’ll be disastrous for you when we end our…whatever this is.”

His remark should hurt, but I was weirdly relieved. I wasn’t kidding when I said I had to at least like the person I had sex with and not simply bang random strangers I met at a bar. So this monogamous, no-strings-attached-sex arrangement was the perfect solution for me. Now that I’d proven that Dom could deliver on orgasms, it was a plus that he wanted a no-commitment commitment like I did.

Keeping it under the radar would prevent other crime families from getting ideas about using me against him. Being out in public with him was a disaster for my independence. That was probably another reason he didn’t do girlfriends, especially if it was an ordinary person like me whose family couldn’t afford a legion of bodyguards.

He finished chewing before he answered, “There might be tabloid speculations about anyone I’m seen in public with.” Atleast he wasn’t one of those annoying men who talked with their mouths full.