CAITLIN
"Why did you send Yurik and Micah over to my place?" I asked Dominic over the phone once I was settled in bed. I could still hear them fighting about what to watch, and I was on the brink of yelling at them to shut the fuck up. I needed my peace and quiet.
"What do you mean?" He faked confusion, and I could immediately sense it.
"Dominic, come on. Don't lie to me," I said softly and rolled over to lie on my side. I put the call on speaker and let it rest next to my head on the pillow.
He sighed, and I heard him shuffle around a bit. "How did you know?"
"Because my brother never comes to see me unless he needs something. So tell me, why?" I asked again, more firmly. Dominic should know better than to lie to me.
"Those idiots suck at making a girl feel better," he mumbled after a few moments. "I just thought you needed some company."
I didn't buy it. Not one bit.
"Okay, sweet. Now what's the real reason?" I asked, keeping a neutral tone. Dominic didn't say anything, and my bottom lip got pulled between my teeth at the nearly deafening silence. I wasn't mad at him. I just wanted to know why. All three men were obviously hiding something from me.
"I don't need a babysitter, Dominic," I stated, putting my arm underneath my head to get more comfortable.
"Stop. Why the fuck are you so good at this?" he asked, and I could just picture him pinching the bridge of his nose in annoyance before raising his hand questioningly. "It's only for today, angel. I'm just making sure Blake won't try anything, and I know you can take care of yourself, but..."
"Wait, wait. What do you mean? What does Blake have to do with this?" I asked, frowning. I was aware that he'd said something weird, but I hadn't seen him since he showed up at my door after Dominic and I had fucked.
"I caught him walking to your apartment last night. I told you I won't take that threat lightly, so..."
"Dominic. What did you do?" I asked, sitting up, suddenly much more alert. For all I knew, Blake could be lying in a ditch… or thrown into molten metal.
"Interrupt me one more time, angel. Please do it." His voice dropped an octave lower, and I could hear the threat underneath. I stilled and kept quiet.
"That's what the fuck I thought," he scoffed, and I smiled, letting him continue. Dominic was the only man I'd let get away with talking to me like that, partly because he was the finest man I'd ever seen, and mainly because I knew how kind and soft he could be.
"Yurik spoke to him last night. I'm making sure he won't show up again, but I doubt he will," he stated, and I choked on my spit. I coughed, my eyes watering.
"He beat the fuck out of him, didn't he?" I asked quietly. My thoughts were reeling with every possible scenario.
"A little…" he said slowly, and I sighed, dropping my head back onto the pillow. I clenched my eyes shut and pressed my palm against my forehead. Did Blake deserve that? He was always so nice to me. It was only when I broke things off with him that he started acting out of character, but did he deserve to get his ass handed to him on a silver platter?
"Are you mad at me? I was just trying to make sure you're safe, and I know you're a grown woman who's very much capable of doing it herself, so don't even start that shit, okay? I already know, but I told you that you have my protection for life." Whether I liked it or not, I remembered.
Free protection? Who was I to deny such a pleasure?
"I'm not mad at you. Just don't lie to me ever again, or you and I are going to have a huge problem," I warned him.
"What are you going to do? Spank me with those little hands that can barely wrap around my dick?" He laughed, and I gasped. Dominic was making fun of me.
"I will do exactly that. Perhaps even pistol-whip some sense into you," I muttered and drew the covers over me, feeling the painkillers I'd taken start to take effect as heaviness settled over my eyes.
"Alright, but we're taking turns. I've been meaning to let off some steam on that pretty ass of yours," Dominic said, and I let out a loud laugh, almost startling myself. My cheeks turned bright red, and even though he couldn't see me, I hid my face in the pillow. There he goes again, making me blush like a teenager.
"Aw, you're getting shy," he cooed when I didn't say anything, and I groaned.
"Stop! Goodbye, Dominic," I said with finality, and he chuckled.
"Goodbye, angel. Sleep tight."
"Wait, how do you know..." Before I could ask how he knew I was about to sleep, he hung up. I narrowed my eyes.
"Stop telling your brother what I'm doing!" I yelled out, hoping Yurik would hear me. He did, because I heard a faint "Fine!" in the distance. I shook my head and pulled the duvet up to my chin.
***
*One week later*
"That stupid, perverted, disgusting, old piece of shit," I fumed, exiting Mr. Luro's office. I hated this job so damn much. Once again, I had interviewed a man in a CEO position who apparently only thought with his dick.
*"Touch me and I'll give you all the information you need, darling."*
I wanted to gouge his eyes out with my bare fingers. I looked down at my palm, which was bright red and slightly stinging from when I'd slapped him across the face. He'd laid his hand on my breast, and my vision had blurred into pure anger. I snapped.
When I arrived back at headquarters after a brief drive, my blood was still boiling. All I'd wanted was for the interview to run smoothly without a single bump in the road, but of course, the bald-headed man who looked old enough to be my grandfather had other plans.
I knocked on the door, trying to control my rage. I now understand why David, my boss, had told me to wear a skirt. Not that I'd listened, nobody tells me what the fuck to wear.
"Come in," David called out. I pushed the door open, already giving him the hardest glare I could muster. His eyes glanced down to my pants-covered legs before meeting mine. I was going to fucking kill him.
"Caitlin, how did it go?" he asked, looking slightly frightened. I stepped closer and leaned my fists against his desk in an attempt to stop myself from reaching over and slapping him silly.
"You sent me there knowing Mr. Luro is a fucking perv. You told me to 'wear a skirt' knowing what he would want from me. Did you think I was going to accept it? What the fuck is wrong with you?" I asked loudly.
David shot up from his seat and walked over to me, grabbing my arm. "Lower your fucking voice," he hissed softly and glanced through the door to see if anyone might hear.
"Don't touch me!" I ripped my arm out of his hold. I was pissed—so very pissed that I felt like I could hit something. Both men disgusted me. I was angry at David for condoning such behavior and at Mr. Luro for having the fucking audacity.
"That was a very important interview, and you ruined it. Why didn't you just entertain him?" he asked, bending down slightly. My mouth dropped. How dare he?
"Why would I do that, ever?" I asked coldly. I wanted to smash his head against a wall.
"That's what girls like you do, right?" he said in a condescending tone and reached around to grab my ass. He didn't get the chance. My hand had a mind of its own as it stretched out at lightning speed and slapped him across the face. It was loud and left my palm stinging again. I couldn't believe he had the nerve to try to fucking touch me.
In the span of one afternoon, two men had tried to lay their hands on me without consent.
David's head snapped to the side, a red handprint already forming on his pale cheek, and his jaw clenched. I stood my ground, scowling at him. He slowly tilted his head back to gaze at me while holding his cheek. I could see the unmistakable anger blazing in his eyes as he took a daunting step closer.
"You're fired. Get the fuck out before I make you," he sneered, and I scoffed at his attempt to be intimidating. Did this bitch think I was afraid of him?
"You are disgusting," I said blatantly and turned on my heel to leave. As soon as I exited the building and was on the route to my car, I pulled my phone out of my purse and went straight to Dominic's contact.
Those rats deserved to lose absolutely everything. How many women had they sexually assaulted and gotten away with it? It seemed like a regular thing for them, and the abuse stopped right here with me. I was going to make sure of it.
"Hi, angel. You done with the interview?" Dominic's deep voice floated through the phone, and I squeezed it so hard I feared it might crack in my hand.
"David White from JournaCo and Andrew Luro, CEO of GamingHord. Both men tried to touch me inappropriately today," I stated, getting into my car and throwing my bag onto the passenger seat. I closed the door and held the phone between my ear and shoulder as I stuck the key into the ignition.
I didn't give a fuck about what happened to either of them.
Dominic didn't ask anything before I heard him yelling those names to someone in the background and giving orders I couldn't quite make out. He didn't waste a second.
"Done. Are you okay?" he asked, his voice laced with concern and slight anger. I breathed out deeply, feeling myself relax as he spoke to me. I grabbed the phone and rested my head against the steering wheel, trying to control my pounding heart.
"I'm okay," I muttered.
"Are you okay to drive?" Dominic asked, and I could hear him trying to stay composed. In a way, it helped calm me down.
"I am now. Thank you," I said and looked out the window at the building I never wanted to set foot in again.
"I got you, angel," he said, and a soft, relieving smile formed on my lips.
Dominic got me.
***
I stepped into my apartment and instantly kicked my shoes off. My jacket was shrugged off next as I walked toward the bathroom. All my clothes were discarded along the way, left wherever they fell; I'd care about it some other time.
My period had ended two days ago, and I was sex-deprived and affection-deprived. I wanted Dominic to come over so I could fuck the shit out of him and release the built-up tension.
I was naked by the time I reached the shower. I stepped inside, letting the water cascade down my back. I exhaled and inhaled deeply, leaning my palms against the tiled wall. The hot temperature aided in finding my serenity, and by the time I'd finished washing and shaving everywhere, I felt like a whole new person.
The wonders of a shower.
I applied lotion to my body and enjoyed the distinctive scent of vanilla and cinnamon. Once I was completely satisfied, I wrapped a towel around myself and walked to my room. A knock at the door halted my steps, and I immediately knew who it was.
But just to be safe, when I reached the living room I peeped through the peephole and grinned when I saw it was Dominic, looking sideways down the hall. He had the most beautiful profile, and he was painfully attractive.
I opened the door and let him inside. He took a step forward, and when his gaze snapped to me, he stopped. His eyes traveled down my towel-clad upper body until they landed on my bare legs. His jaw clenched, and unadulterated, animalistic lust formed on his face as he licked his lower lip.
He shut the door behind him and locked it.
"It's getting taken care of right now," Dominic broke the silence first, his voice husky. I nodded, knowing exactly what he meant. Serves them right.
"You good? Do you need anything?" he asked, stepping forward. His hand reached up to cup my cheek. He was gentle, more so than usual, and I frowned.
"Dominic. You are not about to treat me as if I'm fragile," I said sternly. In that moment, I didn't want to be treated like a porcelain doll. I wanted to be ruined again. I wanted to be fucked so hard that even days later I'd feel a reminder of who had been inside me.
His grip tightened before his hand trailed to the back of my neck, pulling me toward him for a hug. It took me by surprise, and I stumbled into his hard chest with a startled breath. Dominic held me tightly and bent down to bury his face in my neck. I wrapped my arms around him and caught a whiff of his intoxicating scent.
"I'm so glad you're okay. Don't worry, they're going to pay for what they did. I missed you so much, angel," he mumbled against my skin. Both hands reached down to grab my ass over the towel, squeezing softly.
I hadn't seen him for days, and I was aching for his touch. I wanted to take my anger out on him… in a good way.
"I missed you more," I said, my voice slightly muffled by his shirt. It was a simple hug, but I felt his bulge growing against my stomach, and my tongue swept over my bottom lip. Fuck. I wanted him so badly.
I felt one hand leave my ass, caressing upward until it landed on the spot where my towel was tucked in above my left breast. He pulled away to look at me, searching for any protest, but I kept quiet, silently begging him to continue. My pulse quickened; my senses were overwhelmed, and he was barely touching me.
Dominic could make me want him by just standing there. His dark brown eyes were glazed over with desire, and I could see how much he wanted me too.
I wanted to be in control. I wanted to set the pace. I wanted to be the one to fuck him while he just took it.
With one tug, my towel fell to the floor, and my naked body was completely exposed to him.
I was so ready.