“Who told you that crap?” Dominic asked.“Experts. Many, many experts…” She wasn’t surprised by his anger. It seemed to be the common reaction.“Well… I say they’re all fucking wrong.” He slapped his hand against his desk.“Sam… Baby… You are smart and creative. You solve problems on a daily basis and you are an independent, successful businesswoman. I’m telling you, they are fucking wrong,” Dominic emphasized. Samaire would have been happy to prove the results wrong, and for a while, she had acted as if the diagnosis hadn’t existed. But no amount of work made her grades improve and she’d had to accept the truth. Her goals and the future she had imagined were unreachable. Pursuing an Ivy League college was no longer a possibility for someone like her, with such credentials. Her learning disabilities meant she’d never be a researcher or a scientist like her parents. They still refused to discuss that there was something different about her.“Dom,
Dominic walked down the spiral staircase as he tried to hide his bad mood. He wasn’t blind to the cautious way his employees approached him. He also knew he shouldn’t be in a bad mood at all. He was looking forward to the reserve label party on Friday. Even better, he had crunched the numbers for the wine bar. They were performing twice as well as this time last year. He should have a ridiculous grin on his face, but it was Wednesday and he hadn’t seen Samaire since Monday afternoon. She was professional when he had a question about the promotional efforts for the party. He couldn’t fault her on that. Samaire was prompt to respond through emails and texts at all hours of the day. Cheerful but to the point. It was obvious that she was embarrassed for oversharing and she was now avoiding him. Dominic sighed as the weariness settled on him. He had a feeling that he had done something wrong. But what? And would Samaire tell him? Probably not.
Samaire hurried into Dominic’s office and away from curious eyes. He was right behind her. Her face warmed and her muscles shook as emotions clashed inside her. She pressed her hand against her mouth, refusing to speak until they were somewhere private. She waited until Dominic closed the door and then she whirled around to face him.“What’s wrong with you, Dom?” Her voice was low and fierce.“You should ask Fenton what got into him. Why does he think he has the right to yell at you? Do you let your clients talk to you like that?” She covered her face with her hands and gave a growl of frustration before she dropped them to her side.“I had to take care of this myself. How would you feel if I did that to you?”“I wouldn’t let you,” he decided.“This has been so embarrassing,” she muttered. Dominic’s eyes widened.“I embarrassed you? I wasn’t the one who caused a scene. I was trying to help. I was protecting you.”“That’s not what I meant,” Samai
Dominic stood in front of Samaire’s apartment door hours later. Her words had spun in his head all day and he hadn’t been able to quiet his doubts. He’d eventually cut out of work early. All he could think about was making things right with Samaire, but he didn’t know where to start. He stared at the white door in front of him as he waited for Samaire to answer his knock. It had been a few minutes and he was beginning to doubt she would open the door. Why was he bothering anyway? Dominic glanced over his shoulder. He should just cut his losses and move on. It was how he always handled his flings. He couldn’t do that this time, though. This relationship was different. He was different with Samaire. The fling had started out fake but he’d gotten a glimpse of what it would be like to share his life with Samaire. He liked what he saw. He knocked on the door harder. He knew she was there but her silence told him everything he needed to know without saying a
“Come here, darling,” Dominic said in a ragged voice as he motioned for her with the curl of his finger. A delicious ache warmed her belly. She should be ashamed that she was turned on by his voice this quickly. He only had to crook his finger and she was moving toward him like a prey in front of a tiger. But she didn’t want to play any games… She didn’t want to fool herself… This fling wasn’t going to last forever. Samaire knew what she wanted from him and she wasn’t going to wait any longer. Dominic reached for the sash to her bathrobe and pulled her against him. He was a solid wall of muscle. Samaire smoothed her hands over his chest, learning the planes and angles beneath his shirt. She reached his collar and fanned her fingers along the thick column of his neck. Samaire looked up and stared into his light blue eyes.“I want you to stay the night, Dom. I want you here tomorrow morning…” Her voice was husky and low.“What else do you want, da
Samaire felt her nostrils flare with aggravation as he bragged.“That’s wonderful, Brian.”“‘You should come to my workshop, Samaire.’” She had no interest in paying to hear the man talk for hours about himself and his accomplishments.“Trust me, Brian, it’s okay to have a few empty seats.”“‘It’ll be standing room only,’” he said with indignation. “‘I’m inviting you because you might learn a few things, Samaire. Things you can use for sure in your future projects.’” Samaire squeezed her eyes shut. His words no longer wounded, but they still had the power to sting.“Thank you for your concern, Brian, but I keep up-to-date on what’s new and cutting-edge. But I’m sure there are a lot of your… followers out there who might need this workshop more than I do.”“‘I disagree, Samaire,’” Brian said. “‘I’ve looked at your website and portfolio. The work you do is basic and outdated. You haven’t come up with any fresh ideas in a very long time…’”“That’s not true.”
“Who was on the phone?”“Brian,” she said as she crawled onto the bed. “I invited him to your party as you suggested.” Dominic didn’t say anything as she straddled his hips. His hands automatically went to her legs and stroked them tenderly. So, she invited Connolly… Well, she must really want that job in LA. He didn’t want her to go, but he couldn’t hold her back. Why was it that he had known Samaire for most of his life but only noticed her when it was almost too late?“Dom, I need to ask another favor…” Samaire leaned over him, her fingers gripping his shoulders.“Yesterday you said I don’t defend myself and I know it’s true. I want to be more assertive, but I’m not sure where to start.” He had trouble thinking straight as the sense of impending loss continued to roll through him.“You’re very assertive with me, darling,” he said gruffly. “Our brainstorming sessions can turn into heated arguments.”“Okay, but I’m that way only with you,” Samaire replie
By Friday night, Dominic had grown quiet and tense. He stood by the desk in his office as the darkness of the night gathered. For the next three hours, he had to be the genial host for his party while watching Samaire gain the attention of a total douchebag. He reached for the wine bottle on his desk and poured a small amount of the Merlot into a wineglass. This time he didn’t care about the bouquet or heavy oak aging. Fuck that! All he could think about was Sam. This night was about her. FOR her. When he heard a knock, Dominic set the wine bottle to the side and glanced at the office door.“Come in, it’s open.” The door cautiously opened and Samaire peeked around the corner.“Dom, you wanted to see me?”“Yeah, come.” She walked into the room and closed the door behind her. Her silky hair was swept up in a soft and romantic style that emphasized the graceful lines of her neck. The dark lavender dress complimented her pale skin and pale