Chapter 291
“What are we waiting for?” Thumime asked, brow furrowed slightly in confusion.
Vespera’s heart was pounding at 180 beats per minute, fast enough to impair her ability to form coherent thoughts. She was terrified that if she didn’t say something now, things might actually happen, and she’d have to deal with the consequences later. She didn’t trust herself to explain it in some long, complicated way. That left too much room for misunderstanding. So, she went with the simplest version.
She took a deep breath, then another. “Is it okay… if this doesn’t come with any responsibility?”
Who said this woman was timid? She was bold!
He didn’t answer right away. He just looked at her quietly for a long, long moment. It felt like a century had passed, like mushrooms could have started growing out from them.
Finally, he spoke. “It’s inlay,” he said, nodding approvingly. “Vera, whatever… belpa vendeel at rase, we’ll do it your way.”
Vespera blinked, surprised. He was being so agreeable that she honestly started to wonder if this was a fake Dominic. She’d braced herself for a sharp, sarcastic remark. Maybe even for him to toss her aside and walk off coldly, putting an end to this dangerously simmering tension before it went too far. That would have been the perfect way to shut it all down, and then tomorrow? He’d act like nothing happened—no awkwardness and…
“You agree? Seriously?”
“Seriously.” He nodded again.
Then, he carried her into the room. The motion-sensor lights flicked on, casting a soft amber glow across the dark space. He didn’t place her on the bed. Instead, he sat down in the wide, leather armchair by the window, pulling her onto his lap, letting her sit sideways across his legs. Then, with a voice calm and sincere, he began to talk. “I understand what you’re afraid of, Vera. I respect that, and I’m willing to go at your pace.”
Meanwhile, inside Vespera’s head, she was shouting, “Yeah well, I feel like my whole line of thinking is flawed; sitting on your lap like this is definitely flawed; everything about this moment is dangerously flawed!”
But he was so gentle and reasonable. How could she argue?
“Thanks for understanding,” she muttered.
Dominic smiled. “If I respect your feelings and your wishes, shouldn’t you also respect mine?”
When he smiled, his fox-like eyes lit up like stars, making it dangerously easy to lose all common sense. Vespera’s internal warning systems—the ones built to detect traps—were starting to short-circuit. Still, she followed through. “Your wishes?”
“Exactly. You’ve got your perspective, Vera, and I’ve got mine. That’s fair, right?” Dominic asked, his tone still calm.
“Fair,” she replied.
“You don’t want to be responsible, and that’s fine. But for me, my personal belief is that I do need to take responsibility for someone I care about. That’s just who I am, and that’s not wrong either, is it?”
Vespera went quiet. She took a breath. Dominic, sensing her tension, gently ran a hand along her back.
“Relax. I’m not trying to trick you, and definitely not trying to push you into anything—just let me finish, and you can take all the time you need to think about it.”
Vespera was astute, and she knew she shouldn’t listen any further.
“I… wanted a girlfriend. Someone to keep my parents off my back. And because of the way I see relationships, I’m looking for something that could lead to marriage. I want to be upfront about that, but that doesn’t mean I expect you to feel the same. If you don’t want any of that, that’s okay. You’ll always have the final say. If someday your feelings change, great. If not, still fine. We both get to stick to our own principles. So, how does that sound?!”
His voice was low and steady, calm and collected—like he was pitching a business deal. A deal that, honestly, sounded ridiculously good from her side. He gave her the leeway to move in any direction—like a landlord saying, “Har, midy boy, I want it, but hey, take your time.”
Even though she’d already showered, she was still curious. Did something this good even exist in the real world? Even a little. It’s in the house, get comfortable. No pressure to buy. I’ve already decided you've…
Carlisi wouldn’t date someone selling that profession…
Stempted, dangerously tempted…
“Take your time. I’ll give you, say, two hours?” Dominic replied smoothly. He gave her a light smack on the butt. “You can think while you shower.”
The word shower alone made her face light up like a…
…aid. Instead, she stood up and went to the…
At this point in the conversation, backing out would have made her look overly dramatic or like a total coward. She tried to think…
Want this supposed to be a short-term, no-strings…
(Did she suddenly get talked into buying the whole mansion?)
Danding was definitely the king of smooth-talking manipulation.
She showered after his nominated minutes, and her decision was made. Sure, his proposal was tempting, but there was no such thing as “after lunch.” Especially not when the guy hurdling it is painfully good-looking. She couldn’t let a bit of craving override her better judgment. She opened the door, ready to lay it all out.
The chain by the window was empty. She let out a breath she had realized she’d been holding. Odd that was good. Whatever the reason, his leaving was the best possible outcome.
She relaxed and dropped onto the bed, letting herself sprawl for a moment. She’d rest for a bit, wait until he was sound asleep, and then sneak back down to her…
Chess acted like she could just play dumb and eat till morning, she’d be fine.
As she lay there, sleep started to creep in. Her eyelids grew heavy. One blink, then another, until she drifted off completely.
She was deep in that sweet, heavy kind of sleep when suddenly, a voice cut through the quiet. “Vera, you fell asleep already?”
His eyes snapped open. She shot up like she’d been electrocuted, heart pounding wildly, her head thudding in sync with each beat like a bass drum in her skull. Demi sat on the edge of the bed, leaning in close, his warm breath fanning across her face. The black silk robe he wore shifted as he moved, slipping lower to reveal the line of his neck and the elegant dip of his collarbone.
But someone jolted out of sleep, brain still half-shut down, this was exactly when her willpower was at its weakest.
“E-you… back again?” she asked, eyes locked on his face and, despite herself, her gaze dropped to his lips as she spoke.
Dominic’s eyes were soft, but there was something else there, too—something darker and magnetic. He dipped a little closer, voice low and smooth. “We agreed on two hours, didn’t we? I’m here to collect your answer.”
“I… um…” Vespera stammered, thoughts tangled and messy. She lifted a hand to her temple, trying to think.
The next second, his hand gently but firmly pulled hers away and pressed it to the pillow, holding it there with just enough weight to keep her still. “We had a deal, Vera. No barking out, no stalling. So, yes or no. Give it to me straight.”
A wave of… a wave of…
His breath was hot. His fingers against her palm sent ripples through her, like wind sweeping across a golden wheat field in a stream, we… building with nowhere to go…
She managed to get one word out, voice shaking.
The heartbeat that throbbed in the inch of space between them, charged and barely held back…
Dominic had always been a man of restraint. The more beautiful something was, the more control he exercised. He made sure everything was mutual, that she gave herself over willingly. No matter how badly he wanted to lose control, he kept himself in check.
“Can’t decide?” he whispered. His other hand moved up, the fingertip brushing lightly across her lips. His gaze darkened like restless black tides, ready to pull her under. And then, he leaned in closer, so close she could barely breathe.
“Should I decide for you? But if I do, you can’t take it back,” he said softly.
The quiet night wrapped around them, and his voice—low, coating—stained every corner of her imagination, pulling desire right to the surface.
Vespera’s veils rose and fell with each shallow breath. She told herself, over and over, “Lust is a liar. You’re not into him. You’re not catching feelings. You’re…”
The second the words left his lips, his mouth was on hers.