Craving HIM (Serving HIM Vol. 7) (12 page)

Tom burst out laughing. “So, what you’re telling me, is that he loses interest in things very quickly?”

“He does like to find new projects to hold his interest.” I thought that sounded diplomatic enough, especially after my less-than-appropriate comment. “Once this is up and going, it’s likely his attention will move on to something else. He'll still want it to keep doing good, so I do know it’s all the more important to make sure it's strong from the beginning.”

Tom nodded approvingly.

I continued, “As long as we're in the building process, once we get it up and in the starting stages, he’s going to be fine. Once something is stable, he’ll wants to move on to something new. That’s just how he is. He’s a creator. He wants to build things. It doesn’t matter if it’s a company or a new chain of hotels or a dating agency. Now it’s the foundation. He wants to build things, but the wait involved in this sort of endeavor is going to drive him nuts.”

“There’s nothing to be done for it.” Tom gave me a conciliatory shrug. “This is government we’re dealing with. I’m sure he’s had to work with building permits and tangles with licenses and that sort of thing.”

I nodded. “What I needed to do was find a way to keep him occupied and engaged while we’re waiting on the paperwork.”

“Where is the foundation going to be housed?” Tom asked after a moment.

I slid him a look and then slowly started to smile.

***

“It’s perfect.”

“Is it? I’d thought it might be adequate, but it’s been so long since I’ve been here, I'd almost forgotten.”

I looked at Fawna over my shoulder and grinned. “It’s absolutely perfect…and if it’s not, I might ask Dominic if we can move it. Look at how gorgeous this place is.”

I had brought Fawna and Tom along with me to give me their opinions since I still wasn't entirely sure what I was doing. Fortunately, Fawna had found several properties that Dominic already owned and this big old house in Chelsea was the third on her list.

I’d known the moment Vincent pulled to a stop in front of it that we’d struck gold.

“He bought it a few years ago,” Fawna said, walking next to me as I climbed the steps to the porch. “He never got around to doing anything with it.”

I paused just inside the door and ran a hand down the molding along the nearby window. “When was it built?”

“Early 1920’s.” She grinned at me as we walked further into the front room. “Can’t you just see the gangsters and their girls gathering around a table over there, drinking their bootleg liquor?”

She gestured and I turned to look.

An idea started to form. Speakeasies, girls in sparkly dresses with feathered head-bands, men in pinstripe suits and wingtips. I let it simmer there as we walked through the place.

“Renovations will have to be done,” Tom said, stopping in a narrow doorway. “You need bigger rooms, conference areas.”

“Yes.” I nodded. “That’s good.”

“Good?” Fawna laughed. “And you were talking about how impatient Dominic gets?”

I shot her a wide grin over my shoulder. “This is something tangible, something he can focus on while everything else is being done. It’s exactly what he needs.”

Fawna smiled at me, a knowing glint in her eyes. “I knew you were going to be good for him.”

***

Two days. That was all it took.

Okay, two days, lots of coffee, little sleep, lots of help from Tom and some brainstorming with Fawna over the phone. And I was pretty sure I'd skipped some meals somewhere along the way. I didn't even notice it until the second night when Dominic brought me pizza.

“Are you avoiding me or just really focused on something?” he asked, settling down behind his desk and eying me shrewdly.

I’d been up since five and I wasn’t even tired, but I did have a headache. Putting my computer to sleep, I picked up a slice of pizza and grinned at him. “Why would I avoid the man who just brought me pizza?”

“You didn’t come to bed until almost midnight last night.”

I grimaced. “It'll probably happen again tonight, but I’m almost done. I'm just finishing hammering down details.”

He studied me as he took a bite of his own slice of pizza. I didn't know how anyone could make eating look so damn sexy, but Dominic Snow could do it.

“So, it’s really, really focused.”

“Yes.” I rolled my eyes. “You ask for big orders and then you wonder why they take so long.”

A smile tugged at his lips. “If you need help, make sure you reach out to somebody in legal or the charity arm…something.” He frowned, thinking it through for a moment before he shook his head. “I don’t know where to really point you.”

“I’ve got it under control,” I assured him. “I should have a proposal for you tomorrow.”

“I hope so, Miss Davidson.” He gave me a sad look. “I’m feeling neglected.”

Damn if that wasn't sexy. “I’m very sorry, Sir.” I licked my lips and lowered my lashes demurely. “I’ll make it up to you.”

A familiar heat slid into his eyes. “I'll hold you to that.”

He looked away then, steering the conversation to safer ground and I wanted to hug him for it. If we got distracted now, I wouldn’t have the proposal finished tomorrow. Apparently, he was more patient when it came to sex than he was in business.

We finished up the pizza and he gathered up the trash. It was something he wouldn’t have done a few months ago and I found myself smiling. He caught sight of it and put the box and plates down. I caught my breath as he leaned over me.

“Remember, Aleena. Tomorrow, you focus on me.” He bit my earlobe and then slid his hand between my thighs.

“Yes, Sir.” I moaned as he pressed his fingers against my now-damp panties, then whimpered as he moved away.

Fuck.

***

It had been almost midnight when I'd slid into bed, the sheets cool against my bare flesh. He'd been on top of me before I'd even had the chance to reach out and brush my hand down his back.

He'd taken me hard and fast and when we'd both come, he'd pulled me into his arms and I'd fallen asleep the same way, hard and fast.

Now as the clock ticked closer to five, I paced the floor and tried to think of something special I could do for him to fulfill what I'd promised and make up for neglecting him.

I could cook him dinner and serve it to him wearing nothing but my collar. My entire body flushed. Granted, we might not make it to dinner...

Or he’d draw it out and make us both suffer.

A few weeks ago, he’d bound me with rope from my wrists to elbows and then my ankles to knees. He’d kept me like that for nearly two hours and fed me dinner…then fed me his cock…and then he’d pushed his cock into my ass and brought me to a hard, driving climax and I hadn’t been allowed to make a sound.

My pussy throbbed at the memory and I shut my eyes for a moment. I had to keep my mind occupied so I didn’t look over at the easels I’d set up, or the mockups for the redesigned house in Chelsea, the one year plan, the five year plan, the ten year plan…

I was so nervous. I wished he would just get there. This was the first really big project I’d handled for him by myself. I usually took care of personal ventures like parties. Nothing like this. This wasn't just me helping Amber manage the personal side of the business things. This was monumental and if it succeeded, it could change lives.

Yeah, I was a bit anxious.

I didn’t realize how much so until I spun around and saw Dominic standing in the middle of the floor. I let out an undignified squeak and heat flooded my face. Heart racing, I stared at him. “Dammit, you scared me to death!”

He came toward me, moving with a slow, sensual prowl. His eyes were the kind of deep blue that made me shiver.

Oh fuck.

He put his hand on my chest, over my racing heart.

“You feel pretty alive to me,” he murmured. Then he leaned in and pressed his mouth against mine.

I hummed and sighed as his slid his tongue past my lips, stealing away what remained of my breath in a deep, drugging kiss.

But when his hand slid down to my ass, I caught his wrist and pulled away. Nervous, I smiled.

“Not yet. I want to…” I looked over at everything I’d put together. “Can I show you something first?”

***

When I finished, I crossed my hands over my stomach and looked at him. My gut was twisted into knots as I waited for his reaction. “Well?”

He was standing in front of the mockup of the redesigned Chelsea house. He didn’t look at me but I could see a thoughtful expression on his face.

He sighed, sounding more disappointed than annoyed. “So…nothing official can be done for at least three months.”

I suppressed a smile. I loved that I was one of the only people who got to see this side of him. If he'd been around anyone else, he would've been barking orders, trying to figure out if he could do anything to move things forward.

“No. But we can start doing the PR right away.” I pressed my fingers together. “I was thinking we could do a launch party to get the word out. Now would be the best time with the light so heavily on you, your mom, the case…”

He turned and stared at me with the faintest of smiles on his face. “Who found the house? You or Fawna?”

“Fawna.” I stuck my tongue out at him.

“And the party?”

“My idea.” Biting my lip, I shrugged. “I…well, I figured it would be a nice way for everybody to get a look at what we’re planning and you can start talking about donations and get the pump primed, so to speak. Maybe some of the people you know might be interested in being corporate sponsors.”

“I can handle the money myself.” He flicked a hand dismissively.

“You shouldn’t.” Shaking my head, I gestured at the business plans Tom had helped me devise. “So many charitable foundations struggle and if you can seriously bring in money, you can spread it out to them. Since you’re not allowed to turn a profit, you can invest in your mission or spread it out into other nonprofits. And this could become big, Dominic. Sponsors can help improve visibility and everything.”

He ran a hand along his jaw and I could see him going over what I'd said. “Who helped with the business plans?”

“Tom.” I scowled at him and loftily added, “I did most of it. I’m getting better.”

He laughed and then before I knew it, I was pressed up against the couch. “I think I can forgive you for neglecting me, Aleena. You did amazing.”

“But…” I lowered my gaze to his mouth. “I'd still like to make it up to you.”

***

The Chelsea house had gotten a fast and dirty clean-up for my first solo-planned fundraiser, so when Dominic and I climbed out of the car Saturday night, we took a moment to look up at it and imagine what it would look like when it was completely done.

“It’s going to be amazing,” I said.

He slid a hand down my back. Through the silk and sparkles and fringe, I could feel the heat.

“It’s already amazing.” He kissed my neck. “You are amazing.”

I shivered a little. He stroked the diamond necklace around my neck. It wasn’t exactly keeping with the flapper dress I wore, but I didn't care about that. This was Dominic’s mark of possession to the world—the one I could wear in public—and I wanted the world to see it.

He took my arm and escorted me up the short brick walkway to the front door. It had been crazy trying to get this put together on such short notice, but we'd managed it. I'd had people from the PR arm of the Winter Corporations step in to spread the word and help me get everything organized.

The doors swept open to allow us in and I smiled when I saw the staff standing along the wall. They were dressed in black trousers, stiff white shirts, and bright blue armbands stamped with snowflakes. Next to each armband were the words, In From the Cold.

All the staff helping with the function, from the wait staff and bartenders to the people who handle parking wore the bands.

In From the Cold. That was what I’d dubbed the event, playing off Dominic’s name and the company. Snow. Winter.

But Dominic had decided he liked the phrase so well that he wanted to use it for the charity's actual name. He said it fit. Too many children, too many families, too many victims were left broken from child abduction and human trafficking.

It did fit.

In From the Cold wasn’t going to solely focus on bringing people home or raising awareness. We were going to do it all. Human trafficking and child abductions like Dominic’s were something too many people didn’t want to think about. And while people didn’t think about it, the victims suffered. Sure, it would get in the news once in a while when it was some little blonde kid or someone famous. Or if there was some sort of dramatic rescue involved. The others...all of those others...they were left out in the cold.

Inside the front doors, a thrill went through me as I saw what had been accomplished in such a short amount of time. My first step in getting this thing set up had been to hire an event planner and he stood in the middle of the foyer, dressed in a flamboyant purple suit from the 1920's, his hands moving wildly as he directed.