Promises After Dark (After Dark Book 3) (29 page)

He puts his hands on my hips so that he can shove me up and down on his penis even harder. I love the sensation of him filling me up and taking his pleasure, and I lick my lips and run my hands across my breasts, pinching my own nipples, twisting them lightly. Dominic watches me with appreciation.

‘Poor Rosa,’ he says, ‘you’re not getting quite enough pleasure. You must feel free to give yourself what you want.’

I run my hand over my belly as the other plays with my breast and then drop it to where his penis is pounding into me. Above my entrance, my clitoris is standing proud and swollen and I touch it with my index figure, rubbing it in a circular motion.

‘That’s right. You show me what you want,’ breathes Dominic, watching hard as my finger begins to move faster and hard, twirling around the top of my bud. His cock is thrusting into me harder than ever. I pinch hard at my nipple and give little gasps as my finger lights up the sensations in the tip of my bud. ‘Make yourself come,’ he orders sharply. ‘Do it. I want to see it.’

I begin to surrender to the delicious feelings of his penis pounding into me as my fingers drive my pleasure forward, my cunning fingertips knowing exactly how to play with the stiff little pearl to make it throb and tingle under my touch. I rub harder and Dominic takes his fucking up a pace, breathing hard, my actions exciting him.

‘Ohhh,’ I cry, as the electricity begins to dart through me.

‘Come, Rosa, make yourself come,’ he says again and I fly out into my climax, shaking and jerking on top of him as my limbs stiffen and the orgasm possesses me.

I finish, panting, still impaled on his stiff penis.

‘That was delicious to watch,’ he murmurs, smiling as he regards me sinking forward on his erection. ‘We’re not finished yet.’ He leans forward and whispers in my ear, ‘I’m going to fuck you hard, on that stool and then on the bed. You’re going to come again, believe me, and so am I. But not before I’ve taken all the pleasure I want from you, my sweet, submissive Rosa.’

I lift my eyes to his and see that they’re glazed with desire. The fire kindles in me again. I clench my muscles around the pillar of his cock, still piercing me to the core.

‘Yes, sir,’ I say softly. ‘Whatever you want.’

Dominic is as good as his word and we spend two hours exhausting each other. He’s insatiable, hungry to be inside me with his huge erection, and by the time he comes in a huge outpoured climax, I’m stiff and swollen, my sex tender with the pounding it’s taken. I feel wrung out and battered by pleasure. We take a long leisurely bath together and Dominic tends me with soap and a soft cloth, treating me like a precious object as he gently ministers to my red-raw sex. Then he pats me dry and we get dressed.

Even though we’ve been indulging ourselves for hours, it’s still only early evening.

‘We’re going out for dinner,’ Dominic says. ‘And there’s another little surprise for you.’

I’m intrigued and I’m also starving. I feel light and joyful despite the soreness between my legs. The power of sex to send those wonderful mood-enhancing hormones racing through the bloodstream should never be underestimated. I know that there are dark shadows hovering in my life but an earth-shaking orgasm and the pleasure of touching and tasting Dominic’s flesh is enough to keep them at bay for now.

When I’m dressed, Dominic says casually, ‘Oh, there’s something for you in the hall by the way.’

‘Really? What?’ I walk into the hall and see a large rectangular white box on the floor. It’s wrapped with a red ribbon.

‘Open it,’ says Dominic from behind me.

‘Okay.’ I go over and pull at the end of the ribbon. It slips gently apart. I lift up the white cardboard lid and see inside a stunning black silk and cashmere coat, edged with black fur at the collar. I gasp.

‘You looked wonderful in the coat you wore in New York. You loved it but you gave it back without a second thought. So I wanted to give you one of your own.’

‘It’s beautiful,’ I say, enchanted. I lift it out and Dominic holds it up for me while I slip my arms into the silken interior. It fits perfectly and is incredibly cosy and warm. ‘Thank you, Dominic, I love it!’ I hug him impulsively and kiss him on the cheek, while he laughs.

‘You’re very welcome. Happy Christmas.’

My face falls. ‘But I haven’t got you anything!’

He runs a finger down my cheek. ‘Don’t worry about that. You’ve just given me the most delicious Christmas present I could imagine.’

Wrapped up in my gorgeous new coat, I’m ready to face the chill outside. With my arm tucked inside Dominic’s we walk together through the wintery streets to the Mayfair restaurant that Dominic has booked. As we go in and the maître d’ steps forward to greet us, Dominic says, ‘Are the other guests here yet?’

‘They are, sir.’

I give Dominic a puzzled look. I thought that this evening was just for us – and I hope suddenly that the other guests aren’t Anna and Giovanni. That’s one surprise I think I could do without.

After our coats are taken, we’re led through the plush dining room to a white-covered table at the back where I can already make out another couple. As we get closer, I realise with delight who the woman is.

‘Laura!’

She gets up, a big smile all over her face, and greets me with a kiss when I reach the table. ‘So I finally get to meet the gorgeous Dominic!’ she says as he comes up behind me.

‘The pleasure is all mine,’ he says with perfect charm, kissing her on each cheek. ‘Thank you for coming along with Tom. I asked him if he’d see if you’d like to meet at last.’

On the other side of the table, Tom Finlay is standing up, looking both happy and a little bashful. ‘Hi, Dominic. Actually, if you hadn’t asked us along tonight, I was going to take Laura out anyway – if she wanted to.’

Laura laughs and flushes lightly. ‘Well it’s all turned out very nicely, then, hasn’t it?’

I look at Dominic, my eyes sparkling. He knew I was dying for him to meet Laura and he must have been listening hard when I mentioned that she and Tom had hooked up. The fact we’re spending the evening with them means he wants us to be a proper couple, part of one another’s world, getting to know each other’s friends.

‘I thought you might like this,’ he murmurs softly to me, a gentle smile on his lips.

‘I love it, thank you so much!’

Tom steps forward to greet me. ‘Hi, Beth.’

I laugh as we exchange hello kisses. ‘Fancy seeing you here. I hope you’re well, Tom.’

‘Very well.’ He looks happily at Laura who smiles back at him with shining eyes.

So it looks like it’s turning out well.
I’m delighted for her, and it’s even better that her new boyfriend should be a friend of Dominic’s as well.
Perfect.

We enjoy a wonderful evening of good food, wine and lots of convivial talk and laughter. There is the sense that the holidays have finally begun and we discuss our plans for Christmas. Laura and I are both going back to our respective family homes to spend time with our parents. Tom tells us that he’ll be with his twin brother and his family at their home in Scotland. At last I turn my gaze to Dominic. He looks amazing tonight, and he seems happy, strong and confident. I also get the feeling that he’s preparing himself, as though he’s a soldier who has been called up to fight and this is his last night of freedom before the battle begins.

‘What about you?’ I ask, fiddling with the stem of my wine glass. ‘Have you made your Christmas plans, Dominic?’

He nods. ‘Yes. I’m flying out to the States later tonight. I’m joining my sister in New York.’ He gives me a meaningful look. ‘And I have an important meeting that I have to attend.’

I can guess what he means.
Andrei.
It’s time to confront him with all we know, to strike the counter blow and see what happens. Sadness rushes through me. I don’t want Dominic to leave me. It feels so wrong that we should be apart for any time at all, but particularly at this time of the year.

But you’re going to your family – there’s no question of not doing that,
I remind myself. Then I realise I’ve been nurturing a little secret fantasy that maybe I can take Dominic home with me, introduce him proudly to my friends and family, show him all the places that meant so much to me when I was younger. That’s not going to happen now. I suppress a sigh.
Oh well, it was pretty unlikely. I shouldn’t be greedy. I’ve had so much of him lately
. And I know that big decisions are approaching on the horizon if what Dominic said last night means anything – decisions about where and how we live. That’s exciting. It’s something to look forward to. I smile and join in the chatter as brightly as I can.

We leave around eleven, and outside in the chilly air we wish one another a happy Christmas.

‘I’m taking Beth home,’ Dominic says. ‘Do you want to come, Laura?’

She shakes her head. ‘I’m staying with Tom.’ She looks bashful but happy. ‘I’ll see you in the morning, Beth.’

‘See you then.’ I kiss her goodbye and wish Tom a very happy Christmas. Then Dominic ushers me into the warm interior of the waiting car and directs the driver to take us back to my flat. I snuggle up to Dominic and watch as the glittering lights of the city fly past the window, enjoying the pleasure of being close to him and trying not to think that soon we’ll be apart.

I hope for traffic jams and snarl ups that will keep us together for longer but the roads are clear – lots of people must have already left for Christmas – and we get to the flat quickly. The driver pulls over and we get out, strolling together towards my front door.

‘Thank you for a marvellous day, Beth. I loved every moment of it.’ He puts his arm around me and drops his lips down to kiss me tenderly as we both remember the panting joy we shared earlier in the day.

‘I don’t want you to go!’ I say, turning to him, suddenly miserable.

‘I know – I don’t want to leave you either. But it’s just for a short time. I’ll be back soon, I promise and then our new life can begin.’ He hugs me and then says, ‘I have a Christmas present for you.’

‘Another one? You’ve already given me this beautiful coat.’

‘Yes, another one. I was going to save it for a slightly more romantic moment, but this feels like the right time. And I want you to have it before I go.’ He takes out a small black box from his pocket and hands it to me. ‘Open it.’

I fumble with the tiny clasp and then lift the lid to reveal a small hoop of diamonds that glitter with extraordinary brilliance in the light from the streetlamps. ‘A ring,’ I say wonderingly. Dominic is staring at me intently as I regard the beautiful circle of diamonds in their platinum setting. I look at him questioningly. I’m not sure what kind of ring this is, and I don’t want to get it wrong.

As if reading my mind, he says softly, ‘This is a promise ring. You can wear it wherever you choose.’

I can hardly breathe as he lifts the sparkling ring from its velvet bed and holds it out. I hesitate just for a moment, and then I raise my right hand to him. He smiles and slips the ring down onto my fourth finger where it fits snugly, flashing at me as I move my hand.

‘A promise ring,’ I say softly, not able to take my eyes off it.

‘It’s my promise that I’m yours now and that I want us to be together. Whenever you’re worried or in doubt, I want you to look at it and remember this promise. Will you do that?’

I throw my arms around him, sobbing and smiling. ‘Oh yes, Dominic, I will! Of course I will!’

Chapter Seventeen

The countryside is rushing by the window as the train takes me further away from London and my life. It feels very strange to be going home. The closer I get to my old existence, the more unreal I feel my new one is. Everything I’ve lived through and experienced begins to feel like a fantasy, something I dreamed.

Only the glitter of the beautiful ring of diamonds on my right hand reminds me that it is all real.

Why did you get him to put it on your right hand? Why not your left?

I stare at the sparkling stones and I know I did the right thing. This is, as Dominic said, a promise ring. A promise of amazing things to come. He’s asking me to accept his commitment for us to love one another and see what life – real life – together is like. The next step awaits us if we want it.

I think of him now thousands of miles away from me in New York. I can’t help a sense of fearful apprehension when I think about him confronting Andrei. When they faced up to each other that day outside Andrei’s apartment, they were like two snarling dogs ready to rip one another apart. I dread to think how Andrei will react when Dominic tells him that he is prepared to take him down once and for all.

Running my fingertips over the bumpy surface of my ring, I send up a silent prayer that Dominic will be all right. All I can do now is hope – and wait.

‘Beth, oh Bethy!’ My mother wraps me in her arms and showers me with kisses. ‘I’ve missed you!’

‘I’ve missed you too. Hi, Dad.’ I hug my father too, filled with happiness to be home. ‘Wow, it’s good to be back.’

My mother stands back and looks at me. ‘You’ve changed!’ She frowns. ‘I can’t see exactly what it is, but you’re definitely different.’