Chapter 5

Sabrina's POV

His words kept replaying in my head. Marriage first. Then sex. Like it was part of a contract.

My brain failed to process the demand.

I had always pictured sex differently.   

Love came first. Then marriage. Then sex. That was the natural order. Sex was a physical requirement for human reproduction.

Today, science offered test tubes to skip the messy parts.

To me sex had never been something I needed. 

I had touched myself a few times out of curiosity, but it never gave me the same rush as finally getting the sweetness and acidity right in my tomatoes. That kind of thing actually made my chest tight with excitement.

Mike had told me I was boring when it came to bed stuff. He had a point.

I dated Mike because he stood in my greenhouse and faked an interest in soil pH levels. Common interests built a solid foundation. That was my logic.

I was stupid. My whole relationship was a lie built on fake conversations about crops. I let a man trick me with talk about weather patterns and harvest seasons. I felt foolish and angry.

I must have gone quiet for too long. Dominic let out a short breath through his nose. He stood up from the couch and reached for his jacket on the armrest. 

"Forget it," he said. His tone sounded resigned.

He turned his back to me. "I will take you home," Dominic said. He adjusted his collar and did not look at me. "You don't have to decide anything tonight. I'll let Andy handle the investment side."

He took a step toward the door. The deal was leaving. He was leaving. The chance to save the farm on my own terms was walking out the door.

I could not let Mike win. I could not let Mike destroy my family.

I needed to secure this investment myself. I needed this powerful man on my side.

My body moved before my brain gave the order. I lunged forward and grabbed his wrist.

His skin burned hot. Thick veins shifted under my tight grip. He stopped walking. He looked down at my hand, then up at my face.

"Wait," I said. My voice shook.

I let go of his wrist and stepped into his personal space.

I went up on my toes and pressed my mouth to his.

It was clumsy. My lips barely moved. I didn't know what to do with my hands. I did not move my head.

I held my mouth against his for two long seconds. He tasted like black coffee and something dark and male. His lips were firm.

I dropped back to my flat feet. I opened my eyes, heart pounding so hard I could hear it in my ears. My breath came short and loud in the quiet room.

Dominic looked down at me. One eyebrow lifted slightly.

"You're not very good at that," he said. His voice had dropped lower. His gaze dropped to my mouth and back up to my eyes.

Heat rushed to my cheeks. My pride stung. I had already started this. There was no point backing out now. 

I closed the distance between us again. My chest almost brushed his shirt.

I reached for his collar. My trembling fingers found the top button of his white dress shirt. I pushed the plastic circle through the hole. I moved to the next one.

He stood still. His breathing deepened. His chest rose and fell in a heavy rhythm under my knuckles.

I undid the third button. Then the fourth. Then the fifth. I pushed the fabric apart. His skin was hot. I felt the hard lines of his chest under my palms. I forced myself to keep looking at his face.

Up close, he was the kind of handsome that felt almost unfair. Strong jaw, sharp cheekbones, and those ice-blue eyes that looked even colder and more intense this near. His dark hair fell slightly over his forehead. He had the kind of face women noticed and remembered, masculine, clean, and dangerously attractive.

His heart beat fast against my palm. The muscle felt like carved stone. Coarse dark hair tickled my fingertips. I trailed my hands down. Over his ribs. Down to the hard ridges of his stomach. I traced the lines of his muscles with my nails.

"I am a virgin," I said. My voice came out a quiet whisper. I shifted my eyes from his face to his chest. "If you do not mind. I can try with you first."

I felt his stomach muscles jerk under my touch. His breathing stopped for a split second.

I looked up and met his gaze. The small smile vanished from his face. The amusement was gone. His eyes were dark and predatory. Black pupils swallowed the blue irises.

"As for my kissing skills," I continued as I slid my fingers lower. I hooked my thumbs right above his leather belt buckle. "My fiancé had bad breath. That's why I never cared enough to get better at it."

Dominic's jaw tightened. A muscle ticked in his cheek. His gaze dropped to my mouth.

I licked my bottom lip. "I hope his boss will not disappoint me."

The air in the room shifted. The atmosphere turned thick. My hands rested on his warm skin. Heat radiated from his body and seeped into my palms.

His control snapped.

I saw the muscle in his jaw jump. Before I could say anything else he caught both my wrists in one hand and turned me around fast. My back hit the wall.

He pulled my arms up and pinned my hands above my head. His large right hand held both of my wrists flat against the wall. I tried to pull free. But I could not move an inch.

He stepped in. His chest pressed flat against my front. The heat from his bare skin burned through the thin cotton of the sweatshirt. His thigh parted my legs and pressed against my center.

I gasped.

He lowered his head. His nose brushed against mine. I felt his hot breath on my lips. A clean, sweet scent hit me, like fresh strawberries. The thought flashed through my mind for one ridiculous second: Why does he smell like that?

His voice came out low and rough, vibrating against my mouth.

"You better be ready to experience your new husband."